More Than You Know

by Jennifer Gracen

“Yes, I do,” she said, understating it by a mile. It was amazing. She already loved it. She could imagine what it would be like when filled, crackling with lively late-night energy. A respectable, upscale place, a place to be proud to sing in, with Kelvin at her back . . . it was going to be very enjoyable indeed to work here. “How many does the lounge hold?”

  “A hundred. And room for over a hundred more in the bar.”

  She nodded and stepped up to the stage, turned to face the room, and took in the view from her vantage point. She felt like she’d just stepped up on an Olympic podium to accept a gold medal. “Nice.” Her eyes flickered to Dane. “The aesthetics are great, but how are the acoustics?”

  He frowned. “Not sure what you mean.”

  “You don’t have a mic here, do you?”

  “It’s somewhere in the back. I can go look for it if you like,” he offered.

  “Not necessary.” She swallowed to clear and wet her throat, drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started to sing.

  Dane stood mesmerized as Julia belted out two lines from a song he didn’t know. Her voice was full, rich, and dazzling. He’d heard her sing before, of course. But watching her up onstage alone, singing without accompaniment and hitting every note right on target, with ease and passion . . . he felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

  He’d never been the groupie type, but suddenly he understood the phenomenon. Julia’s natural talent made her even more attractive to him. He wanted her to sing to him, seduce him personally with that voice. What a gift.

  She stopped as she’d started, quickly and without warning. “It’ll work,” she said simply, and stepped down from the stage.

  “Yes. It. Will.” Dane felt a bit hazy. “What was that song? I don’t know it.”

  “Annie Lennox. ‘Dark Road.’ One of my favorites.” She passed him to head back toward the bar.

  “Add it to your set list,” he commanded.

  “Already on it, Boss.”

  He watched her stroll around the space, examining details and taking it all in. His eyes greedily rolled over her curves. “Think Kelvin will like it here too?” He didn’t really care, but had to keep the conversation flowing before he did something stupid with his newest, red-hot employee.

  “Absolutely,” Julia said. “He’s very easygoing. He only comes off like a diva.”

  Dane laughed. “So who’s the diva, then? You?”

  “Nooo,” she said, unable to hold back a grin. “I’m no diva. You don’t have to worry.” She took a seat on one of the barstools, covered in the same dark brown leather as the booths.

  “Good to know,” Dane said, taking a seat beside her. He leaned an elbow on the bar, mirroring her. “Okay, so you’re not a diva. You’re tough as hell, though. How come?”

  “How come?” she echoed, looking at him strangely. “Um . . . life?”

  “Okay.” Dane let that go. For now. “I meant to ask you last week, forgive me—is there anyone you want to invite to the grand opening?”

  “I’ll be working, won’t I?” Julia asked, confused.

  “Yes, you will. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the party before you start. You don’t go on until ten. You should mingle, work the room.” He kept his grin easy as his gaze sharpened. “So no one you want to invite? Family? Friends? A boyfriend?”

  Julia snorted out a laugh. “Really?” She shook her head and said, somewhat bemused, “That’s your idea of a fishing expedition? Jeez.”

  He stared at her in mild disbelief. “Excuse me?”

  “If you want to ask about my personal life, just freakin’ ask.”

  Her way of cutting right to the point threw him, and he wasn’t a man who was easily thrown. He’d have to get used to being on his toes around her. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Fine. Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “Are you married?”

  “No,” she said, with more of an edge.

  “Do you have any family locally that you’d like to invite?”

  “Nope.” She met his eyes. “You’ve got money and means. You’ve probably checked out my entire life history already. What are you looking for?”

  Affronted, he frowned. “You’re right, I could have done that if I’d wanted to. I didn’t. I only checked what was necessary for your professional life, not your personal life. That’s your business, not mine. I’m not like that. Okay?”

  She pressed her lips together and nodded.

  His head cocked to the side as he studied her. “Do you believe me?”

  She regarded him in silence for a long moment before saying, “I don’t trust anyone until they’ve proven to me that I can. Don’t take it personally. It’s not you.”

