by Joanna Blake
They could bend over backwards for me for all I cared. It wouldn't make a bit of difference. I'd never been tempted to take anyone up on their offers of a soft and cushy life as a rich man's arm candy.
I could care less what I looked like, as long as it helped me on the road to stardom.
Someday I'd be a guest at places like this place instead of the help, I thought as I swept up the broken china.
Someday.
Chapter Two
Jake
I pulled on my borrowed tie and swilled another gulp of the watered down bourbon. I stared balefully around the Gold Room at the country club my father and brothers belonged to. All the Delancey men had belonged here in fact, going back three generations.
All except me.
God, I hated this place.
Not only was it filled with ostentatious, rich, privileged old bastards but, even worse, the food sucked. It did have decent bourbon though. If only I could get someone to give it to me straight.
Someone must have warned them about the youngest Delancey brother.
Everybody around here knew who I was. I had a reputation for being bad. Not that I gave a shit what any of these rich fucks thought of me.
It's not that I wasn't allowed at the club. I just wasn't allowed without supervision. Not since the last time. I'd only been twelve years old at the time, but that was old enough to sneak behind the bar and steal a bottle of booze. I'd drank the whole damn thing with my brothers Daniel and Jackson.
We'd all gotten too drunk to walk straight but I'd been the one who drove the golf cart straight through the front window of the pro shop. I'd been the one who caused Daniel to break his arm in the crash. And I'd been the one who was shipped off to military school.
What a laugh. That place taught you discipline sure, but only by learning how to take a beating. Or worse. Thankfully I'd been more than ready and willing to fight back. I'd left almost the instant I turned eighteen- the day of graduation. And that was only because my mother had begged me to finish.
Even I couldn't turn down a woman who was dying.
I snapped back to the present with a jolt
My brother Daniel was asking me something. I tore my eyes away from the girl I'd been watching since we walked in. It wasn't easy to do.
'Beautiful' didn't even start to do her justice. The girl was brimming with energy and magnetism. She knew it too.
I could tell that from just from looking at her.
"What?"
"I said, are you back to stay? We could really use the help now that Dad's-"
"Shut up Daniel."
I rolled my eyes at my eldest brother Jackson. Of course they weren't keeping me in the loop. I wasn't one of them any more. I hadn't been since that day they let me take all the heat fifteen years before.
Besides, I wanted to go back to looking at her.
I'd been staring at the waitress all night. Jesus, I'd never seen anything like her. Those huge green eyes, the startlingly pretty face, the lips. Never mind the jet-black hair, porcelain skin, legs that went on forever.
It was the voice that I hadn't been able to get out of my mind.
Husky and rich but utterly feminine. And with an Irish lilt that was somehow lyrical, soothing, and arousing. All at the same time.
I felt like I was tied up in knots, and I hadn't even taken the time yet to really check out those magnificent tits of hers.
Eleanor.
That's what her name tag said.
Unfortunately she had disappeared from the room again. Presumably to work, but it felt like she was hiding to annoy me. I shut my eyes, trying to conjure her up again. I could bear my brother's pompous yammering if I had something good to look at.
Not good. A-fucking-mazing.
Fuck it, might as well go and find her.
"I need another drink."
Jackson put his hand out to stop me.
"I think you've had enough Jake."
I shook his hand off with a sneer.
"Nice try brother. I don't take orders from anyone, least of all you."
I stood and walked toward the back of the room. That's where she kept disappearing to. The staff was probably having a party back here. That's what I would do if I worked here. Laughing at the rich people's expense.
Lord knows we deserved it.
I stumbled a bit on the downward slope of the hallway leading into the bowels of the kitchen. I wrinkled my nose at the smell. It must be where they rolled out the trash. I peeked into several storage rooms but didn't see her so I kept going. At last I pushed open a doorway and was confronted with fresh air and the smell of-
Smoke.
I was about to turn around when I saw her.
There she was, about ten feet away. She was palming a smoke in the back alleyway behind the club.
"Here kitty kitty kitty kitty."
She lifted her face. She looked annoyed at the interruption. More than annoyed. Pissed. But Goddamn if she didn't look stunningly beautiful all the same.
"I'm not a damn cat."
I grinned at her, leaning against the wall.
"I know that."
She rolled her eyes at me, taking a drag of her smoke.
"What do you want then?"
I grinned at her happily. Just being out here talking to her was more excitement than I'd had in weeks. Months. Maybe even years.
Up close she was even prettier than I'd thought.
Too pretty almost. And full of piss and vinegar apparently.
This was going to be fun.
Elle
I felt shell shocked. All night this rich pretty boy had been eyeballing me, not even being subtle about it. I'd ignored him of course, trying to squelch the butterflies that flew around my stomach every time I'd walked through the main dining room.
Now I was face to face with the bluest pair of eyes I had ever seen. The same eyes that had been making me feel strangely on edge since I'd first laid eyes on him.
Those eyes were trouble. I knew that. Especially since they belonged to someone so rich, arrogant and handsome.
