by Shauna Hart
Later, after she showered and changed, she told Zoë everything. She finished the story, wringing her hands together in her lap as she waited for Zoë’s disgusted reaction. But when the other woman finally spoke, disgust was far from her thoughts.
“So, how was it?”
A shiver ran through her body as she thought of the events that had transpired in the club. It seemed that when the bed spun, her life had done the same thing. She had never felt such vulnerability and such intense pleasure all at once. In that moment he could’ve done anything to her, and she would’ve welcomed it.
Hell, she would have begged for it.
Her tentative smile answered Zoë’s question.
“Well, that’s great!”
“No, Zoë, it’s not. I don’t do things like this,” she assured her.
Zoë gave her a sly grin. “Well, tonight you did.”
Unfortunately, Zoë was right.
Tonight she had.
Tonight, she had acted against everything she knew was normal and right. She had given into every primal desire, and her body had soared to heights she had never thought she would reach. She had let the animal out of its cage, and it had turned and roared. Still, she knew that it could never happen again.
Once was forgivable…a temporary lapse in judgment.
But twice…twice would seal her fate.
Chapter 8
Jade was rudely awakened the next morning by a pounding at the door. She stumbled off the couch, yawning, and rubbed her eyes as she pulled the door open. Clay loomed before her, one arm resting high on the doorjamb. Spinning on her heel, she walked back into the apartment to collapse on the couch. She snuggled under the covers without greeting her unwelcome guest.
“Good morning, Clay, come on in,” he prompted sarcastically.
“Good morning,” she answered drowsily.
He sat in the chair to her left, eying her as she leaned back against the couch. The intensity of his stare suddenly seemed intrusive. “What?”
“Nothing. How are you?”
Jade lifted one eyebrow. “Okay, why?”
“No reason,” he said. “Did you enjoy yourself last night?”
Her eyes widened as an unwelcome heat crept into her cheeks at the memory of her complete surrender to a stranger.
Did he know?
He couldn’t. Could he?
Then it hit her.
“I was supposed to meet you for dinner.”
Clay sat back in his chair, a half-smile forming on his lips. “Yes, you were.”
“I’m sorry,” Jade explained. “I completely forgot.”
“Apparently,” he observed with a harsh snort.
“I tried to explain that I might be busy, but you wouldn’t listen.”
He was silent for a moment, his eyes traveling hungrily over her body. She pulled the covers around her, uncomfortable with the sensation his gaze was creating.
“What about tonight?”
Her gaze skittered around the room. “I’m not sure.”
Clay got to his feet, taking a few steps toward the door. “Give me a call when you are.”
She stared at the door for several seconds after he left. What had just transpired? Despite the fact that he had all but ordered her to have dinner with him, she couldn’t help but feel terrible at standing him up. She usually never missed an engagement, but this was unavoidable. If she kept seeing him on a regular basis, the thing she had avoided most might happen. And that was something she couldn't allow. Her attraction to him was undeniable, and if last night was any indication, it might soon make her do something she would regret.
No, it was best if she backed away from him.
Zoë called her later that night and suggested they meet for a drink at a local bar. She arrived at the club to find Zoë sitting in a booth up front. Sliding in across from her, she ordered a martini over her shoulder to the waitress.
“I have some news,” Zoë informed her hesitantly.
“What is it?”
“Someone contacted me this morning. He says that he knew Ruby. He wants to meet you.”
“What’s his name? Who is he?”
Zoë passed her a sheet of paper with a name and address scribbled across it. “Here. He said he wants to meet you tonight at this address.”
Jade stared at the name.
Alexander Talbot.
The name echoed through her head, but didn’t pull up anything significant. Questions sprung about like fireflies in the night.
How did Ruby know this man?
What was their relationship?
Unfortunately, there was only one way to find out, and it didn’t involve having a drink with Zoë. She grabbed her purse, throwing down a few bills for the nearly forgotten drink.
Zoë reached out, her fingers curling around Jade’s arm. “Be careful,” she warned, her voice barely a whisper.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured her, heading toward the door.
After walking a few blocks, Jade began to doubt what she had told Zoë. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it might actually leap right out of her chest. When she reached the bar, she took a deep breath.
This was ridiculous.
She could be walking into a trap.
What if the killer knew that she had been asking around?
What if he had decided to silence her once and for all?
She pulled the door open, refusing to think about the danger she was putting herself in. Her eyes scanned the smoky interior. Several tables were scattered in the middle, with a long bar to the left. Booths lined the wall to her right. Several heads rose at her entrance. She looked around the room, searching for the man she had come to meet, the man she had never met.
She tried to still her racing pulse. Maybe this guy was just a friend of Ruby’s? Maybe he just wanted to help her find the real killer? After all, it was a public place. She tried not to think about the fact that in New Orleans, that didn’t mean much.
