Path To Passion

He smiled at the chipper young woman, enjoying the cool loft-like ambiance of the space. “Nothing to drink, but I’ll take the house special to go.”

“We have grilled rib eye steak and blackened trout fillet. Both are served with a fresh salad, potatoes and vegetables.”

“I’ll take the trout fillet, please.”

She gathered up his menu as she bobbed on her toes. How much was Tanya paying her to do this job? “Your food will be out soon.”

“Thank you.”

Not telling Tanya he’d be stopping by gave him freedom to assess the place without her unique ability to distract him. He stood and trooped up the stairs to the empty second-floor club, took in the open area with a bar along each wall and then went up to the top floor to snoop around. He smiled at the thought of transforming the space into an exclusive VIP seating area. It would be perfect, considering the people partying up there could see down to the main dance level and be seen if they stood or danced by the railing. Otherwise, they’d have their own private party where the others would want to be but couldn’t access.

He jogged down the stairs more excited than when he’d stepped into the building and sat at his table. The place had potential. And as the ideas formulated, he realized just how much of a success he could make of it. Of course it would take a heavy investment, but he’d figure out a way around that. Excited, he pulled out his phone to dial the number Tanya had given him reluctantly before leaving his office yesterday. How many times had he stared at the digits on his phone, wanting to call just to hear her voice?

He slid his phone into his coat pocket. He needed a plan before speaking to her again. Revealing to her how he felt wouldn’t be a good idea, considering how angry she still was at him. Had he ever stopped loving her?

No. His feelings for her hadn’t been enough to destroy a friendship with her brother.

Maybe he could treat her as if she were nothing but a sister. That might work, especially if he found someone to get serious about before they met again. He scoffed at the idea. It had been months since he’d dated anyone seriously, and he’d even use the term loosely. Had consistent sex with the same person would be more accurate. If two people date for months and the feelings don’t deepen, can it ever be considered serious? He’d tried on several occasions over the past few years to become emotionally vested, but something always seemed to be missing with the women he dated.

The waitress set his to-go bag in front of him and he handed her the cash for the food, including a large tip. He left the restaurant, stepping onto the cold Cleveland street. The lingering effect of being taken by surprise yesterday by Tanya wouldn’t rule him the next time they met face-to-face. Neither would his attraction to her.

* * *

Tanya watched the security monitor from her office and could’ve sworn she didn’t breathe until Miguel left the vicinity. She’d frozen when she’d turned to face the CCTV screen and seen his stooped frame with his face hidden behind a fake beard and a hat. He hadn’t called to inform her of the visit. What had he been writing so enthusiastically?

He’d taken it upon himself to help her improve the club, and she’d watched him as if it were all some sort of television show. Why hadn’t she gone to see him?

Fear alone could take the blame for her inaction.

She dialed her best friend. “Becca, I’m so screwed.”

“What’s wrong?”

She rubbed the heel of her palm against her forehead. “I’m an idiot.”

Becca snorted. “Is this about Broderick? How could you have known he was gay? I definitely didn’t. He had us all fooled.”

Tanya stood and paced the perimeter of the space her ex had set up as an office. From the lushness of the black-and-white leather furniture, she’d ventured to guess it had doubled as his illicit love den. “For once, it’s not about him. I went to see Miguel Astacio yesterday.”

She snatched the phone away from her ear at Becca’s shriek. “No. You will not do this to me over the phone. Either you get over here or I come to the club, where I know you are. You spend too much time in that place. Considering how dead it’s been there, we’ll have privacy either way.”

“Not funny.” But absolutely correct. “Let me make sure things are set up and I’ll stop by.”

“Bring a bottle of white zinfandel with you. Wait, we’re talking about Astacio—bring two.”

Tanya got off the phone thinking Jack Daniel’s would serve her better. She tracked down her club manager to check that everything was set for the night. Clint Davis had recently been promoted to manager from bartender under Broderick a few months before he’d asked for a divorce.

