Penelope's Gift [The Black Dahlia Hotel 4] (Siren Publishing LoveEdge)

by Skye Michaels

  * * * *

  This was Morgan’s worst nightmare. She’d been afraid this whole scheme was going to blow up in Jay’s face, and subsequently splatter all over her. That’s what she got for trying to do a good deed against her better judgment. Should she come clean now or try to tough it out? If she continued to lie, Penelope might never forgive her.

  “Okay. This is the whole story. On New Year’s Day, I—”

  “New Year’s Day? You’ve known since New Year’s Day?” Kathi was sputtering now. Apparently, she was going to have to deal with shit from both of them.

  “I don’t believe this. How could you do this to me?” Penelope looked hurt.

  “Do you want to hear what happened or not?” She waited for the other two to quiet down before she continued. “I had decided to see if I could find out who the Master was. After snooping around downstairs for a while with no results, I talked a clerk at the front desk into letting me see the confidential guest list. I spotted Jay’s name on the list in a suite on the ninth floor. At that point, I didn’t know he was the Master. I just knew that he was here, and we didn’t think he was supposed to be here. I sat back down in the lobby to think about what to do…”

  “Did you maybe think you should tell me?” Penelope’s face was getting redder by the second.

  “Well, no. Of course not. I didn’t think I should tell one of my best friends that the love of her life that she hadn’t spoken to in five years was here in this hotel. Why would I do that?”

  “Don’t get sarcastic with me, missy.”

  “Are you going to listen?” When Penelope stopped sputtering invective, she continued. “As I was saying when I was so rudely interrupted, I was trying to think what would be the best thing to do when I saw him walk in from the pool. Believe me, that chest is unmistakable. He sure has filled out nice. I was pretty sure he was the Master. I followed him to the elevator and got on with him. I hadn’t decided whether or not to confront him when he asked me if he was busted and whether he and I could just talk it out. I went up to his suite with him. He told me he still loved you and just wanted an opportunity to talk to you, to convince you to give him another chance. Call me a sucker for a tragic love story, but I agreed to give him just this week, and then I was going to tell you the whole story, no matter what.”

  “I can’t believe this. I need tequila. Lots of tequila.”

  “You always need tequila when Jay makes you crazy.” Kathi was headed toward the wet bar to pour them tequila shots. “I think we should get drunk, diss Jay, and plot revenge—bless his heart. We’ll have massive hangovers tomorrow, but we’ll feel better.”

  “Your ideas are always so constructive, Kathi.” Morgan shook her head.

  “Well, at least I have ideas and I don’t keep secrets.”

  * * * *

  Morgan had just gotten off the phone with Eric when it rang again. She looked at the screen. J. Fairlamb. Shit. What was she going to tell him? She had promised Penelope that she wouldn’t interfere again, and that if she did, it would be on the side of the angels, not the devil.

  “Morgan. Can you talk for a minute?”

  “Yes. I’m in my room. I have to say, Jay, that you’ve put me in a hell of a spot. I don’t know who is madder at me, Pen, Kathi, or my boyfriend, Eric. Right now, I’m no one’s favorite person, and I don’t like it.”

  “How is Pen doing? Has she calmed down yet?”

  “Oh, yes. She’s much calmer. She’s gone from wanting to shoot you dead herself to deciding to hire a hit man. I’d be careful from now on if I were you. You know there are an abundance of hit men in Texas, and they work cheap. Right now, she and Kathi are doing tequila shots and I am not invited.”

  “I’m sorry I put you in that position, Morgan, but I had to take my shot. Is there any possibility that you’ll let me into the suite so I can talk to Pen? Please? I can’t leave it like this again. Five minutes.”

  “Well, my name is mud right now, anyway. What the hell. Come on down. They can’t get any madder at me than they already are, and Eric has promised to paddle my butt when I get home. He really likes Pen. He thought I should have discussed it with him first, and he would have advised me to let her make her own decision. With twenty-twenty hindsight, I have to agree.”

