Provocative Attraction

by Altonya Washington

  “So what about your trip to Italy?” she asked then, minus the “get me what I want” emphasis.

  “What about it?” He gave her the benefit of his gaze then.

  “Are you still going?”

  “Yes.”

  Viva took a quiet moment to process. “Well, how can you do that and watch me 24/7?”

  He smiled. “I can do that because you’re going with me. I’m sure Sophia told you that already.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You will.”

  “You’ll force me?”

  “I’ve been promised that I won’t have to.”

  “Sophia.” Viva hissed her sister’s name like it was a curse. “So you already know this involved Murray.” She decided it wouldn’t hurt to come clean—a little.

  Rook tilted his head a fraction, no doubt hoping to shield the sudden and fanatical twitch of a jaw muscle. It was a futile attempt. “I know that.”

  “And you expect us to just go off to Italy together without that being a problem for us?”

  Infuriatingly cool then, Rook leaned forward a tad. “I don’t expect that at all,” he told her.

  “Then what?”

  “I expect you to tell me whatever your sister suspects you’re keeping from me.”

  Viva couldn’t resist a quick burst of laughter. “What she suspects I’m keeping? You’re going off the assumption that her suspicions are correct.”

  “She’s a cop. A damn good one. So good, she got a promotion most cops don’t even bother to dream about at her age.” He shrugged. “Yeah, I’m good with assuming her suspicions are correct.”

  “And did she give you any hints about what she suspects?”

  “No. My guess is she’s hoping you’ll use the time to get into it.”

  Viva moved closer, resting a hip on the desk when she faced him. “You know she wants me protected because of Murray’s involvement with her case.”

  “I know.” A muscle danced wickedly in his cheek. “That alone is enough to make me want in on this.”

  “And you don’t expect this trip to give you any stress and headaches you don’t need while you’re trying to get your business in order?”

  “I expect this trip will give me a lot of stress and headaches I don’t need, but you’re crazy if you think I’d say no to this, V.”

  With a sigh, Viva studied the low, yet cushioned dark carpeting beneath her pumps. “Rook, you should know that I called Murray. I left a message for him to get in touch. His assistant says he’s been acting weird and she thought I could talk him down.” Viva thought she saw the carpet blur before her eyes as the explanation spilled out. “I thought it’d be a good idea to call, so he wouldn’t run.”

  Rook watched her like she’d sprouted a second head. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

  “Spare me the lecture,” Viva retorted with an airy wave and eye roll. “Sophia beat you to it and then ordered me to go along with whatever you say. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to have your baby sister giving you orders like that?”

  Rook only grunted a low curse while flexing a fist. “We leave on Thursday,” he said.

  “Thursday? But that barely gives me time to—” She silenced at the look he sent her way.

  “Rook,” she pleaded then, hunching over the desk and spreading her hands across the gleaming surface. “See reason here. Murray’s my agent. I can’t just disappear. What am I supposed to tell him if he calls me back?”

  “Do you really want me to answer that?” Rook’s insanely desirable face was a study in pure menace.

  “Well, I have to tell him something.” Viva blew at a curl that bounced between her brows. “He practically has to beg me to take breaks. He’d never believe I just ran off and—”

  “Not even if you told him you ran off with me?”

  Openmouthed, Viva could only stare.

  Rook took advantage of the quiet. “Tell him we’re rekindling the flame. Tell him...tell him I threatened to tie you to my bed until you agreed to go along and you believed me. I think that’s a threat I’ve followed through on a time or two, isn’t it?”

  Viva tried to speak, laugh, something...but she failed at every attempt. She ran her tongue over her lips and tried speaking again. “He’d know that’s not true. He’d know I’m lying—”

  Any further argument was silenced once he kissed her and her tongue was otherwise engaged with his. Rook had taken command of her wrist and tugged her across the brief space separating them on the desk. Seamless and confident, he settled her across the broad width of his thigh, making her straddle the limb in a ruthless, brazen manner.