  Watching her keenly, he only nodded, filing that away.

  “I’d like to invite my best friend, Randi, and her husband,” Julia said, closing the tense gap. “Is that all right?”

  “Of course. Give me the names and address, consider it done. Anyone else?”

  “Nope.” She slid off the barstool. “Do I have a dressing room?”

  “Absolutely.” Dane stood and escorted her behind the stage, down a short hallway to the room at the end. He opened the door for her and stepped aside. “Ladies first.”

  She moved past him into the small but elegant room. Dane had ensured that the mirror on the wall was well lit, the counter attached to it wide enough to hold makeup, a drink, whatever she wanted, and the chair was comfortable. The walls had been painted taupe and the carpet was a rich brown, adding warmth to the room. Two chocolate-colored leather sofas lined opposite walls; a large vase of freshly cut flowers sat on the long glass coffee table between them.

  He watched her face as she took it in. “You like it?”

  “I do,” she answered simply. She offered a smile. And that was it.

  He’d been hoping for a more enthusiastic response, but swatted away the flicker of annoyance. Julia wasn’t the type of woman to squeal like a fangirl over a nice room, even though he’d made sure it was nice solely for her enjoyment. He wondered what would get her to drop her guard around him, to express more emotion than cool respect, quiet gratitude, or wary mistrust.

  On the back wall, opposite the vanity, was a closet door. Dane went and opened it to show her what was inside. “These are yours.”

  Julia had an odd look on her face that he couldn’t read. Was she happy? Unhappy? Pissed off? She kept her cards so goddamn close to the vest.

  “What’s in there?” she asked.

  “Your wardrobe,” he said, opening the door as wide as it could go. “Dresses.” He grinned at her. “They don’t bite. Come take a look.”

  She approached the closet slowly. He could see the curiosity in her eyes that she was trying so damn hard to hide from him. That . . . and a hint of wonder. A flicker of vulnerability. Ah, hell. His heart twinged in his chest.

  He moved to give her room. “This is a good start, I think. You don’t need to do any wardrobe changes each night, this isn’t Vegas. One dress per night is fine. You gave my assistant, Elise Cannon, your measurements, and then she did the heavy lifting. But between you and me, I think she had fun doing it.”

  “I’m glad,” Julia murmured. Focused on the dresses now, she reached out to touch them. There were about a dozen hanging there. Black, midnight blue, royal blue, deep purple, emerald green, hunter green. Silk, cotton, beads, sequins. All of them stunning. “You had all of these made for me?”

  “Yes.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “I hired you. I need to make sure you look your best.”

  “That must’ve been pricey.”

  “Not your concern. Just wear them well.”

  She glanced at him, then back to the dresses. “I’ve never had a wardrobe purchased for me for a job before. Much less anything like this. I . . . wow. Thank you.”

  Her eyes met his again for a long beat, and he saw there what her quietly spoken words had given away. She was genuinely moved. Possibly even
a bit overwhelmed. It was a moment of softness he hadn’t seen in her before now, and something in his heart pinged again. He smiled and said warmly, “You’re welcome. My pleasure.”

  She broke the intense gaze and looked back at the dresses.

  “I’m sure you’ll look gorgeous in all of them.” He let his eyes glide over her hourglass figure. The word goddess flashed in his head. “But if you don’t like any of them, tell me, we’ll send them back and get different ones. Don’t be shy about that.” He moved closer and lifted her chin with a fingertip, looking down at her. She stilled beneath his touch. “Julia, I want you to feel beautiful up there. If you feel like a gorgeous queen, it’ll come across. That’s what I want.”

  Her hazel eyes shone and glimmered as she met his gaze. “Is that all you want?” she murmured provocatively.

  Heat flooded his body, lust ruled him without mercy. Goddamn. “No, that’s not all I want,” he murmured back. Their eyes locked and held. Her softness was gone, replaced by a flirty sensuality. He took another step closer. “You are a vile temptress.”

  She smirked and purred, “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

  Her husky voice sent shimmers of desire through him. He let his finger trail along her smooth jaw. His eyes fell to her mouth, those lush, inviting lips so close. “We can’t do this, you know.”

