Ellie pulled from her hold. “I can’t. I won’t. There’s too much to fear, too much to have to face.”
“God, Ellie. Paul really fucked up your head. I thought that therapist you were seeing told you it was time to move on and give dating a shot.”
“She said when I was ready. Don’t you understand that I’m the one who has to go through everything? The questioning of whether or not my instincts are right about a man. Not knowing what could set a man off and make him attack. Not knowing what it is I’m looking for in the right man or whether I’m asking too much or too little. It’s just overwhelming, and I haven’t even gotten into the intimacy aspect yet. I can’t. It’s too upsetting. How can I trust a man when I can’t even trust myself because I’m so scared?”
Donella took her hand and held her gaze.
“You’re right, I don’t understand. I didn’t go through what you did. But you survived. You’ve moved on with your life and have put Paul behind you. I’m just saying that maybe if you just try dating or even becoming friends with a guy first, it could work out. You know, ease your way into the intimacy of dating?”
“I don’t know. Maybe making friends first might work.”
Donella smiled and then looked Ellie over. “Or maybe just going right for the sex might solve the whole fear factor. You look incredible.”
Ellie blushed and then stepped into the high heel shoes. She did look good. She needed to land this deal and get that bonus she had coming. She’d deal with the making-friends-first thing another time.
“Okay, I need to go. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Maybe you won’t,” Donella teased, raising her eyebrows up and down in a silly way. Ellie chuckled.
“Later.”
* * * *
Detective Justice Lawson was looking over the crime scene photos from the latest victim. The case had a few similarities to three other cases in the area, but this woman was last seen at a very exclusive party. His partner, Vin Elloy, Sam’s brother was talking to someone on the cell phone. He said thank you and then got off the phone.
“It’s confirmed that the last person she was with was someone working for a guy named Renaldo Sentinel. He was hosting the party the other night.”
“What’s the guy’s name that this woman was with?”
Vin looked down at his notes. “Luke Phillips. He’s this guy’s personal assistant and security man. I have someone tracking him down now.”
“Good. Did you hear from the lab about the hair samples found on the body?”
“Not yet. Hopefully by later today.”
“Okay, then let’s go over these files again and see if we can establish a credible link. We’ll need to meet with the commander before we head out. If we have a serial killer on our hands, the sooner we identify that, the more man power we can get to find him or her and stop them.”
“You got it. Let’s do it.”
* * * *
Ellie pulled up to the valet parking and was escorted to the front entrance. Before she even made it to the reception area of the grand restaurant and hotel, a woman with red hair and a huge smiled greeted her.
“Miss Morrison?”
Ellie nodded her head.
“I’m Alecia. Mr. Sentinel is expecting you. He asked that I escort you through the cigar lounge so you can begin to get an understanding of the artwork on display.”
“Of course. Thank you.” Ellie pulled her iPad out of her bag and walked along the corridor. She took pictures of what had first caught her eyes and where she felt things were missing. From the entryway to the reception to the cigar lounge and now a back private room.
“Miss Morrison, so nice to see you again.” Luke Phillips greeted her by gently taking her hand, lifting the top to his lips, and kissing it.
She smiled. “Nice to see you, too, Mr. Phillips.”
“Please, call me Luke. Renaldo will be here momentarily. He is taking an important phone call.”
Just then the door opened and Renaldo appeared. He paused a moment taking in the sight of her and then smiled.
“You are a vision in red, Ellie. You look stunning.” He greeted her with a kiss to her cheek and a gentle arm around her waist. He stared down into her eyes and held her gaze, pulling her snugly against him.
“I’ve waited weeks to get a better view at your gorgeous green eyes. I hope the tour was informative,” he whispered, letting his hand glide over her lower back to nearly her ass as he released her and offered her a chair at the dining table to the right of them.
She swallowed hard, feeling a bit of an attraction toward the man. But who wouldn’t be attracted to a multimillionaire with dark mesmerizing eyes, a debonair personality, and exquisite taste?
“Thank you, you’re very kind. The tour was informative as you intended.”
He waved toward the server standing by, a man dressed as a formal waiter, with a sharp white linen towel draped over his arm. He approached the table and poured two glasses of wine.
“I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of ordering a few of my favorite dishes for you to experience. I’m planning on keeping them in the new menu for my latest chain of restaurants.”
“Of course. I’m sure I will be very happy with your choices.”
“Are you now? Is it because you trust my judgment and taste or are you simply appeasing me?” he asked with an heir of arrogance that had her defensive radar rising.
“Of course not. You may not realize this, Renaldo, but I have very opinionated tastes. It will be amusing to see if you and I share some similar likes.”
“Amusing? I would prefer stimulating,” he countered, holding her gaze and looking her cleavage over with interest. She felt the heat hit her body and wondered how this business dinner meeting was turning into something else. She lowered her eyes and adjusted her napkin on her lap.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I enjoy conversing with you. You’re a realist, but you have the quality of shyness I’m truly attracted to.”