  The stretchy fabric of her skirt eased up to accommodate the change in her position. Viva didn’t care that his manner was raw and hungry so long as he didn’t stop. She wasted no time snuggling into the kiss. It was hers to enjoy...or resist.

  There was but subtle command at the heart of the way he held her. He was giving her the chance to resist if she wanted, but resistance was light-years away from Viva’s consciousness. Nothing could make her withdraw from the wondrous soothing sensation of his tongue stroking and loving her mouth in a way that only he could.

  Rook apparently felt differently and began to withdraw from the kiss. He didn’t leave her cold. Instead, the heated strokes of his tongue cooled to adopt a lazier pace, until he was running the tip along her teeth and the velvety softness of her bottom lip. Then he was kissing her there, pampering the area with whisper-soft, sugary pecks that had her moaning in want of more.

  Viva kept her eyes closed, when there was no further pressure against her mouth. She hoped the stimulating pecks—at the very least—would resume. There was nothing. She opened her eyes then, wondering if he felt the thud of her heart as she drowned in the radiance of his amber stare.

  Rook used only his thumb to caress her mouth. He smiled, appreciating the unsmudged quality of her petal-pink lipstick. Then he returned his gaze to hers.

  “Now you won’t have to lie,” he said.

  Viva let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and tried to speak his name. She failed. Gently, Rook set her back where she was.

  “Thursday,” he said and then left her to head behind his desk.

  Swamped by a haze of confusion and unquenched need, Viva managed to snap to. She collected some of her scattered nerves and just managed to leave the room without tripping over herself.

  Chapter 4

  Tamping down her uneasiness took more time than Viva expected—a thing she realized when she headed out of Rook’s office and took the elevator down to the mezzanine level in search of a less direct route outside. From there, it was a short walk down a wide staircase boxed in glossy dark oak and down a set of stairs to the lobby.

  The elevator descent and stroll from the mezzanine had proved uneventful enough. That changed when she stepped out into L Sec’s bustling switchboard division. Collecting scattered nerves hadn’t left her time to remember her disguise.

  A surreal moment of uninterrupted quiet set in amongst the inhabitants of the switchboard hub as Viva looked over the once-busy staff. Seconds passed and then the stirrings of hushed conversation eased in like a mist over quiet. The hushed conversation gained volume as acknowledgment took hold. Once the first courageous soul approached the well-known actress, pandemonium ensued.

  Despite frazzled nerves, Viva laughed. She didn’t mind the attention. She adored her fans. She’d relied on their adoration to pull her out of depressive bouts when they struck more often than she could count.

  Signing autographs while making her way through the lobby to the main entrance took all of eighty minutes. Beyond the skyscraper’s towering doors, she practically speed-walked to her rental car and fumbled with the key to deactivate the locks. She slippe
d into the driver’s seat, expelling a relieved whoosh of breath once she was concealed behind the car’s darkly tinted windows.

  The soothing medley of wind chimes gave her cause to jump as her nerves still proved to be unsettled from the kiss. Viva laughed over the self-criticism. It was a kiss, true, but there was no such thing as only a kiss when Rook Lourdess was the supplier. Besides...she’d gone without his kisses for far too long.

  The phone chimed again and she forced her attention to the screen. Another jolt attacked her senses when her agent’s name floated into view.

  Closing her eyes, Viva instinctively forced aside all distractions and put herself in character to accept the call. “Hey, Murray,” she greeted him in the voice of airy delight that had become her trademark.

  “Veev, what’s up, love? Everything all right?”

  Viva hesitated on her response. She hadn’t expected him to ask how she was given how distracted she’d heard he’d been.

  “Well, you know how it is... I’ve been a little out of it lately.” She played along, hoping it might encourage him to open up.

  “Guess it’s weird going home after all this time, huh?”