  “Of course not,” she said. Her voice didn’t waver, but she didn’t step back from him. “You’re my boss. I’m not stupid. I plan to keep my job.”

  “And you will.” His heart started pounding against his ribs. He dragged his finger down her soft, pale neck . . . slowly, teasing. He let that fingertip wander back up the side of her throat. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t break their gaze. “You . . . are incredibly sexy, Julia. You drive men wild. And you know it.”

  “Maybe a little.” Something flamed in her eyes. “Is that why you hired me? I thought it was because of my voice.”

  “It was both,” he said flatly. “You have an amazing voice. And you’re unbelievably hot.”

  Her mouth curved up. “Thank you. But I’ve gotta tell ya . . .” She moved in a drop closer, their faces now only inches apart. He could feel her warm breath against his mouth, see the gold flecks shining in her striking hazel eyes. Her voluptuous breasts brushed against his chest and his heart almost stopped. She looked deep into his eyes, smiled, and whispered with carnal boldness, “You couldn’t handle me.”

  Lust slammed him, almost made his knees weak. With all the women he’d known, all the women he’d been with—and yeah, there were more than he cared to admit to—not one of them had been this direct. This forward. This hot. Who was seducing whom here? Jesus Christ. “Oh, I could handle you,” he assured her in a rough whisper, even as adrenaline and hunger surged through his body.

  “Mmm. Maybe you could.” Her eyes danced, teasing as she took a step back. “Too bad we won’t find out, huh?”

  His blood sizzled through his veins. He hoped she couldn’t tell he had a raging hard-on. “No, unfortunately, we won’t. We can’t.”

  She nodded and turned her back to him. He stared at her hair, the cascading fiery waves, and his hands fisted at his sides. Everything in him longed to grab her, whirl her around, and kiss her senseless. But he couldn’t. I’m her boss, he reminded himself, willing his heart to slow. I’m her fucking boss.

  Before he could blink, she turned back to him, took his face with both hands, and pulled him down to bring his mouth crashing onto hers.

  A second of shock blurred into instant passion as he kissed her back. Her mouth was as warm and soft as he’d imagined it would be. His hands grasped her waist and pulled her closer. Her kiss was demanding; she wanted. Goddammit, so did he. She touched her tongue to his and he tasted mint and fire and sensuality . . . More. He wanted more.

  She broke the kiss, gasping for air. Her hands went to his chest to push back from him, but he didn’t release her.

  They stared at each other for a moment. The air around them crackled and pulsed.

  “Well, okay then,” she gasped. She drew a shaky breath. “Okay. Had to just get that out of my system. I’ll be fine from here on in.”

  “Really?” Dane said, his voice thick. “Okay. But I didn’t get my turn.” He gripped her face and crushed his mouth to hers. No mercy. Pure animal lust. He wanted her boneless when he was done kissing her. He wanted her so bad it ached, and he took it out on her luscious mouth.

  His kisses were greedy, ravenous. He wanted to own her, and his mouth was relentless. Kissing, nipping, tasting, he consumed her. She whimpered softly into his mouth as the kisses deepened; as she surrendered with a tiny moan, her arms slid around his neck and held.

  That tiny moan nearly undid him. He tangled his fingers in her soft, thick hair, holding her head as he took what he wanted. But she matched him, taking and giving, the heat between them rising. Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. His hands slid down her sides, around to her back, over those lush hips to hold her tighter. She pressed her body against his and he grabbed her ass, holding her hips to his. His erection strained against her and a groan came from deep in his throat, vibrating into her mouth.

  She pushed him away. Hard. “Whoa. Okay. That’s . . .” Her eyes were dazed, dark with passion. Gasping, wide-eyed, she gaped at him.

  His head spinning, he fought to catch his breath too. “Holy shit,” he panted.

  A quick laugh escaped her now-swollen mouth. “Yeah.” She stared a moment longer, then took a step back, recomposing herself in a flash. “But that can’t happen again.”

