If You Only Knew (Lovestruck #3) Read online

  “You’re not amused by them?’ She bumped Hadley with her hip.

  “They act like they’re the shit,” Hadley responded with sniff. “I met Preston in Miami at a conference a few years ago. Even then he had a high opinion of himself. Adam and I just signed a three-year contract with Mr. Kyle James last month. He’s not too bad, although I catch him undressing me with those bedroom eyes of his,” she muttered and glanced away after Kyle mouthed her name and a hello.

  She would refrain from teasing the woman, who looked uncomfortable with what she had admitted. “If you weren’t working now, I’d say go flirt with him.”

  “Which him?” Hadley asked dryly. A blush had risen on her cheeks.

  Hmm, Hadley’s turned on by Kyle or Preston—or maybe both? She didn’t stop the giggle erupting from her mouth, and Hadley gave her a perturbed look.

  “Don’t even start, Miss Jennings,” Hadley warned and lifted her hand to her ear. She nodded as a hum came through the other end.

  “I’d better let you go then and do what I’m paying you for.” She nodded at Kyle, who waved her over. She wagged her finger at him. “I’ll keep Kyle and his hot friend company while you…oh, shit.”

  “What? Do you see Hampton lurking around?” Hadley asked, stiffening.

  Stella shook her head and pressed her palm on her stomach. For some reason, the group of people surrounding her had moved, and there was a clear path in front of her. Mika Sato held court as he talked to a group of admirers. One woman stood next to him, but she wasn’t watching him in admiration. Instead, she stared straight at Stella.

  It was the woman she’d had the strange conversation with outside. She wasn’t wearing her fugly orange coat, but still had her bright-colored scarf lying across her shoulders. The fire-engine-red, cap-sleeved top and hip-hugging black pants she wore caused Stella’s throat to tighten. When the woman winked at her, Stella held back a moan. A throbbing expanded under her chest area near her belly, causing her nipples to tighten.

  “Um, not him. I, ah, drank too much champagne and now have to find the ladies’ room.” She kept her eyes on the woman who twisted a red-highlighted strand around a finger.

  “Go ahead, chat up James and Kale. One of my guys needs a break. I’m off.” Hadley squeezed her arm and vanished in the crowd.

  She barely murmured her goodbye. She swallowed when the teasing glint in the woman’s eyes disappeared and her face hardened. The mystery woman watched Hadley walk away.

  Her stomach plummeted. Maybe she’s interested in Hadley? How do I know if she’s even gay?

  While the woman’s attention was diverted, she decided it was time for her to take a breather. After visiting the ladies’ room, she’d check with Juliet to make sure everything was going well, even with sneaky Hampton lurking around, and grab the guest list to see if she could learn the name of this woman who made her feel off center.

  She made her way through the throngs of people, receiving greetings and compliments on the showing. Finally, she reached the back of the gallery near the bathrooms and the lounge area where people could sit in a quieter setting and talk. Perhaps something stronger than champagne is in order, while sitting in a nice, cushy chair where I can rest my aching feet.

  Feeling mentally restored, she freshened up and headed for the lounge, eager to sit in a dark corner without anyone bothering her.

  * * *

  Kristi lost sight of the blonde looker with the full, glossy lips who could give Marilyn Monroe a run for her money in the tits-and-ass department. Ever since she smoked a cigarette with the prickly sexpot, she couldn’t stop thinking how her lips would feel on hers.

  “If you want to cut out early and go home, I’ll understand.”

  She peered up at her cousin, the star of tonight’s event. After his fans dispersed, Mika tugged her over to one of the bars asked for two shots of tequila, his favorite alcohol.

  “Why would I leave? I’m having a blast.” She punched him lightly in the arm and leaned back on the bar, scanning the room.

  Mika thanked the bartender and handed her a shot. She stared at the golden liquid. The last time she had tequila was the night she and Cooper celebrated their engagement. She scowled and cursed out loud the day she ever met the cheating asshole.

