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  We breathed as if we had both run a marathon, ten times. Tristan fell down at my side and rolled onto his back. Our loud exhales and the innocuous click of the fridge making more ice were the only sounds.

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  “And if you think flattery will get you another round, you’re right.” I turned to my side, propping myself on my elbow, wondering where I found the strength to do so. But admiring Tristan Cross from above was worth the effort.

  “I’m serious, Allie. You’re like my own personal—”

  “—hooker,” I giggled.

  “Lover. A beautiful lover made just for me.”

  He’d never used the ‘L’ word around me before. Was I reading too much into this? After all, we were lovers, but he was also my employer. I still wasn’t sure whether Tristan had called me his girlfriend in front of Emma for convenience. It was much easier to say ‘girlfriend’ in front of a thirteen-year-old than ‘lover’ or ‘mistress I like to fuck.’ Yet, if he thought of me as both, what did that mean? Then there was the information Julian had shared with me. Kendra was Tristan’s first, and even if he claimed they weren’t together, my stomach tightened with jealousy when I thought about the two of them; even if their relationship had passed.

  I reached up, touching the white scar above his heart. He stilled as if I’d burned him, took away my hand from his chest, and kissed it, lowering it to the side. He propped his body up on his elbow, facing me.

  “I have to tell you something,” we both said at the same time.

  “You first.” We said it again.

  I bit my lip, waiting.

  “Kendra stabbed me.” He covered my hand with his.

  “I know.”

  “Emma?”

  “No, Julian.”

  He narrowed his brows. “I didn’t expect that.”

  “Do you still love her?”

  “I don’t think so. I care for her. I always will. She needs more help than what I can give. I’ve forgiven her a long time ago, but I cannot forget she almost killed me.”

  The image of Tristan lying on the floor, bleeding from his heart, made my own chest ache.

  “Would you ever let someone else care for her as deeply?”

  “You mean let them love her? I think so. I feel more like a brother to her than an ex. I want her healthy, and most of all, I don’t want her to hurt anyone else. I need her to be the healthy girl I knew before I can let her go.”

  “What’s going on between us?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure, but I do like it, especially the new hair and the contacts. It’s like fucking someone else.”

  “I don’t want you to be fucking someone else.”

  “Not like that.” He shook his head, and sat up on top of my hips, forcing me to roll onto my back. His manhood rested at the side of his thigh, but I could already see it getting harder. “I love feeling your body. I love how the lace feels against your skin. You become a different woman in my arms. A vulnerable woman I love to please, but I also love the strong woman you are every day.”

  “Strong, you say?” I used all the muscles in my abs to pull myself up from underneath him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

  Straddling him, I stared into those foreign eyes, wondering what other secrets Tristan had buried. Kendra was an ex; he’d felt guilty she was kidnapped; and when talking about his job, he appeared a completely different man than the one in front of me now and when we were at his house. There I’d felt like part of the family, like the job I was about to perform didn’t stand in the way of us becoming more than convenient fucks. Was that what I wanted? Wasn’t it too soon for me to think about Tristan beyond the scope of our business partnership? I couldn’t even call what we had a ‘professional’ relationship because professionals shouldn’t get as close as we had.

  And what would happen once we rescued Kendra? What was my next task, and would it involve Tristan? My head hurt from all the questions.

  “What’s the matter?” He smoothed the back of his hand along my cheek.

  “I need to see Laura.”

  “Your roommate?”

  “Yes, I just need my friend.”

  “We can’t be seen this way on the outside, but we can invite her to dinner at my friend’s restaurant. I promise to give you privacy.”

  “You’d do that?”

  “Of course I would. A happy mind is a clear mind. And I need you focused. Whatever is going on in that head of yours needs to be fixed.”

  “Okay.” I slammed my lips to his and Tristan responded with his own fevered mouth. I appreciated that Tristan respected my friendship with Laura, as well as my need for privacy.

  If I’d thought it would be this easy to see my friend, I would have mentioned it sooner. Except now, I wasn’t sure how I’d explain my new look and Tristan Cross at my side to the inquisitive Laura. But if there was anyone who could sort out my feelings, it was her.

  CHAPTER 14

  I’d never thought you could dine out and only be seen by a handful of people. From the elevator down to the parking garage to another garage and yet another elevator, we hadn’t stepped outside for a breath of fresh air once. And now we descended a circular flight of stone stairs that belonged in a twelfth century castle. The clicking of my heels echoed from under my soles only to be lost in the long corridor ahead. The smell of earth and mud filled the air. Cringing away from the walls, I waited for a centipede or a spider to crawl down, but the space was cleaner than expected for an underground dungeon.

  At the bottom of the staircase, the corridor widened and I squeezed Tristan’s hand, wondering where this restaurant he spoke of was located. Half-moon sconces lit the walls on the side as our maître d’ opened a double glass door, revealing a lounge. At the back wall, a wine bar stocked with bottles from floor to ceiling stretched to both sides of the room. With the exception of one door to the side, beyond which I imagined a cellar, the squared-off compartments looked as if they’d been there for centuries, yet not a single speck of dust covered the bottles.

