Queen In Play (The Manhattan Tales Book 2) Read online

  His light green eyes were friendly as he made his rounds at the table, greeting us. Then, his eyes fixated on Elyse.

  “Well, hello there, Ms…?”

  Elyse seemed to visibly freeze up around Jackson. Her face was pink. She remained stiff, and he waited patiently for her response.

  “Ly.” She gave a short response. I didn’t understand her strange behavior around Piper’s brother. She was always so bold. Her behavior made zero sense.

  Her face continued changing shades until it was a dark pink under his scrutinous gaze. He seemed to be enjoying his level of intimidation as his green eyes bore down on her with a smirk.

  “Oh for the love of-” Piper suddenly spoke up. “Jackson, leave Elyse alone.”

  He paused momentarily, and then chuckled. He then removed his gaze from Elyse, and looked at his sister, then to me.

  “What do you ladies think? This might be my pride and joy.” He gestured around the open layout.

  “This place is amazing. Congratulations,” I gave him a big smile.

  Ever since the accident down the stairs, Jackson has checked on me frequently. I think he felt responsible because the accident happened in his home, during his party.

  “Thanks, Jill,” Jax grinned. “You look fantastic by the way. Happy Birthday. Drinks are on me. Anything you want. You too, sis.”

  He looked at Elyse, who still remained uncharacteristically flushed and quiet at the table. “And you- don’t be shy. Let me know if you need anything.” He winked at her, and her face became the color of a beet.

  He walked away to make his business rounds, and Elyse sat quietly at the table until he was gone from sight. Piper and I looked at her with raised brows.

  At that moment, our drinks arrived and Elyse took it and drank deeply.

  “Are you okay, Ly?” I asked.

  She looked up with a bright, fake smile. “Oh yeah, I’m fine. This is the best Sex on the Beach I’ve ever had.” She took another deep sip and soon downed the contents of her glass.

  “It’s okay, honey. He has that effect on most women,” Piper gave a sympathetic smile. She patted Elyse’s shoulder as she stood. “I need the restroom. I’ll be back.”

  When she walked away, Elyse clasped my hand. “Let’s dance!”

  “Oh, no… it’s too crowded!” I said, suddenly very mortified. The last time I danced around strangers, it was at Jackson’s party and it was not this crowded. It was also slow dancing, something I’m much more comfortable with. I can’t dance and I feel like a clown jumping up and down senselessly.

  I pulled my hand away from hers, but she already had too many drinks in her to care. She took my hand more firmly and pulled me over to the dance floor. Violet strobe lights danced around our heads as Elyse began to move her body to the beat of the music. The music reverberated around us as I stiffly and uncomfortably moved next to her. She was already into the beat of the music but I wasn’t drunk enough for this. Someone tall and strong bumped into me on the crowded dance floor and I nearly fell into Elyse, who remained oblivious.

  “Hey, easy there,” A male voice said as strong hands reached around to steady me.

  I looked up and saw six feet of lean muscle grinning down at me. Actually, it was more like a smirk. His light brown hair fell into his blue eyes. He wore a black pinstripe button down, untucked, with dark wash jeans. Wow.

  “Whoa, thanks,” I laughed nervously as he steadied me back on my feet.

  His eyes darted over to Elyse briefly. She was preoccupied, dancing with herself. He looked down at me with another charming grin as his eyes roved over my body and then fixated on my breasts before he looked at my face. He was a smooth talker. A real charmer. I could already sense it.

  “Let me buy you a drink.”

  “Thanks, but I already reached my limit for tonight,” I smiled.

  “I doubt that. One more won’t hurt, doll face.” He winked down at me.

  “Do you typically push drinks on women without knowing their names?” I asked with a flirty grin.

  “I can push a lot more than a drink, doll.” He bestowed a half-smirk and then winked. I admit- he was hot. Really hot.

  I felt myself flush slightly and I looked away from his smirk.

  “I had a few mojitos already, earlier.”

  “Seems they didn’t work much, did they?” His blue eyes were entertained as they assessed me keenly.