A man in the back booth motioned her over. As she began walking toward him, she noticed that he didn’t look like the type of man who belonged in a place like this. He wore a navy suit with a crisp pinstripe shirt. The top two buttons were undone. Immediately, his polished exterior eased her mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder why clothing could instantly quiet a person’s fears.
“So, you’re the illustrious Jade Monroe?” His blue eyes twinkled, and a sly grin touched his lips.
She slid in across from him, noting the small details. His blondish brown hair was neatly trimmed around the ears, and he looked like he’d just shaved, even though it was late at night. His hands were perfectly manicured, and a Rolex cinched his wrist.
“And you are?” she asked, one eyebrow arched high.
“Alexander Talbot,” he answered, grasping her hand lightly across the table. The touch of his hand gave her a slight chill.
“Nice to meet you,” she offered, eyeing him warily.
He leaned back. “Not half as nice as it is to meet you.”
“Oh?”
Her question inspired a boyish grin. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he elaborated.
“From whom?”
“Ruby, of course. She spoke of you often.”
“Funny, she never spoke of you,” Jade said in a biting tone. “How did you find me?”
He took a sip from his glass. “It wasn’t hard. Not much happens in this town that I don’t know about.”
A waitress appeared at their side, and Alex ordered for her, causing her eyebrows to rise. Obviously, Alexander Talbot was a man who took many liberties.
“What do you do, Mr. Talbot?”
“Alex, please. I’m an attorney. One of the best in New Orleans,” he explained, his chest expanding with pride.
“How exactly did you know Ruby?”
Something clouded in his eyes, but it dissipated before she could decipher what it was. “We were friends.”
“Just friends?” Jade challenged.
His eyebrows lifted as he stared at her. “Are you implying something, Ms. Monroe?”
She took a deep breath. “Were you lovers?”
His eyes darkened. “For a short time, but it ended long before her death.”
“Why did it end?”
Alex sighed heavily. “Ruby and I were very different people. We were smart enough to realize that before it got ugly.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry into your personal life, but Ruby was seeing someone when she died.”
He nodded. “I know. And before you ask, I have no idea who he was. She talked about a man named Clay, but I don’t know if he was the man she was seeing when she died.”
Clay.
He seemed to be around every corner she turned.
But he couldn’t have killed Ruby, could he?
She would sense it, wouldn’t she?
“I saw you the other night,” he remarked, his gaze traveling over her body.
“You did? Where?”
A slow smile slid across his face. “At the club.”
Humiliation spread through every inch of her body at those three words. She leaned back against the torn leather of the booth.
The club.
She had spent the day trying to forget it, but the aches of her body continually reminded her. How could she have been so brazen? The intensity of his stare and the thought of what he’d seen left her speechless.
“You were incredible.”
Her heart seemed to stop.
Was he the one?
Her eyes began to search out every detail of his body for some memory, some recollection of something familiar. Panic ripped through her stomach. Was she sitting across from the man who had so passionately taken her in front of everyone at the club?
“When I saw you in that room, I knew I had to meet you. Tell me, did you know the man you were with?”
Relief spread through her that it wasn’t him, but it was tempered by guilt of the answer she had to give.
“No,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
He leaned back. “Amazing. I’ll admit, I’ve thought of nothing but you since that night.”
She shifted uneasily in her chair. Something about the way he was looking at her made her feel like prey. An involuntary shiver crept up her spine.
“Tell me, will you be joining the club?” he inquired, taking a sip from his glass.
She hesitated for a moment before answering, “I’m not sure.”
“You should. It can be quite liberating, as you’ve experienced.”
She had to get this back on track…fast. “Was there anything that Ruby might have said that could help with the investigation? Anything that might lead to the person who did this?”
“No, not that I can think of. As I said, she mentioned Clay several times and she did tell me she was seeing someone, but I never knew if he was that person. Have you spoken with him?”
Jade nodded. “I have, but he claims they were just friends. It seems like Ruby had a lot of ‘friends,’” she pointed out.
He leaned back with a grin, as if her subtle innuendo did nothing to unsettle him. “Yes, she did. Everyone liked her.”
“Not everyone,” she reminded.
“I wish I could offer something more, but she just simply didn’t talk to me much about other men.”
He was right.
She had heard the same story from Clay, as well. If nothing else, Ruby was good at keeping her relationships separate and unique. Still, Jade couldn’t help but wish that she had been a little more loose-lipped.
“Well, thank you for your time,” she said, beginning to get up.
“Wait. Maybe there’s more I can do to help you. I have several friends on the force. If nothing else, I could give you an idea of what the police aren't telling you. Maybe give you a look inside the investigation,” he offered solicitously.
“That would be wonderful,” she beamed, scribbling her number on a napkin.
“I’ll give you a call in a few days. Maybe we can meet for dinner to go over the findings,” he suggested.
Her stomach lurched at the thought of having dinner with him, but she rallied. “That sounds great,” she lied, as she slid out of the booth.
