by John Locke
“And the hyphen?”
“You and the girls.”
“Tell me why.”
“Working together, you and I will double the value of his business. We’ll be running all the day-to-day leaving him to wonder when to take his next dump. If he doesn’t like something I’ve planned, you’ll stick up for me. And I’ll do the same for you. I’ll work the books, you’ll work the girls, and Carmine will get fatter, older, and richer. At some point I give him papers to sign, allowing me to legally make all the business decisions. At that point he can either sign the papers, or watch us go down the road and start our own club.”
“Wow.”
“Trust me, Gwen. For all intents and purposes we’ll control that piss ant club in the space of six months. But that’s just the first step.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want it all.”
“There’s only one club, Willow.”
“Carmine’s ripe for the plucking. I want to take over his other businesses.”
“Excuse me?”
“I want to run the entire west coast.”
Gwen laughs. “You’re not even Italian!”
“It’s a different era, Gwen. It’s all about making money, moving product. Mob guys are like all other guys, meaning they want two things. Money and power. Those who want money will get more. Those who want power will get killed. Are you with me or not?”
“You’re eighteen fucking years old! They’ll squash you like a bug!”
“When the transition’s complete, I’ll give you fifty percent of the club. And five percent of everything else.”
“You’re truly insane.”
“Pretend I can do it. Would you run the girls?”
“For five percent ownership?”
“And a hundred grand off the top.”
“I don’t believe for a minute you can pull this off.”
“But if I can?”
“If you can somehow manage to get legal control of the club, yes, I’ll run the girls.”
Willow smiles. “If you agree to run the girls, I’ll get control of the club.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a process. I’ve known Carmine a few hours and already got his name on an apartment lease. But I have to show him I can deliver. Killing Roy and bringing you back to the club is a hell of a coup.”
“Okay, I get that. But I don’t understand how you plan to take control.”
“Baby steps. First? Lover. Second? Confidante. Third? Business advisor. Fourth? Accountant. Fifth? Well, that depends on what I discover along the way. I’ll help you get your hundred grand immediately. And later on, you’ll help me gain control. But of course, none of this can happen until—”
“Roy’s out of the picture.”
“Exactly. So I need to take him out, or find someone who does this sort of thing for a living. It would be nice to have a hit man in my pocket. You think this Donovan Creed guy would do it?”
“No. But I know someone who will.”
“Who?”
“Donovan Creed’s daughter.”
“Seriously?”
Gwen laughs. “You’ll have to be careful. She’s not playing with a full deck.”
“She sounds perfect.”
Gwen laughs. “You’re a piece of work.”
“Can you set up a meeting? First thing tomorrow morning?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Great.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“Can I get dressed now?”
27.
Callie Carpenter.
Cincinnati.
THE PHONE RINGS five times before Dani answers.
“Hello?”
“Sorry I’m late calling you back,” Callie says.
Dani yawns. “That’s okay. Can we talk a minute?”
“Yes.”
“Um…where are you?”
“Down the hall.”
Callie hears her take a deep breath.
Then Dani says, “You want me to come to your room?”
“No. I’ll come to you.”
28.
Callie and Dani.
“I ALMOST GAVE up on you,” Dani says.
“I was tied up.”
“Not literally, I hope!”
As she enters Dani’s room, Callie picks up the scent of perfume. She notices a capless tube of toothpaste on the sink, a wet toothbrush, and a makeup case whose contents are scattered across the counter as if a bomb exploded nearby. Her room has a king bed, a utility desk, and a table with two chairs.
Dani sits at the foot of the bed. Her lips are glossed, her hair freshly-brushed. She’s wearing a man’s white dress shirt and, from the glimpse Callie got when Dani plopped onto the bed—white cotton panties. Callie slides one of the chairs directly in front of her, and sits in it. From the way the bed’s been hastily made, Callie concludes Dani had been sound asleep when she answered the phone. The call ended a minute ago, which means in that small space of time Dani managed to throw the bed together, brush her teeth and hair, and apply perfume and lip gloss, though she had to dump all the makeup out to find the lip gloss.
Callie’s in jeans and a scoop-neck tank top, no bra. Their knees are two feet apart.
“How did you know which hotel?” Dani says.
“I started with the closest ones to Sal’s house and called till I found you.”
“How many did you call?”
“Four.”
“I’m impressed.”
“What happened tonight?” Callie says.
“We had a fight.”
Callie nods. “You want to talk about it?”
Dani smiles. “You’d do that?”
“What?”
“Listen to me rattle on and on about some meaningless fight?”
“If it would make you feel better, yes.”
“I wouldn’t put you through that.”
“Thanks.”
Dani laughs.
They’re both quiet a minute, Dani staring at her hands in her lap, Callie, staring at Dani. Callie, reading all the signals, knows a slam dunk when she sees one. This incredible creature, Dani Ripper, is primed and ready. All Callie has to do is...
