Chapter Twenty
Sterling
I woke up before Denis and stretched, wincing with each move.
Bruises littered the lower half of my body, which I didn’t have to worry about as they could be hidden.
If I had to admit, I kind of liked them.
If I thought to question whether Denis and I were sexually compatible, I only had to touch the fingertip marks on my hips where he’d held me down as he drove in deep, all the while whispering in my ear in that sexy accent that drove me wild.
I’d had sex, but Denis gave me the passion, lust, and desire I’d been missing to understand why wars had been fought and lives lost for love.
In the bathroom, I peered in the mirror and grimaced. Bite marks scored an angry red on my neck, and I knew it would take time and effort to hide them. I couldn’t walk into the office like this. I sighed and stepped into the shower.
Once out and dried, I began my daily regime of skin care and was halfway through when Denis came in. Bleary-eyed, he barely gave me a glance, but after he finished, he stopped to kiss my shoulder, then paused. In the reflection, I watched his jaw drop.
“Mère de Dieu. What in the name of all that is holy is this crap?” He reached out to pick up my Vitamin C serum and my squalene-and-peptides lotion. His eyes narrowed as he read the bottle. “What are you doing with this stuff?”
I finished dabbing serum on my neck, and with my jaw set, folded my arms. “Unlike you, whose career is solely based on physical strength, speed, and athleticism, being on camera means not only do I have to read the news properly, but I have to look a certain way.”
“Like how? A greased-up bobblehead? Ow!” He rubbed the spot where I whacked him.
“I’m forty years old. I have to be on the lookout for someone younger coming in and taking my place.”
Denis shook his head, that thick mane of hair falling in front of his face.
“Non, non, et non. You are gorgeous as is. You don’t need to look like one of those plastic-faced people.
” He tucked the tangled strands behind his ear.
“Please tell me you haven’t had any of those ridiculous surgeries.
” Long, rough fingers skimmed along my cheeks.
“Promise me you won’t touch these.” He kissed my eyes and fluttering lashes.
“A life well lived and loved should be celebrated, not erased.”
Embarrassed, I patted at the cream he’d smeared. “You don’t understand. It’s a competition. Like you said, the players under you might be faster and stronger and you worry. It’s the same for me.”
“But people don’t want silly young faces reading them the terrible news of the day. They want a person they can relate to. Someone who sounds and looks empathetic, warm, and knowledgeable.”
Denis’s adamance surprised me. “You’re really upset about this.” I screwed the top on the jar of my stupid-expensive wrinkle cream and hoped he didn’t open the linen closet where I stored my red-light mask.
“I am. Very. Do you think we don’t grow old and wear the scars of our wins and losses on our faces? There’s beauty in those lines. I think you fell for all that bullshit in Hollywood, where someone’s looks mean more than who they are.” He tapped his chest. “In here.”
I smiled. “You’re a romantic.”
“I am French Canadian,” he stated as if that explained everything. “We worship love and hockey.”
“I want what you said. To be the face people trust and will turn to in a crisis. Growing up, I only knew what I lived with, which was youth and beauty and excess. My mother made her name in the movies not only for her acting ability, but for her beauty and youthful appearance. She amassed her fortune by selling that dream to everyone. I guess I’m as foolish as anyone for falling for it. ”
He pulled me into his chest. “You’re not foolish. But now you have me, to tell you what’s real.”
I shook with laughter. “Says the man with the massive ego.”
He cupped my ass and rubbed up against me. “My ego isn’t the only thing that’s massive. I want you,” he growled, and I nearly swooned at his possessiveness. “You’re going to be away until late, and you’ll need to remember who and what you have waiting for you.”
“I can hardly forget, considering I can barely walk straight. And you can wipe that smug look off your face.”
“Who, me?” He snickered, and I wanted to smack him again, but he pulled my towel off and put his hands on me, and I lost my ability to think.
“I wish I could keep you like this all day,” he whispered in my ear, and his touch had me quivering and ready to do whatever he wanted. “Naked and so close to the edge.”
Oh God, he’s going to be the death of me.
“I should be doing yoga right now.” I sighed as he backed me out of the bathroom toward the bed.
“You can downward dog on me.”