The waiter arrived, thank goodness, with some appetizers. Oysters on the half shell, shrimp scampi, and some stuffed mushrooms, her favorite.
“Oooh, I love stuffed mushrooms,” she stated, inhaling the wonderful scents and aromas.
“One of my favorite as well. Go on, let’s enjoy this.” She placed a mushroom on her plate as Renaldo began to talk about his plans for the restaurants, the décor, and keeping similar aspects of Tratorra’s.
“Might I suggest a very different entryway, and foyer, perhaps even an area where guests wait for the table or can enjoy a cocktail before or after dinner while being enthralled with some of your more outlandish art.”
“Outlandish?” he questioned.
She smiled. “Sorry, I do not mean to insult. Everyone is entitled to their taste in art. However, I would really like to know why you display a million-dollar piece by the reception area? It seems outlandish to me.”
He chuckled. “So the tour was informative?”
“Would you like to go over my findings and ideas to see if I’m the right person for this project?”
He smiled at her, then took a sip of his wine while holding her gaze over the rim of his glass. “I’m hopeful that you fit this project quite well, so you and I can work side by side.”
She smiled as she pulled out her iPad and began to go over what she had seen and some ideas of how to improve the initial ambiance of the restaurant when guests first entered. She went as far as showing him some pictures of general ideas and fine art that wasn’t nearly as costly as the paintings he displayed without a care for their price tag or their effect on the patrons.
“You can truly awe your guests by establishing a gallery for their viewing as they wait. If done in the right way, it could bring in even more patrons and give you the opportunity to enhance other rooms in the restaurant.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, moving closer to view the pictures.
Before long she was sugges
ting theme rooms so that he could get the feel and look he wanted in his choices of the various Venetian arts he insisted on using throughout the place.
When she felt his hand smooth over her knee under the table, she looked up at him.
He held her gaze. “I knew you were right for the job. This is going to be great. How quickly can you start?”
She was shocked at his fast-forward personality.
She closed up the iPad and clasped her hands on top of the table.
“Well, Mr. Sentinel, we’ll need to finalize the contracts with my boss.”
“Already done. I spoke with him ten minutes before you arrived.”
She went to speak and was speechless.
He moved his arm over her chair behind her back and inched closer.
“I’m looking forward to working with you, and getting to know you, Ellie. Now let’s enjoy dinner and then we can work out a schedule for the coming few months.”
He eased away from her, her heart pounding, her hands instantly clammy now that she could breathe again. The man was a force, and very demanding. But he was also sexy and attractive, with oodles of appeal. She smiled, feeling pretty damn happy for getting this job, and hoped she could pull off what he wanted.
“Oh, and please call me Renaldo.” He covered her hand with his and gave it a squeeze as he winked.
The rest of their time together flowed smoothly, and Ellie couldn’t help but to think of her conversation with Donella today. Could she take a chance and try dating again? Was Renaldo right for her, or would he be a mistake? Or, could she be so brazen as to entertain a sexual fling, no strings attached, in order to help her get over the fear Paul put into her? She wondered and then thought about Paul and his text messages. How could she move on when the man who’d destroyed her life, gave her all the fear and trust issues she had, still held power over her. Even if it was the power of fear?
* * * *
“Did you guys have a good time last night?” Vin asked Justice as they drove out of the police department and headed to interview Luke Phillips.
“Aside from that bitch Ray Anne saying that shit about Hunter, yeah, it was an all right night.”
“Would have been better if you guys hooked up with Sam’s friend, Ellie. She’s gorgeous.”
Justice glanced at Vin and then back toward the road.
“She seemed nice.”
Vin chuckled. “Nice, my ass. The four of you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her. I thought Seno was going to start a fight with that guy, what’s his name? Oh, Hartford, something Hartford. That guy has got the touch with the ladies, but your little spitfire wasn’t biting.”
Justice smiled to himself. Seno was going to go over there and rip the guy’s arm off. Every time Hartford moved his hand over her waist and then grazed her ass, Seno wasn’t the only one seeing red. The woman had a great ass. It stuck out, and her dress accentuated the roundness of it. She may be petite, but she had sexy curves. She wasn’t skin and bones, nor was she what he considered chubby. She was perfect.
“She turned him down, too.”
“She sure did. Maybe she’s seeing someone.”
“Sam said she isn’t. After you basically had Sam give Moira the third degree.”
“So we’re interested but Ellie said she doesn’t date. Maybe the whole ménage thing intimidates her?”
“Well, it sure as shit doesn’t intimidate Moira.”
Justice looked at Vin and saw the odd expression. “What’s up? I thought you guys were all interested in dating Moira?”
“Oh, we are, it’s just that she’s a bit young, inexperienced, and we’ve been down that road before. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Oh yeah, with Tara. She was too young, and wanted to party all the time.”
“Exactly. But she was something else in bed.”
Justice chuckled. “That right there probably added to how it went all wrong.”
“What the hell do you mean?”
