Beyond the Velvet Rope

Thandie rationalized that any press a PR agent created was good, but she failed to see the joy in her connection with actor Ruark Randall. He was an idiot. At any rate, it seemed to gain her an unreasonable amount of respect from the dancers. Thandie chatted with them while Markie continued to show Len and Raja the building. The girls didn’t seem to mind losing Thandie on the tour. It was their first time inside Club Babylon, and they were eager to see everything.

Thandie didn’t see Raja and Len until an hour later, after Adam introduced her to Ibiza native, DJ Von. The girls appeared to be having a good time. They were working the VIP room and dancing with club members.

Thandie was more at ease when she was able to clearly see the girls and know they were not up to their usual devilry. Involuntarily, Thandie caught herself searching the crowd for Elliot. It was unexplainable. She was in a constant state of alert until she found him. It took several tries before she spied him on the upper level in the VIP lounge. He was much closer than she’d expected; no farther than twenty feet away from where she stood. He was seated in a booth chatting with a couple. Like Elliot, the man was very handsome. But where Elliot was dark-haired, the stranger at his side was blond. A flash of his intense blue eyes was enough to stamp his appeal. Even from this distance, Thandie could see the lilt of his lips give way to an arrogant expression. She recognized a man born to wealth when she saw one. It was never what they wore or what elaborate toys they owned—it was the unshaken self-confidence that radiated from them.

At the man’s side was an attractive woman. She laughed prettily at the blond man, keeping a possessive hand in his lap, lest any woman mistake him for being available. Thandie wondered who the couple was. Judging by Elliot’s presence at their table, and length of time he was investing, these were personal friends of his. Or at least one of them was. Clearly, Elliot knew the blond-haired man well.

Thandie continued to watch them. More specifically, she watched Elliot. There was something about him that intrigued her. She couldn’t put it into words, but Elliot had a certain appeal that was enchanting. And yet as strongly as he captivated her, he frightened her. She was leery of him, not daring to get too close and yet...she was fascinated all the same.

Like a moth to a flame, she mused.

Her attention was snatched away when Adam stepped to her side. Taking her elbow in his hand, he twirled her around to introduce her to someone. Thandie was forced to turn her back on Elliot and his friends and focus on a tall, rather plain-looking gentleman. Adam presented him as the broadcaster for a leading pop radio show in Miami.

Eager to make a positive impression, Thandie dived into conversation with the man. It did not take long to figure out he was more interested in leering at her breasts than listening to her. Not that this surprised her overly much. She’d chosen to wear a mini dress, covered in simmering cheetah sequins. There was no cleavage to be seen, however the fabric pulled tight across her chest, emphasizing the fullness of her breasts. Although long sleeved, the dress was far from modest. The drastic cut of the garment exposed her entire back, before gathering together just above the rise of her buttocks.

A key factor of being a club promoter was to look the part. It was her job to make the environment look desirable. And since most clubs were owned and managed by men, she’d learned long ago to use her natural assets to her advantage. She no longer took notice when men ogled her. She expected it, at least while she was working. And putting on a flirtatious smile for Adam’s guest was definitely working.

Thandie chatted with the two men for a while, soon losing track of the time. When she looked up again to check on the girls, she was startled to find they were not there. Her gaze flickered to Elliot. He was gone as well, and so were his friends. Their booth was now occupied by an ensemble of pouty model-like beauties who appeared to be on the hunt for wealthy men.

Thandie searched for Len and Raja. They were nowhere in sight. A bad sign for certain. Left unsupervised for any length of time, the girls were prone to get into trouble. Thandie stepped toward the balcony and looked over the VIP lounge. Not a hint of either girl.

She turned cautious eyes to the glass wall which overlooked the arena floor below and gave an aquarium view of the upper levels of the club. It would be impossible to spot the girls amongst the throng of dancing partygoers. She would have to walk the club in hopes of finding them. She groaned. Her feet had begun to hurt nearly an hour ago. She would not be pleased if she had to walk a mile in her beautiful, but crippling, heels.