Too handsome.
"Tsk tsk, such a bad girl smoking on country club property. It's against the rules. Or didn't you know that?"
I gasped, dropping my smoke. I couldn't lose this job. And I didn't want to get Shirley in trouble for hiring me.
"Please- don't say anything. I could get fired."
I hated the pleading sound in my voice. I sounded like a little girl who was begging for candy. But who knew how long it would take me to find another job if I lost this one.
The bastard's cold smile grew even wider.
"What will you do for me? If I keep quiet?"
My jaw seemed to literally drop open. He was smirking at me, his eyes wandering up and down my body. I could actually feel his eyes leaving little trails of heat all over my skin.
Of all the bloody nerve!
"Nothing. Tell them if you want. I'm not for sale."
I tried to brush past him but he grabbed my arm, dropping his drink in the process. I got splattered with his bourbon as he held me immobile by his side with his iron grip. We stared into each other eyes for a breathless moment.
Then he stepped back and lifted his hands in the air.
"I was just kidding darlin'. I just wanted to bum a smoke."
Angry tears sprung to my eyes. He was such a jerk! Teasing me like that. And he was teasing me, I could tell. I felt foolish, knowing I'd overreacted. And with a guest, no less.
He smiled at me beseechingly, those stunning blue eyes of his wide and innocent.
"I swear on my life that I would never rat you out. And I'm too stupid for blackmail. No matter how tempting it might be."
I cursed and laughed. He was just drunk. A buffoon certainly. A pig most likely. Well, that remained to be seen. Either way, he was a guest of the club and had to be treated accordingly. Besides, I kind of liked his verve.
I shook my head and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it for him. He took a long grateful drag and offered me a puff.
"No thanks."
"Suit yourself. I'm Jake by the way."
"Elle."
"Yeah, I kind of noticed that."
He smirked at me, gesturing to my name tag.
I stared at him, knowing I should go. He was wearing a club tie and jacket- kept on hand for those who couldn't be bothered to dress nicely enough. Usually that meant poor relations. But that's not exactly how I was reading him.
No, he didn't look like a poor relation at all.
What he looked like was a hawk in a dovecote. He looked lawless somehow. Not like the average stuck up stiff who came in here.
He looked raw. Rowdy.
Dangerous.
I shook myself. I was here to work, not moon over the guests. Especially rude ones who reeked of bourbon. No matter how blue their eyes were. Or how broad their shudders were- or-
"Eleanor Gavin! What is the meaning of this? You are needed upstairs on the floor."
Hell and damnation.
My stomach dropped at the sound of my supervisor's shrill voice.
Mr. Peabody had found me. This was not good. A lump formed in my stomach at the thought of telling Shirley I'd gotten fired. Hopefully it wouldn't reflect badly on my friend.
Never mind I had no other prospects for work. The band didn't pay. Not yet.
I knew it would though. It had to.
But instead of getting fired, I watched in awe as Mr. Blue Eyes turned around and made my supervisor turn stark white. The stodgy old fart actually looked intimidated.
I could have sworn I saw Mr. Peabody's mustache quiver.
"Mr. Delancey! I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you there. This is an employee only section. And there's no smoking on the grounds."
"My fault entirely. Eleanor came out here to tell me the same thing and I waylaid her."
I glanced at him in shock then covered quickly. He was handling Mr. Peabody like a pro! Thank the good lord in heaven!
I kept a composed look on my face, but inside my wheels were spinning. Jake Delancey had just done me a favor. He'd done me more than a favor, he'd saved my ass.
He was after something.
Don't be stupid Elle, you know what.
He was after me.
Hopefully he didn't expect anything in return for it.
"Alright Eleanor. You may return to your station. And Mr. Delancey, put that out if you don't mind."
"Of course."
I nodded regally and sailed past Mr. Peabody with my head held high. I could feel Jake's eyes on me as I walked back into the building.
Check that.
I could feel his eyes on my ass.
Oh yes, he was definitely interested in more than bumming a smoke.
If he did expect anything from me in return for covering, Mr. Blue Eyes Delancey would just have to get used to disappointment. I was not the sort of girl who put out for spoiled rich boys, no matter how handsome they were.
All the same, for some mysterious reason I found myself smiling the rest of the night.
Chapter Three
Jake
I stared into the gas fireplace. My brothers wanted to talk to me alone. So I was sitting here in the study, waiting for them to get on with it. It was marginally easier to pay attention now that we were home, without that sexy waitress to look at.
But barely.
I couldn't get her out of my head.
"Jake, are you listening?"
I swirled my glass, making the ice clink against the crystal.
"Uh huh."
"I told you he'd be difficult."
Daniel was bitching about me to Jackson. Nothing new there. The two of them were thick as thieves. I was the one on the outside. Always.
Nothing had changed.
Well, except that mom was gone. And our father was ill. No one would tell me how ill though. Or what was wrong with him. But since the old man had actually looked glad to see me when I'd showed up out of the blue, I could guess that it was pretty bad.
