by Faye Avalon
When her cell rang, interrupting her thoughts, her first thought was Mitch. Her jittery stomach turned queasy when she saw Costas’s name appear on the caller display.
“I’m busy,” she snapped in answer.
“Have you got what I want?”
Her stomach rolled. “No. Haven’t had a chance yet.”
“You spent the night with him,” Costas declared in a low tone. “Why the hell didn’t you get me the photo?”
“It wasn’t that simple. And how do you know I spent the night?”
“You don’t go anywhere without me knowing it, baby doll. I thought you understood that.”
A shiver of disquiet slipped through her. He’d been following her? “After this is done, I don’t ever want to see you near me again, do you hear?”
“You’re in no position to make demands, baby doll,” he said ominously. “Just do what you’re told.”
Gina swallowed. She knew Costas was a man who got what he wanted and he was right—she was in no position to make demands of her own. But it wasn’t going to stop her trying. “You told me to sleep with Mitchell,” she whispered angrily as she hurried through the hallway and into her small office. “You don’t get to speak to me like I’m your slave.”
“I get to speak to you just about any way I like,” he snarled. “Don’t go getting ideas you have a choice in all this.”
“Oh, I know I don’t have a choice. If I did, there’s no way I’d be doing your dirty work for you.”
“Speaking of dirty work.” He all but purred down the line, pushing nausea into Gina’s stomach. “Come to my place at lunchtime. I need to fuck you. Get the smell of Coleman off you until the next time.”
Gina covered her mouth with her hand as she threatened to lose the forkful of breakfast Mitch had coaxed her to eat. The thought of having Costas touch her again, let alone hours after she’d left Mitch’s bed, was unthinkable. Hell. How could she ever have gotten herself mixed up with such a man?
“I won’t.”
“Do I need to remind you that I have a certain video in my possession?”
That was the last thing she needed reminding of. “Our deal was for me to get that photo and for you to hand over the video. There’s no way I’m continuing any sort of relationship with you.”
“Maybe I’ve decided that I miss you warming my bed, baby doll.”
God. She had to stomp on this right now. No way would she ever let him come close to her after this was over. No way in hell would she ever let him put his hands on her again. Yet current indications were that he might not intend to honor his end of the deal. She couldn’t bear to contemplate that. Hopefully he was just pushing his weight around, reminding her he held all the cards. Regardless, she had to make it clear that once this was over, they were finished.
Nausea had given way to full blow anxiety and she sucked in a steadying breath. “Get this, Costas. Once I get you what you want, you give me every copy of that video. Then I never want to see you again.”
He laughed, low and feral. “We’ll discuss it at lunchtime.”
“No. We won’t. I’m having lunch with Mitchell.”
“Well, break it.”
She ignored his terse command. “You want that damn photo, don’t you?”
“Tell him you’ll see him tonight.”
Panic shivered through her but she plowed on. “I’m already seeing him tonight.”
She remained silent, waiting for him to issue further demands. Her patience was rewarded when he finally responded. “Fine,” he snapped. “But get the fucking photo soon.”
She swallowed. Hard. How had she stayed with him all this time and not known what a complete lowlife he was? Without another word, she finished the call and put the phone down on her desk. She stared at it for long moments, tempted to throw it in the bin and get a new one. One that wasn’t tainted with Costas’s grime.
She tried not to replay their conversation in her mind, but it wouldn’t be denied. She remembered how Costas had admitted to following her, or more likely having her followed. She also remembered telling him that she couldn’t meet him as she was hooking up with Mitch. If she didn’t meet Mitch at lunchtime, Costas would know.
The thought of seeing Mitch pushed a tiny flare of pleasure into her chest, but she couldn’t focus on that. Right now, doing what needed to be done to get back that video and saving her mother’s reputation, and her own, was paramount. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was falling for Mitch. He was a temporary requirement to a permanent solution and she knew exactly what she was doing with him. As soon as she got the photo, she could walk away and never look back.
Before she could change her mind, she rummaged in her bag to find Mitch’s business card, then picked up her cell.
He didn’t answer for several rings but she wasn’t about to give up. When he finally answered he sounded disgruntled.
“Mitch? It’s Gina. Is this a bad time?”
He was silent for a moment, and she wondered if he was trying to work out who Gina was. She discarded the possibility. Surely a man didn’t forget the woman he’d cooked breakfast for that morning?
“No. It’s fine.” She sensed he was trying to be civil even though he obviously felt anything but right then. “You caught me off guard. I’ve just come out of a tricky meeting.”
“So you’re not having a good morning?”
“It started out pretty well. Gone downhill from there.”
“I’m sorry. I won’t keep you. I just wondered if you were free for lunch after all. One of my lunchtime classes was cancelled,” she lied, hoping to heaven Pauline would stay on and cover for her. “I thought I could buy you a sandwich.”
“Sounds good. Where?”