Out of all of the people Broderick had been close to, Clint had been her friend, too, and she trusted him. He’d been supportive by providing more than one listening ear during the most difficult times after her divorce. While she’d been struggling as the new owner of the club, he’d proved himself to be loyal by working just as hard as her to return it to its previous status. None of their promotions, advertising or specials had had lasting effects, leaving them to flounder.

She popped into his office. “Hey, Clint. I’m headed out. Anything you need me to do tomorrow?”

In some ways, it was as if she worked for him. She’d paid very little attention to Broderick’s involvement in the club, so she knew less than nothing about running it and it showed in the downhill progression of patronage. Clubs were more volatile than restaurants, and once people discovered that Broderick no longer owned the place, their numbers had declined. She lacked the ability to schmooze anywhere near as well as her ex. She’d prefer to be in flannel pajamas on a Friday night rather than speaking to strangers and making sure they were having a good time.

Her head throbbed with the thought of losing everything and dealing with the failure, but now that Miguel was on her team, soon she’d be the one bragging while raking in the money.

She still hadn’t forgiven Miguel, but she could enjoy a man’s powerful presence and comforting touch without liking him, right?

Clint’s handsome light brown face looked up at her and his white teeth gleamed when he smiled. “We’re good to go. DJ Slide will be here in an hour to set it off.”

Tanya held back a grimace. The DJ wasn’t her favorite. Slide liked to play only techno music, which Tanya didn’t appreciate because she found it hard to dance to. “Do you suppose we could get someone else?” At Clint’s narrowed dark-eyed gaze, she backed up a step. He didn’t care for her opinion of DJ Slide and would always defend her saying she’d been one of the main reasons they’d been so hot for so long. She recalled Broderick hiring other DJs, but she’d rather slit her throat than ask him. “Not for this weekend, but maybe she could change up the techno with some house, reggae and Top 40 hits. Or stop playing the same twenty songs over and over again.” She mumbled the last. Cowering went against her nature, but she couldn’t afford to annoy Clint when she needed him most. Where would she get a trusted club manager if he left her?

“Nothing for you to do tomorrow,” he said in a haughtier voice than she appreciated. “You’ve been here every weekend since taking over. Not even Broderick was here that much.”

She stiffened. Was he trying to remind her of where her ex-husband had spent his time when he’d said he’d been at the club? No matter—their relationship had been doomed from the moment she’d left Miguel’s arms and cried on Broderick’s shoulder back in college. He’d been so understanding and had a way of making her feel good about herself. They’d stayed friends over the years and when he’d returned to Cleveland after working in the Boston club scene, he’d looked her up and they’d started dating. Three months later, they were married.

Everyone had told her she’d moved into the relationship too fast, but it wasn’t as if she’d had a plethora of choices. The handful of relationships she’d had over the past six years had all gone nowhere. Broderick had liked her even though she’d outweighed him by sixty pounds and she would wince whenever he pulled her onto his lap.

“I’ll take time off when we start making money again,” she responded.

What was the expression that passed over his face? He’d looked almost pained before grinning. Lately, something had been off about Clint, but she couldn’t put her finger on it, so she blamed it on her distrust of all men.

“We’ll get there,” he affirmed.

She didn’t quite feel his conviction as she nodded and pumped her fist. “Yes, we will. Have a good night.”

“You, too.”

She ignored the temptation to grab a bottle of wine from the club’s stock so she could head straight to Becca’s place. A quick stop at the supermarket wouldn’t kill her. A brownie pick-me-up would be nice, too. No. Absolutely no brownies. She’d done so well to keep the stress eating at bay. Dealing with Miguel would not make her gain weight again.

She refused to let him have any kind of effect on her. She’d merely been in shock after not having seen him for so long. More like overwhelmed. Now that she had control over her reactions, she’d be able to deal with him to make her business successful. No emotion.

Chapter 5

Twenty minutes later, Tanya lounged on her best friend’s couch with the crumbs of a decadent chocolate-chip cheesecake waiting for her to make them disappear. “So that’s what happened.” Becca had remained silent, sipping wine, as she listened to Tanya’s account of her encounter with Miguel.

