CHAPTER NINE

Cane

 

Watching Tony get himself off in that porn scene had been pure torture. I hadn’t planned to be there, but as the time drew near, I’d been drawn in like a lion to fresh meat, eyes seeking out Tony’s golden body on the bed, his hand working a cock just as long and pretty as I’d remembered it.

God, I was so fucked. Hung up on a guy I couldn’t have and completely unable to keep my distance. How I’d managed to lie straight to his face the night he’d come to my room and crawled into my bed with me, I had no idea. I’d been lost in his kisses and the way our eyes had locked when he’d mounted and ridden me slowly. It had been the sexiest fucking thing I’d ever experienced and something I couldn’t forget. And I’d tried. I was sure Tony had felt it, too, which had to have made my rejection afterward even worse.

As though my renewed thoughts of him had conjured the man himself, I jolted when I spotted Tony across the dining room of Lux, the private club Karl had summoned me to. Tony was sitting with Nick, Hard Time’s incorrigibly flirtatious assistant, and two other men I’d never seen before. The way Nick was plastered against one of them, I assumed they were together. Did that mean the other guy was Tony’s date? Jealousy coursed through me at the thought, and I made a noise that drew Karl’s attention away from his food.

“What? The food not good?”

“A little rarer than I like it,” I said, referring to my steak.

“Should have ordered it well done. They aren’t mind readers.” Karl continued eating. I tried to keep my eyes away from Tony’s table, but later, when I saw him get up and leave the dining room, I made an excuse to Karl and followed him.

When I entered the rest room, Tony was washing his hands. Our gazes met in the mirror, and he froze, eyes a deep blue behind dark framed glasses.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Dinner with my cousin,” I said without thinking. I shouldn’t have told him Karl was my cousin. What the hell was wrong with me? I needed to turn around and leave.

“You on a date?” I asked instead.

A shadow passed through Tony’s eyes before he picked up one of the fancy disposable towels and wiped his hands.

“Business dinner,” he said.

I sighed, suddenly so fucking tired of the tension between us and Tony’s resentment of me, as well as the goddamn attraction to him I couldn’t shake. “I never wanted a war between us. I hate the way you avoid me. I feel like I’ve messed things up in the club.”

A myriad of expressions passed over Tony’s face in a matter of seconds. He tossed the towel in the trash and leaned against the counter, facing me. “I’m sorry. I’ve been making everything more difficult with my attitude. Since I’ve been back, I’ve noticed you’ve been making a real attempt with the club, and I’m glad. I’ve been acting like a child, sulking over not getting what I wanted. I’ll do better.”

He smiled at me, and I was so annoyed by…something, I didn’t stop him from walking past me and out the door.

I looked at myself in the mirror, noting my rigid stance and set jaw. Shouldn’t I be happy about what Tony had said? Wasn’t it what I’d wanted?

No, it wasn’t. But what I wanted, I couldn’t have.

I waited a few moments before returning to the dining room where Karl sat, annoyed at my absence.

“How long does it take, man? We have things to discuss.” He launched into more business talk, and I drained my bourbon as I listened.

A short time later, I detected a presence beside me. When I looked up to see Tony standing by our table, I nearly choked on my drink.

“Sorry to interrupt.” Tony smiled graciously at us in the charming way he hadn’t directed toward me in so long. I sat stunned, watching him. He glanced at the rest of his party waiting by the door and continued, focusing on Karl. “I just wanted to stop and introduce myself.” He held out his right hand. “I’m Tony Sarto.”

When Karl just stared at him, Tony glanced at me and added, “A friend of Cane’s.”

Obviously taken off guard, Karl shook Tony’s hand, giving him an appraising once-over.

“Karl Bruder. Very nice to meet you. I wasn’t aware Cane had friends who belonged to Lux.” He sent me a dark look before indicating the messenger bag on Tony’s shoulder and asking him, “Having a working dinner?”

Tony smiled pleasantly. “Of sorts. I’m designing a website for one of them. And I don’t belong to Lux; my friend’s boyfriend does.” He indicated the group waiting for him by the door.

Karl glanced at me again. “Is that a fact? What a coincidence. I find myself in need of that very service. Do you have a card?”

I inwardly cursed as Tony fished one out of his wallet and handed it to Karl.

“See you later” Tony said to me. “It was nice meeting you,” he said to Karl and left.

“How convenient,” Karl said, looking at Tony’s business card before pocketing it. He leaned forward, staring me in the eyes. “I thought you said you didn’t know of anyone who worked on websites.”

“I said I didn’t know of anyone to work on yours. I’ve told you I like to keep my business and private lives separate,” I said.

“And I told you I expect more loyalty from you.” He sat back and finished off his drink, and my heart fell as I felt whatever trust I’d been able to build with my cousin ebbing away.