Deadly Embrace Jackie Collins (the reader ebook .TXT) 📖

to Vegas one of these days. It’s quite a place.’

‘I gotta go to the john,’ Madison announced, abruptly standing up. ‘See ya.’

As soon as she was out of earshot, Dani said, ‘I don’t think she likes me.’

‘What do you mean?’ Michael replied. ‘She doesn’t know you. If she knew the real you, she’d love you.’

‘No, I mean I don’t think she likes me being here,’ Dani said, sipping her wine. ‘Wasn’t this weekend supposed to be just you and her?’

‘It is me and her. I’m spending the whole weekend with her. I can see you once, can’t I?’

‘Is this the only time I get to see you?’ she asked, leaning forward.

‘God! I love being with you,’ he said, studying her face. ‘Right now I wish we were lying in bed, eating hamburgers, making love.’

‘In that order?’ she asked, smiling.

‘No.’ He grinned. ‘We’d make love first, then we’d order hamburgers.’

‘You’re funny, Michael,’ she said warmly. ‘I love you so much.’

‘It’s the greatest when we’re together,’ he said contentedly. ‘I feel no pressure. When I’m round Stella there’s always pressure. She’s got so much going on, what with her social events and all that shit. She’s working on a hundred different agendas.’

‘You don’t have to stay with her, Michael,’ Dani reminded him gently. ‘Madison is sixteen.’

‘I can’t tell Madison the truth,’ he said, his tone hardening. ‘It’s not going to happen, Dani.’

‘That’s fine,’ she said, instantly backing off. ‘No pressure from me.’

‘How’s Vincent doing?’

‘Surrounded by girls–as usual. They won’t leave him alone.’

‘That’s good.’

‘No, it’s not. I don’t want him knocking up some little bimbo.’

‘I knocked you up, didn’t I?’

‘That was different.’

‘Yeah, when it’s you and me it’s always different. Right?’

She smiled. ‘Can I hold your hand under the table, Michael? Is that allowed?’

‘As long as it’s only my hand.’

‘Oooh–naughty, naughty.’

‘Hey, maybe when Madison’s asleep, I’ll slip out and come by your hotel.’

‘You think so?’

‘Yeah. I definitely think so.’

Madison made her way to the ladies’ room, where she studied her reflection in the mirror. Tall, blonde women always made her feel inadequate. Her mother was tall and blonde. In fact, there was a slight resemblance between this Dani woman and her mom. Except Stella was more refined-looking, not as glamorous as Dani Castle.

Madison knew she looked like her father, with her dark skin, green eyes and black hair. It didn’t thrill her. Why couldn’t she be more like Jamie? Jamie was gorgeous: boys always took notice of her.

Madison had not experienced much success with boys. She was too smart. Besides, the boarding-school she attended was girls only. So were the summer camps she went to. Therefore, she didn’t know much about boys–unlike Jamie who, according to her, was constantly fighting them off.

I’m sixteen, she thought. It’s about time I did something wild and exciting. I’m a woman, I should be fighting off gorgeous guys. Or not fighting them off–depending how I feel. I’m a writer, I need the experience.

She splashed cold water on her face and applied a dab of lip gloss.

I still look gawky and awkward, she thought. I look about fourteen. Fourteen and an inexperienced jerk.

Maybe I should dye my hair blonde, that would make boys notice me.

She walked out of the ladies’ room and bumped straight into a man in a white suit, a man who closely resembled Michael Douglas. Unfortunately it wasn’t Michael Douglas, whom she’d just seen in Fatal Attraction and with whom she had fallen madly in love.

‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

‘Not looking where you’re going, young lady?’ the man said. He had sandy-coloured hair and a deep suntan. Maybe there was a bit of Robert Redford mixed in with Michael Douglas.

‘I was thinking.’

‘And what would a beautiful young lady like you be thinking about that made you appear so earnest?’

Wow! Is this older man actually coming on to me? This man, who is probably the same age as my dad. Wow!

‘Uh…I was thinking how nice it is here, and how I’m going to write about it.’

‘Are you a writer?’

‘Yes,’ she lied. ‘I sometimes write for Rolling Stone. Bits and pieces, you know.’

‘I’m very impressed.’

They stared at each other. This older man and this young, exotic-looking girl.

‘Is this your first trip to Miami?’

‘It certainly is, and I love it–well, what I’ve seen so far.’

‘I live in the penthouse,’ he said. ‘It’s my permanent home.’

‘Cool.’

‘If I can show you around at all, just let me know. My name’s Frankie.’

‘Frankie,’ she repeated.

‘Frankie Medina. And you are?’

‘Madison Castelli.’

‘Pretty name. Pretty girl.’

‘Has anyone ever told you that you look like Michael Douglas?’ she blurted.

‘Only better-looking, I hope,’ he said, smiling.

He had nice teeth, capped probably, but nice all the same.

‘Of course,’ she said quickly.

‘Yeah, I’ve been told that,’ he said with a lazy grin. ‘Only I’m not looking for a fatal attraction.’

She laughed. Glenn Close was a blonde in the movie. She definitely had to change her hair colour.

‘If you get lonely later,’ Frankie Medina said, ‘give me a call.’ And he handed her a little gold card with his name embossed in black and a phone number.

‘I might do that,’ she said boldly.

‘You are very pretty,’ he said.

Oh, my God! He is coming on to me. ‘I just washed my hair,’ she said. Like, what a stupid thing to say.

‘What did you use? A magic shampoo that makes you even prettier?’ She giggled. ‘Call me,’ he said. ‘I’ll give you a ride in my Porsche.’

Hmmm. A penthouse and a Porsche. How very sexy.

‘What do you do?’ she asked.

‘What do I do?’ he repeated, with a big smile. ‘I’m a playboy–what else?’

At which point a gorgeous blonde emerged from the ladies’ room–yes, another blonde–and immediately clung possessively to his arm.

‘See ya,’ Madison said, and quickly took off.

Back at the table, Michael and Dani Castle seemed to be getting more than friendly. Madison could almost feel them move apart as she approached.

‘Where were you?’ Michael asked. ‘I was gonna send out a hunting party.’

‘Guess what?’ she said. ‘I bumped into an old friend, too.’

‘You did?’ Michael said.

‘Yes,’ she said, surreptitiously sliding Frankie Medina’s card