  Viva’s smile held a poignant gleam. “Weird, but good,” she admitted.

  “Glad to hear it.” Murray’s voice seemed to hold a similar poignancy.

  “So are you okay? You sound a little drained.”

  “I am.”

  “Business?” Viva straightened a little on the suede seat of the sporty BMW. She knew he’d take her query about business to understand that she was referring to show business.

  “The outskirts of the business.”

  “Talk to me, Murray.” His distinction encouraged her to probe a little deeper.

  Murray evidently needed to vent. “Seems I’ve got some associates who’ve decided to try smearing my name.”

  “Murray, that’s terrible. What’s going on? Is there anything I can do?”

  “Sweet thing—” Murray chuckled “—this is nothing you need to worry your fine self over. I’ve got it under control. They’ll shut their mouths sooner or later. So, um...how’s Sophia?”

  Viva blinked. “Sophia? Um, fine, fine, she’s great. Getting married.”

  “Ahh, marriage and a promotion.”

  “You—you heard about that all the way out west?”

  “News travels, Veev, and I make a point to keep up with what’s goin’ on back home, you know? I heard she was working on some money-laundering thing.”

  “Yeah, she, um...she’s close to wrapping it up, actually.” Viva debated momentarily and then continued, “She’s already made some big arrests. Looks like a winner for her.”

  “Sounds like she’s on top of it.”

  Viva leaned back on the headrest. “Guess that’s why she got the big promotion.”

  “Mmm...” Murray’s silence hung on the line for several seconds. “So how long are you planning to be back east?”

  “Not long, actually, um, that’s why I called.” She cast a quick look across the parking lot in the direction of L Sec. “I’m heading off on another trip, Mur. Just wanted to tell you before I left and to make sure we could stay in touch. I didn’t know if you had any big plans or not.”

  “So where are you heading off to?”

  Viva paused for dramatic effect. “I’ve, um... I’ve seen Rook since I’ve been home.”

  Murray’s insightful “mmm...” hit the air again. “Doesn’t surprise me, Veev. Even after all this time, there’s still a lot of unfinished business between you guys. Makes sense Rook wouldn’t want to let any more time pass after doing nothing to stop you from leaving before.”

  “Murray, stop. The blame isn’t all on Rook.”

  “You’re right. You’re right, and I hope things work out. You guys got a bad break back then.”

  “Thank you, Murray.” She was genuinely surprised by his words. “Murray, are you gonna be okay? Is there anything I can do?”

  “Nothing. Like I said—I’ll be fine. There’re just some things I need to tidy up. You can call my personal cell if you need to reach me.” He chuckled. “You think Rook will let you take calls once he whisks you away?”

  Viva was laughing softly. “I’m sure. Jeez, Murray, I’m so on edge about the whole thing...just be available if I call and need to vent.”

  “You can count on me, Veev, don’t worry.” Murray was laughing then, but his voice had chilled. “Everything’ll be fine once I put some stuff to bed.”

  The call ended shortly after with goodbyes and more laughter. Viva kept the phone to her ear and turned Murray’s words over in her mind. She didn’t spend much time on the endeavor, realizing she didn’t really want to know what they meant.

  * * *

  Viva’s nerves had settled by the time she’d returned to her sister’s. When she’d arrived in Philadelphia, Sophia had said there was no reason for her to get a hotel room. As the two of them would be spending most nights talking until the wee hours anyway, they may as well do that someplace more like home.

  Viva could’ve really used Sophia’s ear when she arrived at the condo from Rook’s office.

  Thankfully, her sister was but a phone call away—a fact Viva took advantage of once she’d set aside her disguise bag and changed into loungewear. She contacted Sophia and they rehashed Murray’s call while Viva took the edge off the day by indulging in a few glasses of wine.

  “Did it sound like he was still in California?” Sophia asked.

  Viva swirled the wine in her amber-colored glass and smiled as Rook’s similarly colored eyes came to mind. “I couldn’t get a sense of where he was.”

