SIENNA
New York City. Tuesday, May 28, 7:00 PM ET
SIENNA LEFT HER WEST VILLAGE apartment on foot dressed in a clingy knit dress and flats, her high heels stuffed inside of her oversized Prada handbag. She had one stop to make before jumping into a cab for Brooklyn.
She had seen Michael every night since Saturday, and tonight would be no exception. The thought drew a knowing smile to her lips and gave her a twinge down below. Intent on surprising him, she’d left her underwear at home and planned on bringing a little “present” with her.
Knowing what a big step it had been for Michael to invite her to his brownstone, Sienna couldn’t contain her excitement. Sadly, tonight was her last chance to see him before his week-long business trip with Simon’s private security company. She missed him already. The thought of being without him made her physically ill.
Pathetic? Probably.
She ducked into the infamous Pink Pussycat Boutique on Fourth Street, five minutes later emerging with the brown paper bag tucked safely next to her heels. Putting her creativity on overdrive, Sienna had an idea to soften Michael up.
Boy did he have issues giving up control. Whenever she wrestled away the reins, his eyes held an unmistakable look of panic. Although he put on a brave face, she wasn’t fooled and couldn’t fully enjoy herself while sensing his discomfort.
To top it off, he hadn’t spent the night with her since the Mercer. Rather than sleep comfortably next her, he would leave after she drifted off to sleep. His sparring sessions with Simon didn’t start until 8:30 AM, and the subway commute from the West Village to Brooklyn wasn’t that long. Classic fear of commitment. It had to be. Yet, when it came to birth control, he’d been willing to trade their latest test results so they could ditch the condoms since she was on the Pill and neither of them had been with anyone else in over a year. Go figure. Either way, she had her work cut out for her.
She savored the challenge.
Despite his issues, Michael had more than lived up to her dreams. She couldn’t believe how good they were together, and how much fun they had. Between the physical activities and card games, they spent hours into the night sharing stories. He even reviewed some of her designs and gave constructive comments.
They no longer snipped at each other, having finally found the right outlet for their passionate exchanges. But her attraction to him went beyond him being heart-stopping gorgeous, smart, and sexy. He was really good to her.
Being with him made her feel like she’d come home.
Sienna hailed a cab and crawled into the backseat. After giving the driver Michael’s address, she picked up her cell and dialed him.
“Hello?” a woman answered, a provocative tone deliberately applied to the simple one-word greeting.
Maybe she had the wrong number? Sienna paused and looked at her phone. Nope, it was Michael’s name on the display.
“Is Michael there?” Sienna asked tentatively, trying not to think the worst.
“We just finished our… workout. He’s in the shower. Who’s this?” she purred.
“Who’s this?” Sienna snapped.
“His… partner,” she replied.
Ice water rolled through Sienna’s veins. Partner, as in sex partner? So much for all the happy thoughts she’d been having. In a split second, her world had flipped from light into darkness.
Stunned, Sienna pressed END, her devastation transforming into unbridled rage. The heat of anger started in her belly and traveled throughout her body until it radiated from every pore in her skin. She shook. They hadn’t been together even a week, and he’d already cheated on her!
Two could play at this game. Hell hath no fury and all that bullshit. Boy was he ever going to regret this…
By the time Sienna reached Brooklyn, she had hatched a plan.
MICHAEL
Where the hell is my cell phone? Michael wondered as he waited for Sienna to arrive. It wasn’t in his bedroom. He couldn’t find it anywhere. It must be at the dojo.
Oh, well. He’d get it later.
After finishing an early evening sparring with Deva, he’d raced home to shower before Sienna arrived. Shopping for food earlier, he planned on making her a nice dinner. Since they’d spent the last two nights in Manhattan at her place, he’d taken the plunge and invited her over. Still nightmare-free with no unwanted hints of cinnamon, he prayed it was a sign his past was losing its grip. If so, his secret would be safe forever, and maybe he’d have a shot at a normal life after all.
He glanced around his living room to admire his quick clean-up job. Not that there’d been much to pick up, but he made a special effort to make the place perfect. Between his eye for design, his mom’s help, and a little bit of money, he was proud that his place had a mature, grown-up feel rather than the garage sale look of a bachelor pad. Sleek modern furniture, some black and white photography surrounding the flat screen mounted on the wall, and a neutral color pallet with a splash of aqua did the trick.
Sienna was the first woman he had invited for dinner since he bought the place last year. At first, he felt uncomfortable extending the offer, wondering if they were moving too fast. But in the end, he decided “to hell with it” and gave himself a pat on the back for consciously working on his self-esteem and control issues.
She might even stay overnight. The thought made him a little queasy and sent a small shudder through him. But he’d take it one step at a time.
Their night at the Mercer, and every night after that, had been amazing. The jury was still out on anything long-term but this was definitely more than “friends with benefits.” Surprisingly, he was okay with that.
He opened a bottle of wine while he waited, deciding to see how hungry she was before making dinner. If the last couple of nights were any indication, food would be the intermezzo between courses of bedroom-related activity.
He said a little prayer that they wouldn’t be interrupted by Angelorum business tonight. Anything could happen with the looming attack. The Guardians had investigated the warehouse on the Lower East Side yesterday, finding it empty with no trace of their enemies. Had it not been for Cara’s encouragement, Michael might’ve thought twice before extending tonight’s invitation to Sienna.
The bell rang as he uncorked the bottle of red in the living room. Setting it down next to the glasses on the coffee table, he went to answer the door.
He ran his fingers through his hair, still damp from the shower. His heart beat a little faster as he opened the door and let Sienna in.