The Dahlia Trilogy (The Gilded Flower Series) Read online

  The car carries Thomas away, leaving Dahlia standing alone in front of the hotel. Out of the blue she hears, “Lily, my angel. Is that you?”

  Chapter 24

  Dahlia feels her heart stop at the sound of the unmistakable voice. She turns slowly, trying to will herself to breathe. Gustavo approaches her from the other side of the portico, his face illuminated by the hanging lanterns. Lily certainly can’t be faulted for falling for this man. His confident demeanor and striking features are hard to ignore—dark wavy hair, olive skin and a toned body underneath his bespoke charcoal suit. Dahlia swallows remembering the time she saw him naked at her sister’s apartment.

  “What a pleasant surprise to see you here,” he says, leaning in for a two-kiss greeting.

  “I can’t say the same, Gustavo,” Dahlia replies.

  “Come now, Lily,” he says with his hands still on her shoulders, “You can’t still be angry with me.”

  Dahlia raises her arms and removes his hands. “I can choose to feel however I want.” She takes a step back to put some space between them.

  Gustavo steps forward to close the distance. She has to give him credit—his persistence comes off more charming than it should. “Then perhaps you could remember how good it felt to have me in your bed.”

  Dahlia’s breath hitches. He really is pursuing Lily. No wonder she’s so upset. Gustavo doesn’t know when to let go. Maybe it’s time Dahlia remind him.

  “You seem to have forgotten that I’m engaged,” she says, trying to sound as self-assured as possible with his intense gaze boring into her. Desire, lust, and possession radiate from his eyes.

  He glances down and takes her hand into his. “I don’t see a ring.”

  Damn it. “I left it at home,” she says quickly. “It’s being resized.”

  “Oh, of course, angel.” He brings her hand up to his warm lips and kisses the finger gently. “Your beautiful hands should only be adorned with the right rings.”

  Dahlia takes back her hand. “You implying that I’m engaged to the wrong man.”

  Gustavo smiles. “If you’re not with me, then you’re not with the right person.”

  “Says the married man,” she quips. Before he can respond, she says, “It’s been a long day. Good night, Gustavo.”

  He steps aside, rubbing his hand along the stubble on his chin and replies, “Good night, my angel.”

  Chapter 25

  “What took you so long?” Dahlia says in an exasperated tone the following afternoon. Running into Gustavo completely threw Dahlia for a loop. She spent the day replaying the conversation as she wandered around the Rodin museum and checked out the markets on Rue Cler.

  “I had some work to do today.” Thomas’s voice mirrors Dahlia’s as he enters her suite.

  “So,” she says anxiously, forgetting about Gustavo for the moment. “Did you find out anything?”

  “What do you mean?” Thomas says, distractedly, walking out onto the terrace to take in the view of the Eiffel Tower. “It truly is the most extraordinarily beautiful city, isn’t it?” He muses. “I could never figure out why Vi doesn’t like it here.”

  Dahlia joins him on the terrace. “Did you hear me?”

  Thomas looks over at her, as if surprised by her presence. “Yeah, I did. It didn’t pan out. Turns out this couple adopted a child from Africa seven and a half years ago. I’m sorry, Dahlia.”

  “Who was it?”

  “Some business friend of your Dad’s. His youngest daughter is married to some French journalist. Should’ve figured that they were probably too socially aware to fit your mother’s idea of proper parents.”

  “So that’s it? We’re done here?” Dahlia snaps her fingers. “Just like that, we’re no closer to finding Marissa?”

  Thomas shakes his head. “Not necessarily. There are two other leads I’m following up with. This was the only one here in Paris.”

  “Where are the other two?”

  “One is in Switzerland. Geneva more specifically. The other, I still can’t pinpoint.”

  “Does that mean we go to Geneva?” Dahlia asks.

  Thomas puts a reassuring hand on Dahlia’s arm. Again, his display of concern is so out of character that she shakes him off. She much prefers his cold, distant self to this.

  “I’ll go to Geneva alone. It isn’t fair to put you through this. I can leave on an early morning flight and be back tomorrow evening. This one is probably a long shot, but the couple is a friend of your mother’s, so I still think it’s worth checking out. Besides, I think I can play the alumni angle since the guy went to boarding school at Aiglon a year ahead of me.”