**
I was almost late for work. Denis had lain in my bed, looking way too good for the morning. Who knew I had a thing for long, messy hair and eyes so large and dark, they appeared to hold the secrets of the universe in their depths?
“This is all your fault,” I grumbled, slinging a tie around my neck. “Now I won’t have time to fix those marks on my neck. I’ll have to do it in the office.”
“Désolé, mon c?ur.” Denis’s grin negated his words. I wanted to be annoyed with him, but with my body still recovering from his lips and tongue, he’d rightfully call me out as a liar.
And God help me, but I loved every damn second of it.
In my office, I carefully applied the skin-tone cream, making sure I put a napkin between my shirt and skin to not have it bleed all over my collar.
I thought I’d done a decent job, and I knew Patty in makeup would touch it up before we went on air.
Someone knocked, and I swept the mess on my desk into the drawer and whisked the napkin off my neck.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Tag stuck his head in, that perennial smile beaming from his handsome face. “Hey. How are you this morning?”
I felt bad for brushing him off, but after the emotional night I’d had with Denis, there had been no doubt I was with whom I was meant to be.
“I’m good, thanks. How about you?”
“Just wanted to check in and make sure you got home all right. I texted you, but you didn’t answer.”
I winced. “Sorry. I, uh, got caught up in stuff when I got home.”
“Can I come in?”
“Yes, sure.” I beckoned to him. “I didn’t mean to make you wait at the door.”
He took a seat at the conference table by the window overlooking Midtown. The view was a sign of my status as news anchor. I joined him and waited with clasped hands for him to speak.
“Did I do something wrong?” Tag asked. “Last night, I mean.”
Shit. I should’ve known he’d want to talk about it.
“No, of course not. I had a nice time.”
He grimaced. “Ouch. Nice is the kiss of death on a date. I was hoping you’d felt something. Like I did.”
Fuck. This was one of the reasons I’d shied away from relationships. All this messy personal stuff. Then I remembered holding Denis, feeling him trembling in my arms as he recounted the story of his parents’ behavior, and I knew I’d do everything in my power to help him become whole again.
“You’re a great guy, Tag. And I enjoyed myself, but…to be honest, no. I didn’t.”
“Is there another guy?”
Damn, he was pushy.
I met his frank question with my chin up and no regrets. “Yes. There is. But I don’t discuss my personal life. You and I had a nice time at dinner, but I’d like to keep it as friends. If you can’t, I guess there’s nothing more to say.”
For the first time since I’d known him, Tag frowned. “I’m fine with being friends, but for me that goes beyond a casual hi and good morning. If you don’t want that, I’ll stay out of your way.” Without waiting for my answer, he left and closed the door behind him.
I cast my eyes up at the ceiling. “This is why I shouldn’t get involved with people.” As if to taunt me, there was another knock at my door. I counted to three before I answered.
“Come.”
This time Adrian’s blond head popped in. “May I come in?”
“Be my guest. Not like I’m getting anything done this morning.”
I was prepared to argue with him about me and Tag, but Adrian surprised me.
“I know we have the end-of-week meeting soon, but I wanted you to know that I spoke to an informant and he said one of his buddies saw the mayor in Jersey last weekend, coming in and out of a house. When I ran the address, it came up registered to an Angela Barnetti.”
My jaw dropped. “As in the Barnetti crime family? Angela is the daughter of the boss. Damn. I don’t know which is a bigger scandal—the mayor not living in the city, or him being involved with a mob boss’s daughter.”
“I know, I know,” Adrian agreed, his head bobbing up and down with excitement. “He wants to talk, but only to you.”
My pulse spiked, and I remembered Denis urging me to go for my dream and push to report on the national news. Surely this story would make the cut.
“Good. Arrange it. Today, even. We can meet him for lunch anywhere he wants.”
“Great. I’ll set it up.”
When he didn’t leave, I knew what was coming. “Anything else? I need to read through the morning reports.”
“Well, uh, yeah. How was the rest of your evening with Tag? He’s such a nice guy, and I know he really likes you—”
I put a hand up. “Adrian. I think maybe because I came to your wedding and your home a few times, you believe it means I’m going to spill my heart out to you. But I’m not that kind of person.”
