“Bet still stands. Club rules. I set the challenge, it’s up to you to make or break it. Time allowances.” Cole narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “I’ll make it easy for you. A week.”
Could he hold out a week? Sure he could. A week would be easy. Especially after the phone call to Dane that he intended to make. Ian wasn’t above admitting he was drowning in a puddle of his own making.
“A week,” he agreed as Cole rose to his feet, a mocking smile tilting his lips.
“Damn. I have to come to The Club more often. This could get amusing,” he snickered as he moved to the door. “Good luck, buddy. And no padding your own bet. I wouldn’t be pleased.”
“Meaning?” Ian rose slowly to his own feet.
“Meaning. If you call Dane, all bets are off, and I make certain your sweet little innocent learns some amazing home truths. Tess is good at having loose lips when the need arises.” Cole turned back and saluted him, mocking. “’Night, Ian.”
Ian’s fists clenched. If the son of a bitch weren’t his best friend, he would kill him.
8
Ian was pacing the floor at midnight when Courtney hadn’t returned to the house. At one o clock, he was cursing and nursing a stiff whisky. At two in the morning he had enough. He knew Tally too well. She was an instigator and determined to torture and torment the men she knew. She drove her husbands crazy at the office, and when they could take no more she conspired with the other women to make their husbands’ lives hell.
She was continually thinking of ways sneak into The Club without Devril or Lucian, and even worse, she was sneaking the other women in. Forget about just asking, the woman thought she had to play fucking commando.
At three that morning, the limo pulled into the driveway in front of the Conover mansion. Every light in the lower level of the house appeared to be on as Ian strode up the front steps. As the butler opened the door, a scowl on his taciturn face, Ian could hear the pulsing beat of Depeche Mode pounding through the house.
“Sir. Misters Conover have retired to that attic, I believe, for the safety of their eardrums.” It was evident Devril and Lucian had left the brawny ex-bouncer, Tim, to keep an eye out for the mayhem developing.
“I’ll collect Ms. Mattlaw.” He was forced to raise his voice by several levels as he stepped into the house and headed for the family room.
As he stepped to the doorway, he stopped in horror.
Dear God, they were all there.
Tally Conover, Tess Andrews, Ella and Terrie Wyman, Kimberly… He swallowed tightly as he watched the women toasting each other as they lay sprawled on the floor, more than a few empty bottles of wine thrown to the side. Within seconds they polished off the glasses they had just toasted each other with.
Courtney was drunk.
She polished off the wine then sprawled on her back, obviously speaking, though he doubted anyone could hear her.
He strode to the other side of the room and flipped the power switch to the CD player quickly.
“…and then he’ll be putty in your hands…” Kimberly Raddington was laughing with glee as she leaned close to a wide-eyed Courtney, her voice echoing eerily in the near-silent room.
They all seemed to freeze. Six pairs of eyes turned slowly to him as Courtney breathed out in exaggerated patience.
“Told you he would come looking for me.” The precise accent in her voice warned him that she was going to be less than cooperative. The frown that creased her brow was further proof.
“Ian, darling, that is my CD player.” Tally stayed on the floor, though her voice was less than pleased. “And Depeche Mode should never be shut off with such force.”
She sounded imperious. Furious. Too damned bad.
He rubbed at his brow wearily before staring across the room to where Courtney was struggling to come to her feet.
Her long, dark hair flowed around her shoulders, caressing her arms and trailing across one breast as she straightened to her full height. She was barefoot, her toenails shimmering beneath the bright overhead light. The soft cotton dress draped over her full breasts and caressed her hips before falling in a cloud of soft material to just below her thighs.
It was almost scandalous.
And she was damned cute.
The thought slammed into his chest with the force of a sledgehammer.
She was cute. Soft and sweet, and so desirable it was all he could do to maintain his fragile control. He wanted to smile at her. His heart seemed to melt at the sight and that terrified the hell out of him.
“Hi, Ian.” Her smile was wide, her dark eyes gleaming with slumberous amusement. “Did you miss me?”
“Horribly.” His lips twisted with an edge of self-mockery as he advanced on her. “The stores delivered your clothing this evening. I think you’ve emptied them for a while. Are you ready to come home now?”
She bit her lip, her expression softening as he realized what he had said. Home. Dammit, she was making herself too much a part of his life.
“Well, if you need me bad enough to collect me yourself, then I guess I’m ready to go.” She stared around the room with some confusion as the other women sat up. “Anyone seen my shoes?”
For some reason, this produced another round of snickers and giggles from the other women.
Minutes later, her shoes were located under a chair. Five feminine rears were pointed in the air as the other women decided she might need help pulling them free. Ian was standing across the room, his head tilted, watching them with no small amount of confusion when he heard an exasperated sigh behind him.
Turning, he faced Devril and Lucian Conover.
“Thank you.” Lucian’s expression was morose as he stared back at Ian. “That damned music was driving me crazy.”
“At least the music drowned them out.” Devril motioned to the women as Courtney collapsed into the chair and wiggled her petite feet into the low-heeled shoes. “The things I heard out of their mouths will give me nightmares for years to come.”
“Who knew Tally had such a bloodthirsty streak?” Lucian shook his head, staring at the woman with a pensive expression.
That comment and the look on the other man’s face assured Ian that Lucian’s “bloodthirsty” wife must have been giving Courtney pointers on making his life hell. Just what he needed.
“I’m ready,” Courtney announced as she came to her feet, wobbling a bit before finally standing straight.
She walked carefully across the room, her gaze becoming drowsy, sensual as she neared him. His dick grew harder.
“Good luck,” Lucian muttered as she neared. “Remember, Tally has been giving her advice. That’s never a good thing.”
Ian shook his head, his arms enfolding the slight form that nuzzled against his chest. He was aware of Lucian and Devril’s surprise as he enfolded her close to his chest, just as he was well aware of the sense of balance, of warmth it brought him.
“Come on, vixen.” He wasn’t about to trust her to walk the distance to the limo on her own.
Ignoring the other two men he picked her up in his arms, his lips quirking in amusement, as she seemed to hum in pleasure, her arms encircling his neck.
“I like you carrying me, Ian,” she murmured against his ear as he strode for the front door. “My legs get shaky around you, have I mentioned that?” she mused as the butler opened the door and he strode in the cold night air.
Courtney, completely unfazed, just burrowed closer, her nose tucking into his neck as the chauffeur quickly opened the door.
“You are going to be the death of me, Courtney.” He stooped, stepping into the limo with his burden and sitting back in the leather comfort of the seats as he pressed the button that raised the privacy window between the front and the back.
He was so hard, so damned horny he thought his cock might well burst from his pants. And if Courtney’s sensual little murmur of approval as she felt the hard length of his erection against her rear was any indication, the ride home could be one fraught with frustration. Because there was no way there was time to lay her back and have his way with her.