Night After Night Read online

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 18, 1:01 AM

  subject: Which means….

  So you still want me, I take it?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 18, 7:01 AM

  subject: Yes

  You know I do. That didn’t change.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 18, 11:34 AM

  subject: Ditto…

  I still want you…

  Clay stared at the computer screen, his fingers hovering over the keys, considering a reply. But damn, those words were mocking him. I still want you. How could she say that with the way she’d left? It made no sense, and Michele had spelled it out for him in no uncertain terms that if Julia wanted to play ball, she’d be at the plate, not skipping and frolicking along the foul lines, darting in and out of sight. He pushed away from his keyboard, like an alcoholic trying to step away from the bar. Grabbing a pen and a contract from the pile of papers on his desk, he tossed his phone onto his desk, left his office and locked the door.

  If he stayed within typing distance of either device, he’d surely keep up this volley with her. Because she was as irresistible to him as she’d been that very first night. With his head down the whole way, he headed to a bench outside Central Park and settled onto it, trying his best to dive into the fine print on a licensing deal that the actor Liam Connor needed wrapped up before he opened a new restaurant in New York in a few weeks. Clay didn’t usually do restaurant deals, but Liam was a long-time client and had asked him to look over the terms with the other co-owner. Clay shoved his hand through his hair as he studied the fine print, but soon the words were levitating on the page, terms like indemnify that he knew backwards and forwards, but now it was a slow, cruel tease because he couldn’t focus on a damn thing.

  She weaved in front of him like a damn mirage. Tantalizing and teasing him. Whenever he opened or closed his eyes, she was there. Beautiful and beckoning, she lured him in. He could picture her, he could feel the trace of her, touch the outline of her. She’d left her mark on him and he wanted her day after day, night after night.

  He swore loudly and looked up. No one noticed his cursing. No one cared. It was New York and the city spun on its own axis. So he sat and stared at the lunchtime crowds, at a harried doctor rushing by in her scrubs, at a guy in a suit, tugging at his tie while tapping out a message on his phone, at a pair of women in sharp jeans and sweaters, each balancing a cardboard tray of lattes in their hands. A bus trudged by on Fifth Avenue, pulling up to the stop and letting off several passengers, who looked equally hurried as they raced to their destinations. Somehow, the chaos of the city soothed the tangled knots in his chest for the moment, and calmed his mind. He took a deep fueling breath, and returned once more to the contract.

  A half-hour later, he’d found the one clause that concerned him most, so when he met Liam for lunch he told him about the points he wanted to iron out.

  “That’s why I keep you around, man,” the actor said, flashing his trademark smile that made women swoon and patrons pay top dollar to see his face in lights. “You’re going to come see in The Usual Suspects, right?”

  “As if I’d miss it,” Clay said, and mentally marked the date on his calendar to see the stage adaptation of the hit film.

  They spent the rest of the meal talking about Liam’s upcoming work, the movies they’d both loved and loathed, and sports, always sports.

  When lunch ended, Clay simply hoped he could keep harnessing that focus and use it to stay on track in his business. He didn’t need a repeat of that year with Sabrina. When he returned to his office, refreshed – mostly – from the few hours away from electronic tethers, he clicked on his phone and found another message from the woman who was never far from his mind.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 18, 2:23 PM

  subject: On that subject…

  So unbelievably much…In every single way.

  And all his control unraveled in a second, as his skin heated up, and his heart beat faster, pounding against his chest with the aching want to have her in his arms again. Resistance was futile, so he banged out a reply, saved it in his drafts, and told himself he’d see if he still felt the same way that night. When the work day ended he went to the gym to pound the punching bag until his shoulders were as sore as they’d ever been.

  On the way home, he pulled out his phone, opened his drafts and made a decision.

  Chapter Seventeen

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date:April 18, 5:23 PM

  subject:Which brings us back to…

  So why then? Why did you leave?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 18, 8:48 PM

  subject: Truth

  I was afraid.

  from: [email protected]

  to:[email protected]

  date: April 18, 11:24 PM

  subject: Truth is good

  Of what?

  from:[email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 2:03 AM

  subject: It can be…

  Of getting close.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 7:48 AM

  subject: Re: It can be…

  Don’t be afraid.

  from:[email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 11:19 AM

  subject: Re: Re: It can be…

  But I am…

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 5:59 PM

  subject: Promise

  I won’t hurt you.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 10:03 PM

  subject: Promises, Promises

  That’s easy to promise. Hard to deliver.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 19, 11:08 PM

  subject: Question

  Are you going to let the fear control you?

  Good question.

  Was she going to let Charlie control every aspect of her life? Right now, from his perch at the back table in Mr. Pong’s, he stared at her like she was a gnat on the bottom of his shoe after she gave him his money. The stack was flimsier than usual, but at least she’d won some.

  “Get out of here,” Charlie said to her in a cold, calculating voice. “You tire me because you take too long.”

  “I won for you tonight,” she pointed out, but then what was the point? Charlie was in a nasty mood, and maybe it had to do with her, or maybe it had to do with another one of his pawns underperforming.

  “Hardly. This is hardly enough,” he said, fanning out the thin stack in her face, smacking her on the nose with the bills. She flinched, surprised that money could wound that much.

