The Allure Of Julian Lefray Part 5

I stepped toward the first door and turned the k.n.o.b so I could peer inside. The room was small and dark, no larger than a walk-in closet. Yikes.

"We could each take a closet and pretend they're actual offices," I joked.

Julian came to stand behind me so that he could see into the s.p.a.ce. I stepped forward to turn on the light, but it was out of my reach. Even still, I could tell that the walls were covered in a dark crimson wallpaper with a damask print. First the black chandelier, now red wallpaper? Had I just stepped into Dracula's lair?

"No, clearly this will be the employee break room," he added dryly. "I think the lack of windows is a real plus."

I smiled and took another step inside the closet, curious about what the tenant used the s.p.a.ce for. Surely it wasn't someone's office, right? As my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I saw that directly across from me there were built in bars running horizontally across the walls. They looked like they'd be used as clothing racks, but they were at odd heights, a foot too tall for most people to reach. Then I saw that in the center of the s.p.a.ce, near the back wall, there was a pole that ran from the ceiling to floor. It almost looked like a fireman's pole, but that didn't make sense...

And then it hit me.

Holy s.h.i.t.

I scanned the s.p.a.ce and realized all my fears had come true. Sitting on the floor near the base of the stripper pole were a couple of unused condoms and a stray pair of handcuffs, leather and all.

"Julian."

"Is that a stripper pole?" he asked, taking a step closer. Poor, naive man.

"I think we're standing inside a s.e.x dungeon," I said.

He barked out a laugh and took another step inside.

"How would you know what that looks like?" he asked as he stepped up behind me and pressed his hand to my lower back, trying to get a better look at the s.p.a.ce.

I blushed, though he couldn't see it. "I've read about these things."

I turned to see his brow quirked with interest as his hazel eyes met mine in the darkness.

"For purely scientific reasons, of course," I said, holding up my hands.

"Oh, I'm sure," he nodded with sarcastic rea.s.surance. "Why do you think we're in a s.e.x dungeon? Because of that pole?"

I pointed toward the pile of forgotten items on the ground. He stepped closer in the darkness to get a better look and then I heard an audible squelch, followed by Julian momentarily losing his footing. I squeezed my eyes closed to keep my composure though I knew I was seconds away from full-on hysterics.

"What the?" he asked.

He lifted his foot and glanced down.

"Julian, I'm pretty sure you just stepped on a.n.a.l beads."

Chapter Nine.

Julian "Wait. Wait. Wait. You're telling me that you spent the day touring s.e.x dungeons while the rest of us punched the clock?"

Dean groaned as he waved the c.o.c.ktail waitress back over toward us.

"Can I help you?" she crooned, eyeing Dean with blatant interest.

"Yeah." Dean pointed toward me and I watched the waitress stare back and forth between us, unsure of where she wanted to focus. "This b.a.s.t.a.r.d here would like to buy me another beer," he said, throwing his hand onto my shoulder and squeezing hard.

I rolled my eyes but nodded for her to go ahead with the order.

After a few days of playing phone tag, Dean and I had finally managed to meet up for drinks at the lounge on the first floor of my hotel. I hadn't seen him in years, not since an old college friend's wedding, so the least I could do was buy him another beer.

"So any girl in your life? Anyone you can take to the s.e.x dungeon you discovered?" Dean asked with a cheeky smile.

I thought of how much work had dominated my time lately-and then out of nowhere, Josephine popped into my thoughts. I shook my head clear of the memory of her standing in the dark closet, of her laughter as we fled from the apartment as quickly as we could.

I realized Dean was still waiting for an answer.

"Nah, I left them behind in Boston," I said with a shrug.

A basketball game was playing behind Dean's head and I snuck a quick glance at the score before meeting his eyes. His skeptical glance told me he didn't believe my answer.

"Julian f.u.c.king Lefray doesn't have a girl following him around like a h.o.r.n.y puppy?" Dean asked, clutching his hand to his chest like he was having a heart attack. "What has the world come to?"

I smiled. "Times have changed."

He smiled smugly but didn't challenge my declaration.

"What about you? How's business?" I asked, hoping to steer the conversation as far away from me as possible.

At thirty-two, Dean Harper was a well-known restaurateur in New York City. He'd already opened five successful restaurants, one of which-a burger joint-had turned into a franchise that spanned from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side. He had a gift when it came to creating unique dining experiences. Food was his forte and I knew he was probably hard at work on his next project.

"Business is good," he nodded. "I have a soft opening for Provisions this weekend."

"Already? I swear I remember you talking about the idea for that place just last week," I said.

He smirked-a cla.s.sic Dean move-and then reclined back in his seat. "Yeah well, the restaurant world moves fast. Seems like as soon as I start working on a project another idea pops up in its place."

