HIGHER (The Indigo Lounge Series) (3 page)

“I’m apartment hunting. I’m seeing
four today. I could use your help if you want to come meet me?”

Several thoughts tumbled through
her mind but the one that lit like a neon sign in her brain was -
Zach was staying in New York
. Yeah, big
deal. It changed nothing. Their problems still loomed as large and would remain
insurmountable until Zach got the message - that open communication was
non-negotiable. “I told you I have other plans.”

“Tell me about these plans.”

“Why?”

“Because I need something to take
my mind off the fact that my dick is about to explode and you’re not next to
me,” he rasped. “That I’m missing you madly and you won’t give me the time of
day.”

Heat cannoned into her belly then
detonated outward. “I’m meeting Keely for lunch. Then she’s taking me shopping
for tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“We’re going out for my birthday.”

Silence echoed ominously down the
phone. “Your birthday’s not till tomorrow.”

“I’m seeing my parents tomorrow
so we’re celebrating tonight.”

“You were supposed to celebrate
with me.”

“Yeah, we both know how that
worked out.”

He sighed. “It doesn’t have to be
this way. What time are you seeing your parents?”

“They’re taking me to lunch.”

“So we can still spend tomorrow
evening together.”

Her heart lurched. “No. We can’t,
Zach. Not if we’re going to ignore the herd of elephants in the room.”

“We will fix this, Bethany.”

“I can’t see how, not without
discussing what needs to be discussed.”

His breath hissed out. “So you’re
saying everything that came before means nothing to you?”

Pain ripped through her insides.
“Of course not. But I can’t ignore what came afterward. I have so many
questions, Zach, not just that one question you won’t answer.”

“Ask me one of them,” he grated
out.

The tense invitation shocked her
into silence for a handful of seconds. Then, heart thundering, she gripped the
phone tighter. “Okay. Why did you take me to Marrakech? Of all the places in
the world you could’ve taken me, why there? We both know that place means more
to you than just a house. So why did you take me there, Zach?”

He exhaled harshly. “My answer
won’t please you.”

She licked dry lips. “Try it
anyway.”

“I needed to put some ghosts to
rest.”

Cryptic as ever. “Zach—”

“Remember what I said when we
were there, that you were a risk I knew I was taking?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know what usually happens
when I feel that way?”

“No.”

“I walk away. I only take
calculated risks in business. My personal life before I met you was based on
one thing. Sex, on my terms. That went out the window the moment I saw you. But
I still took the risk.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m still taking the risks now.
Some of the answers you need we can work through. We don’t need to be apart to
do that.”

Her heart lurched. “
Some?
What if I said I want to know
everything? I want to know about Farrah? What if I said that’s the only way I’ll
contemplate us moving forward?”

Tense silence. “I’d ask you to
rethink that.”

“Why?”

“Because you told me you loved
me. And that you’d give me time. Or did you lie?”

Scalding tears welled in her
eyes. Angrily she brushed them away. “You bastard,” she croaked, her whole body
going numb.

His breath hissed out. “Fuck.
Bethany—”

“No. Enough, Zach. Enough.” She
hung up.

Chapter Five

Zach absently tuned in to the
realtor yammer on about south facing versus west facing lighting, Poggenpohl
kitchens and parquet floors and tried to stem the panic flaring through him.

He pressed the call button again
and listened as the call went straight to voicemail.

The message he wanted to leave
couldn’t be said out loud in the presence of the realtor and Philip who hovered
a few steps behind him.

“As you can see, the floor to
ceiling views are rather special,” the realtor continued. Blonde, in her late
twenties, she’d been doing her best to catch his eye since they met downstairs
ten minutes ago. Impatience crawled over him as he struggled to keep the frown
from his face.

“The space is
ideal
for entertaining, and has the
perfect blend of home and office. And the square footage is one of the largest
on our books at the moment. The specially selected concierge…”

Zach bit back a sharp retort,
blocked her out, and forced himself to look around properly. As his needs went,
the duplex was more than adequate, with a large office complete with the
meeting room he’d specifically demanded. Setting up here for the foreseeable
future shouldn’t be a problem. And out of the four properties he planned to
view today, this was the closest to Bethany’s place in the East Village. Which
made it a no brainer, really.

“I’ll take it,” he said abruptly.
“On condition that I can move in immediately.” He fingered the call button
again, desperately hoping that Bethany would pick up this time.

The realtor’s face lit up with
pleasure. “Oh…that’s great, Mr Savage. Yes of course to moving in immediately.
I’ll draw up the papers. Umm,” she started to move toward him and Zach noted
her hips had taken on a sexier sway, “we also offer a remodeling service if you
need it, with highly sought after designers—”

He turned away. “No, thanks.
Philip will take care of the papers.” He nodded to Philip and walked out of the
living room.

He dialed Bethany’s number again
and cursed under his breath when he heard the distinctive click.

You’ve reached Bethany. Leave me a message.

He walked into the study, shut
the door and crossed over to the large window overlooking Central Park. Heart
thudding dully in his chest, he leaned forward until his forehead touched the
cool glass.