Just as she made up her mind to do that, she caught sight of movement. The wall to her right opened up, revealing a small compartment. It was the elevator that led to the Tower.

The silent hiss as the doors slid open was like a quiet invitation. Very tempting.

Suddenly, Thandie remembered the “something” she’d forgotten to tell the girls earlier. She had not warned them to avoid the Tower. Is that where they were? Were Len and Raja touring an area of the club Elliot himself had ruled off limits? It was certainly possible. Before her imagination went into overdrive, Thandie determined she would search the lower levels first, before fretting over the Tower.

Excusing herself from Adam’s side, she took the steps down to the lower levels. She saw no recognizable faces on either level. She proceeded to the arena floor. Unlike the sleek relaxed vibe of the VIP lounges, the main arena was rowdier and dramatically more crowded. There was a buzz of frenzied excitement in the large expanse. It was the kind of atmosphere Len and Raja would escape to. Thandie walked a slow lap around the edge of the dance floor, examining the faces. It did not take long before someone took hold of her hand and asked her to dance. She was agreeable, mainly because this angle allowed her a good view of most of the arena floor and the steps leading up to the VIP entrance. After dancing through a few songs, with no luck spotting the girls, she excused herself from her dance partner and continued her pursuit.

Thandie’s aching feet soon got the better of her. She quickly gave up the hunt for the girls, looking to sit down instead. The crowded arena offered few seats, and all appeared to be occupied.

With a sigh of annoyance, Thandie made her way back to VIP. She was grateful when one of the Babylon employees held his hand out to her to help her up the steps. The balls of her feet felt as if they were on fire, getting worse with every step she took. She looked around for an available seat in the packed room. She went to the next upper level, but it was just as crammed. She couldn’t even find a place to lean against the bar.

She looked for Adam to ask if he knew where there was extra seating, but he was serving club members. Thandie waited for him to wrap up, but the group didn’t seem willing to let him go any time soon. After fifteen agonizing minutes, she was feeling rather desperate. She went to the hidden elevator, punched in the code she remembered Adam using and rode it up the Tower. Thandie sagged against the wall and embraced the sudden quiet the elevator provided.

When the doors opened, she had to adjust her eyes to the dimness. The room was lit only by candlelight. Blindly, she stepped forward, unable to blink anything into focus. Abruptly, the elevator doors closed behind her, and she was surrounded by darkness. The sound of music hummed in the background, filling the room with a sensuality as thick as smoke.

Suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her into the hard surface of muscled flesh. Thandie looked up to see the silver eyes of Elliot Richards. He did not look happy to see her.

He leaned his head down low enough to whisper in her ear. “I believe I told you not to come up here.”

The sheer size of him was unnerving. He was even more impressive up close, not a blemish or hair out of place. It was really quite insane for one man to be so breathtakingly beautiful. Her blood felt as if it was boiling beneath her skin, and a slow ball of heat was growing in the pit of her stomach.

“Are you going to answer me?” he growled down at her.

“Huh?” Wrapped in his powerful arms, words seemed complicated to create.

“What are you doing up here?” he snapped.

“My feet.”

“What?”

“I—I came up here looking for a place to sit down.”

“Couldn’t you find a chair downstairs?”

“The place is packed.”

He frowned. “Well, there isn’t much room to sit down up here, but there are plenty of places to fuck.”

She turned her head to look around the room. Thandie would have fainted if it weren’t for Elliot holding her up. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting to reveal a room full of naked bodies. Every corner of the room was occupied by screwing couples; some were groups satisfying each other. She gasped to see three men pleasuring a moaning woman at the same time. Horrified, Thandie buried her face into Elliot chest to block out the scene around her. Only now did she realize the whole room was moaning, grunting, and delivering cries of ecstasy.

“You deliberately ignored my request,” he said in a low voice.

She shook with mortification. “I—I had no idea,” she stammered. “I thought—thought—I’ll leave.” She tried to push away from him, but he wouldn’t allow it. He pulled her closer to him.

“You can’t leave,” he said.