  “What am I supposed to do then?” Dahlia asks, following Thomas to the door.

  “What does anyone else in Paris do? Take a walk, or visit a museum or two. Just be patient. We’re almost through this.”

  “You’re being patronizing,” Dahlia replies.

  “You asked, Dahlia. Call if you need anything,” Thomas mumbles, closing the door behind him.

  Dahlia leans against the door and slides down until she’s on the floor, her face in her hands. It isn’t until darkness settles over the city that she finally stops crying.

  Chapter 26

  “Would you care for anything else, tonight?” The waiter asks as he places a martini in front of Dahlia.

  She shakes her head. “No, thank you.”

  “A lady like you shouldn’t be drinking alone,” Gustavo comments as he sits across the table from Dahlia. “Security is watching you I’m sure. You know hotels assume a beautiful woman like you sitting by herself in a bar is probably for hire.”

  “Except when she’s staying in one of their suites.” Dahlia takes a sip of her drink. “What are you doing here? Although I can’t say it’s any surprise.”

  “Why is that, my angel? Because I’m drawn to you whenever you’re near.”

  Dahlia nearly spits out her drink. Her sister can’t possibly have fallen for a line like that.

  “Umm, more like, why you just happen to be in Paris at the same time I arrived, and how we happen to be staying at the very same hotel. It’s kind of difficult to ignore such an enormous coincidence.” Could Thomas have deliberately delivered her to Gustavo? What would he have to gain by being involved with this man?

  “So let’s call it fate, then.”

  Dahlia reflects his smile. He is very good at this game, whatever it is.

  “Alright, then, what do you think fate has in store for us?” Dahlia bites into an olive. Does he know I’m not Lily? If he does, he’s an incredibly good actor.

  Gustavo sucks in a breath. “You shouldn’t do that in front of me.”

  “Excuse me. I thought you’d be more impervious to my way of being, like I am to yours.”

  “Oh, I think I affect you a great deal, Lily.” Gustavo orders a Balvenie 21 neat from the waiter.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, Gustavo.”

  “I don’t, angel. I just have to think of all the times I made you come to remind myself of just how good we are together.”

  Dahlia chokes on her drink. She coughs, trying to take a moment to recover. “That was a long time ago. I’m with Alejandro now.”

  “Ah yes,” Gustavo says, smiling. “Your little Cuban friend.”

  “Show some respect. He’s my fiancé.”

  “Of course, my dear. What do you think he’d say if he knew you were here with me?”

  “I’m technically not with you. You’re crashing my party of one. In any case, he’d be fine. Alejandro trusts me.”

  “Even with me? He should know better.”

  “Again, you flatter yourself. I’m not sure if this hotel is big enough for your ego, Gustavo.”

  He chuckles. “So feisty, Lily. I always love how you have that fight in you.” He leans in a bit and says in a low voice. “What if I told you that my wife left me? Would that convince you to dump your Cuban swine?”

  Dahlia looks squarely in Gustavo’s eyes. “Not in a million y
ears,” she says in an even tone. “So she finally gave up hope that you’d ever become a decent person?”

  “Apparently she preferred it when I had billions attached to my name instead of meager tens of millions.”

  Dahlia laughs. “Karma’s a bitch, Gustavo.” She nearly jumps in her seat when she feels his warm hand slowly moving up her leg.

  “Yes, it is, angel.”

  Chapter 27

  Dahlia casually pushes away Gustavo’s hand and polishes off her martini.

  “Would you like another?” Gustavo offers.

  “No, thank you.” She runs her finger along the stem of the glass. It’s not hard to guess what Gustavo would try to do if she got drunk with him tonight.

  “Does it have to end so soon? I’m quite enjoying my time with you.”

  Standing she says, “Good things always come to an end, Gustavo. Keep that in mind. We’ve reached ours. Now I’m going to bed.”

  “Sure I can’t join you?” Gustavo looks at her, his eyes dead serious.

  Dahlia shakes her head. “No, not ever.”