“You thought more about how the sex was with her instead of the strong feelings, the bond and connection that sets a ménage apart from a damn orgy.”
Vin chuckled. “You’re right. But it wasn’t our fault. The sex was the best, but as far as bonding or having a connection, it wasn’t there at all.”
“Do you think it could be there with Moira?”
Vin looked out the window. “I’m not sure. We don’t want to rush into it, so being friends right now, flirting a bit, is fine. If it turns into something more, then we’ll just have to wait and see. So when are you going to try and snag Ellie’s attention and get her to give you guys a chance?”
Justice smiled. “The next time my brothers or I see her, we’ll be sure to start getting her to be more comfortable with us. I guess the friends and flirting thing will be first for the four of us, too.”
“This may call for some sneaky planning.”
“What do you mean?”
“A party at our place after the races next Saturday. That’s sure to provide a more relaxing setting.”
“You think Ellie will go to the race and then your party?”
“I’ll talk to Moira. She said that Ellie and her are attending the races. Ellie had an uncle who was retired from the police department but was killed over a year and a half ago. It was in New Castle, a few towns over.”
“Oh yeah, the robbery at the convenience store on Smith. Two crooks died, the retired cop, and the clerk, too.”
“Yes. It was tragic.”
They pulled into the parking lot and decided to park the car instead of using the valet.
“Hey, you can’t park there,” some kid in a vest told them. Vin flashed his badge.
“We won’t be long.” The kid nodded his head and headed toward another car that just approached.
As they entered the place, Justice was surprised by the upscale décor and fancy chandeliers.
“The food smells good,” Vin stated as he rubbed his belly. Justice smiled as they approached the front reception area.
“We’re looking for Mr. Luke Phillips. We were told he was dining here today,” Justice stated toward the woman.
“Is he expecting you? I don’t have another party joining him.”
“No. We’d like to speak with him please.” Vin flashed his badge and the woman’s eyes widened and then she smiled at Vin.
Her cheeks took on a rosy shade of pink and she nodded her head. “Of course, Detective.”
She picked up the phone and whispered into the receiver.
Vin and Justice stood by the waiting area, absorbing the decorations. Some of the items were eye catching, but nothing grabbed his attention like the brunette in red walking down the hallway escorted by two men in designer suits.
As they came closer, he felt his heart race and his eyes widen at the sight of Ellie walking between the two men. Was she with them? Did she belong to them? Both men paused and one guy—tall, dark hair, very upscale—took her hand and kissed the top of it.
She smiled and nodded her head, and then he placed his hand on her waist, leaned forward, and kissed her cheek. He couldn’t be a boyfriend. If he were, he would have kissed her on the mouth. He wanted to feel relief, but instead he felt more on edge, especially when she turned to shake the other man’s hand and he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. As she started heading toward them, the two men watched her, eyeing over her backside until she locked gazes with him.
The woman from the front desk pointed toward Vin and Justice and both men looked. Their expressions changed and so did Justice’s. Ellie was hanging out with a man who they needed to question about a murder.
* * * *
Ellie felt her belly quiver after having such a nice lunch with Renaldo. He was so suave and very good at flirting, that she found herself flirting back and wondering where it may lead. After Luke received a phone call as the lunch was ending, they parted and now she was heading home to ponder over her reaction to the charismatic man. After they both kissed her good-bye, she headed t
oward the main entrance and nearly lost her footing as she locked gazes with a fierce-looking Justice Lawson. He was dressed in suit pants, dress shirt, jacket, and tie, and was staring at her along with Sam’s brother, Vin.
They looked at her and then back toward Luke and Renaldo, and for some strange reason she felt guilty.
“Hey, what are you two doing here?” she asked.
Justice looked her over and she felt her nipples harden as her breath caught in her throat. That was a first for her.
“I could ask you the same thing. You know those two?” he asked with an attitude.
“I’ll give you a minute. I’d better go introduce myself,” Vin said and then winked at Ellie before walking away.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“Business.” He looked at the cleavage of her dress and then down into her eyes. Even with the Jimmy Choos on, he still towered over her.
“Business? You’re a detective. What type of business would you have with Renaldo and Luke?”
“You know them well?” he asked, giving her an expression as he grazed over her body again. His question was laced with hidden meaning she was out of practice of identifying.
“No. Business,” she added with an attitude.
“I may need to talk with you. Stick around if you can.” He walked away and toward his partner, Luke and Renaldo not giving her an opportunity to respond. She wondered why she had a feeling that this situation wasn’t good at all.
* * * *
Vin did not like either man’s attitude nor did Justice once he joined the conversation. Vin could tell that Justice was fired up seeing Ellie dressed in a sexy red dress and knowing one of the two men they were questioning. He hoped that Justice kept his cool.
“Listen, we understand that there were a lot of people at that party, but the woman in question was found murdered. We need to speak with anyone who was seen with her the other night. Multiple people named you,” Justice stated toward Luke.
The American Soldier Collection 8: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4