“Oh, yes, I can,” she nearly shouted. If he thought he was going to hold her hostage, then he was sadly mistaken. “Let me go.”

“Be still. You can’t go, because someone just took the elevator down. The stairwell is on the other side of the room, and it happens to be blocked.”

She followed his gaze to see he was right. Six or so people were naked and screwing each other like animals in heat. “Let me push the button to call the elevator up,” she said in a weak voice.

“It won’t do any good. The couple got in there to have privacy.”

“What?”

“They’re having sex,” he said simply. “The lift is on emergency stop.”

“How do you know?”

Elliot nodded toward a red light that was lit above the elevator doors. “When that is lit, it means the car has been stopped. You’ll have to wait until it turns green. Until then, you’re stuck here.”

She tried to push away from him again, but he was far too strong. She searched the room for another source of escape, but there was none.

“I’m going to find you a seat,” he said.

She shook her head. “I don’t want to sit down on anything in this room.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’m sitting down. If you don’t come with me, you’ll be left standing here by yourself.”

Thandie’s eyes went wide with outrage.

“And at your own risk, I might add.”

“At my own risk!”

Swiftly, Elliot placed his finger over her mouth to stop her from speaking any louder. He lowered his head to speak without being overheard. “The members that have access to the Tower pay good money for privacy and discretion. I can’t have you making them nervous while they are enjoying themselves. Understand?”

She wanted to fight him tooth and nail, but he had a fierce frown on his face. Without another word, he took hold of her upper arm and led her to a long settee. The sight of a man’s face buried between a woman’s open legs at the other end of the chaise made her pale. She was seconds away from running and beating on the elevator doors when Elliot took his seat and pulled her down beside him. He placed his arm behind her and drew her into his side. Their seat gave them a voyeur’s view of the room. Thandie lowered her head, not wanting to make direct eye contact with anyone. Elliot, on the other hand, seemed to be comfortable with the setting. He sat back and watched her literally die with embarrassment, an arrogant smirk on his handsome face.

“I bet you’ll listen to me in the future,” he taunted.

She frowned at him. “If I’d known what was up here, I wouldn’t have come. So what’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need one.”

“You come up here on a regular basis?”

Elliot grinned. “Wouldn’t you love to know?”

She scowled at him. His plan to make her burn with shame was working, and she didn’t like it one bit. She lashed back at him. “So this is what you’re into?” Her gaze swept the room. “Voyeurism?”

He fixed her with those silver eyes. “You don’t want to know what I’m into.”

The seriousness of his tone robbed her of any smart retort.

Pleased he’d shocked her into silence, Elliot flashed her a devilish grin. “Or is that why you really came up here? Interested in knowing what gets me off? Curiosity killed the cat, puss.”

“I don’t desire to know more.”

“Unfortunately for you, we’re going to learn a lot about each other tonight.” His large hand cupped the underside of her breast. The pad of his thumb brushed slowly across her nipple, making the bud instantly harden. “More than you can handle.”

Her temper was boiling. He meant to embarrass her, overwhelm her with his presence, expected her to run and hide. Was this his way of punishing her for not leaving well enough alone? Did he plan to make her regret accepting the job? Forcing her to see why he only hired men? He would be very disappointed.

Not bothering to push his hand away, she met his gaze with a steady one of her own. “There’s nothing you could throw my way that I can’t handle.”

“Careful, pussycat, I might take that as a challenge.” His gaze dropped to her lips. “That lovely mouth of yours is about to get you into a world of trouble.”

“I doubt that—oh!”

A strange hand landed on Thandie’s thigh. She followed the hand to its owner; a bare-chested man with glassy eyes. He squeezed her leg affectionately and said, “Come over here and join us, sweetheart.”

Elliot clasped his hand around the man’s wrist and pushed it aside. “She’s with me, Steinberg.”

The man focused his blurred vision on him. “Elliot, is that you? I didn’t know she was with you, man. My mistake. You better start fucking her before someone decides to take her away from you. She’s a nice piece of ass.”

Elliot nodded. “Thanks for the warning. Take it easy.”

