Beautiful Revenge (A Good Wife Book 1) Read online

  I was standing with a group of people that I knew from high school in a roped off VIP section of Club Luxe. I haven’t seen these guys in almost eight years. I barely noticed them, forcing small talk and fielding uninspired questions about Europe. I was being a rude prick but I couldn’t seem to snap myself out of it. Usually, I was so good at this small talk shit.

  Ten Twenty-three p.m. and she hadn’t fucking shown up.

  I had pegged her to show up. On time. Women usually did. So why the fuck hadn’t she? Why the hell did I give so much of a shit?

  I glared around the club, my eyes seeking her out, scanning each curve and honey shade of long hair for her. There was something about her…

  Something…different.

  It was like every single cell and fiber of her had been calibrated to strike at every single one of mine, making them all vibrate awake all at once. Fuck, every time I thought about how soft the skin on her neck looked or how silky her hair might feel I got hard.

  And she was making me act…different.

  I wasn’t even interested in the scantily clad girls pawing at my shirt, rubbing their breasts against my arm, tugging at my collar. I swatted them aside like they were flies. They weren’t her. I wanted her. I wanted her like I’d never wanted a woman before.

  I would have her.

  I drank down the rest of my scotch and slammed down my glass onto a side table. I stabbed out another text message to her and hit send.

  Me: I’m coming to get you.

  6

  ____________

  Julianna

  I was going to hunt down the asshole who invented high heels and kill him. Yes, it was definitely a him. Because no woman in her right mind would have created such torture instruments and called them fashion. I’d beat him senseless with these platform soles, then stab him to death with the spiky heels of his own demonic creations.

  Death by Manolos.

  I wondered if that would be considered good or bad publicity?

  I had made the mistake of walking to Club Luxe. It was only a twenty-minute walk from where I lived, but I wasn’t used to walking in these things. My feet were already killing me.

  I didn’t know what had been going through my mind when I chose this outfit. The dress was a slim-fitting black bandage dress with lace detailing that fell to mid-thigh. Nora had bought me this dress and these shoes a few years ago in the hopes that I might actually have a hot date to wear them on. Out of everything I owned I thought it would be the most appropriate thing to wear to a club, seeing as they had a dress code. It had nothing to do with how Roman might react when he saw me again.

  I stepped into the main room of Club Luxe and froze. It was set inside a refurbished old warehouse, the colored lights ricocheting off the exposed pipes along the open ceiling. The ultra-modern décor was all chrome and black lines. The music, a funky house beat with husky vocals in French, thumped through my body like a second heartbeat. Bodies wriggled like a blurry sexual mass on a small dance floor. There were booths and tables along the edges, beautiful people draped across the couches with cocktail glasses in hand, people who looked like they were comfortable here, people having fun.

  I didn’t belong here. What a dumb idea to come. Someone bumped me from behind and made a rude noise. I realized I was standing there like an idiot in the entranceway.

  “Sorry,” I muttered to no one in particular, the offended party having already disappeared into the throng. I lunged for the closest bar that ran most of the way along the right side and clutched at the onyx countertop as if it’d stop me from falling over. What now?

  Well, I’d find Roman, tell him I couldn’t see him again and leave.

  I searched the crowd for him, trying not to catch anyone’s eye or draw attention to myself. Pretty hard in a dress that felt like it kept riding up my thighs like a horny teenager’s hand. It wasn’t as skimpy as the daring barely-covering-the-ass uniform in here but it was still shorter than I usually wore my skirts.

  Where was he? I couldn’t see him from here.

  Okay. One walk around. If he wasn’t here, I was leaving.

  I turned around with my back to the bar and lifted my chin, preparing myself to push my way through the club. I didn’t move. There he was, standing across the room in a loose circle of guys and girls. I couldn’t tell you what they looked like. The only thing that was in focus was him.

  He was more beautiful than I remembered. A dark god among mortals. He looked like a fighter out of his suit, a boxer or MMA fighter, his fitted black t-shirt showing off his sculpted torso. His hips, encased in fitted designer jeans, swayed lightly to the music. I bet he was as hard as granite underneath those clothes. I bet every muscle was defined. Not that I cared anything about that.

