Page 27 of Nefarious
Val hadn’t forgotten about Geraldo, but she’d processed him and conveniently decided he no longer mattered. Yes, they were an item, but it had been more for their own intellectual amusement than anything physical. He much preferred younger arm candy, and she had no doubt he was under one of them right then.
But that wasn’t really what Dane had been asking. Despite their more model showroom than genuine relationship, Geraldo didn’t like to lose. Val—or anything else. His ruthlessness in business was what drew her to him in the first place after all. The question Dane wanted to know was whether Geraldo would have the power or intention to ruin them if he felt betrayed. It was too late to ask that question. Once she and Dane had entered that hotel room, everything would be assumed. There was no reason not to follow through.
Truth be told, she’d relished the promise of Geraldo’s inevitable tirade. She’d wanted Noelle to feel justified in letting Dane go. She’d wanted Dane to forsake everyone and everything, including his company, for her. She’d wanted Dane.
And she was feeling reckless. “Screw him.”
Dane chuckled. “I was hoping you’d screw me.”
He knocked her onto her back and worshiped her. His hands ran over her exposed skin, down her length. He moved closer and just as his fingers slid between her legs, he kissed her.
“Mmmm. So wet,” he said, slipping two fingers in her.
Her back arched. She was so ready for him. She glided her hand around his erection. She’d been desperate to touch him, and she’d reveled in the silky soft skin over his rock-hard cock. Pre-cum ran down from the tip, interfering with the smooth easy strokes. The look of desire in his eyes took her breath away.
Dane ran a hand through her hair and said, “I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you.” He moved with practiced ease, and she lay on her back, his cock pressing against her.
She dragged her fingernails down her lover’s back, holding on as he reached toward his own climax. She couldn’t keep her hands off his body, although it wasn’t Dane’s.
But it was Dane she heard whispering her name, and the memory of it threw her over the edge. Her lover’s whole body tightened, and she saw Dane groaning with his orgasm.
“Val?” Her lover rubbed her arm. “You called me Dane.”
She opened her eyes and pushed him off her.
“I’d like you to leave now.” She laid her head on her pillow and listened to the sounds of fabric over skin, pants zipping, feet on the carpet, a door closing.
She shook quietly, hating herself for reaching into the past to stoke a physical fire, for sullying a sublime memory in a moment of profane weakness. But once she’d peered into that abyss, she couldn’t stop from conjuring up the most precious part of the night.
Dane fell beside her and gently traced her skin. She told him, “I love you.” And he said the same. He promised he always would.
Maybe he’d been lying, too. Maybe she hadn’t lost as much as she believed.
The next morning, she’d woken before Dane and climbed out of bed to take a shower and order room service. Near the door, a small scrap of paper had caught her eye. She’d reached down and discovered a business card. When she’d flipped it over, her heart sank. It read, “Geraldo Valencia.”
He’d given her no time to plan a counterstrike, to arise victorious from one spontaneous decision. She’d had moments to make her decision based on what she knew of all the players.
She’d looked back at Dane’s sleeping form and considered the many options. She’d tucked Geraldo’s card into her purse and put her clothes on. Dane would have to understand.
She wiped away a tear and prayed he’d eventually forgive her.
Val parked in the garage below the mall. “Have you been downtown since you got here?”
Noelle picked her purse up from the floor. “Actually, just last night. Dane took me out to dinner at L’Etoile.”
Val turned the rearview mirror to face her and touched the edge of her lip to remove stray lipstick. “Oh, he must have really wanted to make an impression. That’s a nice restaurant.”
“Yeah, it was.”
Val didn’t continue to inquire. She didn’t want to appear too eager to discuss it. “Do you want to start at Nordstrom’s?”
Val’s idea of showing Noelle around the city consisted of buying cute shoes and then stopping for a coffee at the in-store restaurant. The shopping wasn’t just for show. Val prided herself in her neat appearance, and she’d spend a little more money to look professional and well-groomed. She wouldn’t go to such a ridiculous extent as Dane.He’s so vain, he probably imports his barber.She snickered to herself, imagining an opera singer prancing around Dane as he trimmed his hair. That sounded about right.
Dane hadn’t always preened, not when she first met him. He’d come to appreciate the image she’d helped him cultivate. And then he’d become all image.
Once they’d tired of shoe shopping, Val and Noelle carried their bags to the bistro and took a table against the wall. Val insisted on paying for the coffee, and they sat across from each other making small talk. She waited until Noelle brought up the elephant in the room.
“Forgive me for prying. I’m sure everyone would love to ask you this, but why did you follow Dane out here? You could have stayed on at R&M, surely?”