Thandie watched the man feel his way through the darkened room before looking back up at Elliot. “Would someone really try to take me by force?” Her voice quivered. She was nervous.

Elliot tightened his hold on her. “People come here to have sex. It’s understood that if you’re here, you want to have sex, too. So in answer to your question, yes, I suppose that could happen.”

Thandie scooted closer to him. “Well, what are we going to do?”

“We’re going to improvise.” Without warning, he pulled her onto his lap. The hem of her dress inched dangerously up her thighs. Elliot gripped her by her forearms before she could leap off him. He pulled her forward until their lips were inches apart. “Kiss me,” he breathed.

“No,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Kiss me, or I’ll leave you to fend for yourself. Believe me, there is a room full of horny men that would love to rip that flimsy dress right off your body.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, yes, I would. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I’m your key to getting out of here in one piece, Thandie, so you had better pay me a little more respect.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed.

He grinned. “That could be arranged. We could do it right here if you prefer.”

“Let go of me.”

“If I do, you’re on your own, puss.”

“I said fuck off.”

“Have it your way.” He lifted her up, tossed her roughly aside and stood to cross the room.

Thandie couldn’t believe he was actually leaving her, though she had told him to. She panicked and reached out to pull his arm. “I’m sorry. Don’t leave.”

Elliot turned around to look down at her. His dark brow lifted with playfull mischief. “Are you ready to play nice?”

Thandie licked her lips nervously and looked over at the elevator shaft; the red light was still lit. In a room full of drunk, drugged-out mating couples, Elliot was her only ally. She would prefer the devil himself over him, but by her own doing, she was stuck with him. She could not say she hadn’t been warned.

Elliot slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes focused on her thighs. “Are we in agreement?”

She nodded.

He leaned down until his lips were only a breath away from her own. She expected him to kiss her, but he surprised her by placing his hands on either side of her on the sofa and lowering himself to the floor. Kneeling before her, he hooked his hands under her knees and pulled her to the edge of the seat so that her thighs were on either side of him. The hem of her dress effortlessly hiked up to her waist. If not for the black lace of her panties, she would be fully exposed to him.

Elliot’s silver eyes flashed in the murkiness, hypnotizing her with their predatory power. His lips came crashing down on hers. He made her escape impossible by cupping the back of her head in his palm. His lips were cool to the touch, but his tongue was scorching hot. He swept every curve of her mouth with masterful skill. It was not long before she stopped pushing against him and leaned into his hold, her hands resting on the sides of his ribcage.

Keeping her mouth pinned beneath him, Elliot grabbed handfuls of her flesh and squeezed with the selfishness of a gluttonous man. He pulled her open legs closer to him until his groin was nestled against the crotch of her panties. He groaned. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed hard against his chest.

Not easily detoured, Elliot dragged wet kisses along her neck. “Damn, you feel good, honey. I’m going to eat you.”

“No,” she gasped, warning bells going off in her head, but unable to react quickly enough. “I need to get out of here.”

“Shh,” he cooed softly in her ear. “You’ll love it. Lie back.” He slid his hand from her bottom to her inner thigh. “Relax.” He kissed the sensitive spot just below her earlobe as he pushed aside the fabric of her panties. Thandie gasped when he brushed his fingers over the sensitive bud of her clit as he made a slow trail southward. He groaned when the tips of his fingers became slick with her desire. “You’re already wet for me,” he whispered against her ear. “Tell me you want me.”

“No.” She could hardly breathe, let alone sound certain of herself.

Elliot lifted his head to look into her face. Her eyes were practically glowing with lust. “Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded in the husky voice. “Tell me you want this.” He slipped his finger inside her again. Her folds closed around him greedily. “You don’t want me to stop.” He moved his fingers in and out of her with agonizing slowness. “I’m more talented with my tongue.” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her earlobe. He chuckled when a fresh wave of her cream saturated his fingers.

It took all of Thandie’s power to muster up the strength to grab his wrist. “Stop, Elliot.” Her brown eyes were now shining. “Let go of me now.”

