Page 17 of Dangerous Curves

Ronin scans the room. “Stop making a scene.”

“You created the scene.” Ronin’s eyebrows raised in question. “Do you walk around nude at all your modeling gigs or is this just a special occasion?”

He laughs. “Are you jealous?”

I think about his question for a moment. Some part of me should be jealous, but I’m not. I can honestly say that without a doubt there is not an ounce of jealousy in my body right now and that scares me. If this was Jaxx I’d be livid at him for being so careless with my feelings while jealous that everyone was seeing what was mine. I shake my head. “Not in the least. I’m actually just wondering if those funny little tabloid rumors about your cheating habits might be true after all.”

“Just go sit down over there and wait for me to get done,” Ronin tells me, his tone harsh and angry. I watch as he stalks off towards the set once more. This is crazy, keeps running in my head. Why am I here? I ran away from Los Angeles and everything with Jaxx and for what? To be here where my boyfriend is clearly more entertained by the model he’s sharing a bed with than me. He’s embarrassed me, belittled me and basically put me in time out all in the matter of ten minutes.

I turn around and stare at the area I was told to sit. Forget that, I think as I head for the door. The hallway seems longer than it did moments ago. My lungs constrict and I can feel the anxiety building. I haven’t felt this in so long. When I finally reach the reception desk, I collect my luggage from the bubble gum girl and head outside. A light rain has started to fall, something I clearly wasn’t expecting. Luckily, I hail a cab down in no time. I ask the driver to take me to any hotel except the one I know Ronin is at.

When we pull up to The Benjamin, in Central New York City, I’m shocked by the beauty of it. It’s simplistic, but it calls to me. I’ve been to New York City before for work, but I’ve never stayed here. I pay and tip the driver giving him a quick thanks as I run inside the lobby. The rain is really coming down now but thankfully a doorman is there to help me. Once I’m inside I look down at my now rain soaked clothes and realize I’m clearly underdressed for this place but there’s no way I'm going back out into the rain. When I walk in, it almost feels like I walk back in time. The mix of vintage and modern is evident and beautiful. The high ceilings are vaulted with recess lighting giving the area a feeling of openness. The rich dark woods with the cream colored tiled floor complement each other nicely. Large mirrors hang on the wall across from me. They are truly something to see.

I head to the front desk. A young man stands behind the counter. He greets me as I walk up. “How may I help you?”

“I was hoping you might have a room to rent for a couple of nights.”

“Kenndrix?” That voice stops my heart just before it kickstarts back. How in the hell did I run from him and we ended up in the same damn place? After taking a deep breath, I turn around and come face-to-face with Jaxx.

Sixteen

Jaxx

To see Kenndrix standing in the lobby of The Benjamin, soaked to the bone, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. I had assumed I’d get a few days away from her when I climbed onto the plane to be in New York City yesterday afternoon. Initially, I didn’t plan on being present for the red carpet premiere of one of the movies I worked on. I rarely go unless Gary or Reba really push me into it. With my job on the new movie I decided not to attend this one, but after Willow’s birthday party I thought maybe some time away would do us both some good. Apparently, fate or karma or whatever is at play here, thought otherwise.

When she turns around, I see the same shock I feel in those jade eyes. “Jaxx? What are you doing here?” she asks.

I stuff my hands into the pockets of my jeans because all I really want to do is reach out and push the lock of hair, plastering to the side of her face, away. “I have a movie premiere to attend.”

“Oh.” She opens her mouth, but she never says anything.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but I don’t have any vacancies due to the movie premiere,” the desk clerk tells her.

Her shoulders slump, but she puts on a beautiful smile for the young kid. “That’s okay, it’s probably best if I don’t stay here anyways. Thank you for your time.” She turns to leave but the look of defeat in the posture of her body makes me stop her.

“Hey, you can stay with me.”

She turns around and looks at me like I’ve grown a second head and maybe I have. Finally, she laughs but it sounds more sarcastic than anything. “You’re kidding right?”

“Nope,” I tell her, with the shake of my head.

“Every time we are around each other all we do is argue.”

“Good, then we’ll either have to work it out or kill each other. What could go wrong, right?” I ask her, with a shrug of my shoulders.

I can see her weighing her options but eventually she shakes her head. “I can’t. I’ll just stay somewhere else tonight and try to grab a flight back to Los Angeles tomorrow.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kenndrix. It’s pouring rain and with the movie premiere a lot of hotels are booked. I have a suite big enough for the two of us.” I give her my best puppy dog eyes. They used to get me anything I wanted. However, I doubt that will be the case now.

Kenndrix sighs. “I doubt that exists.”

“I don’t,” I tell her, with a shake of my head. I step forward and take her luggage into my hands and lead the way to the elevators. Kenndrix huffs in annoyance but eventually I hear the squeak of her wet shoes as she follows me across the lobby floor. We wait in silence as the elevator comes to the bottom floor. Once we’re inside, I choose the number and off we go. I chance a side glance in her direction. Her worry is filling the tiny space of the elevator. I don’t even have to look in her direction to know that. “So, what brings you to New York City?”

“I came to visit someone,” she replies, quietly. The elevator music almost drowning out her words.

“And you didn’t make a reservation before you came to town? That’s not like you.” I’m pretty sure I know exactly who she came to town to visit, but she doesn’t want to have this discussion with me, that much is obvious.

Another heavy sigh from her. It pulls at me. I always hated to see how stressed she could get. I feel it now. “I had a place originally, but things changed once I got here.”

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