His face fell. “Oh. I thought we were becoming friends. But I get it. No worries. We can keep it strictly business.” He rose from his seat.
Dammit. I didn’t want to hurt Adrian’s feelings.
He was being nice and only trying to help me.
I had to take a leap of faith and start letting people in because the loner thing hadn’t worked too well for me.
Adrian had been the first to crack open the door—and then Denis had barreled right through and taken what he wanted.
I waved for him to sit again. “No, please listen. I’ve never been the type to open up to people. But you’re right. We are beginning to be friends, and I’d like it to continue.”
Adrian’s face shone with happiness. “I’m glad. Because Rip and I enjoyed having you and Tag over for dinner. I thought the two of you were getting along?”
He waited expectantly, but this was a tricky situation. Denis and Rip had been together for years, and Denis’s cheating had resulted in a public, ugly breakup. On the surface now, they seemed fine, but was that reality or only for the game?
“We did. He’s a nice guy.”
Adrian’s smile faded. “Okay, I know what that means. Nice isn’t what someone wants to hear on a date.”
I chuckled. “I wouldn’t say that. You’re a nice guy, and Rip adores you.”
His cheeks pinked. “Well, yeah, but it was hard work to get him to see past that facade.”
“So you’re not really nice?” I joked. “But you know what I mean. There has to be a something there. And Tag and I don’t have it.”
“I’m sorry.” Adrian looked crestfallen, which led me to the decision to tell him the truth.
“It’s okay. I…I’ve kind of been seeing someone else.”
Immediately, he brightened. “You have? That’s great. Why didn’t you say something? I wouldn’t have tried to set you up with Tag.” He waited. “So…? Anyone I know?”
For the first time I felt unsure and younger than my forty years.
I’d interviewed senators and governors, yet talking about my personal life made my skin crawl with embarrassment.
Like I was undressing in the locker room before gym class in front of the jocks, and they were laughing at my less than muscular body.
But Adrian deserved to know because if my being involved with Denis would cause a problem, we’d need to find a solution.
“Yes. It’s Denis.” I waited for his reaction.
“Oh.” He blinked. “That’s…unexpected. I didn’t know you were that friendly. You might’ve thought I’d been trying to push you two together, but I wasn’t.”
“I recall you telling me you didn’t think it was a good idea, but I didn’t pay much attention because at that point we weren’t even friends.” No need to reveal how close we’d become.
“Right. I figured it was for the best. You’re…uh…very different.”
“I’m aware. But you seem uncomfortable with what I told you. Is it because he and Rip were once together?”
Adrian nibbled on his lip. “No. We’re well past that now.”
My head began to throb with all of Adrian’s verbal gymnastics. “You’re not a politician, Adrian. You can tell me the truth and leave out the word salad. Reporters give facts, not opinions or personal beliefs.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Denis can charm a peanut out of its shell. I don’t know how much of it is real or just show for that playboy image he likes to project, but…”
“What is it?” I grew impatient. “Spit it out already.”
Adrian was as stubborn as he was sweet, and he ignored that, forging on. “I’m not telling you this because Denis cheated on Rip. You know that. There isn’t bad blood anymore between them. Both of them now realize they never loved each other and they’re better off as friends.”
“Adrian…” I warned.
His blush deepened, and he huffed. “Okay, so. When Rip and I were dating and Denis was still engaged, he proposed a threesome to Rip—him, Gordie, and Rip. I never said anything before because you two kept arguing all the time and I didn’t think you’d ever hook up.
But now you have, and I think you deserve to know the whole story.
I don’t know if I could ever fully trust Denis. ”
That startling information sent shockwaves through me, and I didn’t bother to explain that I didn’t “hook up.” Was this something I had to look forward to?
Denis had been so possessive. So insistent that it was only the two of us and he wanted me and only me.
Sharing didn’t seem to be in his makeup. “I…see. Thank you for letting me know.”
“I hope I didn’t upset you. But as your friend…” He trailed off, eyes anxious, a worried crease to his brow.
“I appreciate it. It’s time for the meeting. We’d better get going.”
All through the morning, my focus was only half on the news of the day. Had I made a mistake and gotten in over my head with a man ruled by his hormones and who only gave a damn about sex? Was Denis exactly whom I initially thought him to be?