"Spit it out."
Jackson laughed and stood up to pour himself a drink. Then he turned and stared at me. I was starting to get a feeling that something more serious was on the table.
"It's about dad's will."
"Will? He's alive isn't he? That seems a bit premature."
Jackson ran his hands through his hair.
"He's dying Jake. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you."
I inhaled sharply. Then I took a drink. I realized I wasn't surprised.
I had known that on some level. The old man's skin had a slightly yellow tint to it. And he'd lost weight. Our father was always a big, tall, muscular man. Now he looked frail. It was more than just getting older.
He was wasting away.
No, I wasn't surprised at all.
So why did I feel like there was a rock sitting in my gut?
Jackson looked sincere though. He did look sorry. For once. I finished my drink in one swallow.
"Okay."
"He wants us to run Delancey Estates. Together."
My eyebrows shot up. Now, that was a surprise. Jackson and Daniel had been running things under our father's supervision for years. As far as I was concerned, that's the way it should be. The golden boys should do what they were born and bred to do.
Be golden.
"So run it. What's it got to do with me?"
Daniel spoke up then, looking earnest.
"It has to be all three of us. It's one of the codicils. It's all three of us, or none."
"What? If I don't stay, nobody gets to?"
I stared at my brothers but they didn't blink. The wily old man had really put me up against a wall now. Hell, he'd put us all up against a wall.
"We need you Jake- besides no one can work the difficult horses like you can."
I stood up and crossed to the bar. I poured a generous helping into my glass and drank. Then I refilled it again.
"That was a lifetime ago."
Jackson grabbed my arm.
"This is here and now- why can't you let go of the past? No one meant to hurt you. Least of all mom. And she sure as shit didn't deserve to die without seeing her son."
I knocked Jackson's hand away.
"You know I couldn't come back. And you know why."
I glanced at Daniel.
"Goodnight Daniel. I'm sorry about your- problem- but I can't do a damn thing about it."
I turned and left the room without a backward glance.
Elle
I leaned into the microphone, singing with everything I had. This was it. The band finally had a gig booked a couple of weeks from now. It was our first. And the club owner Tom was there to watch rehearsal, even though it was off hours.
I had a sneaking suspicion he was there to watch me too.
Tom had a way of hanging around whenever we came to the club. He was always nice. Almost too nice.
To be honest, he made my skin crawl.
Male attention was part of the gig though. I knew it. So I always let loose when I performed, letting out all the pent up sexual energy ride out and over the audience.
Lord knows, I had a lot of pent up energy.
Normally I was utterly focused on the music. But tonight I was distracted. Restless. In fact I'd been like that all week. Ever since Jake Delancey had cornered me in the alleyway.
He'd been about to kiss me. I knew it. And damn if I hadn't wanted him too.
Just for a moment. But it was a moment of pure weakness. A moment I'd been revisiting non-stop for days now.
What the hell had gotten into me???
I closed my eyes and let it rip. The song was an upbeat take on an old standard. I loved singing it. But all I could see when I closed my eyes were his bright blue ones staring back at me.
Damn it all to
hell and back again!
I finished the song and stalked off stage without a word. I needed to take a break. I had to focus on the task at hand. I was here to sing dammit! And to be dreaming about Jake Delancey of all people was foolish in the extreme.
Oh yeah, I'd heard all about him this week. Jake Delancey was back in town. He was the talk of the club. The town too. And with good reason.
He was born rich but a rebel, choosing to eschew all his family wealth and trappings. Shirl had told me that he was persona non grata at the Country Club and everywhere polite company met. People put up with him for his father Harrison's sake.
Jake Delancey was bad news. Everyone said so. I knew it my gut.
But not for the reasons that everyone else thought he was dangerous. Oh no, this was a very specific kind of danger. To me.
And that didn't even begin to cover what I'd heard about the women he'd dated.
Apparently, Jake Delancey went through women like tissue paper. Rich, poor, it didn't matter. The only thing they had in common were good looks. That and the fact that they all ended up falling in love with him.
Damn if it wasn't easy to see why.
Jake was exceptionally handsome. His symmetrical face, the straight nose and strong jaw, the wavy sandy brown hair that curled just so over his forehead.
Never mind those bright blue eyes. The damn things looked radioactive. But in a good way.
And that wasn't even talking about his body. He was tall but not too tall. Built but not too built. Slim but not too slim.
In short, Jake Delancey was perfect.
Cruelly and impossibly perfect.
Impossible to resist.
Which was bad news for me because he seemed to have taken a shine to me. More than a shine. I just knew I hadn't seen the last of him. The way he'd looked at me had sent shivers down my spine... and elsewhere.
It had been a long time since I felt anything even close to that.
"There you are."
I turned to see Tom watching me smoke and pace. He looked like a cat watching a mouse. I did my best to hide my annoyance.
Did he have to skulk about when I was just trying to be alone?
"Hey."
"Are you going to do another song? Because I thought we could get a drink or a bite to eat after."