“I can come over to you if it’s more convenient,” she offered, wondering if she had time to get across to the financial district and back before her afternoon meeting with her accountant. “Or somewhere else if you prefer.”
He was silent again, obviously checking his schedule. “I’ve a meeting over your way this afternoon. How about I call for you at twelve-thirty and we can go from there?”
“Great. See you later.”
She was smiling as she disconnected. How was it that a simple phone conversation had lightened her worries? And why did that scare her as much as any threat Costas Zarikas made?
Chapter Eight
Mitch pulled up as near to Gina’s studio as he could find a parking space. The traffic this time of day was thick and he usually shut off his mind to it. But today, after the morning he’d endured, his patience was stretched thin. He’d been pleased, if surprised, when Gina had called, and since then his mood had slowly lifted.
He got out of his car, locked it and walked down toward the entrance to the studio. It was another hot day, so he loosened his tie, then ran a finger between his neck and shirt collar.
A morning spent with lawyers he didn’t trust or respect tended to put him in a bad mood. Add in the fact that said lawyers worked for a scumbag like Costas Zarikas and his mood turned positively foul.
He stepped into the pleasant air-conditioned lobby of the studio and smiled at two women at the reception desk. He recognized one as the woman he’d met briefly last night. She was handing over a towel and some sort of robe deal to the client, who smiled at him before walking down the hallway toward the treatment rooms.
“Hi again.” The woman behind the desk flashed perfect white teeth. “How may I help you?”
“I’m here to see Gina,” he said with a smile. “Mitchell Coleman.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Have a seat and I’ll go get the boss.”
Moments later she was back followed by Gina. Since he’d last seen her, she’d changed into baggy workout trousers and a sleeveless workout top that curved around her breasts like skin. He felt his mouth water.
She smiled when she saw him and held up a brown takeout bag. “I’ve got ham or smoked salmon and cream cheese on rye. It’s too nice a day to be inside, so I thought we could go to the park.”
“Sounds great,” he said, returning her smile. As she walked toward him she sidestepped, a subtle signal for him not to touch her or kiss her, as he’d intended. If Lucy hadn’t been there and watching their every move with interest, he would have ignored it and yanked her up against him so he could taste her, feel her. He hadn’t realized quite how much he’d craved her all morning. No. That was a lie. His cock had been jerking around all morning, hungry for more of her. Until that damn meeting that had given him a temporary hiatus.
With a wave to a still attentive Lucy, he followed Gina out of the door and into the street. The noise hit him like a bullet as the traffic screamed and horns blasted, in complete contrast to the relative tranquility of her studio.
“The park’s just around the corner and has some nice shaded areas where we can eat our lunch in peace.”
“Sounds good. How was your morning?”
“Great. Not going to ask how yours was again. You sounded pretty stressed when I called.”
“Had a shit-filled meeting with some lawyers.”
When they were in the park, she led him to a secluded bench that offered dappled shade. He was pleased at first, thinking Gina had planned on it being as secluded as possible so they could be alone together and maybe grab some intense necking and touching into the bargain. But the way she searched the immediate vicinity with a haunted look in her eyes made him reconsider.
“You have a phobia about birds?” he ventured, remembering a cousin of his who would throw an absolute fit if anything with wings came within a mile of her.
“No. I’m just making sure this is the best seat available.”
He didn’t believe her, but since she had relaxed and was digging into the bag for their lunch, he let it go. She pulled out paper napkins and handed Mitch a sandwich and a bottle of mineral water.
“No cups, I’m afraid. Are you okay drinking out of the bottle?”
“I think I’ll survive.”
“After seeing your apartment, I can see you like things done properly.”
He unscrewed the water bottle, and stifled a grin. “Are you insinuating I’m a snob?”
“Not at all. Liking things done properly doesn’t make you a snob. But you don’t exactly slum it, do you? This year’s convertible, an apartment in Chelsea, antique furniture, breakfast served on bone china. Shall I go on?”
“Please don’t. You’re starting to make me feel nauseous.”
She laughed and sat back against the bench. She stripped off the wrapper of her sandwich. “So tell me more about the shit-filled meeting with those lawyers.”
He ripped off his own packaging. “Their client wants funding for a couple of apartment blocks he’s planning to build over at Docklands. Their client is an asshole and they weren’t happy that I wasn’t inclined to listen to their argument.”
“Must be rotten doing business with people you don’t respect.” She bit into her sandwich.
“There’s that,” he said, watching her lips move as she chewed. He thought about the way those lips had circumnavigated his hard cock, and as if on cue, said cock jerked in agreement. “So how was your morning?”
She swallowed. “Good. Although it had its shit-filled moments too.”
“Difficult clients?”
“In a manner of speaking. So, how does this investment banking thing work anyway? Would I, theoretically, be able to borrow money from your company to expand my business?”
“If your business plan was good. Do you have one? I could take a look.”
