Danny woke up with a champagne headache and a pair of warm buttocks against his crotch. He pried his bloodshot eyes open to try and discern the warm lush body shifting and grinding her ass into him.

"Morning, "she moaned, rolled over and trailed her fingers over his damp chest.

"Shit, "Danny said jerking his head and frowning down at her "Regina, Regina, fucking Regina" he groaned vigorously rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. Every muscle in his body ached and the room was as hot as a furnace which meant he'd probably forgotten to switch off the air-conditioner again.

"That's my name" she said softly, her lips touching his bare shoulders.

Danny's eyes swept past her, combing through the grey cashmere-covered walls, crystal chandelier and dark upholstered leather cupboards of a walk-in closet. It wasn't his apartment but it wasn't a hotel either. It was Regina's apartment, he thought with a remorseful groan as his eyes skirted past her quilted Chanel bags which she collected with as much zeal as she collected men. Regina was fun for a night out, fun in the bedroom but she was no keeper. She was bad stock with a sinking trade value. Regina Crane was crazy, spoilt and definitely untradeable stock in his book.

"Did we-?" he asked as she straddled him.

"Relax, your virtue is untainted"

"I gotta go"

"The market doesn't open for two hours" she leaned in closer, her nipples grazing his chest.

"The market is always open somewhere" he growled picking her up by her waist and setting her aside. When he swung his feet of the bed, he had to pause briefly as his head hammered viciously. His face creased in pain and he fisted his long dishevelled hair peering over his shoulder at a pouting Regina.

"What the heck did you put in that champagne?" he complained scrambling to his feet so he could rummage her bedroom floor for his clothes. He slipped into his white dress shirt and tuxedo pants, not bothering to tuck in the tails of the shirt.

"You partook in some kink with a little lady called Angel, "Regina chuckled reaching for her mink coat "don't you remember?" she teased as she retrieved a small bag of cocaine from its pocket.

"You're the Devil" Danny snapped, blood rushing to his cheeks as his pulse jumped.

"So I've been told" she mewled, crossing her legs teasingly. "Should I get you a town car?" she smiled wounding her messy hair between her fingers.

"I'll get a cab"

"How the mighty have fallen, the Danny Desai taking a lowly cab!" she huffed, arms crossed against her chest. Taking out a crumpled dollar bill from his pocket, Danny flung it on the bed much to her bemusement.

"Buy yourself some class" he growled and he lowered his face to hers, his contempt for the redhead instantaneous. Regina's eyes shot to the ground as she wrapped the mink coat tighter around her.

"I'll see you at the office" he said rescuing his grey tweed coat from the pile of clothes on the floor then drove past her hastily.

Danny left her Fifth Avenue apartment, his elegant Italian shoes striking the shingled marble as he rushed past the doorman. He could almost feel her stalking him through the large gothic windows of her apartment. She was a phantom like the gilded paintings covering the walls of her glamorous apartment. Tucking his cold hands into his coat pockets, Danny walked past the rustle of parched trees crusted with glittering white snow. He loved New York in January, loved the dazzling white snowflakes that struck New Yorkers as they crowded the sidewalks. There was a charm in the city's mottled snow around Central Park and its horse-drawn carriages, magic in her frozen lake littered with over-zealous skaters.

He closed his eyes allowing the magic of the city to wash over him and for a moment he forgot it was Monday, bloody Monday on Wall Street. Speedily, he jolted up and stuck out his arm to hail down a cab. The day was young and there was money to be made on the market.

..

Lacey cranked up the speed of the treadmill, her feet punishing the rushing incline. She hadn't had a decent night's sleep since her return from Tokyo and her ritualistic glass of wine wasn't helping matters. She blamed Clara's trendy Meatpacking District neighbourhood. The apartment was descent enough with vast Maplewood floors and stunning views of the Hudson River but Lacey detested the hip neighbourhood with its hot nightspots and boisterous nightclubs.

"Seagate's stock is down by five percent this morning and –"

She brushed beads of sweat off her face and neck with a towel as she watched the business channel through laboured breathing. She screwed her eyes toward the stock charts streaming along the bottom of the plasma screen. Lacey still couldn't believe that she was back in New York, going back to work at Desai and Crane. She was going back to the same company that had locked her father up at Lincoln for embezzlement. She was mad for coming back to Manhattan, insane for working for Vikram Desai again but she had a score to settle.

It was time.

Her breathing hitched slightly when she realized what this meant. She would see her ex fiancé Danny Desai after her two year long stint in Asia. She stopped the treadmill and guzzled down the rest of her water in the two litre bottle. Her muscles ached and her head pounded. She had to get her own place soon or she'd never be fit enough or sane enough to see her plan through. Her mobile phone vibrated on the table startling her awake from her lascivious daydreams of taking over Desai & Crane. She padded toward the ringing phone and caught it on its last peal.

