Free Love After War by Cheris Hodges Page A

touch you. But I can’t push you away again. I will not make the same mistake twice.”
    A cell phone rang again. This time it was Dana’s.
    â€œDo you need to get that?” he asked.
    She shook her head. “Should I wait for you? Am I supposed to sit back, constantly worrying about you and these shadows you’re fighting until the time is right for you to bring me back into your world?”
    â€œDana.” He inched closer to her. “Just tell me I’m not going to lose you to Hollywood Ken.”
    Pushing him forcefully, Dana glared at Adrian, feeling foolish and angry all at once. “You asshole! Is that what last night was all about? You see me with someone else and I become a temporary priority ? Get out and this time I mean it.”
    â€œDana—”
    â€œDon’t. Just don’t. Go clean up your mess and I’ll see if Hollywood Ken wants to have breakfast.” She stalked over to the door as Adrian slipped his pants on. Maybe this was the blowup he needed to move Dana aside while he worked on his plan. But what if he lost her forever this time? Was revenge worth the anger he saw written all over her beautiful face ?
    â€œCan you move a little faster?” she snapped when she caught his glance.
    â€œDana . . .”
    â€œPlease, save it.”
    Adrian slipped his shirt over his head and crossed to the door. He stopped and stroked her cheek. “It will all make sense one day,” he said.
    Dana snatched away from him and slammed the door in his face so he wouldn’t see the hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

Chapter 6
    Adrian drove aimlessly around downtown LA, trying to get the image of Dana’s hurt face off his mind. He’d meant what he said about losing her, not just to Ian, but to any man. Dana was his. Then why do you keep hurting her? You’re more like him than you want to admit. Is revenge really worth this ? Adrian slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of him and to shake his thoughts clear. His mother was slick, naming him Adrian Elliot Bryant. Did she think giving him that bastard’s name would mean something to him? Give him a piece of the father who wanted nothing to do with him?
    The sound of a blaring horn alerted Adrian that he was holding up traffic. He sped through the intersection and headed back to his club. In his office he could think, plot, and plan for the meeting with his father. And, he hoped, forget that he’d hurt Dana again.
    When he arrived at Allure, he smiled at what had become LA’s newest hot spot overnight because Imani and Ian showed up at his place the day before their red carpet premiere. Sure he’d helped it happen since he had photographers staking out the place because he’d planned to embarrass Richmond. He’d been so consumed with Dana that he hadn’t checked to see what kind of waves the pictures of Richmond and the hooker made. Maybe that was why Elliot called him this morning.
    Unlocking the door and picking up the LA Times and a discarded copy of the LA Weekly, Adrian entered the empty building ready to see if his plan worked at all. Instead of heading to the office, he took a seat at one of the tables and opened up the papers, searching for Richmond’s picture. When he found it, Adrian smirked, glad to see that the Times gossip columnist used the photo where Richmond looked as if he were about to eat the call girl’s breasts as if they were orbs of chocolate cake. Adrian began reading the column.
    Crawford Hotel executive Richmond Crawford was caught with a well-known Los Angeles call girl last night, and it looks as if he paid for the whole package. As he and the call girl got close, they headed to the city’s newest hot spot, Allure. However, when Crawford arrived at the club, he must have handled his business already because he arrived alone. On the flip side, Crawford’s car mate, identified as LaTrell McClain, was arrested and