What We Do in the Night (Day to Night #1) - Stylo Fantome Page 0,118

growled.

“Yes. But I also have the power to move it back into the shadows,” Ari assured him. “I'm a powerful man with a lot of powerful connections – I can make this go away, but it'll cost me.”

“Which means it'll cost me. How much?” Del demanded.

“I want my membership reinstated,” Ari said.

There was a long silence, and Del looked around the room awkwardly.

“And ...?” he asked, holding up his hands. Ari shook his head.

“And that's it. Well, and a guarantee that it will never be revoked.”

“You're gonna make this massive legal problem just evaporate and all you're gonna ask for in exchange is membership?” Del checked. Ari grinned at him.

“What can I say? Something about having that shiny gold DVC card in my wallet just makes me feel special.”

Del snorted.

“Just because you get to come waltzing back in here, that don't mean you get to harass my staff,” he said. “I can't make Valentine like you, and I wouldn't even if I could, not for any price. You upset her, and I don't care, I'll have Serge rip your fucking head off.”

“I won't upset her,” Ari said. “Or least I'll try my best not to.”

“But you are gonna harass her.”

“No more than is necessary.”

“Necessary?”

“Valentine ...” Ari sighed. “She has somewhat of a stubborn streak, you may have noticed.”

“Oh yeah.”

“There's too many places for her to run away to and hide from me. She can't run away when she's here. I just want her to listen to me. Then I'll leave her alone.”

Which is a lie, because I know – I know – if I can just get her to listen to me, to really hear me, she'll understand me. And if she understands me, she'll come back to me, and I'll never have to leave her alone again. I have to believe this. I have to.

The Kane Series

Degradation

“You started these games,” Jameson pointed out. Tate hiked up her dress a little and lifted her knee to his desk.

“I didn't realize they'd go on for this long,” she replied, then she bent forward and crawled across the desk towards him. He didn't move.

“They're going to go on for a lot longer,” he warned her. She reached out, putting her hand on his knee.

“For how long?” she asked, her voice husky as she slid her hand up his thigh, moving as slowly as possible.

“However long it takes for you to realize who the winner will always be,” Jameson replied.

Before she could respond, there was a loud knock at the door. She didn't move, kept her eyes locked to his, her hand an inch away from his crotch. He stared back, a smile spreading across his face. He looked like the devil.

She suddenly got nervous.

Oh no.

“Who is that?” she asked when there was another knock.

“I forgot, a business associate is stopping by, just to go over some stuff,” Jameson explained. His voice was too soft, too easy going. Tate leaned back, sitting on her heels.

“Oh. Okay. Want me to leave?” she offered, confused. He shook his head.

“No, you can stay in here. In fact, I have a wonderful idea,” he started.

Now she was really nervous.

“Oh god. What?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at the door.

“You have to prove to me that you're worth my time,” he said.

“I thought we were doing that,” she pointed out.

“Too easy! Now you've got me worried. A hand job in my library? Don't I even get Arby's?” he joked. She smacked him on the chest.

“Shut up,” she growled. He lurched forward in his chair, his face a couple inches away from her own.

“Mr. Greene is going to walk in here, in about two minutes. We are going to go over some property info – he's buying my farm in Vermont. If you can make me come, before he leaves the room, I will agree to anything you want,” Jameson offered.

She stared at him. A little shocked. A little surprised. A lot intrigued. Make him come? While another man was in the room? How was she going to do that? How had they gone from drinks and light banter, to acts of sexual indecency in front of a virtual stranger?

“You want me to jack you off in front of some dude,” Tate clarified. Jameson roared with laughter.

“God, no, I have long since out grown any sort of voyeuristic phase. You have about one minute,” he warned her just as there was another knock at the door.

Her breathing picked up. The look on his face said he thought she