  I shrugged and smiled. I do not have much practice in flirting and never considered myself much of a vixen, but this guy seemed to make flirting easy.

  I opened my mouth to give him a coy response, but stopped as my eyes fell on the rounded bar just off to side, behind the stranger.

  My heart did a triple leap in my chest when I spotted him. Not only did I spot him, but he had been watching my interaction with the handsome stranger. Mason’s gaze burnt into me. He wore a crisp white button down and dark gray pants. He was overdue for a haircut and his hair was longer than he usually kept it. He sported a possible week-old scruff.

  His appearance was rugged, tormented and he was clearly sleep deprived. His expression was as murderous as it was in the gossip blog I’d read only hours earlier. He held a whiskey glass in one hand so tightly that I thought it might shatter in his grasp. His other hand was wrapped around the hip of a woman who hung on his side. She was beautiful, tall and slim with bronze skin that glowed under her tight-fitting red dress. I don’t even know if I could call it a dress. It was so tight on her body, it fit more like underwear. The dress was cut so low that her breasts were about to pop out. The sheer lace that stitched up the sides left almost nothing to the imagination. Way to go, Mason. You picked a winner.

  Another woman approached the bar and obviously began complimenting him. This one kept her hands off Mason. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was dressed more modestly in a silky white number. Oh, she’s one of the waitresses.

  Still, Mason paid no attention to either of the women as he stared me down with a tumultuous gaze. I know I looked like a deer in the headlights as my heart palpitated within my flushed chest. The man standing next to me on the dance floor turned and looked toward the direction I was staring, and then turned back to me, uncaring. He stuck his thumb in Mason’s direction blatantly.

  “Is that your man staring me down with daggers?” He gave a huge grin, as though the idea of it gave him a thrill.

  My face contorted into a sour expression at his question. “No.” My tone was bitter. “I don’t want anything to do with him.”

  The man looked down at me intently and then nodded with a laugh. “Right. Keep telling yourself that.”

  My eyes widened as I prepared to argue, and then the stranger grabbed my face with two hands and kissed me, hard and rough.

  I was caught by such surprise. When I gathered my senses, I pulled myself away. “What are you doing? You don’t even know my name!”

  “I know enough.” The handsome stranger winked. “You should thank me. I just did you a favor.”

  Arrogant prick. What the fuck?

  I exhaled shakily as I looked over at Mason, but he’d left the bar. Maybe he didn’t see the display. Maybe if he had seen it, he wouldn’t have cared. You shouldn’t care either. He’s obviously not missing you… I reminded myself.

  I turned back to the stranger who’d just accosted me with a kiss, but he was nowhere to be seen. What the hell? I looked around the dance floor, but I couldn’t see over the ocean of people on the main floor.

  I found Piper sitting at the glass table, sipping her drink. She was talking with a random waitress and they seemed really friendly. Piper pulled out her cell phone and it looked like they were exchanging phone numbers. I wouldn’t interrupt their friendly chat. I approached the round bar and looked around, but I didn’t see Mason or that handsome stranger. This night was just too weird.

  A beautiful blonde, up-and-coming singer approached the stage on the main floor and began singing. Her music presented a vibrant energy i
n the club and people began cheering and dancing, but I couldn’t pay attention to the music. The front floor was alive with dancing, since almost everyone present flocked to her performance. Mason had vanished along with that slutty-dressed vixen. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, knowing fully well what they were up to at this very moment. Tears pricked my eyes, and a hammering pounded within my chest as disgusting thoughts of what he was doing with her intruded my mind. I pushed through the crowds as I tried to locate the restroom. I felt more conflicted than ever...

  Wait, what am I doing?

  I stopped in my tracks. I thought back my short stay in the hospital. Elyse mentioned that Mason had stayed the night with me, despite hospital policy. He has always been a man to get his own way. When I was finally coherent, the realization of what he’d been planning flooded back to my memory. I was so angry with him.

  Two months earlier...