  “‘Putting stuff to bed.’ That’s an odd phrase...” Sophia seemed to be considering that bit of info.

  “Yeah, that part freaked me out too.” Viva rested back on the sofa, knees raised and bared when the hem of the lounge dress hiked up. “I never heard him talk that way. What do you think it means?”

  “Sounds ominous, that’s for sure...like maybe he’s planning to silence those who could be a threat to him. Do you get it now why I need you to stay out of sight? Murray knows there’ve been arrests, but he’s still set on ‘putting stuff to bed,’ which could mean he’s got more partners out there lurking who could still do damage.”

  “I get it, Soap,” Viva drawled as she downed a bit more of the wine.

  “It’s just that I’ve still got folks in my own organization I can’t trust,” Sophia continued. “I just need you to understand that being with Rook is the safest place you can be.”

  “I know, Sophia, I know.” Viva closed her eyes and rested her head back on the sofa.

  “So you went to see Rook, huh?” Sophia asked once another wave of silence hit.

  “I tried to talk him out of watching over me.”

  “I didn’t have to twist his arm about doing it, you know. He won’t rest until he knows you’re safe.”

  “Yeah.” Viva helped herself to another generous swallow of the dry white. “He kissed me,” she blurted shortly after.

  Sophia gasped and then coughed. “You cold wench! How the hell could you tell me that over the phone?”

  “Tried to wait,” Viva said as she yawned. “Figured I’d be too wasted to make any sense by the time you got home.”

  “Well, dammit, stop drinking. I’m on my way.”

  “He threatened to tie me to his bed if I didn’t go along with your plan. I’ve been tied to Rook’s bed before, Soap.”

  “Mmm...I see. I take it that’s a threat you’d want him to make good on?”

  “God, yes.”

  Sophia muttered a playful curse into the phone. “Stop drinking. I’ll be there soon.”

  The connection broke in Viva’s ear. “Sure thing,” she drawled into the dead recei
ver. “Soon as I have just a little more.” She finished the wine, reached for the half-empty bottle and poured another glass.

  * * *

  “Well, if it ain’t the bridegroom!” Rook called to Santigo when he saw him heading for Sophia’s condo building around sunset. “Congratulations again, man,” he said when they met for handshakes and hugs.

  “Time heals all wounds,” Tigo said, his darkly handsome face alive with humor and happiness.

  Rook winced. “So I keep hearing.”

  “Well, the statement could stand a little tweaking, I guess,” Tigo contemplated aloud. “How about this—wounds heal best when folks stop jabbing at each other.”

  “Ah...so that’s where we’ve been screwing up.”

  “Is that ‘we’ as in you and Viva?”

  “Come off it, Tig,” Rook said as he and Tigo scanned their IDs at the sensor just next to the bay of revolving glass doors. “I know your fiancée clued you in to all my new drama.”

  “Not really. We really haven’t had much time together.” Tigo slipped his ID into his wallet and appeared playfully crestfallen. “Not much time to get into anything dramatic. Thank God.” He grinned.

  Rook reciprocated the gesture and appreciated his friend’s joy. “Hate to break it to you, but I’m sure that’s about to change.”

  Tigo’s steps slowed and he turned. “Anything you wanna just go on and tell me?”

  Rook worked the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “Sophia wants Viva to come with me to Italy.”

  Tigo whistled. “Jeez, man, that’s putting a new spin on business and pleasure.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  Both men wore genuine smiles when they paused to greet residential security. The guards in the pine-and-glass-encased booth were especially friendly as they recognized their boss. The men chatted for a while. Tigo took time out to let Sophia know he was there and who he was with. Appreciating the heads-up, Sophia asked them to give her and Viva time to spruce up the place before they came up.

  “Looks like L Sec’s movin’ in,” Tigo noted once they were moving beyond the booth toward the elevator bay.