Playing His Game Part 17

She rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for this. There's traffic..."

Bobby shook his head. "You look different."

Was it an afternoon of great s.e.x or the knowledge she was in love that made her look so different? Mya shrugged unconsciously and tried to divert Bobby's attention from her. "Mr. Scarpeti won't like it if we're late."

He nodded. "Yeah, we should go." He eyed her critically. "Take your hair down."

"What?"

"You should wear your hair down."

"That style doesn't suit this dress."

His lip curled. "Mya, the fas.h.i.+on guru."

Her spine stiffened. "I prefer economy over fas.h.i.+on. It's something you could learn about."

Bobby glared at her. "I want you to wear your hair down. I said you had long hair, and I want you to

show it off."

"Too bad. It's hotter than h.e.l.l out there." Mya turned from him and scooped up her purse and car keys on the way to the door. "Coming?"

"Yeah." Bobby s.n.a.t.c.hed the keys from her hand and strode from the apartment. He didn't seem to care if

she kept up.

Rather than run after him, Mya walked at a sedate pace. When she got to the parking garage, she found him behind the wheel. He glowered at her when she opened the door. With a cool smile, she climbed into

the SRX and slammed the door as he accelerated from the s.p.a.ce. Mya shook her head at the way he drove and fastened her seatbelt without comment.

The ride to Cirque was laden with a tense silence that she felt no inclination to break. Once she opened

her mouth, Mya knew the truth would fly out, and she didn't want to ruin Bobby's deal with Tony Scarpeti. Their breakup was imminent, but she didn't want it to be acrimonious. Not that she wanted to be friends with Bobby either.

Bobby left the SRX with a valet and took her arm. He wore a charming smile, and Mya tried to keep the frown off her face. Always the consummate actor, her Bobby. A small smile found its way through her lips. Not really her Bobby for much longer. Was she a terrible person to feel so relieved? No longer would she have to pander to his ego or give in to his wishes. She sighed quietly and received a warning look from him.

The maitre 'd greeted them with a sneer, but quickly humbled himself when Bobby gave the name Scarpeti. "Ah, yes. Mr. Scarpeti waits for you in the lounge."

They followed him into the small lounge where a handful of people waited. Mya saw a dark-haired man and woman at a table and a.s.sumed they were the Scarpetis. Instead, the maitre 'd led them to a lone man. He was in his forties, with thick black hair, intent dark eyes, and olive skin. He was on the chubby side, but still handsome.

"Bobby," she hissed at him.

"What?" he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

"Why did you bring me? This is obviously a business dinner, or he would have a date too."

Bobby shrugged and disengaged his hold on her to extend his hand to Mr. Scarpeti. "h.e.l.lo, sir."

"Bobby." He spoke with the tiniest trace of an accent. Mr. Scarpeti shook his hand and flashed three

s.h.i.+ny gold rings. Then he turned to smile at her. "You must be the fiancee."

Mya held out her hand. "Mya, Mr. Scarpeti."

He took her hand, pressing a kiss to the palm instead of shaking it. "Call me Tony. Did you want a drink,

or shall we go to our table?"

Mya left Bobby to answer as she discreetly wiped her palm on the dress and followed them across the restaurant to a round table in a quiet alcove. She remained quiet as they discussed the movie and

concentrated first on the menu, then on her food. She tried to hide her boredom, but a yawn escaped her.

"Look at us." Tony shook his head. "We're discussing business when we could be discussing pleasure."

He winked at Mya.

She frowned at him and automatically pressed her back against the linen of the chair. "This is a business meeting, so please don't feel like you have to entertain me."

He frowned at Bobby before he regarded her intently. "It is just business for you?"

She shrugged. "What else would it be, sir? This is about Bobby's career, after all."

He stroked his chin and suddenly laughed. "Ah, I see." His mirth disappeared when he turned to eye

Bobby. "You have not represented this arrangement honestly, Mr. Waller."

"I'm telling you she'll do it." Sweat beaded Bobby's forehead.

Once more, Tony's eyes studied Mya. "I think not. There is nothing about the girl to suggest she is

accustomed to these sort of games."

Bobby shook his head. "What about Thomas?"

Mya's mouth fell open. "What does Roarke have to do with anything?"

Tony shook his head and laid aside his napkin. "I have had enough of this, and I think you will be busy

explaining long into the night, Waller." He opened his wallet to peel off a few bills and tossed them on the

table. He rose and nodded to both of them. "Goodnight."

Before Bobby could say anything, Scarpeti had walked away from the table. "b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" He slammed his hand on the table and turned to glare at Mya. "This is your fault."

She bit back a retort as she pushed away from the table. Most of the Mandarin Quail remained on her plate. "We need to leave. Now!" She didn't look back to see if he followed as she marched from the restaurant. She stood on the curb near the valet and waited for Bobby to emerge.

He stopped beside her, obviously angry. Bobby took the keys from his pocket and tossed them to the valet. "The SRX."

The red-jacketed valet nodded, then hurried to the lot. When he pulled up with the SRX a minute later, Bobby tore around to the driver's side. As the valet got out, Bobby pointed to a tiny scratch on the b.u.mper. "Look what you've done to my car."

The young man shook his head. "No, sir. I didn't..."

"You incompetent moron! I'll have you fired for this." Bobby grabbed the lapels of his red jacket and shook him vigorously. "You're going to pay for that."

Heat filled Mya's cheeks as she hurried forward. She wrenched on Bobby's arm. "Stop it. You know that scratch was there before. You made it on the way home from the dealers.h.i.+p."

The kid pulled himself free and hurried back to his kiosk on legs that trembled.

Bobby glared down at her. "Don't contradict me."

"Don't act like an a.s.s in public. You're taking your anger out on that kid." She scowled at him before she walked around to the pa.s.senger side. Bobby had already climbed inside, and Mya's mouth dropped open when he locked her side. She glared at him, but refused to plead for entrance. She turned on her heel to reenter the restaurant, where a bank of payphones lined the wall.

By the time she emerged into the heat again for the taxi that stopped at the curb, Bobby and the SRX were gone. Mya almost directed the cab to take her somewhere besides their apartment, but she had nowhere to go at the moment. Besides, she wanted to toss Bobby's ring back at him.

Chapter Nineteen.

Moving Out Bobby didn't arrive at the apartment for several hours after Mya got home. By the time he sauntered in, as if nothing had happened, she had moved her things to the guest room. She was curled up on the couch under a throw and wore the robe and slippers Roarke had given her. She could almost pretend she was back on his silk sheets again.

He stopped in the entryway when he saw her on the couch. "You're still up?"

She shrugged. "We need to talk."

"I'm tired." There was a petulant cast to his lips.

"You shouldn't have stayed out until three in the morning." Mya resisted the urge to ask where he had

been, because she really didn't care anymore.

"I'm a grownup. I can do what I want." He tossed the car keys on the table with a thunk.

Mya shrugged again. "What was the dinner with Scarpeti about?"

"Never mind."

"Tell me."

Bobby strolled into the living room and propped his hip against the couch. "I told him you would be very

nice to him if he gave me a role in his movie."

Her mouth dropped open. "You were trying to pimp me out?"

He shook his head. "Just furthering my career."

"At my expense!"

Bobby scowled at her. "You don't seem to mind trading your body for my benefit."

If he had been closer, Mya knew she would have slapped him. Instead, she curled her hands around the