  “Uh-oh. When you invoke the almighty ‘fuck,’ I know it can’t be good. Bottoms up.” Mika downed his shot.

  She did the same and shut her eyes as her throat burned and the booze settled low in her stomach. Mika sucked on a lime, the green peel covering his teeth.

  “You’re a goofball.” She swiped his face with her scarf.

  He spit out the rind and put his glass, along with hers, on the bar. “I wanted to make you laugh, especially after everything that’s happened over the past two weeks.” He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Be honest with me. How are you dealing?”

  She tugged on her eyebrow ring and winced when the cello in the corner started into another nap-worthy melody. “I’m still livid. Do you know, when I confronted the asshole at his place, he had only his boxers, on and that slut was still in his bed? Naked.” She wiggled her nose. “He reeked of pot and stale sex and flaunted his erection!”

  Mika let out a soft whistle and pushed his rimless red-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “What did he say when you caught him?”

  “He asked if I wanted to join him and that bitch Danica!” She curled her lips. “Is Danica even a real name? I almost kneed him in the balls. Instead, I said we were through and told him my lawyer would speak to him about buying him out of Ink Proof.”

  “Did you throw your engagement ring at him?”

  She wiggled her naked left hand. “Hell, no. I put it up on Craigslist. Let’s see how many bids I get.”

  Mika hooted. “Coop will freak out. Wasn’t it a family heirloom?”

  She faced the bar to try and catch the bartender’s attention. “His grandmother’s. He should have been more careful before he stuck his prick in another woman’s twat. I’d love to see his parents’ faces when he explains why our engagement is off. They’ll probably do the dance of joy. We never really hit it off, and they probably thought their darling boy could do better with a higher quality type of woman.”

  She asked the bartender for a beer and another shot of tequila for Mika. She toasted her cousin He hit his shot against her bottle and downed it.

  “I won’t tell you I told you so, but you know I could never stand the guy. He’s an entitled, smug SOB. Maybe he’ll get the clap.”

  She pulled the beer away from her mouth and swallowed back a cough. “It would serve him right. Thank God I was smart and made him wrap up every time we had sex. But, just to be safe, I got tested this week.”

  “Good girl.” Mika kissed the top of her head.

  “Before I came here, he stopped by the shop. It was a good thing I wasn’t alone because I would have stuck him in the gut with my tattoo gun. I told him he had some nerve showing his face. He acted as if I’d never caught him cheating and told me we would talk things over after he came back from the national tattoo convention in Vegas next week.” She gripped her bottle harder. “I told him it would be a cold day in Hell before I talked to him again, and the next time he saw me would be when he signed his share of the business over to me in court. He called me a few lovely names not meant for polite ears before he stomped out the door.”

  “What a dickhead.”

  “More like a douche,” she said.

  “My goal this week is to help you get over your sleazy ex. You’re going to be my escort to the hottest art showings and parties during next few months.” He gave her a calculating smile.

  She held back a moan. “I barely made it tonight.”

  “Honey.” He clasped her elbows and lightly jostled her. “I need a familiar face by my side. It’s going to be crazy partying and being wined and dined. Sleep won’t be an option for me.” He grunted, but his happy expression remained.

  A snort left her. “Aw, poor baby. From
what I’ve witnessed here, you’re a big hit. I bet you’ve made yourself some nice pocket change.”

  “This is my fourth showing here at Stella J’s.” He draped his arm around her shoulders. “Stella makes sure I’m taken well care of. I should introduce you to her. I think you two would hit it off.”

  “We already met, and let’s just say our initial introduction was…interesting. She needs to loosen up. I guess with a name like that, it’s not surprising she’s stiff.” She scanned the room, wondering where the woman with the snooty-sounding name had run off to.

  “Stella just has a lot on her mind. Without her, I’d still be some wannabe artist who could only afford ramen noodles as I tried to hock my paintings at the Ninth Avenue street fair on Sundays for twenty dollars.”

  “You did that one time in art school.” She tapped his chin with her empty bottle then shook it and frowned. “I need another one of these, but someplace where I won’t fall asleep from this chamber music. I feel like I’m at a funeral.”