“I fucked up. Again. I’m sorry,
baby. I just…this distance…being without you…I can’t handle it.” He stopped and
tried to breathe. But just like everything else since that moment in his garden
in Marrakech, his breathing was off. Every damn thing was off. “I’m sorry…” he
stopped again, his mind spinning with all the things he wanted to say but
couldn’t.

He’d been floundering every day
since admitting what he did six years ago, like he was on a rollercoaster that
was taking him farther and farther away from Bethany with each passing second.
And he couldn’t get off.

He’d gone through moments of
detesting her for making him feel these alien, confounding emotions. But the
underlying factor had always remained the same.

He needed Bethany like he’d never
needed anyone else in his life. That last night in Marrakech had ripped away
any illusions that what was going on between them was run-of-the-mill. Even
before his near meltdown in the toy room and the way he’d taken Bethany, he’d
known his craving ran deeper than mind-blowing sex. It was that knowledge that
had sent him into a disturbed sleep, making him dream - on that night of all
nights - of Farrah and the events of six years ago.

The moment he’d woken from the
dream he’d known something was seriously wrong. In his short time with Bethany,
he’d grown accustomed to her emotions in a way that stunned and confused the
hell out of him.

Hell, he could blame that
confusion for his stark confession. Or he could admit he’d been terrified that
not giving her something would’ve made her walk away.

His lips twisted. Well, he’d
gambled and she’d walked away anyway. After she’d looked at him with confused
terror in her eyes. After she’d paled to the point where he’d been petrified
that she would actually shatter from the grenade he’d thrown at her feet.

When she’d asked to leave, he’d
fought his every instinct to make her stay. And really, how could he have asked
her to stay knowing he’d brought her to the place that was special to Farrah?

What sort of asshole would that
have made him? What sort of asshole had he been to take her there in the first
place?

Sighing, he stared down at his
phone and contemplated calling one more time. In the distance he heard the
realtor leave and Philip shut the door behind her.

A few seconds later, Philip
knocked and entered the study. “It’s done,” he said quietly.

Zach nodded at the loyal right
hand man who’d been with him longer than any friend or acquaintance. “Let’s get
the usual people in to get things sorted in here.”

Philip nodded. “The extra works
included?” he asked.

A dark throb started inside him
and he sucked in a breath at the acute hunger threatening to tear him apart.
“Yes. Use the room next to the master bedroom. I want it done ASAP.”

“Understood.” Philip left as
quietly as he’d entered.

Striding to the desk, Zach
switched on his laptop and quickly located the file he sought. Scrolling
through, he found the phone number and dialled.

The phone was answered after one
ring. “Keely Benson,” barked the no-nonsense voice.

“Miss Benson,” he greeted,
slightly gratified that someone was answering his calls. “It’s Zachary Savage.”

“Hey, Zach. Call me Keely. If my
red-hot poker is soon to become intimately acquainted with your delectable ass,
I think we should at least be on a first name basis, don’t you?” she snapped
icily.

Zach’s lips twitched. She was a
pit bull when it came to protecting her friend. He definitely respected that.
But even that wouldn’t be allowed to stand in his way. Although he was prepared
to remain cordial. For now, Keely Benson may be his only immediate access to
Bethany.

“Very well. I’m doing my best to
make sure my ass remains poker free.”

“That’s good to know. How can I
help you?”

“I need five minutes of your
time, if it isn’t too much to ask?”

“Go ahead. I’m all ears,” Despite
the easy rejoinder, he heard the wariness in her voice.

Zach gritted his teeth and forced
himself to remain calm. His first question was met with frostily negative
response. His second request brought a marginally easier reply. By the time he
made his third request, he dared to think that Keely Benson’s voice had grown
considerably less chilly.

“You do recognize that there’s a
mildly stalkerish quality to what you plan to do, don’t you?”

“It’s her birthday. I had in mind
quite different plans for her birthday. This contingency is all I have.”

“Fine. But I’ll be keeping an eye
on you. If you so much as twitch in the wrong direction, your ass is mine. Are
we clear, Savage?”

He knew the use of his surname
was deliberate. He chose to let it slide. “I’d expect nothing else. And Keely?”

“Yep?”

“You may not believe this right
now given the circumstances, but know that I’d rip out a vital organ before I
harm a single hair on her head.”

Keely remained silent for several
seconds before she sighed. “Yeah, the circumstances are not swinging wildly in
your favor. But I’m holding you to that promise. I’m also hoping you’ll make
things right between you two. She’s been through enough.” The line went dead.

He swallowed hard and jerked away
from his desk. Raking a hand through his hair, he paced to the window and back
again. But no amount of pacing could put distance between him and the knowledge
that Keely had just lumped him in with the other assholes who’d hurt Bethany in
the past. The very idea made him sick to his stomach.

But he
had
hurt her. And was continuing to do so with his silence.

I’m also hoping you’ll make things right between you two.

Fuck.

Striding to his desk, he snapped
up the phone again. He didn’t care that it was early and a Saturday to boot on
the West Coast. At moments like these he appreciated having a few billion
dollars attached to his name.

