Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

‘Mr Uptight. It wouldn’t kill you to chill out.’

‘I am very relaxed. It’s you who are nervous.’

‘So,’ she said, dreading the thought of being alone, ‘can I sleep with you or not? I mean, y’know, just kinda, like, stay in the same bed or something, so long as you don’t come anywhere near me.’

‘Sofia, my dear, as tempting a proposition as it is, I do not imagine my girlfriend would approve.’

‘You have a girlfriend?’ she said, startled.

‘Why do you sound so surprised?’

‘I dunno, you seem like, uh…asexual.’

‘That’s an extremely insulting comment to make to an Italian man.’

‘Sorry.’

‘Why would you think that?’

‘I dunno,’ she said, fidgeting on the plush leather seat. ‘You’re, like, so all put together, with your expensive suit and your snooty attitude. I can’t imagine you getting it on with anyone. Who is your girlfriend anyway?’

‘A famous model.’

‘Oh,’ she said, giggling. ‘So you fuck the help–is that it?’

‘You’re an extremely rude girl.’

‘Some people get off on that.’

‘Not me, Sofia.’

‘Well, I guess I’ll have to sit in my bed by myself and have freaking nightmares. Not that you care,’ she said, reaching for the door handle.

He put his hand over hers. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You can stay with me.’

‘What about your girlfriend?’

‘She’s in Paris.’

‘Then that was just a ploy to get rid of me?’

‘Am I getting rid of you?’

‘No.’

‘Very well.’ He tapped on the glass separating him from his driver. ‘Mañuel, to the hotel, please.’

‘And what hotel is that?’ she asked.

‘The Marbella Club,’ he replied.

‘Where else?’ she murmured.

If Vincent had had a gun, he would have shot Andy Dale right in his movie star face. How dare the short, untalented actor think he could get away with this kind of repugnant behaviour?

And what was Jenna thinking? Naked in a Jacuzzi with another man, in his hotel? She was insane. She’d lost it totally, and he knew he would have to divorce her. She’d disrespected him, and that was the worst thing she could’ve done.

‘Get out of there!’ he said, barely able to say the words.

‘Honey,’ she said, putting on her little-girl voice, ‘I’m so sorry. I know I was supposed to come back to the table, only I bumped into Andy and Anais and they invited me up here. I was about to call you, see if you cared to join us.’

‘I repeat, get out!’

She stared back at him defiantly. ‘And what if I don’t?’ she said, testing him.

‘Surely you can’t be that dumb?’ he said. And then, turning his attention to Andy Dale, he continued, ‘You get out, too. Take your girlfriend, your belongings, and leave my hotel.’

‘Are you talking to me?’ Andy said, eyebrows shooting up.

‘Yes, I’m talking to you.’

‘Do you know who I am?’

Christ! Hadn’t they recently had this same conversation?

‘Do you know who I am?’ Vincent said.

‘Yeah,’ Andy sneered. ‘Some schmuck whose wife doesn’t give a shit.’

He’d taken enough for one night. Striding over to the Jacuzzi, he grabbed Jenna by the arm, and hauled her out. She was half naked, having kept on her thong underwear, which was now totally transparent.

‘You hurt me!’ she complained.

‘Get dressed,’ he hissed.

‘You can’t treat me like this,’ she objected. ‘I’m not a possession, I’m your wife.’

‘Yes, my wife,’ he said harshly. ‘And my wife is sitting half naked in a Jacuzzi with this no-talent actor.’

‘Hey,’ Andy objected. ‘Who’re you calling names? I won a Golden Globe last year, and don’t you forget it.’

‘I’m not forgetting anything,’ Vincent said. ‘Now, get your skinny ass out of there.’

‘I’ll get out when I’m good and ready,’ Andy said. ‘In the meantime I’m calling my manager. This hotel’s gonna get the worst publicity it ever had.’

‘I don’t give a shit what you do,’ Vincent said. ‘I’m sending somebody up here to throw you out. You are not staying on my premises.’

‘You’re being so mean,’ Jenna wailed, her pretty face crumpling into tears of self-pity. ‘It’s all my fault. Andy didn’t do anything!’

Vincent glared at her. ‘Be quiet,’ he said, ‘and put your clothes on.’

Sulking, she reached for her dress.

‘Are we going somewhere?’ Anais inquired, stretching languidly, her large nipples startlingly erect.

‘No,’ Andy snapped.

‘Yes,’ Vincent said. And with that he physically dragged the actor out of the tub and threw him down on the floor, a sprawling wet mass.

‘Shit!’ Andy whined, trying to cover his privates. ‘I’ll have your ass for this. I’ll sue you and the fucking hotel.’

By now Jenna had wriggled into her dress.

Vincent picked up her shoes, took her by the arm and led her from the room.

‘I’m staying here,’ Michael said, getting out of bed. ‘Cancel your maid service or whoever you’ve got coming in.’

‘That’s what I like about you, Michael,’ Dani said, sitting up in bed, ‘the way you take my feelings into consideration.’

‘I always do.’

‘Did I say you could stay here?’

‘You don’t want me to, Dani?’ he said, pulling on his pants.

‘Does it matter?’ She reached for her robe.

‘C’mon, sweetheart, let’s not fight. I need a place to think things out. You’re that place.’

‘I’m always that place,’ she said, wondering why she continued to put up with him after all these years.

‘This is what I want you to do,’ he said, all business. ‘Get me Vincent.’

‘It’s late.’

‘He’s in the casino, isn’t he? Or his restaurant.’

‘I don’t keep tabs on him, Michael.’

‘See if you can reach him. I need to see him.’

‘Now?’

‘No, in a week or two would be fine.’

‘There’s no need for sarcasm, I’ll see what I can do.’

She picked up the phone and called the manager of the hotel. ‘Is Vincent round, Mario?’

‘I do believe he was in the casino earlier, Mrs Castle. He said something about visiting the penthouse. We have quite a few celebrity guests here. Maybe he was going to a party.’

‘Vincent doesn’t party,’ Dani said. ‘We all know that.’

‘I…I actually think he was looking for the other Mrs Castle, his wife.’

‘Ah…’ Dani said. ‘When you see him, please ask him to phone me. It’s urgent.’

‘Yes, Mrs Castle.’

She put down the phone. ‘Satisfied?’ she said to Michael.

‘I’m always satisfied when I’m round