  Mika eyed the cello player, a rawboned man with salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a tuxedo. When he started playing another set, he winked in their direction.

  “How do you have the time to flirt with wannabe Yo-Yo Ma over there and suck up to the buyers also?” she asked, amazed by her cousin’s skills.

  “My expertise is not only with masterpieces on canvas, but also in the romance department.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tugged her earlobe. “Near the bathrooms in the back, there’s a lounge playing more upbeat music you’ll probably enjoy. I think I saw Stella slip in there. She probably needs a moment to collect herself before she comes back out and accepts all those checks with too many zeroes to count.”

  “Maybe I’ll take a stroll and chat her up. She might be open to showcasing more local talent or some of my crew who do their own art on the side.” Maybe we can share another cigarette and perhaps something more before the night ends?

  “She’s really open to new things. She once was an artist like me, but more big time. She gave it up to open her gallery. She took a chance and gave me my start,” he announced proudly.

  “Hello, Mr. Sato, excuse me for interrupting.” A man in a business suit with gorgeous green eyes and coiffed brown hair with blond highlights appeared in front of them. He held out his hand. “I’m Kyle James and I’m interested in purchasing one of your statues displayed here tonight as well as discussing the possibility of hiring you to create more for various offices of mine in the city.”

  While Mika and the eye candy shook hands, Kristi asked for two beers this time. She kissed Mika’s cheek and gave the scrumptious James an appreciative smile. He returned it with a seductive one that probably led many women to his bedroom. She then went in search of the woman who might help her get past her bitterness for the male species and reintroduce her to the delights of the female body she had turned away from when she had made her commitment to Cooper.

  It had been too long since she’d tasted a damp pussy and felt the slickness of a woman’s thighs over her face. Maybe Stella Jennings would help break her dry spell.

  CHAPTER THREE

  The rich, dry merlot slid down her throat like the gentle stroke of a lover’s fingers. Stella smiled over the comparison and settled back in the corner of the leather couch. The hum of the crowd up front combined with the smooth jazz tinkling from the speakers in the lounge gave her the peace of mind she needed before she went to mingle again.

  Toeing off her high heels, she winced as her calf cramped. She crossed her legs, digging her thumb into the constricting muscle.

  “The music is just as bad in here as it is out there.”

  She inhaled before she said something she regretted. The woman she couldn’t escape sat down next to her and held up two beer bottles.

  “Is one for me?” She set her glass on the table in front of her.

  “Don’t tell me you’re like all the other snobs here and won’t drink beer.” The woman held out the bottle while she lifted the other one up to her mouth.

  Her companion wrapped her mouth around the bottle’s rim. A tickle caught in her throat and a prickle in the middle of her chest formed. She took the bottle from the mystery woman, and their fingers touched. A tingle flew up her arm, and she quickly took a sip to cover her reaction at the intrusive feeling.

  “I like a lighter-tasting beer.” She set the bottle on her knee.

  “I do also. Cheers.” The woman saluted her and then chugged the beer.

  “I take it you’re not a party crasher and didn’t just wander back here.” She uncrossed her legs and took another swig of her beer.

  The woman kept her mouth around her bottle, barely showing any reaction other than a small dimple appearing as the side of her mouth lifted up.

  She dropped her hand onto her lap and pressed her legs closer together. How can I be turned on by her dimple? Apparently, I need help.

  Her companion pulled the bottle away. “Not a party crasher. I was invited by the artist. The shindig I mentioned earlier is this exhibit.”

  “What a coincidence,” Stella said softly and laid her head back on the cushion.

  “You look tired. It must have been crazy pulling something like this together.”

  “It was. A good four months of pure hell, but it’s well worth it for my commission.”

  “Commissions are nice. My work is by the hour,” the woman announced proudly. She pointed to the inside of her right wrist where a Chinese symbol of some sort had been sketched in black. “I’m a tattoo artist. I own a shop called Ink Proof.” She tapped her on the shoulder. “Did you find the card I slipped in your pocket?”