  That same ache I felt earlier today flared deep in my lower belly, this time harder and stronger. Dear God. I wanted him. I wanted him in a way I’d never wanted anyone before. The sudden realization made me shiver.

  Go up to him. Talk to him. He’s waiting for you.

  I didn’t move. What if he thought I was a desperate slut for coming here? What if I was a desperate slut for coming here? This wasn’t me. I wasn’t a girl who slept with strangers. I never chased after guys; I was never interested. Was this my repressed sexuality all coming out now with a bang, like Nora always threatened?

  The others in his group all laughed at something, catching my attention. He smiled curtly and nodded. The laughter died down quickly as if they’d quashed it because he didn’t approve of the joke. I could see them all turned towards him, facing him, leaning in, the other women around him eyeing him up. He barely noticed them. He had a slight frown on his face. He looked agitated or bored like he didn’t want to be here. You and me both. Unlike me, he looked like he belonged.

  I watched him search the club like a sniper studying his area. Two girls gyrated in front of him, smiles only for him, trying to catch his attention. He ignored them and continued to scan the crowd. I could taste their disappointment from here.

  He was exactly the kind of man my mother would warn me about if she were alive. Dominant without trying, coiled power in his thick muscles. It wasn’t just about his intimidating frame. There was an inherent leadership in the way he stood, self-assuredness and confidence, which made women want him and men want to be him. He was a born leader. People followed him without ever knowing why.

  He’d be the best worst idea. I’d let him get close to me, I’d fall for him and he’d break my heart. Damn if it wouldn’t be one hell of a ride down. I let out the breath I’d been holding. I was way out of my depth. I had to leave now before he spotted me.

  He pulled out his phone and I watched, mesmerized as he typed out a text. My phone in my bag buzzed. Holy shit. That text was for me. I had to go. Now!

  Before I could move, he looked up. Our gazes fused together and a thrill rushed down my body. My heart jumped up into my throat and started beating so loudly that the music dulled. Too late to leave now. He’d seen me. Just say hello then leave.

  Or go home with him and never leave.

  Shit. He was coming over here.

  7

  ____________

  Roman

  There she was.

  Julianna. Leaning against the bar on the other side of the room. For a moment, I wondered if I had dreamed her out of thin air.

  Sweet mother of God, she looked incredible. The sight of her hit me like a fist in my gut. The music seemed to go funny in my ears. The body that her outfit earlier only hinted at was now on display: taut legs in a black dress that clung to her curves and fell several inches above her knee. Her hair was loose and fell in soft waves over her shoulders, down the sides of her breasts.

  She was stunning. More stunning than I’d imagined her, and trust me, I’d imagined her in all sorts of ways all evening. I stepped out of the VIP section, ignoring my friends calling out for me. I pushed my way through the crowd. It seemed like every motherfucker wanted to get between her and me.


  She broke eye contact with me and turned to the guy who had sidled up to her, trying to speak to her. My blood simmered. Now he was touching her, playing with the ends of her hair close to her breasts. Too fucking close to her breasts. He grabbed her wrist, yanking her closer to him. Instant fury like a torrent of fire rose in me. Nobody fucking touched her. Nobody hurt her. She was mine.

  “Get your fucking hands off her,” I yelled, rage booming though my voice, startling the club-goers around me, not that I gave a shit. I shoved the people in my way aside. I would kill the fucking son of a bitch who dared lay a hand on her.

  Julianna twisted her arm, rolling it aside so that the asshole was forced to let go. She stabbed her heel into his toe causing him to hop before he tilted off balance. She shoved him down over the bar, pinning him by twisting his arm around his back. He let out a yelp.

  Holy. Shit.

  I skidded to a halt beside them, my anger turning to red-hot lust. I had never seen a woman handle herself like that before. I could do nothing but stare open-mouthed and mute at this powerful, gorgeous creature, respect building in my gut.