She hurried out to the street, needing the fresh air. Obviously, his offer of help was a ploy to gain her favor for extracurricular activities, but she didn’t care. All that mattered right now was finding the man who had slaughtered her sister. And, unfortunately, that man was looking more and more familiar.
Clay.
Her only option was to get close to the one man she knew she should stay away from if she wanted to save her life…and her heart.
Chapter 9
The next day she made arrangements with Clay to meet for dinner. He arrived exactly on schedule. They strolled through the city streets, settling on a small café on the corner. All through dinner, he was unusually solicitous of her. She couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to—or worse, what he wanted.
“I'm glad you agreed to meet me. You haven’t been the easiest person to get in touch with the last couple of days,” he remarked, pouring her a glass of wine.
“I'm sorry about that. I’ve been pretty busy lately.”
“With whom?” he asked, his eyebrows arching.
His prodding wouldn't stop. Deciding to go for broke; she gave him what he wanted. “I’ve been doing what I came here to do. I’ve been searching for Ruby’s killer.”
His eyes glittered with a barely suppressed anger. “Is that why you haven’t been home the last two nights? You’ve been prowling around the city searching for a killer…by yourself? Honestly, Jade, I thought you were smarter than that.”
Her temper flared at his comment.
Who did he think he was?
Her keeper?
If that was the case, it was high time she set the record straight.
“Not that it's any of your business, but I wasn’t alone.”
“Really? Enlighten me, please,” he prodded, his gaze challenging her.
“I’ve been meeting with some of Ruby’s friends,” she answered easily, taking a sip of her wine.
“Like whom?”
“A girl Ruby used to work with…Zoë.”
He nodded. “Ruby talked about her a lot. She said they were becoming close. Who else?”
“Alex Talbot.”
Before she knew what was happening, he reached across the table, grabbing her wrist in a vise-like grip. “You stay away from Alex Talbot!”
“Why? Do you know him?”
Something in his eyes darkened, almost as if he was holding something back. “Let's just say I know of him.”
“Is there a reason that I should stay away from him?”
He hesitated for a moment before answering. “None that I want to share right now.”
She jerked her arm away from him. “Well, in that case, I think I will decide whom I spend time with. You’re not my keeper, Clay,” she reminded him in a firm tone.
He sighed. “God knows you need one.”
“Well, it won’t be you. I’m a big girl, and I can take care of myself,” she confirmed, leaning back in her chair.
“Is that right?”
“I’ve been doing it for a long time before you decided to become big brother,” she bit out.
“From what I’ve seen, it looks like you could use a little help,” he snorted.
Her back straightened. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He signaled the waitress for the check. “Nothing. Forget it.”
“No. I want an explanation for that comment,” she demanded, her voice rising.
He pulled out his wallet, handing his credit card to the waitress. “This really isn’t a conversation I want to have here, Jade.”
To her chagrin, he remained silent the entire walk home. As soon as they entered the apartment, she was poised and ready to let him have it.
“You know, Clay…”
She nev
er got the sentence out, because he pulled her into his arms, his lips fusing against hers. Her surprise ensured her acquiescence, leaving her breathless to the sensual assault. He pushed her against the door, his arms trapping her in his embrace. He pressed against her, his erection rubbing against her clit. His tongue swept through her mouth, tangling with hers in a teasing dance. She told herself to push him away. If she didn’t stop soon, she would make another mistake. She needed to remember why she was with him tonight. But somehow, her reasons got lost in the intoxicating flavor of his kiss.
From everyone else, she got answers.
From Clay, she got lost in passionate moments and completely forgot about the investigation. That was the reason she had avoided him for the last few days. That was the reason she should’ve pushed away when her nipples hardened against his chest. Somehow, all those reasons did nothing to sway her.
His lips traced the line of her jaw before moving over the sensitive skin by her ear. Cupping her buttocks, he rubbed her against his bulging erection, making her moan out loud. Her fingers dug into his shoulders. The feel of him against her made her clit swell with arousal. She ached to have him pull her dress up and drive into her.
She was losing this battle quick.
If she didn't stop now, they would be making love. Even though reason told her she didn't want that, her body cried out for it. The knowledge that she might be kissing a killer didn’t stop the sweet sensations from spiraling through her body.
What was happening to her?
She put a restraining hand on his chest as his tongue reached her collarbone. “Clay…”
Unfortunately, his name came out as a breathless whisper instead of a stern request. His hand slid under her shirt, coming up to cup her breast. He toyed with the lacy edge of her bra before his fingers slid beneath it. She closed her eyes as his thumb stroked the side of her breast.
The worst part was that she wanted him to touch her.
She wanted it more than anything.
She wanted him to touch her everywhere, and she was slowly sinking past the point of return.
An image of Ruby flashed in her mind, thankfully causing sanity to return. She pushed him away, moving past him.