She shrugged and gave a sly smile. “A girl can never tell her secrets.”
He gave that smile back. “To let this matter go, I need to understand how you breached my security. Save me the trouble of digging. You owe me that.”
She watched him closely, obviously judging his character as a couple strode by, hand in hand. She must have liked what she saw on his face, because she hedged, “I didn’t necessarily breach your security. My roommate Elise is a private investigator. For the last year, we’ve been keeping an eye on Jake’s and Scott’s texts and emails.”
“In hopes they’d say something?”
“You know, I don’t even really know what I was waiting for. It’s like I knew to get my justice against them, I had to keep tabs on them.”
“And then you learned they were members of my club?”
She gave a slow nod. “That’s where my other roommate, Hazel, came in. She’s a reporter. Good with research. Between my friends, we learned what we could, and then,” she cringed, “Elise hacked your system in order to get the passcode to fill out the application.”
Unbelievable. He stared at her, speechless.
She studied his face and winced. “I’m sorry. I know that’s so wrong, but when I weighed my options, this gave me a way to leave all this hell behind me. Are you going to press charges?”
He snorted a laugh. “Press charges? No, Zoey, I’m impressed, actually, and considering offering your roommates jobs.” She’d found out the unfindable, or so he’d believed. He could only imagine Archer’s irritation when he discovered the system he thought unfaultable was anything but.
Those thoughts vanished with her satisfied smile. A much better look on her than pain and tears. She looked like she was breathing easier now. For years, he’d tried his best to do right by others, to bring them happiness so people felt satisfied with their lives. So that no one felt like Katherine did. That when someone died, they knew they’d lived their life to the fullest. But there was something about Zoey, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Something that told him not to walk away. Something that had him wanting more. “I have a proposition for you.”
Her eyebrows rose atop twinkling eyes. “What sort of proposition?”
“Spend more time with me.”
“Why?” She gasped.
He couldn’t fight the slight chuckle that escaped him. “What Jake and Scott did to you that night has created revolving pain that you never deserved. But I’m here to tell you there is more to life than pain. Let me show you.” Before she could think on it too much, he took her hand and rose, bringing her close against him until there wasn’t any space between them. Her body against his felt oddly…right. Even with the dark night around them, he caught the flushing of her cheeks, the parting of her lips, begging for a kiss. “Here is my proposition: spend your final days in New York City with me. Let me show you how you should have been treated. How intimacy should be.”
“Why would you want to do that for me?”
He hesitated then told her the truth. “Because the look on your face when you removed your mask haunts me. That pain is burned into my mind. Don’t leave New York City with that pain. Let’s erase it. Together.”
She took a step back. “I’m fine.”
He stepped forward. “Are you?”
“Yes—” She hesitated, and something shifted on her face, a coldness breaking into uncertainty. “Okay, maybe I’m not totally fine, but—”
“You’re surviving, right?”
Her eyes searched his. “I guess you could say that.”
He got that. He’d been there once too. Surviving watching Katherine die, and hating every second of not being able to save her. “When did ‘just surviving’ end up being good enough?” Oddly protective of her and determined to help her heart weather this storm, he added, “Last night, I took your virginity. You gave that to me willingly, and I appreciate the hell out of it, believe me. Now I’m asking for you to give me…more. Can you offer me that, too?”
“But why?”
For her. For him. For this connection between them that he couldn’t quite figure out but couldn’t let go of, either. “Ah, that’s where you’ll have to trust me. Think about it.” He took a business card out of his wallet and offered it to her. “That’s my personal cell number. Text me if you want what I’m offering.”
She examined the card then lifted her heated gaze. “Which is what exactly?”
He lowered his mouth to hers until they were nearly touching. “To find that out, you’ll have to say yes.”
And just as she reached for the kiss, he strode away. “Better get going. We don’t want you to be too late.”
Her soft curses had him grinning like a fool for the rest of the walk.