  “I’ll be right down. If you could clear the way with Watchdog Kathi, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Ha. You’re on your own once I open the door, buddy.”

  * * * *

  Jay knocked softly. He was relieved when Morgan actually opened the door and let him in. He thought she might change her mind before he got down the four floors in the elevator. “Is she in the living room?”

  “No. She’s in her bedroom, lying down. She and Kathi must have downed four shots each in five minutes. I don’t know how much sense she’ll make.” Morgan pointed toward one of the closed doors opening off the living room.

  “I’ll take my chances. Got nothin’ to lose at this point.”

  Jay walked over to the door Morgan had indicated and quietly opened it. He looked in carefully, not knowing what to expect. Penelope was stretched out on the bed, fast asleep. There was one small lamp lit on the bedside table. If he looked closely, he could see the tear stains on her cheeks. Shit. He couldn’t believe how he had fucked this up. He loved to paddle her ass, but he hated to hurt her heart.

  He lay down on the bed next to her and pulled her into the curve of his body. He wrapped an arm around her waist and just held her. This might be the last chance he would ever have to just hold her. He would let her sleep until she woke naturally, and then they would talk, no matter what it took.

  Chapter Ten

  In the Wilson-Easton-Hunter suite at The Black Dahlia Hotel, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, Monday morning, January 4, 2016

  Penelope tried to roll over, but she couldn’t seem to move. Light was flooding in the huge windows, blinding her. It must be Monday morning. Oh, joy. God, she must have had more Tequila than she thought. Then she felt the warmth along her back. She held her breath and listened to the soft breathing behind her. And then she smelled Jay’s unique scent. Christ on a crutch. How did he get in here? It would serve him right if she screamed her bloody head off. Instead, she tried to slowly and carefully dislodge the hold he had around her waist and roll away from him. No dice. His hold tightened and he threw his leg over her thighs, holding her in place. What was that saying? If it wasn’t for bad luck…

  “Are you going to let me get up?”

  “No. We’re going to talk, and this is as good a place as any.”

  “I have to pee, and I have a headache. I need some aspirin.”

  “Pen, I know better. You can hold your liquor better than any man I know, including me, and you have a camel’s bladder. We have some things to talk about, and it’s way past time to do it.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing has changed. You’re the same man you were five years ago, only more so.” And how she had missed him.

  “That’s not true. I know what I did back then was stupid and inconsiderate. I’m truly sorry. I wasn’t nearly as mature as I thought I was, or as good a Dom as I thought I was. And I sure didn’t know what I was throwing away.”

  “What was done can’t be undone, and words that were said can’t be unsaid. It’s too late. Just leave, Jay. I’m going to see if I can change my reservation and go home early. This is a great hotel, but it has kind of lost its appeal.”

  “You can’t leave. You would ruin Kathi and Morgan’s vacation. Besides, we have to work this out. I’m not giving up.”

  “Jay, I just don’t understand. I trusted you. You punished me for violating your trust, but what you were doing by omission was so much worse. How could you justify doing this to me?”

  “Baby, I’d do anything to get you back. Anything. I’m going to make you fall in love with me again.”

  “That’s not going to happen. I’m not going to fall in love with you again.” Because I never stopped loving you in
the first place, but I’ll be damned before I ever tell you that.

  * * * *

  Jay finally let Penelope get up to go to the bathroom. She showered and got dressed, and refused to come back to bed. Short of tying her up as he had threatened, there was nothing he could do about it.

  “Pen, we’re not done here. Not by a long shot. We are going to talk this out until we settle it.”

  “You mean until you get the result you want, regardless of what I want. Do I have that right?”

  “Basically, that’s correct.” And then he broke out in that smile she had so loved back then. Uhgg. He was impossible.

  * * * *

  Penelope had refused to listen to his self-justification and finally convinced Jay to leave. As he was walking out the door, he turned to her. “We’re not done talking, Penelope. I’m not going to give up on us this time. I can’t.”

