by Nina Pierce
“You had one of those?”
“Two. And now I’m about to have a third.”
“And I can only assume your designated driver is downstairs still enjoying the music?”
“No, I came here alone. And I’ll be driving home alone as soon as I have a drink with Elvis and talk with him about my friend. I assure you I haven’t been drinking. I don’t need anyone to drive me home.” She brushed her hands down her skirt gathering her dignity. “But like you said, it really isn’t any of your business. I appreciate you introducing me to Elvis, but I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
He grabbed her elbow, pulling her away from Elvis’ desk. “Please tell me you’re not here alone.” He ripped the sunglasses off his face, his nose only an inch from hers. “Are you just begging for trouble? A beautiful woman alone in Starry Knights? Does anyone know you’re here?”
Julie pulled her arm from his grasp, comprehension dawning in her thick skull. “I repeat, that’s none of your business.” His eyes were dark pools holding her captive. He stared at her with, what was that exactly—concern or hunger? At the moment she wasn’t sure which one she preferred.
“Listen, Jewel, you made it my business when you agreed to accompany me up to this little soiree.” Demon spoke the words evenly, but they carried an undercurrent of anger. “If you’re intent on having a Long Island iced tea, which by the way contains equal parts gin, rum, vodka, tequila and triple sec with a splash of cola, then it would be ungentlemanly of me not to insist on taking your car keys and spending the night with me.” His mouth curved in a smug smile as he held out his hand. “It would be irresponsible of me to let you drive home intoxicated.”
Julie stared at him, trying to wrap her head around what he’d just said. No wonder she was finding it hard to think straight. She had been well on her way to getting hammered. How foolish of her. She tried to smile at him, but her lips merely quivered with nerves. “I guess I’d prefer not to have another then.”
He dropped his hand and moved back, giving her room to breathe.
“Well, since you seem to be unwilling to give up your keys, my only question to you is,” he quirked an eyebrow, making him look even more arrogant than he was acting, “would you prefer coffee or cola to sober you up?”
“Either is fine. Thank you, Mr. Jones.”
Folding the sunglasses, Demon tucked the earpiece into the pocket of his shirt so they hung over the black material. He turned back toward the man at the desk. “Elvis, I’ve had a change of plans. I’ll take my usual, and the lady will have a diet cola.”
* * * *
Damon sat on the leather couch, only half listening to Jewel’s conversation with Elvis. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so protective and it was pissing him off. How she got here and who she left with was none of his damn business. If the woman seated next to him wanted to spend the night with a man, more power to her. It’s what he’d intended when he brought her up here.
But something about her just didn’t sit right.
With her split personalities of erotic vixen and naïve virgin, he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. One of those personalities didn’t fit and he was pretty sure the woman didn’t have a clue what she’d walked into. He still wasn’t sure if the wig was meant to disguise or aide in her playacting. At this point, it seemed neither did she.
Well, as Neanderthal as it sounded, he wasn’t about to leave her alone. He was fairly certain Elvis wouldn’t use her for his own gain, but Damon wouldn’t forgive himself if something happened to her. He intended to babysit Jewel until she was safely locked in her car and headed away from here.
Elvis sat across from them, sipping from a champagne flute. He’d chosen some bright orange button down shirt to go with his trademark tan pants, creased sharp as knives. Though he had a casual air with his loafers without socks, his long hair was pulled back in a ponytail which meant he’d been doing some serious business. Damon really didn’t want to know which one of his many illegal ventures the man had been working this night.
“Why do you ask about Jason McCarty?” Elvis asked.
“We went to school together. Our families are quite close.” Jewel reached in her purse, pulled out a newspaper clipping and handed it to Elvis. “They quoted you in the paper. It sounds like you knew him.”
“School chums, hmm?” Elvis’ eyes narrowed and he studied the woman next to him. “He actually mentioned being friends with some Tilling sisters. Did you go to school with them?”
“Yes, I’m Julie Tilling.” The enthusiasm drained from her face. The woman’s head swiveled, panic shooting through the doe eyes staring at Damon. “I mean…” She turned back to Elvis. “What I mean is…well, Demon misunderstood when I introduced myself.” She let out a nervous giggle, her hands waving in the air as if to clear away the confusion. “My sisters call me Jules, short for Julie, not Jew-wels, like you wear.” Even in this light, Damon could see her blush. “Anyway, why do you ask?”
Elvis stood abruptly, striding over to the desk. “No reason, I, uh…”
This was odd. Damon had never known Elvis to stumble for words.