  My head was pounding. The pain medication was wearing off. I needed a nurse… I touched the side of my face, and felt the tender, swollen bruises that covered the right side of my face in blotches. The beeping of my heart monitor was like nails on a chalkboard due to my pulsing headache. I suffered bruised ribs, a concussion, and the doctors kept me overnight to monitor my condition. I faintly overheard them telling my mom and Travis that they ran some tests because they were worried about bleeding and swelling.

  Mason was there when the fog finally subsided. I had no clue if he’d had any interaction with mom or Travis at the hospital, because all I could experience at the time was either the pain or the fog from the pain medication. For a fleeting second, I was glad to see him when I woke, and then the memories crashed down on me. It hurt worse than the unbearable agony I was feeling throughout my entire body.

  “No,” I shook my head weakly, and it only made my head throb worse. “Go away.”

  I didn’t have the strength to deal with his bullshit.

  “Jillian, let me talk,” he demanded calmly as I lie in the hospital bed. I tried to sit up, but a sharp jabbing in my ribs caused me to wince and I threw my head back onto the pillow.

  He clasped my hand but I yanked it away, nearly pulling out the intravenous in my hand. I looked up at him furiously, and my blood pressure spiked on the monitor. I winced as the spike in my blood pressure suddenly made the monitor beep more profusely. The noise was piercing against this migraine.

  Mason looked at the machine and then his gaze turned down at me. His light brown eyes were hollow with sadness.

  “I’m so sorry,” he spoke hoarsely as an unreadable mask suddenly consumed his face. He lifted my hand, and kissed it tenderly.

  “Goodbye, Jillian.” He turned, left the hospital room, and that was the last time I’d seen him… until tonight. I haven’t forgotten the look in his eyes as he said he was sorry. It’s haunted me every day for nearly two months. I was so angry. I felt so betrayed, so used, so cheap. I needed time.

  Apparently, Mason needed no time at all.

  Present Day

  The women’s restroom was located within a long corridor that was lined with mirrors. Just in case one mirror was not enough, patrons had the option of about twenty. Soft magenta light filtered through the ceiling lights and the corridor provided surround sound from the stage performance in the front. At this moment, the corridor was empty since most of the patrons were enjoying the show. Jax had mentioned he had a string of popular artists lined up for the grand opening of Lush this evening.

  I pressed my hand to the mahogany door of the women’s restroom to push it open. I needed to get myself together and freshen my makeup. At the far end of the corridor, a woman exited through one of the doors and locked it behind herself. She was the waitress who served our drinks on the main floor, the one who mistook Piper for being Jackson’s wife rather than his sister. She didn’t see me because the far end of the hall had less light filtering through. I didn’t even realize there were other doors in the corridors. Perhaps they were conference rooms or…? I wasn’t familiar with the layout of nightclubs, but this one seemed extraordinary at best.

  Suddenly, Jackson rounded the corner on the opposite end, and she nearly bumped into him. The music from the front stage reverberated in the corridor and I could barely hear their voices talking.

  “I am so sorry,” she said quickly and dropped to her knees. She placed her hands within her lap and would not look up at him.

  Okay...?

  This night was getting more bizarre by the minute. Jackson looked annoyed as he stared down at her with blazing eyes. He lifted her and straightened her to her feet. His characteristic charming smile was lost on his face as he stared down the woman.

  “I said- not here,” he spoke sternly. There was a quiet tenacity to his voice as she quickly stood to her feet. I slipped into the bathroom at this moment. I was never one to spy on other people, and I definitely couldn’t have Piper’s brother noticing that I had been watching them.

  What the fuck? I mouthed this to myself. That short scene lasted only two seconds at most, but it was really weird. The bathroom door was open a crack and I heard the door at the farthest end of the hall close behind them as they disappeared from the corridor.

  This is none of my business, I reminded myself… but I couldn’t help but wonder why the waitress was on her knees in front of him in that pose. Jackson looked irritated. I had never seen him like that.

  I freshened up in the bathroom and fixed my hair, which had become slightly mussed from bumping into that handsome stranger on the dance floor.