  “Don’t you dare touch me again, asshole,” she said to him, her voice hard and fierce. The sound of her cursing made my dick harden.

  Julianna looked up to me as the guy she had in an armlock made whining noises against the bar. She gave me a smile like nothing was the matter. Unbelievable.

  “Oh. Hi,” she said, almost shyly. “Again.”

  I gave her my best charming grin. “I was just coming over to save you…”

  She raised an eyebrow. That tiny movement was a challenge. “Why?” she said sweetly. She applied the slightest pressure to the unfortunate guy’s wrist and he let out a low pained cry. She jutted her chin out and a defiance flared in her feline eyes. “Because I’m a girl and all I need is a big strong man to come save me?”

  “No, because you’re a human being. I don’t like it when I see other human beings being treated without respect. Not when I can do something about it.”

  She shifted, seemingly surprised by my honest comment, embarrassed even. “Well…I don’t need saving.”

  “I can see that.” I indicated her unfortunate victim. I spotted a bouncer heading towards us. I held my hand up to signal to him that I had it under control. He nodded and kept his distance. The bouncer was a low-level street thug who’d been trying to climb my family’s ranks for years. Part of the reason why I could score the VIP treatment here at the last minute.

  Julianna spotted this exchange. “Do you own this place or something?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “I know some of the guys who work here.” Here and pretty much every hot spot of Verona. I didn’t want to explain to her how I knew them. Tonight, I wasn’t Roman Tyrell. Tonight, I was just a guy and she was a girl…

  “Can you let go of me now?” the man whose face was squashed up against the bar interrupted in a whining tone.

  I shot Julianna a grin and leaned in close to him. “Tell the lady, you’re sorry and maybe she’ll let you go.”

  The man’s eyes widened when he saw me, recognition flaring in his eyes. “Y-y-you.”

  That’s right, stupid fucker. You just pissed off a Tyrell. “Tell her you’re sorry,” I repeated.

  “I’m sorry,” he cried out.

  I stared up at Julianna and was struck again by how stunning she was. She raised an eyebrow at me as if she knew what I was thinking. I gave her one of my trademark half-smirks. “Are you satisfied with his apology, milady?”

  “Only if you don’t try and touch up a girl without her permission again,” she said to him.

  The idiot was silent.

  I leaned in closer and growled. “When the lady speaks to you, you answer her.”

  He let out a whine. “Okay, okay. I’ll never do it again.”

  Julianna applied some more pressure to the guy’s arm and he let out a louder cry. She was staring at me, a half angry, half lustful look in her dark eyes. “Tell Roman,” she said, her voice coming out low and heated, “that I don’t need him to fight my battles for me.”

  “What?” the guy cried.

  “Tell Julianna,” I said, matching her stare, “that she should learn that it’s okay for a man to help her. It doesn’t make her weak.”

  “Tell Roman, that he’s an arrogant ass who has no idea what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world.”

  “Tell Julianna, that I can’t tell if she wants to fight me or fuck me tonight.”

  Julianna’s red lips pulled up into a smirk. “Why can’t it be both?”

  Jesus, fuck. I felt my cock surge with blood and I swallowed back a groan. I wasn’t finished. “Tell Julianna that she’s the most stunning creature I have ever seen.”

  “What the fuck?” the guy stuttered against the bar.

  “Ever?” Julianna asked, an amused eyebrow raised.

  “Ever.” And I fucking meant it. She was captivating. Intoxicating. A lioness among sheep. This wasn’t a woman who’d fall at my feet and gaze adoringly up at me. She’d demand to stand beside me. She’d demand to be pleased. She’d deserve to be pleased.

  I had to have her. Here. Now. Anywhere. I’d take her here on the fucking bar if she’d let me.

  I nodded down at the single annoying thing standing between her and me; the asshole she’d thoroughly put in his place. “Maybe you should let him go. Before you break something. We both know it’s really me you want to get your hands on.”

  Julianna snatched her hands off him. He stumbled back off the bar, rubbing his shoulder and his wrist.

  “Get out of here,” she told him, her eyes still pinned on me.

