Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [75]
“Nice to meet you, Jo and Cel. And I am Monty,” he said, following their lead and providing only his first name. He proceeded to take a seat at their table and then glanced between the two ladies. “Are you tourists or natives?” he asked.
“Tourists,” Cel said. “We’re in town taking in the sights and doing some shopping. What about you?”
His smile widened. It was evident that Celine had made herself the spokesperson for the two. “I’m in the city rather frequently so I have a town house here,” he said.
“You’re a businessman?”
That question had been asked by Johari. He glanced over at her to respond and the words got caught in his throat. There was a pure lushness in her lips, a sensual fullness that any man would take pleasure in arousing. Once a woman’s lips became aroused the rest of her soon followed suit. Not every man knew the true tricks of the tongue, but he did and wouldn’t hesitate to use those tricks to his advantage.
“Yes,” he said, forcing the word from between lips he would love to connect to hers, and the thought of her as the one he had been promised to marry and had every right to kiss sent a hot surge of desire through his entire body. “I’m a businessman.”
“So you’re familiar with all the exciting places?” Johari asked with enthusiasm in her voice.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. She was really hung up on having a great time. “Yes, Jo. In fact, I can take the two of you right now to a club known for its spectacular nightlife.”
Her beautiful eyes lifted with more than a tinge of excitement. “Really?”
“Yes. And if you’re interested, I have a private car outside that can take—”
“We’re interested, but we prefer getting there on our own,” Cel quickly cut in to say. “Just tell us where it is.”
Celine didn’t fully trust him, but he wasn’t bothered by it and thought it was a good thing she had her guard up. A part of him appreciated how protective she was on Johari’s behalf. “I can tell you where it is located. However, you won’t be able to get in without me. It’s a private club.”
Celine lifted a brow. “How private?”
He knew why she was asking, and again he appreciated her for doing so. “Nothing illegal. The people who are there prefer to be discreet and keep to themselves.”
Celine was staring at him and he could tell she still wasn’t convinced, so he said, “I tell you what. I’ll give you the address and the two of you can catch a cab. I’ll meet you there and make sure you’re admitted inside.”
He saw the looks being passed between the two women and said, “I understand if you’re hesitant about going and—”
“No, we’ll go,” Johari said. Cel, he saw, merely rolled her eyes in frustration.
He smiled. “Okay, and do you want to catch a cab or would you like to join me in my private car?”
“We’ll catch a cab,” Cel said quickly, not giving Johari the chance to even open her mouth.
“All right,” he responded. “It’s Club Chandler, located in the Trump International Hotel Towers.”
“Trump Towers?” Celine asked, in a voice that said she was truly impressed.
“Yes,” he said, pushing his chair back and standing. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Now I’m really having doubts about leaving you alone in New York,” Cel said once they were settled in a cab and on their way to the New York’s Upper West Side where Trump Towers was located. “If I hadn’t been with you tonight there’s no telling where you would be now. That man just said the key words and you were ready to take off.”
Johari rolled her eyes. “I didn’t bring you along to replace Saud, Cel. I would not have gone with Monty until I was sure he was not a bad person.”
Cel stared at her for a moment before asking, “And how were you going to determine that? He’s smooth and debonair, that’s for sure, and that chauffeur-driven limo confirms he’s got money. But still, I’m not all that certain how he got his wealth.”
“He told us that he’s a businessman,” Johari said, looking out the window at the brightly lit buildings they passed. New York was a beautiful city and she had chosen it because her friends at Harvard said it was