Chapter Seven
Rafe took her to one of the most popular nightclubs in all of Manhattan. He rarely frequented it—hanging out in noisy, crowded clubs wasn’t his style—but he had a feeling Crimson was the type of place Cat was looking for.
She wanted to lose herself for a little while and he could understand that. Her family obligations had to be taking a toll. What with that bitch-from-hell older sister, life couldn’t be easy.
He’d never heard such poisonous venom from a woman before. Annalisa Campioni’s tone of voice alone had sent a slither of dread down his spine when she started in on him. Not that he was scared of her. Angry females he could deal with—he’d handled his mother and sister rather effectively since he could remember. After all, he was the easygoing one, the charming one of the three Renaldi brothers. Matteo was quiet and calm and levelheaded. Vincenzo was young and brash and impulsive.
But there had been no reasoning on his end with Annalisa. The woman had spoken of her sister as if she was worthless. Useless. Her insults had shocked the hell out of him. Yes, his siblings drove him crazy sometimes, but he would never, ever verbally tear them apart to a person he barely knew.
So he believed Cat deserved a momentary escape. And he wanted to be the one to provide it for her. It was the least he could do.
She sat beside him in the car he arranged for this evening, practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. The sequined dress fit her curves beautifully, showing off those long legs he was sorely tempted to touch. The shoes filled his dirty brain with images of her sprawled across his bed, wearing nothing else but those damn fuck-me shoes.
Swiping his hand along his jaw, he studied her out of the corner of his eye, reminding himself he needed to rein his thoughts in tonight. She would most likely drive him out of his mind with lust moving that pretty little body of hers to the music but she was jumpy. Hell, she’d dumped him not even forty-eight hours ago.
And now he wanted to never let her out of his sight again.
“We’re here,” Cat announced when the car came to a stop in front of the club. She reminded him of an eager child, her face practically pressed to the window as she stared out at the line formed along the side of the building. Though there was nothing remotely child-like about Cat. “It looks busy.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured when she turned to look at him. “We’ll get right in.”
“It’s almost eleven-thirty and look at the line.” She pointed. “I can’t even tell where it ends.”
“The club’s open ’til four a.m.” The nightlife never ended in Manhattan. “And trust me. I know a way in.”
The driver opened the door for them and Rafe followed Cat out of the car, standing tall so he could survey the scene before him. Immediately he noted the various men standing in line. How most of them blatantly stared at Cat, not that he could blame them.
The sequined scrap of a dress accentuated her sensuous figure, her long, dark brown hair hung in sexy waves beyond her shoulders and when she turned to look at him, offering a shy smile in his direction, his heart nearly tripped over itself.
Standing beside her, he slipped his arm around her slender shoulders and drew her in close, staking his claim. She’s mine. Don’t waste your time because she belongs to me.
The majority of them looked away, losing interest.
Good.
“Maybe we should go somewhere else,” she suggested, her worried gaze scanning the line of disgruntled wannabe club goers. “Is there another club nearby?”
“I can get us in. Just follow my lead,” he murmured close to her ear, the scent of her hair driving him wild. “And don’t say a word. Let me do all the talking. I have everything under control.”
She gave a subtle nod as he led her toward the two gentlemen who stood in front of the closed door, casting their disapproving gazes upon everyone nearby. A red velvet rope swung across the imposing, black-lacquered double doors, blocking everyone from coming inside unless they were specifically admitted. Rafe could hear the muttered protests when he approached the door hosts, knew that everyone most likely thought he was cutting in line.