He stilled his hand. She meant what she said. “As you wish.” He pulled his hand away from her and held his wet fingers up between them before licking them clean. “The offer is always open.”

Just then, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. A laughing couple tumbled out, both frantically ripping the remainder of their clothes off. Thandie pushed Elliot away and headed for the elevator car, catching the doors just before they closed. She didn’t dare look back at him. He represented every weakness known to women.

* * *

An hour later, Thandie fell across the bed in Warren’s guest room. Her hasty retreat from Babylon had not been very graceful. She’d stumbled out of the elevator, looking disheveled and glancing over her shoulder like a frightened animal. Thankfully, there was no on around to see her.

Righting her clothes, she quickly weaved her way through the dancing crowd. It was pure luck she spotted Len and Raja standing near the bar.

Stalking up to them, Thandie announced they were leaving. Wisely, neither girl objected. They followed her, and managed to keep their babbling to a minimum while waiting for the valet to deliver their car.

On the drive home, Thandie informed the girls they were not allowed to go the Tower under any circumstances. When Len asked what was in the Tower, Thandie replied, “Unemployment.”

It was not until they arrived at Warren’s home, that she remembered her feet hurt. But who the hell cared? She had bigger problems now. As soon as they entered the house, Thandie retreated to the privacy of her room. She shut the door shut behind her and tossed her limp body on the bed.

Thandie buried her face into her pillow. Replaying it in her mind, she could almost feel his fingers inside her now. She groaned. That was the most disgraceful job performance ever. Yes, he had set her up, but she had rightfully put herself in that position by going to the Tower when she’d been forewarned. Under the right amount of pressure, she’d made it very apparent to him that she was attracted to him, and he’d made the most of the situation. She bet he took a lot of women up there. The sex-crazed Steinberg didn’t seem surprised to see Elliot in the Tower. She groaned again. She had nearly given herself to a smooth-talking male slut. What did that make her?

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the provocative images swirling around in her head. She had to force herself to think clearly. If she stood any chance of successfully completing this project, she would have to make a point to stay as far away from Elliot Richards as possible...and find a good male masseur immediately.

* * *

Elliot lay naked across his bed. He stacked his hands behind his head, but he couldn’t close his eyes just yet, because every time he did, he saw Thandie’s smooth, bronzed skin.

She’d really put him in his place tonight, and that annoyed and excited him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him down. Usually, women were stepping over each other to get to him. He would have his pick of the group, using them at will before growing restless and discarding them.

But not Thandie.

She’d surprised him by snubbing him twice tonight, once by refusing to kiss him and again by refusing to let him go down on her. He had to admit he’d been toying with her, but after her first rebuff, he felt compelled to prove to her that he was the one in control. And then, she had refused him again.

That fact did not sit well with him. He had no idea why he even cared. Perhaps it was just his wounded ego, but whatever the case, he didn’t like the injury his pride had sustained at the hands of Thandie Shaw. She wasn’t even his typical brand of woman. In the past, he had preferred slender buxom brunettes; however, he was inclined to be attracted to the occasional blonde from time to time.

Thandie was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Yes, she was tall and slender, but had more curves than he was prone to desire. She had full hips and a wonderfully round derriere. Her long dark hair had been every bit as soft as he had imagined, and she tasted so sweet—like hot sex. Elliot had prided himself on never being easily swayed by any woman, so the idea of him sparing Thandie more than five minutes of his time was remarkable.

Thandie Shaw. She’s just another woman, he thought, and there were plenty of them on the strip. But she had somehow made herself stand out. He had no interest in her beyond sex. That much he knew. Yes, she had withstood his advances. He would have to deal with that. Hell, it was only a matter of time before she would be begging him for sex, if her slick thighs were any indication. She might pretend to be the dominant one, but if there was one thing he knew about women, it was that they always came back. He could care less where her morals lay; time would eventually conquer her. And when it did, he would discipline her for tonight. But until then, he would be patient. She was only on the third day of her three-month project. He smiled. This was going to be fun.