  He grabs her by the arm as she begins to walk away. “In that case, let me walk you to your room.”

  “Where are we going?” Dahlia asks when Gustavo pushes seven in the elevator. “My room is on the fifth floor.” She reaches out to press five, but Gustavo takes her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

  “I’m staying on the seventh floor. You must really see the view from my balcony.”

  “The view from my terrace is perfectly lovely,” Dahlia replies, pulling her hand out of his. “Perhaps that line will work on one of your two-bit whores, but I’m not easily impressed.” She pushes the button for her floor

  Gustavo sucks in a breath. “I love how flushed you get when you’re angry, angel.” He bends down and whispers in Dahlia’s ear. “Remember the last time we were in an elevator? The tension between us then? It’s the same as now.”

  Dahlia shakes her head, refusing to fall under his spell.

  The elevator doors part when they reach the fifth floor. Gustavo rests a hand on her shoulder. “I really think you should come with me, Lily. There’s something we should discuss.”

  Dahlia takes a deep breath, beginning to regret this charade. It seemed easy enough—pretend to be Lily and convince Gustavo to leave her in peace. How could she think it would be simple? She’s playing a game with a man who doesn’t like to lose. Curiosity is winning this round though. Dahlia has to know what card he plans to play next.

  “You have five minutes,” she asserts, as the doors slide closed.

  Chapter 28

  “What did I tell you,” Gustavo says, leading Dahlia to the softly lit terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower. “It’s stunning isn’t it?”

  Dahlia looks out at the familiar scene but notices Gustavo looking at her, not the view. “Your five minutes began a minute ago.”

  “Am I making you nervous, Lily? You didn’t used to be so impatient with me.” He approaches her casually until he’s inches away from her. He pushes her hair over to her other shoulder. Dahlia can feel his warm breath on her face as she fixes her gaze on the tall monument. “You know how I take my time when it comes to things that matter.”

  Dahlia resists the urge to close her eyes and melt into his body. She’s both turned on and repulsed by the fact that she’s being seduced by Gustavo—a man she despises for hurting her sister, but can’t help but find undeniably sexy. Her silence becomes his cue to continue.

  Gustavo steps behind Dahlia and places his hands on her shoulders, brushing his lips lightly over the back of her neck. She pivots out of his embrace. “Two minutes, Gustavo.”

  He chuckles. “I see you’re all business now, angel. Alright then, follow me.” He leads her away from the terrace, through the dining area to the sitting room decorated with warm, chocolate brown furnishings and a classic desk in the corner. Gustavo picks up a few papers off of it and points for Dahlia to sit next to him on the sofa.

  “How much do you know about your friend, Vi?” He asks.

  Dahlia’s palms begin to sweat. She tucks her hands beneath her thighs. “Why would you ask about Vi?”

  He lays out the papers on the cream marble coffee table in front of her. “You recognize this man?”

  Dahlia’s eyes widen a bit as she skims the arrest report. “No, I don’t.” She forces herself to look into Gustavo’s eyes when she answers. Her mouth is suddenly dry.

  Gustavo smiles slyly. “For a best friend, there’s a lot you don’t know about her.”

  “This police report reveals nothing about her. It’s just about some guy named Jean-Baptiste Auclair.” Dahlia’s voice goes up an octave. Gustavo is going to make her work for this information. But she’s not interested in playing his game anymore.

  Standing up, she smoothes out her silk organza dress and says, “Your five minutes are up.”

  Just as she’s about to make her way to the door, Gustavo says, “Not so fast, Lily. I know you want more.”

  The way he says that makes Dahlia stop mid-stride. She turns around and puts her hands on her hips. “Not if it’s coming from you. Why should I believe anything you say? You are a proven liar and scoundrel! I can’t believe I’d waste even five minutes of my time with you.”

  Gustavo rocks back on his heels, his expression serious. “Lily, I’m sorry if I’ve ever given you the impression that I would lie to you. If it’s one thing I would never do, it’s be dishonest with you.”

  Dahlia can feel her blood beginning to boil. His feigned innocence is both annoying yet disarming.

  “Two minutes, Lily. And I promise you’ll know everything.”