Becca poured herself another glass and bit off a tiny piece of her carrot cake. “You just watched him roam through your club and didn’t even think to talk to him?”

“He was in some sort of disguise.” She crinkled her nose. “Which I could see right through, but no one else recognized him. I don’t think he wanted to be seen. And as I mentioned before, I was beyond embarrassed about what happened yesterday. I got snot all over him.”

“Which is romantic as hell because he let you. I wish you could remember what he’d said as you were entwined in his comforting embrace. Maybe something like, ‘Baby, it’s okay. I’ll be here to take care of you. You don’t need to do it alone anymore. I love you.’” Becca said the last in a dramatic breathy whisper.

Tanya broke out into a fit of laughter. “You’re a nut. I do remember an ‘It’s okay’ being repeated.”

“Do you think he likes you?”

Her lip curled involuntarily. “It doesn’t matter.” She and Becca had met in junior high school and had maintained their closeness even when they’d gone to different universities. “Need I remind you that I confessed my love to him, and he laughed in my face telling me to call him when I lost forty pounds. Sixty for good measure because he didn’t like his women fat.”

Becca rolled her eyes. “He did not say that.”

“I know that’s what he meant when he said he didn’t want to lose his friendship with Josh by going out with me. I was too big a girl for him.”

“You’ve always been too hard on yourself about your weight.” Becca pierced her with a stare. “You were active, which made a difference in your structure. Sure you look great now, but you looked good back then, too. I believe him.” She waggled her head. “I don’t understand why he couldn’t have both you and Josh in his life, but at least he didn’t betray his friend by sneaking around with you.”

Nothing her friend could say would change her mind about why Miguel had rejected her. It didn’t help that although Broderick had been a wonderful husband for a while, she could count on both hands and feet the number of times they’d made love. She’d blamed the problem on her weight then, too. That time she’d been wrong. Tanya eyed the carrot cake she’d bought for her friend. Seeing the direction of her gaze, Becca broke off a piece slathered with frosting and handed over the rest. “With the marathon you’re training for, you’ll burn these calories off in a hot minute.”

Tanya didn’t say no to the offer. Tired of having a passionless marriage and needing to feel healthier, she’d worked hard a couple years ago to lose over eighty pounds. The ordeal with Miguel had had her eating like a fiend and before she knew it, she’d ballooned to the point where she got out of breath when walking from her bed to the bathroom.

The weight loss hadn’t made a difference to the frequency or quality of the lovemaking with Broderick, and things started going downhill in their relationship. When Broderick presented her with divorce papers, she’d finally understood why he’d never really wanted to touch her in more than friendly ways.

“What am I going to do?” Tanya whined after finishing off the treat.

“Obviously, you’re going to let him help you, but keep your heart as far away from him as possible. You married a gay man because of Miguel.”

“That’s not the way it went down.”

Becca pursed her lips. “Would you have bumped into Broderick while crying your eyes out if Miguel hadn’t rejected you?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “No. You would’ve been more than happy to ignore him as you did every man you came into contact with because you only had eyes for Astacio. You wouldn’t be at risk of losing your house and livelihood. Plus, you might have had the chance to find a guy worthy of you if you hadn’t been attached to Broderick.”

Tanya loved her best friend. Becca always knew what to say. “I wonder what he scribbled so furiously on his tablet. Do you think he’ll be able to save the place?”

Becca sipped her wine, pondering. “He’s a marketing genius. Josh did well by setting up an appointment with him. The only thing I’m worried about is him charming you into bed.”

Tanya gasped with a slap to her chest. “I wouldn’t sleep with him.”

“That’s my concern.” Becca couldn’t hold a straight face and giggled. “Seriously. You need to have a good time, and he might be the one to give it to you. Just don’t get all emotional.”

She ran a hand through her hair, refusing to consider it. “Girl, stop being ridiculous.” At that moment, her cell phone rang. Miguel’s name flashed across the screen. It’s him, she mouthed even though the phone still rang.