  “You have no choice, Jay. I’ll get a restraining order against you if I have to. Don’t make me do that. Neither of us wants our private business to be fodder for the gossip mill. The yentas in Dallas would have a field day.”

  “Please, baby, don’t do this to us. Surely you can see how good we can be together.”

  “You must be joking. Either that or you are certifiably insane. All I can see is that you made a fool of me again, beat my butt for something that was not nearly as bad as what you did to me, and now that you’ve been caught, you want to play the ‘but I always loved you’ card. Sorry. I’m not buying it. Now please leave.”

  “Sugar butt…”

  “And don’t call me that ridiculous name again.” He looked sad, but he turned, walked out, and closed the door behind him. Her heart was breaking. It had been all she could do not to throw herself into his arms and tell him that she had always loved him, too.

  Morgan said tentatively, “Pen, are you sure you’re not cutting off your own nose to spite your face? You know you love him. He loves you. This just seems like such a waste of all that love.”

  “I’m sure. I can’t trust him. That is the single most important component in any relationship, never mind a kinky one. He’s screwed me over twice now, first with the ménage thing, and now with the mask thing. Maybe if he had come to me in a straightforward manner, I would have listened. I don’t know. I’ve had so much anger and hurt in my heart for so long, I’m not sure what I would have done.” She sighed. “It’s a moot point. He’s not going to get a chance to make a fool of me again.”

  “Honey, please think about it. I can see you’re both hurting.”

  “Morgan, you’re skating on thin ice as it is. Leave it alone. I’m going to get online and see if I can change my plane reservation. I want to go home. I just want to go the hell home.” She turned away and walked back into her bedroom.

  * * * *

  Morgan thought that Kathi looked far better than she deserved to look when she wandered out into the living room. “Do we have coffee, or are we going downstairs for breakfast?”

  “Don’t you have a headache? You guys went through half of a bottle of tequila last night. Do you need aspirin?”

  “No. I already took some. Was that Jay’s voice I heard?”

  “Yes. He wanted to talk to Pen, but it didn’t go too well.”

  “Surprise, surprise. What the hell was he thinking? He had to know this scheme of his wasn’t going to end well.”

  “I think he was just frustrated and desperate. He’s usually smarter than that. He really does love her, you know. He told me he’s never given up hoping in five years.”

  “Well, sometimes love just isn’t enough, even when it’s mutual. I know Pen loves him, too. After two tequila shots, she admitted that she had never gotten over him, but she knew they would never work out, and that she didn’t trust him—could never trust him again.”

  “Never is a long time, especially when you’re alone. She hasn’t been serious about anyone since they split, and I don’t think he has, either. This is just so fucking sad. I wonder if there is anything we can do to help.”

  “There is no we in this instance, girlfriend. I am not giving up one of my best friends to aid in a suicide mission, especially when the other best friend just shot herself in the foot trying to interfere. No fucking way.”

  “Just think about it, Kath. I’m sure between the two of us we could come up with something.” They both looked up guiltily when Penelope walked back into the room.

  “I can’t get a direct flight out until tomorrow afternoon. Hell and damnation. I guess I’ll be stuck in this suite until then. And someone who shall remain nameless had better not let Jay Preston Fairlamb back in here again, no matter what blandishments he offers.”

  “That’s Tuesday. At that rate, you might as well stay until Thursday. You won’t have to pay to change your reservation, and you’ve already paid for the whole week here. Why waste three days in paradise?” Morgan thought Penelope might be wavering about the early departure. She hoped so. If Penelope and Jay were going to have a chance to work this out, they had a better shot here than back in Dallas.

  “Maybe. The cancellation fee is pretty high, and it is wonderful here, except for tricky ex-Doms and girlfriends who should know better.”

  “I’m sorry, Pen. I had the best of intentions.”

  Kathi piped in, “And we all know what road is paved with those.” She grinned. “How about breakfast?”