Dani suddenly blurts, “I’m not quite sure how this sort of thing works.”
The smile in Callie’s heart spreads to her face as she thinks, how adorable is that!
Callie silently studies the flawless, insanely desirable woman sitting on the bed a few feet away, who represents everything Callie has ever wanted in a woman, or hoped for. This is Callie’s wildest fantasy coming true.
Only Dani’s not just ready, she’s ready to explode! Her face and neck have bloomed to a crimson flush of passion, even as she struggles to overcome her natural shyness. She wants it, Callie knows, and wants it bad. And what makes the situation even more thrilling and intoxicating is they both know Dani wants Callie to ravage her, and take her to places she’s never been. She’s not looking for goose bumps. She’s looking for a multi-orgasmic crescendo.
Callie can tell Dani’s ready to surrender her body to pure passion and desire, that she fully expects to be rendered physically and emotionally spent, like a wet wash cloth that’s served its purpose and been wrung so thoroughly there’s not a drop of moisture left in it. A wash cloth that, moments after being hung up to dry, drops to the shower floor and stays there, content to steep in the remnant puddles.
Callie understands. She’s spent her whole life searching for someone she can touch and be touched by who makes her feel warm and safe inside. Someone who’s been through the same hell she’s endured. Someone who’s experienced the brutality of a man first hand. Someone who, like Callie, had her childhood ripped from her at a tender age.
Dani raises her head and looks at her, and Callie wonders how it’s possible for a woman to have such enormous eyes, and why they look beautiful instead of freakish.
Dani places her hands a foot behind her
on the bed, for support, and leans back. The sudden movement shows Callie that Dani’s braless.
She scoots her chair back a foot to give her something to do besides jumping Dani’s bones. But Dani’s legs are slightly apart, and from this vantage point a wet spot on her panties comes into view.
29.
CALLI’ES PULSE QUICKENS. Her breathing gets heavy. She notes every movement Dani makes is more seductive than the previous one, leaving her to conclude Dani isn’t half as innocent as she presumed.
Under normal circumstances, Callie would be on this woman like smoke on an oil fire. But the circumstances aren’t normal, and Callie feels inexplicably conflicted.
Because of two words Creed uttered.
Not yet.
And because she slapped him.
This morning Callie told Creed she knew what she wanted for her birthday, meaning sex with Dani. Now it’s hers for the taking. But she also asked Creed if he’d ever been with a woman as gorgeous as Dani, and Creed looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and said, “Not yet.”
His expression. His words. His tone of voice made it clear he was talking about Callie, not Dani. Yes, he was flirting, as he always does, but this time it was different. It was just two words, but they stuck with her.
And it’s these two words that are holding her back even as her body screams at her to get up close and personal with Dani Ripper.
Callie’s confused by how suddenly her feelings for Creed have taken over her emotions. On the one hand, there’s Creed, and he’s not here. On the other, Dani, and she’s not only here, she’s wet with desire. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with a one-in-a-million woman. Dani’s the kind of woman kings would wage wars over. A keeper. The kind of woman you settle down with. The kind you never want to leave.
“Creed’s not gay,” Callie says.
“Excuse me?”
“Donovan Creed. He’s not gay.”
Dani sits up and frowns. “I don’t understand.”
“I was cock-blocking him.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means you’re magnificent. I thought you might be interested in him, so I said he was gay. I wanted to keep you away from him.”
Dani allows the comment to hang heavy in the air as she studies its implication.
“You’re in love with him.”
“Yes.”
Dani’s voice turns angry. “When did you come to this conclusion, Callie? Before or after you told me you wanted me more than you’ve ever wanted another woman?”
“Both. But I didn’t realize he felt the same way till after.”
“You’re saying he very recently proclaimed his love for you?”
“He didn’t tell me. He showed me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Tonight, before calling you, I found myself in a very dangerous situation, one I could have easily avoided.”
“How?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is I royally fucked up and it could have cost me my life. Which means my head wasn’t in the game. And I think it’s because I slapped Creed.”
“You slapped him.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“At the party this morning.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I just did. I told him to be careful, then I slapped him. But that part’s not important, either. What’s important is I caught him completely unaware.”
“You slapped him for no reason?”
“Yup. Slapped the shit out of him.”
“I guess in your world that’s something to be proud of? Slapping a man’s face for no reason?”
“You don’t understand.”
“You’re right.”
“I’ve got incredibly fast hands,” Callie says. “I can catch a fly in mid-flight by its feet.”
“Its feet?”
“Or its wings, if you prefer.”
“I’m not sure I’d have a preference either way.”