  Candelabras stood tall in each corner of the room, over fifty candles lit on each one. An eerie feeling swept through me when I thought what the restaurant could have been used for when it was first constructed. A prison, perhaps? And I didn’t even want to think about what this little excursion of ours would cost.

  The table in the middle was set for four, and I wondered whether Tristan had invited someone else. Our host pulled out my chair at the same time that Laura stepped out of that mysterious entrance between the stacked bottles on the back wall.

  “Oh, my God! This is unbelievable!” She rushed to hug me. “They have wine in there from the 1950’s and a cognac that costs more per ounce than our rent. Wouldn’t want to break a bottle of that one.”

  “I missed you,” I said.

  “Who are you again, and what have you done with my friend?” She smoothed my hair.

  “Part of the job,” I explained.

  “You look like you’re ready to play in “Divas Gone Wild.”

  My friend cleaned up better than I’d expected her to. In fact, if she wasn’t my friend, I’d be a little jealous of Tristan staring at such a beautiful woman.

  Tristan whispered something to the bar man, who in turn ventured into the deep wall. He then strolled over to our table.

  “Laura, you know Tristan Cross, my employer.” I felt the pride radiate from me.

  She offered her hand for a shake. “I haven’t heard enough about you.” She narrowed her brows.

  “Believe me, that’s good thing,” Tristan answered, and then added, “It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance. Allie had mentioned how beautiful you are, but she never said you were related to Aphrodite.”

  Laura just opened her mouth and lifted her hand to her chest.

  Yup, she’d been flabbergasted by none other than Tristan Cross. How in the world did he manage to make my friend swoon and turn her attention away from me so quickly?

  “Wow,”
she breathed, bracing her weight against the back of a chair.

  “I’ll let you ladies be. If you need anything, I’ll be in the other room.”

  That’s when I noticed another glass door on the side wall and asked, “You’re not joining us?”

  “I will for the main course, but I have some business to attend to first.”

  And with that he left.

  “Holy crap, Allie! He’s hotter than I remember. Even with the black hair and all.”

  “I know.” I sat down at the table at the same time a waiter, who was nothing short of hot as well, brought a bottle of wine. He poured a little into my glass. I swooshed it, took a whiff, and tried a sip, the way I’d seen at wine tastings, and then nodded to the waiter who filled my glass. I honestly had no clue whether the bottle cost twenty or two hundred bucks, but I hoped it was the former.

  “This is better than honey.” Laura took a few swigs before she finally set the glass down. The waiter kindly topped it off. “Or perhaps it’s the service,” she winked at him. “If you’re free later on, I wouldn’t mind a private tour of the cellar.”

  “As you wish,” he replied and left.

  “Stop flirting with him!”

  “Why? You have a boy toy now, why can’t I?”

  “Tristan’s not a boy toy.”

  “So, what’s going on? You quit on me, moved out, and fell in love all in a week?” She raised her brows, swirling the half-empty glass of wine while supporting her elbow on the table.

  “Hold on there, Speedy Gonzales. I made a career change, I’ll move back to the apartment once we finish a job and no, I’m not in love.” But my heart pulsed in argument. Had I just lied to my friend? Why did I feel I’d just betrayed both myself and Tristan?

  “Then you’re stupid. You should be down on your knees blowing this guy” – she pointed to the glass door Tristan had left – “like twenty-four/seven.”

  “Shh.” I tapped her hand and scooted closer to her chair. “Who says I’m not?” I winked.

  “You bitch.” Laura’s smile couldn’t have been wider.

  “I’ll take that as way to go on scoring such a hunk.”

  “Is he good?” she asked shamelessly.

  “I’d never had better sex in my life.” Even I could picture my face mellowing. “He’s unbelievable, and very giving.”

  “Yay! I told you men like a bare pussy.”

  “Shut up. I’m not bare.”

  “Almost. I’ve seen you in your panties, Allie.”

  “You peek at my privates?”

  “I don’t peek, but it’s hard not to see it when you flaunt it.”

  “What happened to flaunt what you’ve got?” I asked her.

  “Okay, you’re right. I may have been jealous of your tush and peeked. Hey, at least I can appreciate a nice bottom.”

  “Please remind me of that when I’m in my underwear, so I can slap you.”

  “Fine, seriously now, what’s this job all about?”

  The waiter brought a pre-ordered entrée. Five pieces of something colorful I couldn’t recognize, with the exception of some fancy greens, glistened in an orange sauce sprinkled over the plate. It smelled delicious.

  “I can’t talk about it,” I said after the waiter left.

  “Undercover shit.” She touched my crow hair again.

  “Yeah, you can say that.”

  “And where does that leave your heart once you’re done?”

  “I’m not sure. That’s what I need you for.”

  “I’d say take it one day at a time. Men like Cross have lots to worry about. They don’t need a whiney girlfriend bitching over their shoulders. A strong woman like you, confidant in her work, takes that much pressure off him to babysit.”

  Oh, gosh, how much I’d missed her! There was nothing better than Laura’s honesty and realistic point of view.