  Chapter 29

  True to his word, Gustavo laid it out for her in two minutes. Every paper in front of Dahlia, from the arrest record to a taped recording, revealed that Vi has a completely other life. One that neither Lily nor Dahlia knew anything about.

  Dahlia tries to slow her breathing. She refuses to let Gustavo keep the upper hand. So what if he’s the one to share this with her? This doesn’t change her friendship with Vi for a minute. If nothing else, it explains why Thomas would bring her to Gustavo, right? No doubt he got to Thomas as well.

  “This explains little and changes nothing, Gustavo,” she says, unable to take her eyes off the arrest record. Drug possession . . . aggravated assault . . . .

  “By the look in your eyes, you had no idea, did you, my angel?” Gustavo inches a bit closer to Dahlia on the sofa until their knees touch. She’s too distracted by her thoughts to register him lightly circling his fingers on her thigh.

  Finally, she looks down, and it hits her. “What’s your angle, Gustavo?” She brushes his hand away.

  “It wouldn’t look good for your friend Vi to be exposed for this, would it? What’s the going jail time for those in her line of work? She’s tough, but is she strong enough to serve three to five years? Maybe more for bribing a government official. In Brazil, no one cares about government officials taking bribes, but in America, people at least pretend to be ethical.” Gustavo walks over to the bar and pours two glasses of scotch. He returns and hands a glass to Dahlia, who takes a few sips, allowing the potent drink to warm her throat and kill her raging thoughts.

  “You’re suggesting blackmail?” She asks, setting down the now empty glass.

  He raises his glass to her and finishes his drink. “That’s my Ivy League girl.”

  “This is no way to win me back, Gustavo. I don’t know how you got this information, but blackmailing my friend is no way to worm your way back into my life.”

  Gustavo shakes his head. “No, angel. Perhaps not your life, but most definitely your bed.”

  Chapter 30

  Dahlia lets out a loud laugh. “You mean to tell me you dug up dirt on my friend just to fuck me again?”

  “What we had was never about fucking, Lily.” He places his tumbler on the side table and joins Dahlia on the sofa again.

  “I will never leave Alejandro for you,
Gustavo. No matter what you have over Vi.”

  “You see, Lily. I thought perhaps you’d say that.” He turns his body toward her and places his arm around her on the top of the sofa. “It’s admirable that you love your Cuban boy so much. Although I still don’t think he’s everything that I am.”

  Dahlia bites her bottom lip, waiting for Gustavo to finish.

  “So I propose a kind of quid pro quo.”

  “Which is?” she prompts, anxious to leave.

  He bends down and whispers in her ear, “One night together, just like we had at the fazenda. I want to make love to you, my angel.”

  “That proposition only seems to benefit you.”

  “Oh how soon you forget our time together. Don’t forget your friend, Vi. Of course this information will be locked away for good. I can promise you that.”

  “As if your promises mean anything,” Dahlia retorts.

  Gustavo places his hand on Dahlia’s cheek and gently runs his fingers down her jaw to her lips, pulling down the bottom lip with his thumb. “These lips are so beautiful. I never got tired of seeing them around my cock.”

  Dahlia swallows, unable to avert her eyes from his.

  “One more night, my angel. Consider it a sort of farewell. Maybe you need to remember what you’re missing.” Gustavo releases her lip and leans in to kiss her neck. “Then, you can go back to your fiancé.” He doesn’t bother hiding the disdain for Alejandro when he utters that last word.

  “And in exchange,” Dahlia says in a low voice, “You’ll swear never to reveal what you have on Vi, and give me every piece of evidence you have?”

  Gustavo smiles victoriously, knowing he’s about to win at his own game. Dahlia begins to feel her heart race. Could being with Lily again be worth all this to him? Or is there more?

  “Of course, Lily. What’s mine is yours.”

  Dahlia fingers her citrine and diamond necklace nervously. Never before has she been blackmailed into having sex. Granted some men made a lot of effort to get her into bed but at least there was a shared desire. This whole scenario seems so much more than that, yet has so much riding on it that she knows she can’t say “no”, despite how much reason and logic are telling her to. Not if it can save Vi and get Gustavo off Lily’s back for good.