His lawyer answered almost
immediately. And much to Zach’s satisfaction the man was instantly alert
despite the early hour.

“Where are we on the Farrah
issue?” Zach bit out.

Stanley Reed cleared his throat.
“I reached out like you asked. The family attorney thinks her father may agree,
but her mother and brother could be a problem. Especially the brother.”

Zach’s jaw clenched hard. “He was
my brother-in-law for less than twenty-four hours and she—” he stopped
before he gave anything away. His lawyers had been given enough information to
draw up the agreement but not even they knew the whole truth. Secrets. So many
secrets threatening to tear him apart. Threatening to rip his most precious
possession from his arms. He sighed.

“We haven’t seen each other in
six years. No feathers have been ruffled. How hard can it be to get them to
change their minds?”

“The brother is an attorney now.
He knows the law and is determined to stick to every word in your agreement.”

“Can’t you make a deal with him?”

“I’m looking into it but…”
Stanley hesitated.

“But what?” Zach’s patience
shredded even thinner.

“It looks like he’s about to make
partner at his law firm. He’s understandably anxious of any unsavory details getting
out that could jeopardize that. Perhaps in a few months once he’s made
partner—”

“No. Dammit, I don’t have a few
months. I need a way around this
now
,
Stanley. Find it for me. And find it soon.”

“As always, I’ll do my best.”

Zach slammed the phone down and
cursed long and hard. He knew he was playing hardball but he was fast running
out of options. He could feel Bethany slipping through his fingers and he was
damned if he was going to stand by and let it happen.

But a signed agreement wasn’t
that easy a hurdle to get over, not to mention the chaos it would bring. But he
would find a way around that too.

If it came down between that and
losing Bethany, it was a fucking no-brainer.

He glanced at his watch and
noticed only ten minutes had passed since his last attempt to reach Bethany.

Christ. Had time ever dragged
this slowly in his entire life?

His phone rang and he pounced on
it, only to recognize the familiar number of his assistant back in San
Francisco.

He answered. “Jeff. What’s up?”

“I just wanted you to know
there’s been a slight change in the delivery date for the latest IL plane.”

“Sooner or later?” he queried.

Jeff laughed. “After your threat
to rip them a new one if they delayed again, what do you think?”

Zach forced a laugh. “So it’s sooner.
When?”

“It touches down in Newark on
Monday. I’ve emailed the final layout pictures to you. They’re incredible. I
think they’ve outdone themselves this time.” Jeff’s excitement was palpable
while Zach had none.

“Great. I’ll go and check it out
on Monday. Thanks for letting me know.” He ended the call and leaned his hip
against the desk.

Staring out the side window
towards the East River, he started to smile at the idea forming in his brain.

Perhaps Keely Benson wasn’t his
only avenue to Bethany after all.

***

Bethany slipped the twenty to the
cab driver and turned to watch Keely slide gingerly out of the cab. Watching
her friend maneuver her dangerously short hemline made her laugh for the first
time in what felt like years.

“Is there any particular reason
you feel the need to show the world the color of your thong?” she teased.

“Shut up.” Keely flipped her hair
and primped her scarlet lips. “I have great legs. What’s the point of hiding
them?”

“There’s showing them off, and
there’s
showing
them off. Don’t blame
me if you get jumped before your first
cosmo
.”

“If anyone’s gonna get jumped,
girlfriend, it’s you. Your curves are fucking dangerous tonight.” She blatantly
eyed Bethany’s black tube dress and the one inch gold belt that cinched in her
tiny waist.

The gold bangles at her wrists
and long necklace jangled as she fidgeted under her friend’s scrutiny. There
was something strange about the way Keely was acting. Something about the way
Keely had kept glancing at her since she’d arrived at Bethany’s apartment
earlier that made Bethany nervous. It was a cross between speculation and
anxiety.

Bethany had been an emotional
wreck over the last seven days but Keely hadn’t appeared fazed by her
breakdown. And Bethany honestly thought she’d been less of a wreck in the last
day or so. Sure, she was still shaky from her conversation with Zach this
morning. She hadn’t recovered from
that
.
Or from listening to the dozen messages he’d left for her since then. But she
hadn’t cried since midday and she’d carefully applied enough makeup to hide the
bags under her eyes.

So, what gave?

She opened her mouth to ask her
friend just that but Keely was exchanging greetings with a skinny, trendily
dressed host wearing an earpiece and clutching a leather clipboard. They exchanged
air kisses and admired each other’s labels before Keely dragged Bethany
forward.

“Travis, this is Bethany. It’s
her pre-birthday drinks tonight, so you need to make her feel special.”

Travis held out his hand to
Bethany, gave a limp handshake and raised a carefully trimmed eyebrow at Keely.
“Every girl who walks through
Shades’
doors is a unique little snowflake, darling. But I’ve put you in the Gold VIP
room upstairs anyway. Enjoy,” he drawled lazily. “I’d have given you the
Platinum room but some guy with bigger balls than mine has commandeered it.” He
executed a perfect pout before giving a tiny
shaking-it-off
shimmy.