Beyond the Velvet Rope. Tiffany Ashley
she saw. Apparently, gay men were not excluded from his appeal. Unlike most heterosexual males, Elliot did not appear the least bit guarded as he mingled with the men. Instead, Elliot engaged them warmly. In fact, it bordered on mild flirtation. Of course, it was not as obvious as it was with women but it was just enough to make them walk away thinking maybe, just maybe, they stood a chance of warming a place in Elliot’s bed.
With easy skill, Elliot broke away from the group and continued his rounds of greeting VIP members.
Just then, Adam sought her out in the crowd and waved her over to a table on an elevated level. From this perch he was able to point out regular customers, whom he referred to as members. Thandie listened avidly as he distinguished the rich from the hangers-on. There were telltale signs Thandie would have been able to figure out for herself, but Adam had the advantage of experience. He knew these people by name and face, oftentimes by financial records. He was vague on these details, but he revealed just enough to let her understand the clientele.
From the corner of her eye, Thandie spotted Warren entering the VIP lounge. A wave of interest swept over the rooms as he made his way through the throng. A celebrity in his own right, Warren’s arrival was warmly received. He shook hands and issued nods of acknowledgment with the masterful finesse of a seasoned politician. No one was immune to Warren’s charm.
A break in the mass occurred and Thandie was able to see Warren fully. His Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts had been replaced by a fine dark suit and silk tie. His thick white hair, although stylishly brushed to the side, caught the hold of the mood lighting and now glowed a soft lavender purple. Not surprisingly, a young woman clung to his side.
Thandie waved her hand to signal him. Catching sight of her, Warren grinned and began making his way toward them. “Hey, kiddo!” he said as soon as he reached her. “I see you made it to school just fine.”
Thandie hugged Warren in greeting. “Yes, I made it here in one piece.”
“How did the management meeting go?”
“She made quite an impression,” Adam volunteered.
Warren’s white brows raised. “Oh, really?”
“I don’t think the boys are excited about sharing their sandbox with a girl,” Thandie suggested.
Adam gave a snort. “I beg to differ.”
“No one gave you a hard time, did they?” Warren asked, a trace of concern in his eyes.
“No,” she assured him. “It was painless enough.”
“Well, then,” Warren said happily, “no harm done.” He snapped his fingers as if remembering something. “Where are my manners?” Turning to the young woman at his side, he said, “This is Thandie, an old friend of mine.” He put special emphasis on the ‘old friend’ part. “And that’s Adam,” he added flatly. If Adam was offended by Warren’s lack of embellishment, he did not show it. “Thandie and Adam, this is Kara.”
“Tara,” the woman corrected.
“Right,” Warren said quickly. “Tara.”
Tara made a childish pout with her lips, muttered something about wanting to dance, and then sashayed onto the dance floor. Thandie was amused by the animated way Warren and Adam swiveled their necks to watch Tara’s departure. When the leering got to be too much, Thandie asked, “Warren, who is that woman?”
Warren leaned closer and whispered, “If I play my cards right, we could be looking at the next Mrs. Warren Radcliffe.”
“Wife Number Six?” Thandie mused aloud.
Warren waved his hand in air. “Don’t rain on my parade. Our lawyers are talking.” He watched Tara dancing in the center of the dance floor. Her hands were in her hair and her hips swayed provocatively. Warren gave a sigh of awe. “Don’t wait up for me, kiddo,” he said. “I don’t plan on coming home early.” With that said, he eased his way onto the dance floor to join Tara.
“Crafty old guy,” Adam muttered under his breath.
“You have no idea,” she agreed.
Suddenly, without warning, Elliot appeared out of the crowd and stood at Adam’s side. The expression on his face was calm, cool and collected. However, his eyes told a different story. The pale gray orbs flickered with something bright and dangerous. Thandie got the eerie feeling she was hunted prey.
Elliot locked eyes with her for a moment and then, as if nothing of significance had happened, he turned to Adam. “I trust you’re keeping a close eye on Ms. Shaw.”
Adam grinned. “I’m not letting her out of my sight.”
“That’s good to hear,” Elliot said in a voice that seemed to convey just the opposite. “We wouldn’t want to lose her in the crowd. Anything could happen.”
Adam chuckled, but Thandie frowned at the strange comment. Was he trying to warn her, or scare her? Uncertain if the remark deserved a response, Thandie looked away. She could feel Elliot’s gray gaze on her, and it was unsettling.
She stiffened when he stepped around Adam, circling behind her, to come up on her left. His movement was slow and deliberate. He came within inches of brushing against her. She could briefly feel his breath on the back of her neck as he passed her.
“I trust we’re keeping you entertained,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Yes,” she replied skittishly; her nerves brittle from his nearness, which was too close for comfort. “I can see why Babylon is in high demand,” she said lamely. “The renovations are remarkable. The views are impressive.”
“I agree,” he said with soft laugh. “The views are very impressive.”
She looked up to find his gaze was not on the glass walls which overlooked the lower levels of the club, but trained on her. Thandie’s reaction to his words played right into his hands. A flutter of arousal began to churn in her stomach, her skin puckered with goose bumps, and her nipples tightened. She did not have to look down to know her response was noticeable. She could tell by the sound of Elliot’s soft chuckle.
Thankfully Adam, who’d been keeping a watchful eye on the VIP guests, thus missing their exchange, asked, “How are we doing tonight, Elliot?”
“We’ll hit our liquor sales goal,” Elliot replied unenthusiastically.
“Better than nothing,” Adam said encouragingly.
“So you say,” Elliot retorted. Without another word, he disappeared into the sea of people.
Thandie looked after him, unsure what to make of Elliot. What had been the point of that? Was he trying to bait her into saying something foolish? Or did he simply enjoy unnerving her? She watched his retreating back, his broad shoulders leaving a wide path in his wake.
“Elusive as always,” a voice said.
Thandie turned around to see the speaker. Standing directly behind her was a dark-haired man with even darker eyes. He was average height, well suited, and there was an interesting lift in his voice, indicating he was not native to the area. She imagined under any other circumstance, he would strike her as handsome. However, her eyes still lingered on the spot Elliot had just vacated.
“Of course,” the stranger continued, “that’s why women can’t get enough of him.”
“Ah, you’re back,” Adam said, having noticed their visitor. He reached around Thandie to shake the man’s hand. “I thought you would be out of town for a few more days.” Adam inclined his head to Thandie. “This is Rex Barrington. He handles the marketing for Club Babylon.”
Rex held out his hand to her. “And you must be the legendary Ms. Shaw everyone has been talking about.”
“I am Thandie Shaw,” she said as she accepted his hand. “However, I’m not sure about the legendary part.”
Rex