Our waitress returned with our drinks and she bent to hand us each a cold brew. "Can I get you boys anything else?" she asked with a little wink at Dean.

I laughed.

"We're all set," I said, saving myself from having to watch Dean flirt with her for the next half hour. He threw her a smile as she walked off and I took the chance to watch another few seconds of the basketball game.

"Anyway," Dean said, ruffling his blond hair. "This new place is awesome. We tried to make it a little oasis in the heart of the city. There's a courtyard in the center with a grove of trees. It'll be where most of the action takes place."

"Let me guess what the waitstaff will wear," I chimed in.

He smiled. "We're in New York, my friend. Skin sells."

"You know what else sells?" I said, narrowing my eyes. "Good food."

Dean laughed. "Why not both?"

I laughed and took another swig of my drink. We watched the last few minutes of the basketball game as we finished our beers. Dean talked my ear off about his new restaurant and I did my best not to think of Josephine.

"I hate to cut the night short but I've got to get up for work in the morning," I said, finishing off my beer with a long drag.

"Are you serious?" Dean protested. "You work for yourself dude, c'mon. Have one more drink. No one will notice if you're late in the morning."

I smiled. "Actually they will."

"What? You already hired an employee?"

I shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. "Two days ago."

"Where'd you find him?"

I decided not to correct his p.r.o.noun choice.

"On the web."

"He wasn't a friend of Lorena's or something?" he asked.

Why the h.e.l.l did he care about my employee? I kept my focus on the TV and gave him the shortest possible answer.

"No. She doesn't know Lorena."

"She?"

I held my hands up in defense. "It's the fashion industry, what do you expect? Most of the applicants were women."

Dean sank back in his chair with a s.h.i.t-eating grin. "I guess I know the real answer to that question from earlier."

"What?" I stared at him. "What question?"

"Who the almighty Lefray is le-f.u.c.king."

"She's my employee!" I argued. "I hardly know her."

"What'd she wear to work today? What color eyes does she have? How many times have you stared at her a.s.s?"

I ignored his questions, threw some cash down on the table to cover our tab, and walked toward the entrance.

"See you at my opening this weekend," Dean yelled. "Oh and be sure to invite the girl you aren't sleeping with! I still need a date!"

I flipped him the bird as I walked out of the bar.

Chapter Ten.

Josephine After our day of looking at lackl.u.s.ter properties, Julian and I decided that we should take a day to reconvene and get some work done from his hotel room. Working with him in his private s.p.a.ce was a strange setup to say the least, and when I knocked on his door on Wednesday morning, I tried to quiet the swell of b.u.t.terflies in my stomach.

He's not inviting you up for an early morning romp in his bed.

This is work.

I shifted on my heels, waiting for the inevitable turn of the door handle, but my knock went unanswered. I leaned forward and pressed my ear to the door listening for any sounds of life. Nothing.

I hummed and turned in a circle, trying to figure out if maybe I'd knocked on the wrong door. A quick glance at my phone confirmed that I was at the right room number, so I knocked again and waited.

Still, no one answered.

I was debating whether or not to head back down to the lobby when a cleaning woman turned the corner, pushing her cart of supplies in front of her. She was humming along to the music playing from her headphones and nodding her head back and forth. Her dark brown hair had touches of gray springing up around her temple and her uniform stretched across her hips as she walked.

When she looked up and saw me standing there, she paused and narrowed her eyes. Her gaze slid from my head to my feet and then she shook her head and kept on pushing her cart toward me.

"Mhhmm." She tsked as she approached me. "These hoochies think they're gonna catch them a rich man by fishin' in hotel rooms. Shoot, this one's early, not even close to noon yet."

"Uhh, ma'am?" I said timidly, trying to make her aware that I could hear every single word she was saying.

When our eyes met, she pursed her lips and propped her hand on her hip.

"You're better than this, honey. Go on down to the lobby and get some coffee. Go find you some Jesus."

My eyes widened. What did she think was going on?

Oh.

Oh.

She definitely thought I was a prost.i.tute.

I glanced down at my fitted wrap dress and kitten heels. Sure, the neckline of my dress wasn't exactly a turtleneck, but I'm not a freaking nun. I'm allowed to show my clavicles for Christ's sake.

"I'm here to meet Mr. Lefray for business," I explained, offering her a smile to let her know I didn't take offense to her judgment.

"Oh, I'm sure it's business all right. Oldest business there is." She tsked again, moving on along the hallway past me.

I opened my mouth to set her straight just as I heard Julian yelling in his hotel room.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! Sorry!" he called.

His hotel room swung open, and a second later I was greeted with the most beautiful view of my entire life: Julian Lefray naked. Well, naked except for an itty bitty hotel towel wrapped around his waist. He could have been the Eighth Wonder of the World. Every single inch of his defined arms, chest, and abs were right there for me to see. Tan, toned, and still dripping wet from his shower.