  Annoyance flashed through him and he squelched it. He was ready to throw her down on the couch and totally ravage her. But she was right. He took a deeper breath and raked his hands through his hair. “I know.” He couldn’t help but smirk as he added teasingly, “You started it.”

  Her face flushed and she pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Okay. Yes, I kissed you first. But I don’t care how hot you are, or how hot you think I am,” she said staunchly. “This will not happen. This is a great job. A dream job. I want to keep this job.”

  “You will,” he assured her. His mind had cleared, his heart rate was slowing, and as much as she was putting on a damn strong front, he’d caught a glimpse of something in her eyes before she’d shuttered it: fear. “Julia. Your contract is ironclad. You’re safe. Don’t show up drunk, don’t be inappropriate in the hotel, don’t get your name in the papers for anything negative, and your job is secure. Whether anything ever happens between us or not. Okay?”

  She stared for another few seconds, then turned away. She went to the mirror and dropped her shoulder bag onto the counter. Her hair fell around her face as she rummaged through her bag, like a shield of fiery waves. She pulled out a lip-liner pencil and fixed her mouth, not meeting his eyes in the mirror as she worked.

  Dane stared at her back. She’d brushed him off. She’d all but fucking dismissed him. He sat slowly on one of the sofas, trying to maintain an air of casual ease, but his insides were still throbbing and his mind was in a tailspin. To say she’d surprised him was the understatement of the year. She’d kissed him, she’d made the first move. He’d been, as Pierce would say, gobsmacked. He wasn’t used to a woman taking what she wanted from him so boldly. She’d wanted it so she’d taken it, without apology and without restraint. It turned him on more than he wanted to admit.

  He licked his lips, still tasting her. The sound of her soft moan of surrender still echoed in his head. Goddammit, he wanted her. She was fire and power and heat, and he wanted all of it. She could brush him off all she liked—the chemistry between them was undeniable. Those scorching kisses had proved it.

  He drew in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.

  Maintaining a professional relationship with Julia Shay was going to be even harder than he’d thought.

  Chapter Five

  Dane made another pass through the lobby, shaking hands as he worked his way through the crowd. The party was in full swing
and going smoothly. Food disappeared off the trays almost as fast as the waitstaff brought them out. Drinks were plentiful, music played, laughter sounded among the low rumble of conversation . . . the bash to celebrate the opening of the Hotel Alexandra was a success.

  Dane had expected nothing less, but he always felt that click of relief and satisfaction once he was firmly in the game.

  He heard a familiar voice call his name and looked over. His father, beside his older brother and sister in the corner he’d reserved for them, waved Dane over insistently. Dane held up a finger, telling him to wait, as he finished the chat he was having with the mayor’s wife. When he was able to excuse himself politely, he crossed to where his family stood.

  “How goes it, Harrisons?” he said amiably, and leaned in to drop a quick kiss on Tess’s cheek. “You look fantastic,” he told her. His sister was a beautiful woman on her worst day, but all decked out in a hot pink halter gown, over six feet tall with the added height from her four-inch heels, she stood out even in a room of glamorous, beautiful people.

  “Thank you,” she said with a pleased smile. She reached up to straighten his tie. “Having fun? Everything’s going well?”

  “All is well,” Dane said proudly. “I’m even going to have a drink soon. Think I can relax and enjoy now.”

  “Hell of a party,” Charles Harrison II boomed at his son. “Another Harrison success.”

  “Dad,” Tess said in a soft reprimand. “This is Dane’s own success.”

  “That too.” Charles II clapped his free hand on his son’s shoulder. “Another notch on your own belt. Good for you.” He raised his glass of scotch in a toast and took a sip.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Dane said, smiling, then turned to his sister and winked.

  “So when does your singer start?” Charles III asked.

  “Ten o’clock. She’ll do two short sets: forty-five minutes each, with a fifteen-minute break in between. You won’t be disappointed,” Dane promised. “She’s really good.”

  “And very easy on the eyes, from what your brother tells me,” Charles II said.

  Dane chuckled. “Yup. She’s sexy as hell, but with class and grit. You’ll approve.”