“Now that is what I want to hear,” he said as he stroked his thumb over her swollen mouth.
“And for the record, Drake, you were the first,” she said softly. “What Eddie did could hardly constitute anything but a quick lay where he took his pleasure and gave me none. You are the only man to have ever given that to me.”
He looked extremely satisfied with her response. He loosened his hold on her and allowed her to step back, his gaze still drifting appreciatively over her body, giving her a decadent thrill. He really did like what he saw. There was no faking his response to her and it was such a heady sensation. Like she was having the most wonderful dream, one she never wanted to awaken from.
“Go and get comfortable,” he said. “The food will be up shortly and then afterward I’ll have two of my men escort you down. I want you to enjoy your night as you should have the first time you came to my club.”
She turned quickly before he could see the dismay on her face. She remembered all too well the reactions of the other patrons. Just because she was Drake’s woman now didn’t change who and what she was, and she would still be judged and deemed unworthy, no matter how Drake saw her.
“Evangeline.”
His voice halted her just as she was about to sink into one of the comfortable-looking armchairs that sat at an angle to his desk. She turned, her expression inquiring.
“It will be okay,” he said softly.
She briefly closed her eyes, determined not to ruin her makeup by allowing herself to get upset over that night all over again.
“You have no idea how horrible that night was for me, Drake. Before Eddie even made his appearance.”
Drake’s eyes narrowed. “Explain what you mean.”
She sighed, wishing she’d just kept her thoughts to herself, and she damned her compulsion to blurt out the truth no matter how awkward or embarrassing. Nobody wanted to hear her train of thought, and yet she forever just vomited out the unvarnished truth.
“Evangeline?” he prompted.
Damn it, but he wasn’t going to drop it. She was already acquainted with the particular tone he’d just used when saying only one word. Her name. It wasn’t a request. It was an order and one she felt compelled to obey, despite her overt discomfort over rehashing the events of that night.
She let out another resigned sigh and reached deep within for strength and composure.#p#分页标题#e#
“As soon as I stepped out of the cab, people were judging me. The people in line. Even the damn bouncer dude, or whatever his title is. The guy who mans the door and either lets people in or tells them to get in line. But he didn’t even tell me to get in line. He told me to leave. And every single person in that long-ass line was smirking and looking at me like I was a moron for even trying to get into a place like Impulse. Then when I showed the guy who told me to leave my VIP pass, he looked like he’d just swallowed a lemon, and the people in line weren’t subtle about their outrage that someone like me was being allowed in while they were standing on the sidewalk waiting. They looked at me like I was some sort of bug. Others just outright laughed.”
She paused to take a break, surprised at the anger that still simmered over that whole humiliating experience.
“Once I got inside, it wasn’t any better. Everyone was staring at me like I was some alien who’d arrived in a UFO. They were smug, amused, snotty, and I felt like I was under a microscope. The only person who was nice to me was the bartender. He was sweet. And nice. He treated me like a normal person, like I was every bit as good and welcome as the others, while the rest of the people in the front bar treated me like I’d crashed a party I wasn’t invited to. It was horrible. I’d already decided to just leave. I was stupid for allowing my girlfriends to talk me into ever going, but then Eddie made his appearance with a woman Velcroed to his side whose look very clearly told me, I’m prettier than you, classier than you, better than you and I can satisfy my man, unlike you, who were a disaster in bed. And my stupid pride wouldn’t allow me to walk out because I didn’t want him to think I was ashamed or embarrassed to run into him. So I stood there, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. No such luck,” she muttered.
“There is no possible way for a man not to notice you, Angel. Unless he’s dead,” Drake said dryly. “You sell yourself far too short, but I’m going to work on that.”
She shuddered and continued on as if he hadn’t spoken. “It was horrible. The entire night was just . . . horrible. And now I’m supposed to walk out there and endure it all over again? Pretend that night didn’t happen and everyone around me isn’t judging me, laughing at me and wondering how I even got past the gatekeeper in the first place?”