Dangerously Yours (Titans of Chicago #3)

LULU

I smiled at my girls, especially my youngest when she flung herself into my arms. “I’m going to miss you, Leslie,” I told her.

She peppered kisses on my face, then pulled away. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too.” I then looked at my other two children. “I love you all, and I want you to behave for your grandparents.”

“We will,” Zachary assured me, then clutched his newly signed football to his chest. “I can’t wait to show Grandpa this. Noah is his favorite player.”

Amanda rolled her eyes at her brother, then looked back at me. “We’ll behave, and thank you for giving me permission to hang out with Molly and Jess tonight.”

“Just be back to your grandparents by ten. You know they go to sleep earlier than I do,” I warned, and she hugged me.

“I will, and have a good time tonight at work, Mom.”

“Thanks, baby.” The children then left the penthouse and I sagged against the door frame.

Noah had said something about a private dance and there was only one place he could’ve meant when he said that, and it had my pulse racing ever since. The very thought of giving in to passion with him once more was exciting, but even more so, it was distracting. Since our one night together, I had wanted to have a repeat of it, but as time passed, I realized what a mistake it had been. Still, I was completely aroused by the very idea that tonight would end up like that one.

I had tried using my toys to no avail since having sex with him. No matter how many times I relived that night, or tried to pretend as if the various vibrators and dildos were Noah, they weren’t, and my body knew it. I was so wired after finding no release, and it made me weak. It was something I could ill afford to be, but I wanted it nonetheless.

I moved over to the island, then set my palm on the edge. Closing my eyes, I remembered back to that night. I had been so nervous, yet horny at the same time. The stone beneath me had been cold, but that man made me so hot for him that I was surprised I hadn’t melted the marble completely.

Noah’s orders from that night came rushing back, and I gripped the edge like I had then, and a moan escaped my lips. The man was completely sinful, and so different than how I thought he would be. The things he had done to me... the things he had said to me...

God, I had wanted to scream his name from the rooftop. I still wanted him, and way too much even though I was nothing more than a notch on his bedpost. It was the main thing stopping me from giving in to him again. He had caught me in a moment of weakness, his seduction attempt was lethal.

“You’re so goddamned beautiful.”

And damn if this man didn’t make me feel it, too. When I was in his arms, I didn’t feel old... useless... unattractive... boring... or all the things Cade would viciously tell me that I was over the years. I had tried everything from kama sutra, toys, and even a brief stint with BDSM all in hopes of pleasing the man I had loved. None of it had made a permanent difference, though. In the beginning, I had felt beautiful with him. I had been impressionable at that time, so in awe of having landed the perfect boy. I didn’t care about the title of a Titan. He was ambitious, handsome, and he had eyes for only me, or so I had thought.

It had all been a lie he kept feeding me, just as Noah’s words were the other night. He wanted to fuck me. Usually, it was the divorce lawyer who got the first crack at lonely divorcees, but in the world of these Titans, sex was all but a game anyway. I had been a pawn then, and shamelessly, I was aching to be one again tonight. I scrubbed my hands down my face and tried to hold back the tears.

I refused to dwell on him, and I snapped back to the present. I did need to get ready because whether I knew what I would do with Noah or not, I had a party to attend. I was the host, so I needed to get there even earlier than the other guests, too. That didn’t leave me much time to shower, get dressed, then do my hair and make-up. Not only was the man I couldn’t get out of my head going to be there, but my now ex-husband was going to be there as well. After everything Cade had put out there to take the heat off of himself, I needed to be able to hold my head up high and present myself with dignity.

I also needed to not embarrass my clients, so I hoped Cade controlled his liquor and would not make a scene of any kind. I needed this budding career as it was the best and only way I could think of to make enough money to support myself and my children. I had never thought I would end up in this situation, but it was too late for regret. It wouldn’t keep a roof over our heads, or food in our stomachs, so I had to do what I had to do.

An hour later, I stood in front of the wall-length mirror staring at my reflection. I had chosen one of my previous dresses because I had no money to buy a new gown for the occasion. Because I had attended so many events over the years, I did have quite a few at my disposal in my closet, and it helped on a night like this one. It was black and sleek, and there was a large split that ran up my left side, almost to my hip, but not quite as far up as that. After all, I was thirty-nine years old, and unlike Cade, I would act my age in public.

“Please, God,” I said as I closed my eyes, “Please let this night be uneventful.”

