Beyond the Velvet Rope
Welcome to Club Babylon: where the A-list VIPs come to playScoring a gig at Miami’s Club Babylon is a fantasy come true for New York promoter Thandie Shaw. The hottest club on the strip is a magnet for major South Beach movers and shakers. And Thandie’s about to meet the biggest player of them all.Babylon owner Elliot Richards is macho, arrogant, sexist—everything Thandie doesn’t want in a boss or lover. Elliot is also the most erotic man who’s ever wanted to take her to bed. But Thandie’s no fool. Even as he tries to seduce her into a world of intense and shocking passion, she knows it’s too good to last…especially after she uncovers Elliot’s explosive secrets.Thandie’s going down a dangerous road, and she’s risking a lot more than her career. Torn between doubt and desire, will she have to pay the ultimate price?Darkly sensual and deeply moving, Beyond the Velvet Rope takes you into a world of uncontrollable desire and unexpected consequences.
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Welcome to Club Babylon: where the A-list VIPs come to play
Scoring a gig at Miamiâs Club Babylon is a fantasy come true for New York promoter Thandie Shaw. The hottest club on the strip is a magnet for major South Beach movers and shakers. And Thandieâs about to meet the biggest player of them all.
Babylon owner Elliot Richards is macho, arrogant, sexistâeverything Thandie doesnât want in a boss or lover. Elliot is also the most erotic man whoâs ever wanted to take her to bed. But Thandieâs no fool. Even as he tries to seduce her into a world of intense and shocking passion, she knows itâs too good to lastâ¦especially after she uncovers Elliotâs explosive secrets.
Thandieâs going down a dangerous road, and sheâs risking a lot more than her career. Torn between doubt and desire, will she have to pay the ultimate price?
Darkly sensual and deeply moving, Beyond the Velvet Rope takes you into a world of uncontrollable desire and unexpected consequences.
To my readers.
Thank you for your love and support. Without you, there would be no me.
Contents
New York City
5:32AM
She had made a mistake.
Thandie realized it the instant she woke up. Before sheâd even had a chance to open her eyes or take a sip of coffee, she knew the truth. Sheâd made a big mistake, and she would pay dearly for it.
She buried her face into the pillow, and breathed in a familiar scent. His scent. She groaned. This only confirmed last night had really happened. Images came back to her in flashes of vivid clarity. She wished she could blame it on the champagne, but sheâd barely finished one glass before everything fell apart. How could things go horribly wrong so fast? And on the most sacred of holidays?
It was the first day of Fashion Week. The streets of New York were abuzz with excitement. Celebrities flooded the city for a chance to preview this yearâs winter collection. For every self-proclaimed fashionista, Fashion Week was like Christmas extended for seven wonderful days.
It was too bad Thandie would miss it. And all because sheâd had a moment of weakness. Now that she thought about it, this had been building for weeks. But never, in her wildest nightmares, did she think things would have played out like this. And she certainly hadnât imagined it would be so public.
Thandie buried her face deeper into the pillow, refusing to open her eyes; refusing to face the mess sheâd created. She wished she had something to focus on other than what had happened hours before. She muffled a groan as her mind unwillingly recalled the sequence of events preceding her waking in a bed that was not her own....
Several hours earlier...
Thandie had been in Bryant Park, seated in the front row, watching the new Beverly Horton Collection being revealed. The tent where the show was taking place was filled with famous faces. Thandie had only to look across the aisle from her to see actress Nia Reynolds and fashion icon Victoria Beckham whispering to each other.
On Thandieâs left sat her former boss and good friend, Gage Ali. Gage was a heavyweight in the public relations field. Her contacts were everywhere, and her influence was boundless.
On Thandieâs right sat Bailey Woods, a celebrity publicist from Los Angeles. Like many present, she was in town for the shows. Bailey was another dear friend, but Thandie had seen little of her since Bailey relocated to California a few years ago. Having recently survived a hard breakup from her actor boyfriend, Bailey was going through a rough time in her life. Thandie and Gage were having a hard time trying not to mention he-who-must-not-be-named, or beg for all the gorry details. At least, not until after the shows.
And then Cam had shown up. The timing could not have been worse. Thandie had been praying she would not run into him tonight. But fate has a bizarre sense of humor.
Cameron Stewart was tall and boyishly handsome, with a lopsided grin and thick shaggy dark hair. The instant Thandie laid eyes on him, her earlier reluctance melted away. She hadnât seen him in weeks, and she missed Cam. There was a certain comfort his nearness offered that few people outside her family supplied. She would always have a special place in her heart for him.
Cam was Thandieâs ex-boyfriend. Theyâd been together for nearly three years. Many believed the two of them would eventually get married. Until recently, Thandie had thought the same thing. Their breakup had been a gradual conclusion; an end to an era that had long outlived its usefulness. She had seen it coming, but had been unwilling to acknowledge it. Sheâd hung in there, hoping the tide would turn and they would regain the special relationship theyâd lost.