“Answer it. And for goodness’ sake, put him on speakerphone,” Becca said.

She ignored her friend and hit Talk. “Hello.”

“Hi, Tanya. This is Miguel Astacio.”

As if she had more than one Miguel in her life. His voice melted over her, richer than the cheesecake she’d just eaten. “Hi, Miguel. What’s up?” Was that her sounding cool?

Speakerphone, Becca mouthed.

“I stopped by your club this evening.”

She thumped a fist to her chest to stop her heart from hammering out of it. “Really? Why didn’t you call me?”

“I needed to do a personal assessment. I did a walk-through and took some notes. I’d like to see the club in full swing. When is it busiest?”

Never almost slipped off her tongue. “Saturdays.”

“Great. I’m free then. Please let your bouncer know to let in an Isaac Graham. I’ll be incognito.”

Her mouth flapped open and closed. What kind of costume could he wear that would be able to hide his lusciousness from the world? “Isaac Graham. Got it. But why don’t you come as yourself?”

A grin filtered into his voice and she longed to see it. “I tend to draw a crowd wherever I go, and I’d like to see how things are on a normal night.”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course.”

“How’s midnight? Things should be heated up by then.”

Or not. “Sounds good. See you on Saturday. And thanks, Miguel.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“You and I both know you’ll transform The Palace into a hot club again, so stop being humble. It never did suit you.”

His laughter settled as a warmth in her belly. “I’ll try to keep it in mind. See you Saturday.”

“Bye.” She waited until the line went dead before putting down her phone.

“No, Tanya.” Becca stood in front of her wagging a finger and shaking her head hard. “No. No. No. No. No.”

She hopped onto her feet so she didn’t feel so small. “What?”

“You’re already back in like with him. It doesn’t matter what he did to you—you still like him.”

“Cut it out. No, I don’t. He’s helping me.”

Becca anchored a hand on her hip. “You made him laugh. I could hear.”

She stared at her friend, waiting for clarification on her observation. “So?”

“Paired with your goofy smile, it’s a sure sign that you like him.”

Snatching up the bottle of wine, Tanya corked it and stalked to the kitchen. “Two glasses seems to be more than enough for you.”

Becca followed. “I’m not drunk and you know it. I want you to be careful. He’s never dated anyone for more than six weeks, and that’s only happened recently. His life has been a revolving door of women. No matter what the media says about him now, he’s a bad boy. Rich as hell, but still treats women as if they’re disposable.” She patted Tanya’s shoulder. “He’s already hurt you once. I don’t want it to happen again.”

She had difficulty shaking off the truth in her friend’s words. The pain he’d put her through hit her squarely in the gut. She’d never be able to forget his callousness. He cared for no one but himself, and she’d just have to remember it as they worked together. “I’m a grown woman, Becca. I can take care of myself. Miguel is going to help me rebrand the club, and then he’ll return to just being Josh’s best friend who I never see.”

Becca twisted her lips to the side and hummed. “Just be careful, okay.”

“Always.” Older, wiser and jaded, she’d be a fool to fall for Miguel again. He’d made her feel like an idiot once, and Broderick had done a better job of it than Miguel. The third time she’d be the one to end up on top.

Chapter 6

The thumping of techno blaring through the speakers set Miguel’s jaw muscle twitching. Having never enjoyed jumping up and down rather than getting into a smooth rhythm when dancing, he hated the music. Dressed to hide his true identity, he’d texted Tanya when he’d reached the door.

The paparazzi loved him. He was the least shy Astacio when it came to making sure they spotted him. He’d readily compare himself to a Kardashian, only he didn’t do reality-TV shows and he’d never be caught on a sex tape. Not that some of the women he’d been with hadn’t tried. His sexual life had remained personal, no matter how many partners he’d been involved with.