  As she left the Chinese restaurant, nearly bumping into a man with a well-lined face and sad eyes who stared longingly at the sign for Mr. Pong’s, she pondered all the fear in her life. She was afraid of Charlie, of the veiled threats of hurting her, hurting Kim, and taking more and more of his business until he was satisfied. Though men like him never had their fill, did they? She was scared for her sister and wanted desperately to protect McKenna’s hard-won happiness with Chris. Most of all she was terrified of screwing up. What if she couldn’t win the rest of the money? Would be in Charlie’s clutches forever? Time was running out, and she pictured him snapping chains on her forever somehow, so she’d never ever escape from him.

  She didn’t know what would happen.

  Al
l she knew for sure was this fear sucked. This emptiness stung. And the only thing that had felt remotely good and real in her life was opening up to Clay. She’d been living in a cocoon of her own necessary lies for so many months, that the sliver of truths she could share with him was freeing.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 20, 2:02 AM

  subject: Good question

  I don’t know…I don’t want it to…but I can’t stop wanting you either.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 20, 7:32 AM

  subject: New side of you

  Don’t stop wanting me. This is the most open I think you’ve been.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 20, 9:52 AM

  subject: Blame it on email

  Do you like it?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 20, 3:22 PM

  subject: Love it…

  I like nearly everything about you except when you run from me.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 20, 11:08 PM

  subject: Run the other way?

  Would you rather I run to you?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 6:03 AM

  subject: Yes I would

  I would like you on your knees for that smart ass comment.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 9:32 AM

  subject: Love that Position

  I would get on my knees for you. You know that. I would get on my knees and take you in my mouth. Under your desk. While you were in a meeting. I love tasting you. So. Much.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 3:43 PM

  subject: You’re killing me.

  I would be stone-faced and not let on.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 4:04 PM

  subject: Relentless

  I would do everything I could to break you.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 4:14 PM

  subject: I know, believe me, I know

  I bet you would. I have excellent control.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 7:17 PM

  subject: Shifting gears…

  That’s why you’re such a good lawyer. By the way, I hear you’re Chris’ attorney now. Thank you for taking care of him.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 7:43 PM

  subject: From blow jobs to business…

  Thank you for the introduction. I’m gonna make him an even richer mofo.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 21, 11:23 PM

  subject: Cocky, and I like it

  I bet you are. I wish I had a reason to be in entertainment and have you be my lawyer.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 22, 5:55 AM

  subject: If I were

  I’d fight for you, Julia. I’d get you everything you wanted. I’d give you everything you wanted.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 22, 10:09 AM

  subject: You would…

  What about you? What do you want?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 22, 5:12 PM

  subject: One word

  You.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 22, 8:29 PM

  subject: Re: One Word

  The same. I want the same.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 11:10 AM

  subject: You ok?

  Still there?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 3:53 PM

  subject: Hi

  Hey…you’ve been quiet…everything OK? Don’t make me call you :)

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 9:01 PM

  subject: Should I be worried?

  Was it something I said?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 9:40 PM

  subject:It was something you said…

  What are you wearing?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 9:52 PM

  subject: Not working tonight so the answer is…

  Shirt. Stockings. Thong. Heels.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:04 PM

  subject: Hard…

  Truth?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:15 PM

  subject: Full truth.

  I swear.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:22 PM

  subject: Better be

  Are you sure?

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:30 PM

  subject: 100%

  Yes.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:37 PM

  subject: This is not a request

  Take off the underwear.

  from: [email protected]

  to: [email protected]

  date: April 23, 10:40 PM

  subject: Your wish is my command

  Done.

  Julia startled when she heard a loud knock on her door. What the hell? It was eleven o’clock at night. Cold dread rushed through her veins. There could only be one person banging hard at this hour. Charlie, or his men. She took off her heels, padded quietly to the door, and peered through the keyhole.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Her body reacted instantly. Viscerally. Her skin heated up, and she swore she was seeing things. To be sure, she slid the chain, unlocked the latch, and drank in the oh-so-welcome sight of Clay standing in the doorway, unknotting his tie, then loosening the top button on his shirt.

  She wanted to throw her arms around him. Kiss him hard. Tell him how damn happy she was to see him. She parted her lips to speak. But he was too fast. His hands were on her face, cupping her cheeks, his hot gaze raking over her body from head to toe. “You don’t have heels on.”

  “I took them off when I came to the door.”

  “Put them on.”

  She slipped out of his grip, bent down and slid her feet into her four-inch red pumps. She grew taller as she stood and came face to face with the man she couldn’t forget about. His whole body was ready to pounce, his muscles hard, the vein in his neck throbbing. His stare was dark and intense, and he radiated sexuality. His eyes roamed her body, prowling over her, turning her molten. His hands were clenched at his sides. He took a step closer and cupped her cheeks once more. Her knees nearly buckled; she and Clay were combustible. She wanted him so much, every solitary cell in her body cried out for him. Her skin was ignited, her heart beat in overtime. She watched him swallow, then brush a thumb over
her lips. She panted from that single small touch, and nibbled on his thumb.

  His eyes rolled back in his head as she bit gently into him. She thrilled at his reaction, at the way he breathed out hard.

  When he opened his eyes, he stared at her momentarily, then crushed her lips in a consuming kiss, one that told her he wanted to devour her. That he was hellbent on it. When he broke the kiss, she went first, whispering her desperate need. “Take me,” she said.

  “Turn around.”

  She bent over her kitchen table, her chest on the metal, her ass in the air where she knew he wanted it. Offering herself to him to be claimed. She peered back, watching as he finished unknotting his tie and yanked it off, then unbuttoned his shirt.