One-night stands were supposed to be emotionless and distant, but nothing about Rhys was cold. In fact, he’d been attentive and thoughtful last night when he took her virginity. He listened to every word she said on their walk like it mattered to him. Even as she strode next to him after their talk, his imposing height and muscular form, matched with his social status and wealth, should unnerve her, and yet, she felt more comfortable with him than almost anyone. Especially since the assault. But that little voice in her head that told her men were dangerous stopped her from immediately accepting his proposal, no matter how intriguing. She needed her friends to weigh in.
When Rhys stopped at the Devil’s Café, a cocktail bar in the heart of Manhattan, Zoey spotted Elise and Hazel already sipping their fancy drinks, with Zoey’s unopened bottle of wine waiting in front of the empty seat. A little pang hit her heart. Those martinis looked delicious, but she wouldn’t dare drink anything not opened in front of her. Not anymore, probably never again.
“This is goodnight, then.”
Rhys’ warm, velvety voice lifted goosebumps across her arms. She met his eyes and felt an unexpected heat rush through her. Rhys was deliciously…intense. She’d never experienced the draw of a man. Against all her judgment and trust issues, she wanted to move closer. “It is goodnight. Thank you for walking me.”
“I was very happy to,” he nearly purred, closing the distance between them. He stood over her, this powerful presence of a man, looking at her with a smoldering gaze. “Goodbye, Zoey.” Then his hand was cupping her cheek and his lips met hers, promptly taking Zoey somewhere other than the streets of Manhattan. God, the man knew how to kiss.
When he finally pulled back a long while later, she slid back into her body and reached for more. His throaty chuckle hit her like he’d stripped all her clothes off and entered her as he did last night. She snapped her eyes open to find a devilish grin on his face. “There is no expiration date on my offer,” he told her before walking away.
She remembered how to breathe and gasped for air. Sudden loud voices and cars honking hit her. She blinked, following Rhys’ long, steady gait until he faded off into the shadows.
Reminding herself how to walk again, she entered the cocktail bar and was greeted by the pop music and her two best friends gawking at her.
“What in the actual fuck?” Elise asked by way of greeting when Zoey reached the table.
Zoey slid onto the wooden chair. “I wish I could explain, but I don’t even understand what’s happening.” She opened the wine bottle with the opener left for her and poured herself a gigantic glass.
Hazel’s eyeballs were bulging out of her head. “That was Rhys Harrington.”
Zoey took the largest sip she ever had, cringing against the dryness. “He was the guy,” she said after she swallowed.
“The guy, guy?” Elise asked. “The one who took your virginity?”
Zoey nodded. “Yes, that guy.”
“Jesus,” Hazel breathed.
Zoey nodded again…and again… “If you think that’s crazy, then wait ‘til you hear this.” She recapped what had happened since Archer picked her up at work until they just saw her kissing Rhys-fucking-Harrington. They both knew exactly who he was through the
research they’d done on Phoenix.
When Zoey finished, Hazel gave her head a few shakes. “Yup, yup, that is crazy.” She planted her hands flat on the table. “Okay, first, are you going to go to the cops with the evidence?”
She didn’t even need to think about it. “A part of me knows I should come forward. Maybe they’ve done this before. Maybe they’ll do it again. But the other part of me is terrified. I know what it feels like to have my whole world exposed and twisted. If I speak up, my life will be ripped apart. Again. And I would probably get blamed. I just don’t feel strong enough for that right now. I want to focus on moving on.”
Elise reached across the table. “You deserve to move on and be happy.”
“Yes, you do.” Hazel nodded firmly, taking Zoey’s other hand.
“Thanks.” Warmth flooded Zoey’s chest as she squeezed their hands back. She never expected the friendship she had with Hazel and Elise. Leaving them would not be easy, and that stupid lump rose in her throat again.
Zoey washed it away with a long sip of her wine as Hazel asked, “Okay, so now, let’s circle back to Rhys Harrington taking your virginity. Did you know it was him last night?”