Tonight, he’d worn a fedora with a smooth brim and adorned with a broad velvet ribbon. The full mustache made him look older than his twenty-nine years, but the dark contact lenses hiding his hazel eyes tended to unnerve him when he looked in the mirror. He’d darkened his skin with a touch of makeup, and the cheap polyester floral button-down shirt and trousers hid his love for expensive clothes well enough that no one, other than his family, could recognize him.

Taking the stairs up to the second floor, he didn’t have to fight to make his way through the clubbers. The place had some college students jumping as if they were popcorn. A few older guys dotted the room, so he didn’t stand out as much as he’d initially thought he might. He bobbed his head in time to the music and made his way to the bar. Ordering a scotch on the rocks, he glanced over his shoulder, wondering how Tanya had made it through the past six months without the business collapsing. How much money had she sunk into it?

The bartender gave him the drink and Miguel slipped him the payment with a tip. He almost spit out the liquid when he took a sip. Watered-down scotch wasn’t his drink of choice. He held up the glass. Was there any liquor at all in the glass? After placing it on the bar, his breath hitched and his heart went crazy as he spotted Tanya. Damn, she was gorgeous, if not a little severe in her outfit.

She’d tucked a dark blue silk top into a black business skirt. Had she always dressed so conservatively? He couldn’t remember. He’d been so excited to hang out with her back then that he hadn’t really noticed what she wore. He cursed himself every day for messing things up with her.

His princess stood in front of him once again and his hands itched to grab and hold her so close she’d only be able to breathe in the air he released. To kiss her like he had that first time, lips blazing as they melded into each other, her tongue sliding tentatively against his until he took complete control, teaching her as he relished her scent. Her taste. Her body finally being in his arms.

When they’d separated to suck in air, she’d professed the sweetest words of love he’d ever heard in his life. For a moment, he’d basked in it, but then the reality of who he was and what he had to lose dawned on him. He’d just kissed his best friend’s sister, something he’d vowed to never do again. Josh would’ve seen it as a betrayal he’d never be able to forgive. So he’d confessed that he’d chosen Josh over her.

Her wide eyes had conveyed the blow he’d delivered. His heart had begged him to recall the words and tell her how much he wanted her, needed her, but his mind stayed in complete control. He’d turned his back on her and pretended interest in a book on his desk, unable to endure the tears in her eyes.

He’d heard rather than seen her stumble out the room as his heart broke.

It had been the lowest moment of his life, and he’d never apologized for his choice. Or comforted her with the honesty of how he’d really felt about her. She’d been the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She still was. Probably always would be. But he couldn’t have her.

She’d never hear his words of apology. Not only wouldn’t she believe it after all this time, but he didn’t need her softening toward him. Having her like him and making him fall for her again would be detrimental for them both. It had been tough getting over her, and he didn’t need a repeat.

Other than maintaining his relationship with his best friend, he was keeping her out of harm’s way. His life was all about being in the public eye. She wouldn’t be able to handle the spiteful women calling her vicious names just because she walked at his side. The media could be cruel. Even to him. He’d developed a tough skin, but it would crush her.

He waited to see if she’d recognize him. His heart stuttered the moment cognizance hit her and she grinned. For the second time in his life, she’d seen right through to him.

* * *

Despite being dressed as if he’d shopped in a thrift store, with a fedora covering his curly locks and his eyes darker than she’d ever seen them, she’d found him. He’d even shaved off his goatee and slapped on a mustache for the occasion. No one had rushed to the famous Astacio to become one of his groupies, so he’d fooled everyone else.

She crossed the floor to his side and leaned into him to shout in his ear over the blaring music. “Hi.”

His crooked grin as he looked down at her flipped her stomach. “Sweet meeting you here. How’s tricks, foxy lady?”

She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “I wonder if anyone knows Billy Dee Williams is in the house. With that mustache and darker complexion, you look like a younger version of him.” He knew how to play a role and how to emphasize his most attractive features. His full dusky-pink lips brought to mind memories of when they’d made hers bend to his will, and without warning, she felt a need to taste them again. She sobered quickly. They weren’t here to have a good time. Getting her out of debt was the name of this game.

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