Spark (Heat #2)(23)

CHAPTER 21


"You're sure you don't want to come to the party with me?" I turn to the side again to get a better view of my ass in this dress. "This is the best work you've ever done, Soph. Get a load of my ass in this."

She laughs loudly as she playfully spanks me over the black fabric. "The cut outs make it sizzle."

The cut outs make it hot as f*ck. There are three of them, all circular. One right above my cleavage, the other a few inches over my left hip and the third is on the outside of my right thigh. The dress itself is made of some type of clingy material so it's wrapped around me like a glove. It's so tight that my black lace panties never made it on. I'm completely naked under the dress, which makes it easier when it comes to feeding Tyler his birthday cake.

I decided that I'd do that after the party has wound down and we've come back here. It'll be after midnight by then which means his birthday will have officially arrived.

"Put on a dress and come with me," I whine. "You haven't been out in weeks."

"Can't do." Her mouth quirks. "I'm meeting someone for coffee and then I'll sketch out a new design.

"Does this someone have a cock?"

"Cadence," she shrieks my name at such a high pitch I wince.

I sigh dramatically. "Don't act like you've never seen one. I only asked if you were meeting a man for coffee."

She scrunches her nose, making her face contort. "I wish. It's a new start at work. She's feeling lost in the city. I'm her only friend."

"I'll be her friend too," I offer as I bend over to adjust the straps on my heels. "We can have her over for dinner next week. You pick the day."

"We'll celebrate your new job with her." She wiggles her finger in the air. "You're going to accept it soon, right?"

I shrug.

I'm still not sure. I took Sophia's advice and kept the offer to myself. I need to make a decision before I bring it up with Tyler. Regardless of where our personal relationship ends up, my career is mine.

I call the shots. I make the rules and until I can decide whether to leave Nova, I'm keeping the opportunity Barbara offered me under wraps.

***

"I'm here for the private party." I inch to the left to look over the burly door attendant's shoulder. The club is filled with people, the music pulses a rhythmic beat that is intoxicating. I felt like dancing as soon as I walked in.

"Which party?" He pushes his index finger on an earpiece that is hidden somewhere beneath his shoulder length dark hair. "There's a few tonight."

"Monroe," I say loudly. "It's a birthday party for Tyler Monroe."

"The chef?" His mouth curls into a lazy smile. "The guy that owns Nova?"

"That's him."

"Give me a sec." He motions to the earpiece. "I'll track down the room it's in."

I nod as I sway my hips. I close my eyes briefly, soaking in the frenetic energy that I always feel when I step foot in a place like this.

"We're not hosting the Chef's party." The man with the earpiece walks back toward me. "We don't have that booked."

I bite my bottom lip before I pull up the text message from Maribel on my phone with the details of Tyler's party. I turn it around so the guy helping me can see it. "It says the party is here, at your club, tonight."

He reads it carefully before he locks his gaze on mine again. "We have another location in Hell's Kitchen. Do you want me to call and see if it's there?"

"No," I call over my shoulder as I hurry for the door. "That must be it. I need to take off if I'm going to get there before he does."





CHAPTER 22


"C'mon," I say under my breath as I stare at the screen of my smartphone. I sent Maribel a text right before I hailed a taxi asking for confirmation of the address. I've gotten nothing back yet so I type out a quick text to Drea.

My phone rings almost instantly.

"Drea?" I ask quietly.

"Hey," she says back loudly. "How the hell are you?"

"How the hell are you?" I ask with a smile. "Are you at the party?"

"I'm getting there."

"It's at the club in Hell's Kitchen, right?" I stare out the window as the taxi slows for a red light.

"Nah." She speaks quietly to someone else. "It was moved to Maribel's place."

I lean forward to tap the driver's shoulder, signaling for him to pull over. "When did that change?"

"When Tyler f*cked up our whole plan," she begins with a laugh. "I was at work when it happened."

Tyler told me, and everyone else, he was going to be working on new recipes at Nova's kitchen tonight. It worked seamlessly into Maribel's plan. Darrell was going to be there with him so it was a no brainer to have him suggest a beer at the club to celebrate Tyler's birthday. When he walked into the club, we'd all surprise him.

"How did he f*ck it up?" I stare out the window as driver edges the taxi to the curb.

She laughs. "I don't know all the details but he decided to have dinner with someone at his place. He was on cloud nine about it all afternoon."