Chapter Seven
This time, Liz stopped for a quick sandwich at Panera Bread before heading to the club. It would be easier to give the corrections to Donny on a full stomach than be tempted to stay and eat whatever they’d cooked for dinner. And she was definitely not drinking a drop of tequila tonight, no matter how gorgeous Rahab looked, or what he said to her.
“You can’t blame last night on the tequila talking,” she said out loud, as she drove. It was true. Last night was all on her. She’d known exactly what she was doing. And you loved every second of it.
Also true.
The gates were open by the time she arrived, and tonight she parked in a regular spot. But as she exited her car, she watched the men walking toward the main doors. She wasn’t dressed in a suit and heels tonight, but she was the only woman in the parking lot right now.
Well, women went to strip clubs, too. Besides, she would ask to see Donny right away. He was expecting her, after all. There was no reason to feel insecure or awkward. As soon as she reached the main doors, Rahab was there, waiting, with his damn sexy grin and those dark eyes shining.
Fuck. So much for her well-laid plans.
“Welcome back. He’s waiting for you. Follow me.”
Damn it all to hell and back. There was no graceful way to refuse his escort. This was his turf. She’d look and sound ridiculous if she said she could find the office again on her own. There were already dozens of men in the club and the music was on. As she and Rahab passed the bar, Meghan waved to her as if they were already good friends.
I don’t belong here.
Liz waved back because it would be rude not to, but her face burned with embarrassment. If only she’d had the foresight to make arrangements to meet Donny somewhere else. Hell, she’d have driven to his home, wherever that was, and hand-delivered the damn things just to avoid coming back here.
“Did you sleep well?” asked Rahab.
“I did.” Her response was automatic. “You?”
“Yeah. I always do after fantastic sex.”
I’ll bet you do.
They were alone in the back hallway, and before they reached the door to Donny’s office, Rahab leaned over and kissed her. Liz was too caught off guard to turn away. As soon as his lips touched hers, her traitorous body responded. She nearly dropped her bag as she reached up to encircle his shoulders, and a moan escaped her throat as he finished the kiss.
“I have not stopped thinking about last night this entire fucking long day,” he said, his voice low and too damn seductive for his own good.
“Neither have I.” It was true, but so much for her steel resolve. She was a weak, pathetic woman who’d been done in by a pair of chocolate brown eyes and a sexy grin.
Sounds from inside the office distracted Rahab. He knocked on the door, and Donny called to come in. Liz hoped Rahab wouldn’t follow her again, but of course he did. She handed Donny the papers. “All set, Mr. Messina.”
“Call me Donny.” He leaned back in his chair. “Let’s have another look at them.”
Shit. Did that mean she was stuck here again while he reread them? For heaven’s sake! What else could they possibly say that they didn’t say now?
“You want some dinner?” asked Rahab. “Plenty still left over from last night.”
“I ate before I came.”
“Okay. Anything to drink?”
“Definitely not.”
Donny glanced up quickly, giving her a curious frown, but said nothing.
Rahab merely chuckled as if she’d made a joke. “A bit hungover? That was some strong tequila.”
“I am not hungover.”
Now it was Rahab’s turn to frown. He also looked hurt for a second, and she felt like shit for it. Just because she was trying to be strong was not a reason to be outright rude to him. “But it’s nice of you to ask. Thank you.”
“Not a problem. Donny, you need anything?”
He waved his hand without looking up. “I’m fine.”
She and Rahab locked gazes, and Liz wasn’t prepared for the defiant look in his eyes. Well, this was what she’d wanted, after all. To not fuck him again.
“I have to get to work.” As he stood, the most surprising sense of loss enveloped her, sending a surge of emotion that had her digging her nails into her palms to keep from asking him to stay.
“Come and find me in the club when you’re done.” He stared down at her with unmistakable disappointment on that handsome face. “I’ll walk you out.”
“Okay.” She’d almost said it wasn’t necessary but stopped herself in time. Rubbing salt in the wounds was cruel and unnecessary.
“Donny, you need anything, just let one of us know.”
Donny nodded once, again without glancing up, and Rahab left. Liz took a deep breath and tried to bring her emotions under control. She was confused by her reaction. This was exactly how she had hoped it would play out, after all. So why did she feel as if her entire world had just imploded?