  “You think?” I poked a strawberry onto my fork.

  “Trust me, I know. Just be yourself. Do a good job and see what happens. Take it slow.”

  “It’s too late for slow. He introduced me to his parents, who are the most amazing people I have ever met. And his little sister... she’s just... she feels like she’s my sister too. And I’ve just been able to break ice with his brother too.”

  “And you say you’re not in love?” she said sarcastically.

  Was I?

  “That’s impossible. It’s too fast and he’s my boss and this whole job. I can’t fail him. He’s done too much for me.”

  “Then let it evolve on its own. There aren’t any rules to how the heart works. Don’t think about it. It’s the best way, especially for someone like you who has a difficult time staying grounded. You look happy around him, and I’ve never seen you so at ease.”

  “Uhm…” Tristan cleared his throat.

  We looked up at the same time, and Tristan wasn’t alone. “This is James. A good friend of mine,” he said.

  James was shorter than Tristan by a few inches, but just as prominent in a room. He wore a striped suit that looked custom made and appeared more comfortable than any elegant ensemble I’d seen Tristan wear. This man belonged in a two-piece, and probably slept in one as well just to keep his appearance. He reminded me of a younger version of James Bond.

  I pushed my chair back to stand, but Tristan lowered his hand to my shoulder. “No need. James is working with us on a project. You’ll find you have a lot in common.”

  Laura stared in awe at the double-oh-seven, and if she didn’t close her mouth soon, she’d start to drool. I kicked her under the table ever so slightly, and she threw me a dirty look.

  James sat down between the two of us. Ready to charm him, Laura licked her lips. I could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she strategized, but Tristan continued, “Laura, I’m sorry to take you away from your meal. Can I steal you for a moment?”

  She stood up, not too happy about leaving our new company, and mouthed wow in my direction when the men weren’t looking. Apparently James had more of an impact on her than I would have anticipated, and I wondered whether he’d be another mark on her four-poster bed after tonight.

  Tristan’s scar on the lip lifted by a fraction. It was the only feature on his face that ever gave away what he was feeling. If I knew any better, I’d say Tristan was trying to set those two up.

  “Allie, James will keep you company. We won’t be long.”

  I couldn’t deny my curiosity about why he’d asked my best friend for a private chit-chat, and made a mental note to grill her the first moment I could.

  At that same moment the waiter brought a plate of appetizers for James.

  “Okay.” I said.

  After exchanging a quick ‘what the heck’ glance with my friend, the two of them left.

  “Is she single?” James asked.

  “Cut right to the chase, don’t you?” I took a sip of my wine.

  “I don’t have time to waste time.”

  It was the same reply Tristan had used once on me. Were Tristan and James close? Were they best friends like me and Laura?

  “She is single, but be careful what you wish for. Laura doesn’t exactly date.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I don’t either,” he grinned. Then, his cheeks drooped lower, and I could tell James was about to change the topic to business.

  “Allie, I will be there, at the hotel when you go to the auction. I can’t disclose my purpose to you, but you cannot show that you recognize me.”

  “Why would Tristan introduce us, then?”

  “He’s a good friend of mine. We spend a lot of time together, and we were bound to run into each other sooner than later. Tristan also wanted you to feel like you’re not alone. But know that I’m not there for you.”

  “Kendra?” I picked some lettuce and a cucumber off my plate.

  “No,” he shook his head, “unfortunately I’ve done everything I can to help Tristan with that. But in there, I have other business to take care of. As much as I wish I could help,
this will be an opportunity I cannot miss. Someone else’s life depends on it.”

  “You’re rescuing a girl,” I said.

  “Yes, but please, don’t ask for details. Sometimes our plans don’t work out the way we want them to.”

  “I understand.”

  Our discussion turned to hobbies and workouts. I’d found James to be more intelligent than his muscle body suggested and his humor reminded me so much of Laura’s.

  At the thought of my friend Tristan strolled in with Laura under his arm and they’d joined us at the table. Our business talk turned to chit-chat about movies and life. I tried to steal Laura’s glance a few times, but she wouldn’t give anything away. She was concentrating more on playing footsies with James. When she finally said she needed to use the ladies’ room, I jolted up like a spring to join her.

  “What did he want?” I asked her once inside.

  “Who?”

  “Don’t play stupid with me. Tristan—why did he need to speak with you?”

  “He asked a few questions about work and whether I’d be interested in someone like James. He said he’d set the whole dinner up so that we could meet. Man, I don’t know what you told Tristan about me, but he made me sound like an angel who could tame James.”

  “Tame?”

  “He has fetishes some women don’t find too appealing, like...”

  “Stop!” I raised my hand. “I don’t want to know. I still think you’re lying, but I don’t want to know. Out of all people, you’re not the best person to choose to tame someone.”

  “Moi? I should feel insulted.” She smiled with a poker face.

  “Right, and pigs are flying in the sky.”

  “Look, you have a yummy guy, an exciting job, and a great best friend. Life couldn’t get any better. Try to relax, Allie. Everything will work out.”