I was truly worried about my ex-husband because after my attorney was able to get alimony from him, he had become even more verbally abusive than he had been in the past. Cade was the type who would destroy the mother of his children, and not even bat an eye when doing so. He had warned me of what would happen if I went through with this divorce, and so far he had been right. I was truly worried about losing the Carter account, but Estelle liked me a lot, so she kept me on. Misty Carrigan had not been the same. She had called me the day after the blog posted, and fired me before I could even get started on her upcoming party.

“We can’t have our daughter’s sweet sixteenth party planned by a woman with questionable virtue,” she had told me.

“Questionable virtue? That blog was wrong about things. I—” I had tried to explain, but it had fallen on deaf ears.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. We’re going in another direction. We will pay the consultation fee, but that is it.”

His slander had cost me a job I had been very excited about doing. While my previous works had been mainly centered around Titans, retirements, and charitable causes, this was my chance to show my range. It was also for their daughter who was friends with Amanda. After I was fired, even my daughter was uninvited to the event.

“But why, Mom. How could they do this to me?” She had asked me after receiving a message from her friend. “They said it was all your fault.”

Of course, they did. I wanted to tell her that it was her father’s doing, but I would take the high road unlike him. His children loved him, and I would let him show his true colors to them because he would eventually do it himself sometime soon. It wasn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ and all I could do was prepare myself to comfort them afterward.

“I don’t know why they let me go, but I suppose they thought it might be awkward to have you there after that. I’m so sorry, baby.”

“If they don’t want you there, that’s their loss. I’m glad I’m not going after all.”

She had put on a brave face, and I started seeing so much of myself in her. She hadn’t brought it up since, nor did she hold it against me. Jobs after also seemed to dry up, and it was all Cade’s doing. It was another reason why tonight was so important to me. If I could show my professionalism, others might be willing to overlook the gossip rags.

I smoothed down my long hair, then grabbed my things. On the way out of the penthouse, I looked ahead at the city that once offered me so much promise. It was so familiar, yet suffocating as well. If I had lived in Asheville, things would be so much different. There would be far less skyscrapers and pollution, and more fresh mountain air to enjoy. I wouldn’t have a bustling skyline view, but that of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My children and I would live in a single family home instead of an industrialized penthouse, and there would be grass and greenspace for them to enjoy.

I wouldn’t unwind with a glass of wine and never-ending traffic in my sight, but possibly our own private pool and woods. It would be a slowed-down life, and one I desperately needed. I couldn’t leave this city, though. It was home for my children, and had become that to me. No matter how much I might wish for something different, it wasn’t realistic, or anything I could seriously entertain.

I flicked the light on so that my place wouldn’t be dark when I got home later, then locked up behind me. In the divorce, I had been left a vehicle, but I loathed Chicago traffic and chose to take an Uber to the event tonight. Because I would be there at least an hour before everyone was set to arrive, no one would even notice.

When I did get back to the Ritz Carlton, everything had gotten set up according to plan. If I could get steady work, I would have to eventually hire an assistant, but I was not quite there yet in my career which meant I had to meticulously go through every detail myself to make sure it was all done as requested. Occasionally, a plant or flower would be out of place, or a name card would be on the wrong table, but those were things I could quickly fix without anyone knowing.

And booking a hotel instead of empty warehouse space, I didn’t have to worry about issues like the Waters party and their roof conundrum. Noah and Gabriel had saved my ass with that, and as I thought of my most recent lover, a tingle rushed through me. He would be here tonight in a full tuxedo. The man was devastatingly handsome enough in jeans and a T-shirt, but sharply dressed, he would be a temptation I needed to try my hardest to resist.

“Mrs. Davis,” the caterer said, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said absently, turning around to face him. “Is there something wrong?”

Lately, my luck had been terrible, and when he smiled, I remembered to breathe. “No, I had brought an extra Charlotte aux Fraise for you to sample. Would you like me to bring it to you?”

“Yes, that would be great,” I told him, then slowly turned to look at the room. This party was going to be a great one, and when Nigel returned with a small cake, he handed it off to me, then left me alone to enjoy it.

I plucked one of the strawberries off of the top, then popped it into my mouth. It was sweet, but had a citrus bite to it. It was so good, but I didn’t dare to eat any more of it. Until this party started and I got a feel of it, I wouldn’t be able to stomach anything. I brought it to the back, then left it in a place where I could come back to it later. Voices started to filter in and I knew the first of the guests were now arriving.