  “Why don’t we go down and have breakfast by the pool in one of the cabanas? It’s a gorgeous day. I hope you aren’t going to let Jay keep you barricaded in this suite.”

  “No. He will stay out of my way if he knows what’s good for him. I’m loaded for bear this time. I wouldn’t mind putting my foot or a load of buckshot in that gorgeous ass of his. Either would do at the moment.”

  “That’s my girl. Let’s get into suits and go downstairs. I’ll order breakfast for three at the pool.” Morgan’s mind was spinning. There were now three days for a Happy Ever After to be worked out. She was a hopeless romantic, and she knew she couldn’t leave it alone. Maybe I’m just plain hopeless.

  * * * *

  In a cabana on the pool deck at The Black Dahlia Hotel, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, Monday mid-morning, January 4, 2016

  The sun was bouncing off the small waves, and the water was almost as blue as the pool and lazy river. They had eaten a big breakfast of fresh tropical fruit, omelets, toast and coffee. Penelope was stuffed. She thought she would lie down on one of the dark-blue canvas double chaise lounges that surrounded the pool and see if she could nap some of her hurt feelings and this day away. She wouldn’t mind zoning out and letting the sound of the ocean and sea birds, the warm sunshine, and the crisp breeze soothe her mind.

  Penelope wasn’t able to let it go, and the events of the last several days kept playing through her mind. When she looked back, except for the punishment he’d given her for trying to peek under his mask, Jay had treated her with kid gloves. He had been affectionate, attentive and loving. His overreaction to that incident had probably been triggered by his own guilty conscience and the fear of discovery of his deception. He also knew that she sometimes craved his discipline. She always had, and apparently, that had not changed. They were still as sexually charged as they had ever been. It was too bad that wasn’t enough. She couldn’t believe the lengths he’d gone to just to talk to her.

  “Pen, Kathi and I are going to float down the lazy river. I’ve been dying to try one of those inner tubes. Will you be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m so sleepy after all that food. I think I’ll nap.”

  “Don’t forget your sunscreen. The sun is strong.”

  “I won’t, but I want a little more color first.” She lay back on the chaise and powered up her Kindle. The sound of the breeze in the palm trees in the background was soothing, and before long, she was sleeping curled up on the lounge.

  * * * *

  In the Fairlamb suite at The Black Dahlia Hotel, Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, Monday morning, January 4,
2016

  Jay saw the girls walk into the cabana, followed shortly by a food service trolley. Well, he knew where they would be for a while, anyway. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Jordan. “Well, bro, you were right.”

  “How did you manage to fuck it up this time?”

  “I had a slip of the tongue last night, Penelope picked up on it immediately, and the shit hit the fan.”

  “I thought you were being careful about what you said and wearing the mask.”

  “You’ll love this. She had just given me the blowjob from heaven, and I accidently called her ‘sugar butt.’ Her eyes got that glazed over look for a minute and then she blew.”

  “Blew you, or blew up? Jay, you are one stupid bastard.” Jay could almost see him shaking his head. “I told you this was a shit idea. I didn’t think this was going to end well, but you were determined to play it out.”

  “This time I have to agree, but I had no choice.”

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Keep trying. There’s nothing else I can do.”

  “Well, good luck. Keep me posted on the latest scene in your disaster movie. I think you’re goin’ down for the third time.”

  Jordan hung up, and Jay put his cell phone down on the desk where he had the ranch’s financial reports spread out. He’d give the girls a little longer and then go down to the pool. Morgan had phoned him to say she and Kathi were going to explore the lazy river, and Penelope would be alone in the cabana. He really was beginning to doubt he could pull this one out of the hat. He’d had such high hopes when he’d arrived in Florida and after he connected with her on New Year’s Eve. Must have been pheromones or some of that biological shit. His brains must have been addled. He had to admit that Jordan was right. This had been a shit idea from the get-go. He put his bathing suit on, pulled his jeans on over it and headed down to the pool.