Julie rushed over to the desk. “Please, Elvis, if you know anything, anything at all, Jason was my friend. The Delmont police are finished with their investigation. They’ve officially ruled Jason’s death a suicide.” She stopped and looked down at her hands, obviously trying to control her emotions. “I just don’t believe he killed himself. I’d like to find out what really happened.”
Damon heard the tremble in her voice and hoped she wasn’t beginning to cry. Shit, what had he gotten himself into? He gulped down the rest of his drink, setting the glass a little too firmly on the coffee table.
Both of them stared at him.
“Elvis, obviously the lady is concerned.” Damon stood. The sooner this got cleared up, the sooner he could get her to her car and go home. “You said this guy was a regular. Is there anything you can tell her?” Damon wondered if this whole thing had to do with Elvis’ private business downstairs. He shot Elvis a questioning look, but the man shook his head so slightly, only Damon noticed. Relief flooded through him. At least this guy that had apparently killed himself hadn’t done it because of that, at least.
“Why did the police make the connection to you?” Julie asked.
“I was there that day. I was the one who found him.” Elvis’ voice was a mere whisper.
“Oh, Elvis, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. It wasn’t in the papers.” Julie laid her hand over Elvis’ trembling fingers. “I can’t even begin to imagine how awful that must have been for you.”
“A Tilling?” Elvis paused as if contemplating some important information. “There is something I can give you. It’s tucked away in my safe downstairs.”
At that moment, the phone on his desk chimed. “Excuse me.”
* * * *
Julie stood at the wall of windows, staring at the scene below. She had no idea what Elvis went to retrieve. She could only hope it might shed some light on Jason’s death.
“You okay?” The heat of Demon’s breath caressed her neck. “Elvis is a good man. If he said he has something to help, I’m sure he does.”
Thinking about someone finding Jason shot to death overwhelmed her. Sadness stung the back of her eyes and filled her throat. Even after all this time, she was still mourning her best friend. She would like nothing more than to lean into the man behind her for comfort.
“I’m fine,” Julie said. “It’s been a long night, that’s all.” He was so close she didn’t dare turn around. If the compassion filled his eyes, the way it filled his voice, Julie wouldn’t be able to resist falling into his arms, and that hardly seemed appropriate at the moment. Then again, the idea of a private party sounded like something Jewel wanted. Women didn’t dress this way to keep men at arm’s length. Julie wasn’t sure she wanted to walk on the cautious side of life anymore.
“Does it ever get tiresome watching it?” she asked, daring to dip her toe i
n the waters of seduction.
“What?”
Good, her question threw him off-kilter. “You know. The people and what they’re doing? You see the two men and that woman over there?” Julie leaned to the side so Demon could see around her as she pointed to a shadowed corner of the bar below. “I thought they were dancing, but there’s definitely something more going on.” A nervous giggle escaped her lips. “The man in front is definitely buried deep in the woman, and the man in back…well, I’m not sure what he’s doing. But with their mouths open that way, I’m thinking they’re all really enjoying themselves.” She dared to lean back, her bottom grazing his thigh.
“Oh, they’re definitely getting it on.” Demon braced his hands on either side of her, pressing the solid plane of his chest against her back. They were both testing the waters. “And yes, I get tired of watching.” He leaned close to her ear, his breath the only thing separating his lips from sensitive shell. “They put in extra spotlights that shine on the platform for me so I don’t have to stare at them all night. I mean, even a saint would get a hard-on seeing people go at it for three hours.” He canted his hips, brushing the thick length of him against her ass, proving his point.
Julie was enjoying their brazen flirtation. “I suppose you’re right.” She turned around to face him, purposefully rubbing her breasts across his chest. He didn’t move. “Did you originally bring me up here to relieve a little of that tension, Demon?”
“I don’t think you want to know what I was thinking before we got in the elevator.”
She tilted her head and cocked a brow, inviting him to share. “Oh, but I think I would.”
“This is probably a very bad idea.” He took a step back, but she moved with him.
She’d come this far and she had no intention of stopping now. “Maybe I was a little tipsy in the elevator, but I’m stone-cold sober now,” she said, laying her palm in the center of his chest. Her gaze swept the strong lines of his face, gauging his reaction. Even in the muted light of the office she could see the hunger sparking in his eyes. “We’re way past the stage of chivalry, Demon. I don’t need your protection.” She slid her thigh up his leg, surprised by her own audacity.
“You think that’s what I’m doing?”
She dragged a nail through the dark whiskers along his jaw, thrilling in the quick inhalation of his breath. “Oh, you play the animal, but the heart of a gentle man hides here.” She kissed the center of his chest, her body warming with the power of her seduction.
“Then it may shock you to learn I intended on having my way with you when we got up here. That phone call pulling Elvis away was his attempt to give me privacy.”