“That’s a gigantic no,” Zoey responded, but then she hesitated, reassessed. “I mean, I guess I should have because of his eyes. He’s got these incredibly smoky eyes, so powerful and intense. I’ve really never seen anything like them. But I didn’t think about that until I saw him earlier.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Elise, waving Zoey on.
“Hey, ladies.” All eyes went to the cute thirty-something guy grinning at them. “Can I get you all a drink?”
“No,” Elise said firmly, leaving no room to argue. She pointed back to the bar where his smiling friends were watching this show. “Go.”
The guy’s brows shot up. “Go?”
Elise dismissed him by looking away and focused back on Zoey intently. The guy stood, confused for a moment, but then slowly turned and walked away, facing his friends in defeat.
Zoey chuckled. Obviously, her story had Elise enthralled. She’d never seen her friend react so briskly.
Elise didn’t miss a beat. “How about you tell us why Gorgeous Eyes just gave you the kiss of a lifetime outside?”
Because he’s sweet? Because he feels obligated to help me now? “I think maybe it was to tempt me,” Zoey admitted.
Hazel’s eyes went wide as she nibbled on the end of her straw. “To tempt you to do what?”
“To want more of him.”
The music blared through the speakers, the loud, excited voices spreading out in the room as Zoey glanced between her friends. A long moment passed then they all burst out laughing.
Zoey wheezed along with them, grabbing her belly. “Ow, ow, okay, stop.”
Elise wiped the laughter tears from her eyes. “I can’t help it. As if Rhys Harrington needs to tempt you. The man is fucking hot!”
“I know.” Zoey breathed, leaning back in her seat. “This whole thing is absolutely ridiculous. I go from having no sex to having sex with one of the hottest men in New York City, who can have any woman he wants, but apparently, he wants more of me.”
Hazel’s smile died halfway through Zoey’s statement. “I actually don’t think that’s weird at all. I mean you’re entirely different than anyone he has probably met.”
“She’s not wrong,” Elise agreed after a moment of consideration. “He deals with people who live a passionate lifestyle and who are rich. They aren’t innocent dog-grooming virgins. Maybe he finds you refreshing.”
Zoey thought that over and finally shrugged. “I actually think he finds my pain refreshing.”
Hazel blinked. Then blinked again and frowned. “I don’t even understand what that means.”
“I don’t really know how to explain it,” Zoey countered, “but it’s a feeling I get from him. Like he wants to…I don’t know…take my pain away…” Elise grabbed her cell from the table and began typing as Zoey added, “In some weird way, I think he likes protecting women or bringing them happiness, or at least, that’s what it seemed he was saying to me. He wants to show me a life I don’t know exists, a life where a man doesn’t hurt a woman.”
“So, he’s a fixer?” Hazel asked.
“Yeah, a fixer. That’s a good way to put it,” Zoey agreed. “And, seriously, do I really want to be someone’s therapy project?”
Hazel gave a firm nod. “If that therapy includes hot sex with Rhys Harrington, then yes.”
Zoey laughed, but stopped when Elise slid the cell phone across the table. “Who is this?” she asked, staring at a beautiful brunette.
“Katherine Rothschild,” Elise said. “Rhys’ late girlfriend.”
Zoey looked up. “What happened to her?”
Elise took her cell back and began scrolling. “She had cervical cancer and lost her battle. She was only twenty-four years old.”
“Wow, that’s sad,” Hazel said.
Zoey agreed with a nod. “Which is a red flag, right? I mean, this guy owns a sex club and obviously has baggage. Probably best I stay away.” She couldn’t ignore red flags anymore. Those flags kept her safe.
“Maybe,” Elise said with a shrug. “Maybe not. I think, logically, anyone who has lost a loved one would do whatever they could to make sure the people around them were living their best life. If you ask me, I think it’s kind of sweet that his current goal in life is to make others happy and satisfied.”
“But he owns a sex club,” Zoey reminded her.
Hazel said dryly, “Which is probably why he’s such an incredible lay.”
“Seriously?” Zoey gawked.