“Not yet. I’m looking at this from all angles at the moment so I can make the right decision.”
“Always a good plan. Do you have a loan on your studio?”
She nodded as she bit into her sandwich. “Yeah, a big one.” She turned to look at him. “Do you think I should pay that off first? Before I start thinking about expanding?”
“Not necessarily. But you need to look at where you’d be opening up new studios, check the demographics, do some data gathering. You could think about renting somewhere first, try it on for size before you commit yourself to anything more permanent.”
“Hmm. I did think of that. But they say it’s better to invest in property than to rent, if you can. Dead money and all that.”
“Renting gives you a whole lot more options. And it won’t be forever. As soon as you know how it plays out, you can make a different decision.”
“Hmm,” she said again. “I’m determined to do this. Expand my business.”
He took another swig of water. “I’ve got no doubt of that.”
She turned to him and narrowed her eyes. “You say that like you’re surprised by it.”
“Maybe I am. A little.”
She shifted until she was completely facing him. “I could be insulted.”
Seeing as he couldn’t resist any longer, he reached out and touched her cheek. “No reason to be insulted. All I meant was that you’re different than you used to be.”
“Maybe I’ve discovered that being a fun-seeking missile can get you into deep water if you’re not careful. My fun oriented days are well and truly behind me. It’s business all the way for me now.”
“How about last night?” he asked as she sat back against the bench again and continued to chew her sandwich. “That had its fun oriented moments.”
“Can’t deny it.” She studied her sandwich, then looked up at him and tilted her head. “You’re different than you used to be too. More laid back.”
He feigned insult. “I was always laid back.”
“You were one of the smart set, always getting the top grades. You were a good guy with a brain. I always thought how much fun it would be to mess you up a little, make you lose control.”
He thought about how she’d made him lose control last night. How she’d pushed him to the limits until he had no fight left against his determination not to fuck her.
“It weakens a man to lose control.”
She grinned. “I know.”
“Is that why you led me on that time after the summer dance? You wanted to make me lose control.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
He took another swig of water. “There was a name for girls like you. Leading innocent boys like me astray.”
“Yeah. A tease. I’d been called a lot worse.”
“It didn’t worry you?”
She shrugged. “Better than being called a sap.”
He wondered if now was the time to ask, then thought, what the hell? “Do you remember that time when that Vanessa kid locked herself in the campus science lab and wouldn’t come out?”
Her brow wrinkled and then she smiled. “God, yes. What on earth made you think of that?”
“You were the only one she’d let in. You were in there ages until finally you led her out with your arm around her.”
She looked thoughtful. “She was having a tough time. Her mother had died and she wasn’t handling it that well. She was an only child and didn’t have anyone she thought understood how she felt. All she needed was a willing shoulder.”
“That’s my point. Outwardly you were a bad ass, yet you took the time and patience to help a grieving kid.”
She shrugged again, obviously embarrassed. “Sometimes, you’re just in the right place at the right time.”
But it was more than that. She had a center as soft as silk—you just had to drill down deep to find it. It had always fascinated him how and why she wanted to give the world the impression that she didn’t give a damn. He knew that wasn’t the total of her. Then or now.
She glanced at her watch, then swigged down some water. “What’s happening in the cutt
hroat world of Mitchell Coleman this afternoon? More shitty lawyers?”
He grinned as she did, noting the swift maneuver of the topic of conversation. He’d let it go. For now. “Thankfully, no.”
“Do you have to deal with many people like that?”
“I’ve had my share, but this one is something else.”
“Why?”
“Their client’s been turned down by every other investor in town. He seems to think I owe him something and should be backing him on this deal.”
“Isn’t it a viable deal?”
“He’s got some especially creative ways of handling business agreements. Word gets around. Banks won’t touch him now, and neither will I.”
“Who could blame you?”
She reached over and took his empty sandwich wrapper, inadvertently brushing against his groin in the process. She’d have to be an idiot not to notice the bulge in his pants.
“Are you permanently on standby or something?”
“Normally I can control myself in the middle of the business day, but whenever you’re in the vicinity and I get a sniff of you, it’s hoist the flags.”
She laughed, a low throaty sound that did nothing to improve his current comfort level. “It’s a pity we both have a full afternoon.”
“Or?”
“Or nothing. Just saying it’s a pity.”
The glint in her eye told him exactly what he needed to hear. “I noticed there’s a hotel just across from here.”
“So there is.”
“What time do you need to get back?”
“I’m meeting my accountant in just over an hour. You?”
“Meeting at two thirty.”
“It’s only one fifteen.”
He grinned and yanked her against him for a sweltering kiss. “I don’t usually do lunchtime quickies.”
“Me neither. But it’s always good to try new things.”
“I promise I’ll get you back in time for your meeting.”
“What more can a girl ask?”
He kissed her again, resisting the urge to get his hands on her right there in the park. The hotel seemed a bloody long distance away.