  “You two are fucked up,” he muttered before he hurried into the crowd.

  We both eased closer as if out of instinct, our eyes eating each other up. My cock was hard as a stone, painful against my jeans, and I didn’t give a shit who noticed.

  “You’re very sure of yourself,” she said.

  “Doesn’t mean I’m not right.” I took the final step towards her, filling up the space between us. In heels, she came up to my eye-line. I could smell her perfume of pears and musk, an intoxicating combination. Sweet yet fierce. Like she was.

  “Do you think we made our point?” she asked. “To him, I mean.

  “I think you put the fear of God into him.”

  “Are you kidding? I just disarmed him. He was pissing his pants when he saw your face up close.”

  “Well,” I folded my arms, knowing that it showed off my biceps. Look at me, like a fucking peacock preening myself in front of her. “I am pretty scary.”

  She smirked and copied my stance, folding her arms over her chest, making her breasts push in and up. Jesus, I could fall into those fucking breasts.

  Eyes up, Roman. She’s a fucking lady. It took all my willpower not to follow those curves down farther. I tore my eyes away and looked up. Even under the dim light, I could see her cheeks were flushed.

  “Maybe you’re scary to some people,” she said, her voice low and teasing.

  I grinned. The lioness wasn’t scared of me. Interesting. I leaned in closer like I was about to tell her a secret. “Maybe, I should scare you.”

  She stepped right up to me and lifted her chin as if to make a point. “If you want me to run away in fear, you’re going to have to do a better job than that.”

  I lowered my face so close we were breathing in the same air. She had peppermint on her breath, and I noticed the gold flecks in her amber-colored eyes before they dilated into large black holes I was falling into. Everything about her was drawing me in, closer, closer. “Maybe, I want to watch you run.”

  “Maybe, I want you to chase me.”

  My hands found her tiny waist. I pulled her against me, our bodies pressing together, her breasts so wonderfully soft against my chest I could have cried, my hard erection nestled against her belly. My body vibrated with need. Her. I needed her. I knew she could feel what she was doing to me. Her mouth parted as she sucked in
a breath. Those fucking lips, so plump and inviting, so pink and juicy. I needed those lips.

  I closed my mouth on hers before I knew what I was doing. She was soft, so fucking soft, as I sucked on her bottom lip. She tasted like strawberries, her lip balm perhaps, and mint. I licked at the seam of her lips, desperately trying to get inside her. More. I wanted more of her. All of her. Give me what I want.

  She parted her mouth for me. My tongue found hers and suddenly we were all groans and hands, exploring, wild. I think I may have lost my mind right then and there. My hands roamed over the curve of her back, demanding, tugging her closer. I couldn’t get her close enough. She arched into me, melding to me, her arms around my neck, her breasts pressing against my chest, making my body burn like she was on fire.

  My hotel was only a few blocks from here. It housed a very comfortable, very large bed that she would look incredible in. Naked. So very fucking naked. Not that we’d make it much past the door, or the wall or the floor. I grinned against her mouth.

  She tugged back. With regret, I released her lips from mine, but I kept my hands flattened around her back, keeping her flush with my body. The world rushed back into my head. Suddenly I missed the emptiness she’d closed around me when I had my mouth on hers. It’d been the closest thing I’d felt to peace in…years. Maybe ever.

  She better have a good reason for stopping this kiss.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she whispered, her words vibrating against my lips, her arms still around my neck.

  Damn good reason.

  I groaned into her mouth as a response. “Isn’t that my line?”

  “If you want, I can take it back so you get to say it.”

  “No, no. It’s fine. I’m an equal opportunities man.”

  She bit her bottom lip with her teeth and the sight of it shot a flare of lust straight to my cock. “So?”

  I swallowed. Fuck. I was leaving tomorrow…

  What the fuck is wrong with you Roman? Just say yes!

  “Roman?” Her tongue flicked out and licked the center of my top lip. It sent a direct line of electricity to my cock, making the aching almost unbearable. There were all sorts of ways she could put that tongue to use.