Hazel giggled. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it? You came home last night with stars in your eyes. That guy has got mad skills. Why not enjoy that for a while? You deserve all this and so much more. Hell, he wants to give you hot sex, and then you move. What could go wrong?”
“Everything,” Zoey countered in haste. “Absolutely everything could go wrong.” Because it had.
Elise gave her a soft, supportive look and reached across the table again. “The difference here being that this is your choice. Your say. Your rules. Maybe what he’s offering is exactly what you need. Let him shake you out of your box, see the world with different eyes for a little bit then you can move back home, with the orgasmic glow that you deserve.”
Zoey considered, sipping her wine, smelling the oaky hints. “Can it be that simple, though? That good?”
Hazel’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully before she nodded. “If I can give my two cents, you’re at a crossroad now. You faced the one thing that terrified you. The two men who assaulted you. Now fate has tossed you a chance at something different, something new. Do you want to be that same scared woman you said you wanted to shed? Or are you this new Zoey who is doing life her way, on her terms, no matter how impossible it seems?”
It all made sense. But… “It’s really scary for me to let anyone in like that, even if this is sort of like an arrangement.” Though a new little voice in her head reminded her that when Rhys was there, she seemed to let go easily. That maybe this wasn’t so scary after all. And without a doubt, he’d stood up for her, protected her.
Elise lifted her glass to her mouth. Before she took a sip, she said, “Honey, life isn’t fun if it isn’t scary sometimes.”
Zoey snorted. “Yeah, that’s why I’ve lived very comfortably on the boring side of life lately.”
Hazel grinned, smacking the table with her hand. “Well, now it’s time to live on a different side, like Rhys Harrington’s sexy-as-hell backside.”
“It is a pretty spectacular backside,” Zoey agreed with a laugh.
“So,” Elise drawled, eyes dancing. “Does that mean you’ll be seeing more of him?”
Zoey pointed to her wine and smiled. “I need at least two more of these before making that decision.”
Elise reached for the bottle and filled up her glass. “There, now you can make the best decision of your life.”
Chapter 6
“Late night?” Rhys mused the next morning as Archer strode into the office on the main floor with dark circles under his eyes. After Rhys dropped off Zoey, he’d returned to the cigar club, where Archer waited for answers. Over a drink, Rhys gave them. He didn’t need to come down hard on Archer’s failure to keep the club safe. The guilt and frustration were etched into every line on Archer’s exhausted face. Whatever weakness was in the system would get fixed and any threat handled. Of that, Rhys was certain.
“Very late night,” Archer muttered, dropping down into his usual spot on the leather couch beneath the window, a file folder in his hand.
Rhys got up from behind his desk and took the wing-back chair across from Archer. The sun was trying to break through the clouds after the rain early this morning. This was the only time of the day when the club was quiet. The cigar bar didn’t open until eleven o’clock, but morning meetings with Archer were part of Rhys’ day-to-day.
“What’s in the file?”
“It’s—”
“Who pissed you off?” Hunt asked, gaze set on Archer, as he entered the office followed by Kieran, with coffees in hand.
Rhys grinned at his friends. Neither Hunt nor Kieran worked for him, but they were both there for one specific reason. To find out if they would be partaking in the show tonight. They were as much a part of the Phoenix family as Rhys and Archer. Rhys knew part of the success of his club was not just the stars, but the regulars who partook in the shows and knew how to fuck and give his members something glorious to look at. That passion made others want to watch. It was addictive, even to Rhys.
“Elise Fanning pissed me off,” Archer said to Kieran.
Kieran offered Archer a coffee before taking a seat. “Should we know that name?”
“Maybe not, but I suspect you won’t forget her.”
“Consider me intrigued,” said Kieran, leaning back in his seat and crossing his ankle over his knee. “Who is this mysterious Elise?”
“She’s Zoey’s roommate,” Archer explained, taking the lid off his paper cup and sending steam rising. “She’s also the private investigator who got past my security and hacked into Phoenix’s system.”
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