  Stella waited to see if her affable companion would remove her hand. She didn’t. “Yes, along with the ChapStick.”

  The woman beamed at her. “It’s not used or anything, so you don’t have to worry about catching girl cooties.”

  She half choked, half laughed. “What if I said I didn’t mind catching girl cooties?”

  The woman circled her shoulder with her thumb. “Then I’d say how about we go someplace private and get to know one another better?”

  “You’re a big flirt. Do you do this with everyone you just meet?” she asked, ignoring the clenching between her thighs.

  “I’m an equal opportunity flirt, although I do enjoying flirting with an attractive woman more than with a man.” She gave her a slow wink. “Men have their uses but they don’t know when enough is enough.” The laid her palm on Stella’s cheek and continued staring at her.

  She licked her lips, suddenly thirsty for another beer. She was about to ask her seatmate if she wanted another one when she noticed the tattoo on the woman’s wrist again. “That’s an interesting spot for a tattoo.”

  The woman tapped a dark purple-colored nail on the ink. “This is the Kanji Chinese symbol for strength. I have another design like it on my shoulder blade.”

  “How many tattoos do you have in total?” she asked.

  The woman held out her arm. Stella gently rubbed her finger across the tattoo. It felt rough and the skin around it was raised. “Five, altogether. Want to know where?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “I wouldn’t mind knowing your name first. I’m Stella.”

  “I know. Mika told me you’re the owner of this establishment. Pleased to meet you, J.” The woman held out her hand.

  “J?” she asked, confused.

  “Yeah. J as in the first letter of your last name. Stella sounds too grandma-like. You can call me T.”

  She didn’t take the offered hand. She wouldn’t explain she was named after her grandmother. “T like the initial, Tee as in T-shirt, or Tea as in what you drink?”

  “Whatever you prefer. I like a nice hot cup of chai tea, especially in this weather.” The smile crossing the woman’s face was full of mischief.

  “Trying to stay anonymous? It won’t be difficult finding out your real name.” She took another sip focused on the other patrons standing at the bar or
relaxing on the couches and chairs.

  “I have no doubt you will. Why not play along and humor me? It makes things exciting. Do you have any tats, J?” the woman Stella now knew as Tea asked in a slightly taunting tone.

  She swallowed and her fingers flexed around her bottle. “No. I’ve been thinking of getting one, but I’ve been too busy. I do have a belly-button ring, though.”

  “Oh?” Tea raised her eyebrows, and, snatching Stella’s beer, she chugged it down.

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “That’s yummy.” Tea’s mouth curved up in a satisfied smile.

  She felt the smile deep in her gut, and heat pooled low under her navel. Her pussy muscles contracted, and she cleared her throat to keep from biting her lip. She’d chat with this sensual sprite for a few minutes longer and then go back to work.

  “I don’t have a belly-button piercing. I almost got my nipples pierced for my twenty-first birthday, but at the last minute I chickened out. The only thing pierced is my eyebrow.” Tea dangled her arm across the back of the couch, running a finger over the fabric.

  “You don’t have a filter, do you?” Stella asked on a shocked inhale. She wanted to reach over, slip this seductive stranger’s finger in her mouth, and suck, finding out what she tasted like.

  “Have I embarrassed you?” Tea moved in closer. “Aw, you’re blushing. How cute.”

  “I’m not cute. I’m thirty-two years old and stopped being cute about ten years ago.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, J, and maybe you’ll believe it.” The woman’s hip touched hers. The combination of her smoky citrus scent with the beer she drank overrode Stella’s senses. “I think you need to relax. You’re too strung up.” Her penetrating blue eyes focused on Stella’s lips. “Maybe I should rethink about getting another part of my body pierced. How about you show me your belly-button ring?”

  “Here?” she squeaked.

  “Duh, not here.” Tea motioned around the room. “You have an office? You show me show me your belly ring, and I’ll show you another one of my tats.”