This was crazy. She’d spent one night with the guy. And he certainly wasn’t her first one-night stand. She wasn’t his, either. She had no doubt about that. Okay, so he had enjoyed it. So had she. But that didn’t mean anything in the long run. Not for either of them. Why did she have such a strong urge to run after him? It wasn’t like her to give a shit this much.
“I might be a while,” said Donny.
Liz met his gaze, unnerved to find him watching her so carefully. She had no clue how he’d become a Mob boss, or what his skill set involved regarding people, but she imagined he had a fairly keen sense of what someone was thinking, especially when face-to-face with them. He’d have to, living his lifestyle, or he’d be dead by now.
She didn’t live in his world, but she knew what went on inside it. He wasn’t their only client who had connections to organized crime, after all. She’d known that when she’d taken the job, and it hadn’t bothered her. It still didn’t. What crawled under her skin at this precise moment was the way he looked at her. It was the same way one might observe a microscopic creature in science class.
“Would you be more comfortable if I left the room?”
Donny leaned back in his chair again. “It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other, Liz. What has me curious is why you dismissed Rahab like that.”
The question surprised her. She’d had no idea he was this involved in their day-to-day lives.
“How much did you drink last night?”
Now he almost sounded like a father figure, but it was still a question she hadn’t expected from him. “Two shots.”
“And, I’m assuming you had sex with Rahab?”
Holy shit. Was that really any of his damn business? She hesitated a few seconds before answering. “Yes.”
“But you’re not interested in being with him again?”
Liz had absolutely no clue how to answer that. This conversation had gone way beyond her comfort level. She certainly couldn’t discuss her confusion over Rahab with Donny.
When he smiled, it was genuine enough, but that only confused her further. “Let me give you some advice. None of my business, but don’t brush off any of them because of how they look or how they live. Underneath it, they’re good guys. I wouldn’t be here if they weren’t.”
“I’m sure they are.” Had he assumed her hesitation was because Rahab was a biker?
“As I said, none of my business.”
“No, it’s all right. I appreciate your concern.”
“I have daughters and nieces. I’m sure your own father spent plenty of time having talks like this with you when you were younger. Or, maybe he still does?”
She dropped her gaze to the table. “I never knew him.”
“Didn’t realize that.”
“You couldn’t have known.”
“Well then, I’m sure your mother spent plenty of time scrutinizing your boyfriends. Pretty girl like you probably had them lined up.”
Coming from anyone else, his comment would have sounded sexist or even perverted. But she knew he wasn’t coming on to her, or that he meant any harm. She’d heard enough talk at work about Donny to understand he was blunt and to-the-point. And, when he had something to say, no matter who he wanted to convey it to, he spoke without hesitation or filters. This entire conversation proved how true that was.
Liz met his gaze. Maybe just enough that he gets the big picture. “My mother gave me up when I was born. I was raised in the foster care system. I don’t spread it around, for obvious reasons.”
“What obvious reasons? It’s not your fault.”
“I realize that, but it’s like having two strikes against me, right from the start.”
Donny frowned and leaned forward, tenting his hands on the table. “Liz, there isn’t a family on the planet without some sort of trauma or secret in their past. Again, this is none of my business, but the fact that you came from less than ideal circumstances to earn a degree and land a job at that firm proves you have nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it’s pretty remarkable what you did. Statistics surrounding kids who were raised in foster care prove they usually don’t fare well as adults.”
“I know, and that’s exactly why I don’t tell people. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me, or giving me special consideration because of my childhood.”
“Commendable. I’m only saying don’t let your past keep you from enjoying the present, or building a future for yourself. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You should be doing what you really enjoy. Not what you think people expect of you.”
“I am doing what I enjoy. I love this job. I want to go to law school one day.”
“Again, commendable. But don’t do all this and push yourself so hard for the wrong reasons. And take it from me. Don’t close yourself off to the possibility of a relationship. If I’d let my family business keep me from dating anyone seriously, which a lot of my male relatives did, I’d never have met or married my wife.”
Liz couldn’t help smiling. “I hardly think Rahab is the marrying kind.”
“I agree with you there, but don’t let these guys fool you. They want what all of us want. Someone to share our lives with. Someone to listen to us, and be there for us when no one else will. Even Rahab. He might not admit it to anyone, or even to himself, but I’ve watched rougher men than him fall when they met the right woman.”
“We had one night together.”
Donny smiled again. “One night is all it takes.”