“No more than it would shock you to learn that’s what I’d hoped.” She scraped her teeth along the tight cords of his neck. “Elvis said he’d be gone awhile.”
“Not nearly long enough.” Demon wrapped his arms around her, his lips coming down hard on hers. He tasted of lemon and smelled like heaven. His tongue ran along the seam of her mouth, and she opened for him. She swallowed his deep growl of pleasure, the thrill of it shooting straight down her core.
His fingers gripped her neck, pulling her deep into the kiss, while hers frantically worked the buttons on his shirt.
“Do you think they can see us from down there?”
“Not on the couch.” Demon scooped her into his arms and carried her across the room. She kicked off her ankle-high boots on the way. His mouth never lost contact with hers. The pounding rhythm of the music was replaced by the roar of her heart hammering in her ears. He laid her on the couch, coming down on top of her. Julie shoved the shirt off his shoulders, her nails biting crescent moons into his back.
“Demon,” she breathed into his ear, nipping at the lobe.
“Damon. My real name’s Damon. Say it.” And she did. On hiccupping gasps, his name fell from her lips. He leaned away from her, pulling the front zipper down her corset, exposing her swollen breasts. She flushed under his hungry gaze, feeling sexy and wanton. When he leaned down and suckled one steepled nipple and then the other, she came off the couch. Jolts of molten heat shot through her veins with every lick and nibble. She pressed into his face, urging him to take more.
“Beautiful. You’re so beautiful.” He kissed a path between her breasts. “Your skin’s like satin.”
Her nails raked down his back. She cupped his ass, pulling him tightly between her open thighs. Oh, how she wanted this man. A stranger she’d only just met was making her hotter and wetter than she’d been in a very long time.
The chime of a cell phone broke through the fog of desire engulfing her.
“Wait. Just a minute, Damon. I need to get that.” Julie pushed at his shoulders. “My purse, there on the coffee table, my phone’s in my purse.”
He handed it to her, grazing his teeth along her collarbone. “I’m sure it can wait.”
“You never know, it could be an emergency.” Julie flipped open the phone. “Julie here.” Damon drew lazy circles with his finger around her stomach and breasts.
“Hey, Jules, were you in bed?”
“No, Dee, you didn’t wake me. Thanks for asking.” She mouthed “my sister” to Damon who nodded and ran is tongue over the pulse point of her throat and she gasped in response.
“You okay? You sound out of breath.”
“Breathless? Me? Oh, I was just doing some sit-ups before bed…and yes, before you say anything, I know what time it is. Sometimes I stay up this late. It is the weekend.”
“You always do aerobics before turning in?”
“Don’t worry about my fitness routine. Did you want something at this hour?”
Damon laved her breast, and air whistled through her teeth.
“Did you talk to Mum tonight?” Deirdre asked.
His tongue took another turn around her nipple, and she had all she could do to focus on Deirdre’s voice. “Mum? Yeah, she called me earlier. She seemed fine. She told me Daddy didn’t feel well, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”
He nibbled at her earlobe, eliciting another moan of pleasure.
“Jules, you sure you’re all right? You sound funny.”
“It’s late.” Julie faked a loud yawn.
Damon laughed and she covered the receiver. “Shh, I’ll explain later.” He went back to nipping and kissing her neck.
Deirdre was still prattling on, but Julie was quickly losing her ability to focus. The wonderful wet suction at her neck and warm flutter of his fingers over her belly had her thoughts scattering in different directions. “I’m sure Mum’s fine, Dee. Nothing to worry about. I’m hanging up…go back to your game of pool—”
“Wait, say hi to Bri.”
“No, I don’t need to say hello to Brianna. Good-bye, Dee.” She closed the phone and dropped it on the floor.
“You, Damon, are a wicked man.” Julie buried her fingers in his hair. “I want you to—” His mouth came down hard on hers, and he swallowed her words. Damon’s fingers took a slow walk up her thigh, bringing her skirt with them. His thumb trailed over the dampness of her thong. “Yeah, that. Touch me like that.”
“You have entirely too many clothes on.” She reached between them, fumbling at his belt buckle.
“Let me get it.” He stood up quickly, shucking off his jeans and cowboy boots. Julie hadn’t seen many men naked, but this one certainly stole her breath. The sizable erection tapping against his belly was all hers. The man was as aroused by Julie Tilling as she was by him. The thought empowered her, boosted her confidence to play the salacious sex goddess she’d been trying to portray. Sitting up, she took the condom he’d dug out of his wallet. Julie rubbed her thumb against the mushroom head, collecting the glistening moisture. She brought her hand to her mouth, dragging her thumb down her tongue in a move so seductive it had him grinding out a moan.