  My mind wasn’t on that man or his abrupt kiss, though. Mason’s turbulent expression invaded my thoughts relentlessly. I was angry with myself for feeling so jealous of his hand on another woman’s body. I was annoyed that I felt so resentful for reading those ridiculous gossip blogs about his relationship with some wealthy woman in London. I shouldn’t care. He used me and tried to hurt me in the worst way to get back at my brother. I sucked on my lower lip as my mind whirled with thoughts. The mahogany door closed behind me as I exited the bathroom. My mind was so consumed with thoughts of him that I walked straight into a tall, muscular body. The masculine scent was so familiar, too familiar, and I felt his strong hands grab me as I nearly bounced off him and stumbled back.

  I gasped from the surprise as his grasp on my arms steadied my body. I looked up, my eyes trailing from the dark gray denim that hugged his muscular thighs, to the crisp white button-down that he kept untucked. I savored the outline of the taut muscles beneath his shirt. Finally, my gaze locked with his. His eyes bore down on me, intense and stormy. I felt chills wash over my body.

  Oh. My. God…

  He never relaxed his grasp on my arm. He said nothing as he stood there, staring down at me, assessing keenly.

  He wants one thing. Get your shit together, I told myself quietly.

  I tried to pull away from his grip, but he held me there as though I hadn’t tried to move at all.

  “What do you want? Have you come to collect?” I snapped, desperately trying to ignore the way my body was reacting to his scent and the way he gripped me by both arms.

  “Collect what?” His perfect British voice was raspy as he stared down at me.

  “You know, the contract terms. You want your last month-”

  “Fuck the contract.” His tone was terse as he interjected me.

  My dark eyes widened at the inflection in his voice.

  “I tore the damn thing to shreds, and then watched it burn.”

  What? His body pressed against mine, and I instinctively moved away until I felt my back pressed against the mirrored wall. He pressed his palms into the wall, as his body pinned me in place. My heart jumped in my chest by the overwhelming demand of his presence. Then I saw the fire in his eyes as he watched the reflection of us in the mirror.

  “Why would you do that to the contract?” I asked in a hushed voice. My voice was haughty and defiant as I desperately tried to pretend that he had no effect on me whatsoever. What a joke. I felt my
panties dampen by the second. My heart was hammering in my chest from the adrenaline and the raging desire I had for this man.

  “You know why,” he answered me in a gravelly voice that was low and silky in my ear. A lock of thick, black hair fell into his perfect light brown eyes. I’m so weak. And so fucked.

  His face leaned lower, and I thought he might kiss me. No, no. I need answers. I felt a sliver of composure return to me and I seized the moment.

  “Don’t touch me. You don’t get to do that anymore!” My voice was a low hiss.

  My heart was hammering in my chest from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I attempted to push him away from me. I didn’t really have the strength to push him away, but he stepped back and I straightened my body. I stepped away from the wall and smoothed my dress as I took a deep gulp of air. I knew my face was as red as I felt hot all over.

  Mason looked down at me, assessing me quietly with a smirk in his eyes. He circled around me in one slow, quiet prowl. I followed him with my eyes as I felt a shiver of delicious excitement despite my inner turmoil against him. Damn him and his confidence...

  “On the contrary, Ms. Pryor. You want me to touch you…”

  I felt him behind me, moving my hair off one shoulder. A single finger traced the quickened pulse in my neck. My skin heated against his feathery touch. I swallowed hard. Tingles escaped down my spine and pooled between my thighs.

  “In fact, you miss my touch…” He spoke softly, but the words were commanding as though he was stating a fact and not an assumption.

  He tilted my head to the side as he began planting a lustful, passionate trail down my neck with his mouth. I closed my eyes, trying to maintain my composure. Or perhaps it was because I was enjoying the pleasure of his touch. No. I need my mind intact.

  His hands skimmed down my sides, brushing along my hips and waist, nearly touching my breasts, trailing back down to my hips. Oh hell…