“The point is, no one’s faster than Creed. He’s got the reflexes of a mongoose. If I would’ve tried to slap him a month ago, he would’ve blocked my hand, or moved his face out of the way.”
“But not today.”
“No.”
“And that tells you something.”
“It tells me he loves me.”
Dani shakes her head. “I can’t believe I hesitated to tell you about my argument with Sophie. At least our fight makes sense.”
Callie says, “I think Creed was off his game today because of me.”
“Because he loves you?”
“Yes.”
“And the reason he loves you is because if he didn’t, he would have blocked your hand when you tried to strike him?”
“Exactly.”
“But you also said his best friend died, and he was being offered a huge job.”
“So?”
“Maybe that’s what threw him off his game.”
Callie frowns.
Dani says, “You say you’re off your game because of your feelings for Creed.”
“Yes.”
“But you loved him long before today.”
Callie nods.
“And yet tonight is the very first time you’ve ever been off your game.”
“So?”
“How do you know you weren’t off your game because of us?”
“Us?”
“You and me. You were hoping I’d call you tonight. At least, that’s what you said.”
Callie frowns again. “You must be one hell of a great detective.”
Dani unbuttons her shirt.
Callie says, “What are you doing?”
“Why do you care? You love Creed, he loves you.”
“Well, I certainly love him.”
“But he might not love you.”
“He might not.”
“Sophie and I might love each other too, but you thought lustful sex would be good for me. At least, that’s what you said.”
“I did say that.”
“I notice you’re staring at my boobs,” Dani says. “And your face is flushed. You know what I think?”
“What?”
“I think we should make love tonight, and let tomorrow take care of itself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tomorrow Sophie and I will make up, break up, or stay the same. And your relationship with Donovan will likewise get stronger, weaker, or stay the same.”
“What if tomorrow we decide to be together for the rest of our lives?” Callie says.
“Is there much hope of that happening tomorrow?”
“No. But what if it does?”
“In the unlikely event he suddenly proclaims his undying love for you tomorrow, you’ll have a happy memory of tonight being your last fling as a single woman.”
As she says that, she removes her shirt, scoots onto the center of the bed, lies down, spreads her legs.
She’s still wearing panties, but they’re sopping wet.
As are Callie’s. She grabs her cell phone and presses a button.
Creed answers, “What’s wrong?”
“Plenty,” Callie says. “You and I are going to settle this once and for all.”
“Settle what?”
“This whole flirty bullshit thing we’ve been doing all these years. I’m done with it.”
“What do you mean? You want me to stop flirting with you?”
“I want you to tell me how you feel. About me.”
“Seriously?”
Callie says nothing.
“Well, I mean, you’re gorgeous, Callie. You’re funny. You’re the greatest killing machine who ever lived. Your reflexes are—”
“Wrong answer!” Callie shouts, and clicks the phone off.
To Dani she says, “Thanks for helping me with that.”
“My pleasure.”
Callie takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Then says, “That’s my goal: your
complete and utter pleasure.”
30.
CALLIE MOVES QUICKLY to the bed, traces her fingertips along Dani’s thigh.
Dani trembles.
Callie taps Dani’s wet spot lightly and says, “I think this area requires my immediate attention.”
“I think so too,” Dani murmurs.
“But first…”
Callie lies down beside Dani, tilts her chin slightly upward, kisses her softly. Feels her pulse quicken.
Kisses her again.
And again.
Takes in Dani’s sweet breath.
Hears herself make pleasure sounds.
Feels her cell phone vibrate in her pocket.
Ignores it.
Cups Dani’s breast in her hand and slides her body lower until her mouth finds Dani’s taut nipple.
“Oh,” Dani murmurs dreamily.
Callie’s phone vibrates again.
She ignores it again, but thinks about it. Earlier tonight she made a mistake that could have ended her life. Not answering her phone could be even riskier.
Callie moves her hand downward until she finds the spot she seeks.
Dani gasps.
Callie’s phone vibrates a third time.
She answers it.
Creed says, “You sound annoyed. And out of breath.”
“Look, I’m—”
Creed says, “I’ll get to it. Don’t laugh, okay? The thing is I love you.”
“What?”
“You asked how I felt and the answer is I love you, Callie. I don’t just want us to work together. I want us to be together.”
Callie jumps to a sitting position.
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Tell me you feel the same way.”
“I do. I love you.”
Dani, voice dripping with sarcasm says, “Well, thanks a lot! How nice for you!”
Creed says, “Who’s that?”
“The TV. When can I see you?”
“I’ll be there tomorrow at one, to meet with Sal.”
“And after that?”
“Yes.”
31.
“I’M SORRRY, DANI,” Callie says. “I can’t do this.”
“I’m sorry too. And I deserve an explanation.”
“We’re in love.”
“So I hear. You’re about to be a couple. Like Sophie and I were this morning.”