"I want to take my company public"

The voice didn't bother waiting for a formal greeting from her.

"Charlie McBride, good morning to you too" Lacey smiled as she switched the phone from her right ear to her left ear. She made her way toward the open plan kitchen to the oak top island in the middle of the room. Throwing clumps of diced strawberries and banana slices into a big blender she waited for her old Harvard friend to proceed before switching on the machine.

"A little bird told me you were back in town" his voice softened.

"Pesky little birds, "she replied huskily knowing that the business blogs were already abuzz with the return of Wall Street's notorious maverick and daughter of a renowned criminal.

"Have dinner with me, we'll discuss business" he teased over the phone.

"Why do you want my help, Wall Street is crawling with assholes who'd clamour for a hot IPO like yours"

"I'd rather deal with a pretty face"

"Plenty of those two from what I hear" she sighed, finger poised over the start button of the blender.

"Ok, I need you" Charlie said gently and Lacey beamed as she hung up the phone and started up her breakfast. It felt good to be back in New York, back in the city that had once profiled her on the Wall Street Journal next to her father.

..

"Kiss me, "Rico whispered as Sarita leaned in closer to his face with her warm skin tickling his. He stopped her before her eyes fluttered open, brows knitted as she studied him with her big curious eyes. Rico traced her lips with his finger, softly and tenderly.

"I want you to kiss me like I mean something to you" he said as she broke away from his embrace.

"Let's not complicate things Rico" Sarita said crouching down on the floor, padding his Mongolian carpet with her hands.

"What are you looking for?"

"My panties"

"When I find them, I'll give you a call"

"So you can use them as a bargaining chip to lure me back here, "she shook her head, hands flying to her hips "not a chance"

"You think too highly of me, I hadn't considered that" he said simply, his eyes combing over her naked form.

"I'll see you at work Rico and remember, "She paused to waggle a finger at him "this never happened"

"I know, it didn't happen the first six times either"

"You're a Jewish schmuck and my Indian mother would have a heart attack if I were to drag you to a family dinner" she said ambling around his vast sunlit bedroom.

"You don't think I could handle all that Tandoori curry?"

"That is so ridiculously racist" she rolled her eyes swatting him off her red feather and lace dress. She climbed back into its confines, shimmying into sheer lace and tickling feathers.

"Come on, come back to bed and handle my kosher meat" Rico coaxed kicking back the rumpled sheets.

"This would never work" Sarita deadpanned before she grabbed her velvet stole. Rico shook his head; he couldn't understand why she refused to keep a few things at his place. She'd slept over his place enough time for her things to warrant their own drawer.

"Ye have little faith!" he called leaning against a pile of luxurious silk pillows before he blasted her with a feather one as she ducked out of his Soho apartment.

..

Lacey sneaked up behind Sarita and covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" she whispered into her ear before the petite brunette whirled around to tackle Lacey Porter.

"Lacey!" she laughed heartily crushing Lacey with a protective bear hug that nearly choked all the wind out of her.

"It's good to see you too" Lacey giggled, gasping for air with her face over Rita's shoulder. She was still laughing and panting for air when she saw Danny Desai. Hastily, her body stiffened and her heartbeat throbbed around her temple. He looked sleek in his silky smooth cashmere Tom Ford suit and tangled dark hair. He looked so good she had to bite her bottom lip to stifle back a moan. As he sauntered toward her, brown eyes glinting like warm whisky in the dim January sun, her mind reeled with memories of him in his white briefs stalking around her apartment like an animal in heat. Memories of her biting his neck, her nails digging into his big broad back suddenly swirled around her head and she quickly cast her eyes down at her watch.

"I gotta go" she said to Sarita "Let's do lunch ok?"

"Of course"

She barely heard Sarita as her feet hurried along the corridor to the row of elevators covering an entire wall. She glanced back over her shoulder and sure enough he was still following her with a wild look in his eyes. Suddenly, Lacey stopped when she was realized how silly she was acting. She closed her eyes and waited for his spell to sweep over her, she was too weak to resist him. His scent beckoned her first, musky and warm. Lacey swallowed hard, eyes fully dilated and every nerve on her body alert and ready for him. She felt him behind her and excitement nearly strangled her as she spun around to face him.

"Lacey Porter, "Danny Desai croaked sliding his hand into hers. He caught her off-guard with that action. She'd half expected him to remain in that fern littered recess skulking and stalking her with his eyes. Lacey bit back a moan as his fingertips caressed the erratic pulse on her wrist. She refused to let him win this round with his debonair performance.

"I'm surprised you're still here" she said shaking her head, willing moisture back into her mouth.

"Why's that?" he spoke softly, his dark eyes teasing her like some dark seething act of foreplay.

"Wall Street is no place for little boys" Lacey cocked her eyebrow, balking at the surrender he was seeking from her.

"How about lunch this afternoon?"

"Lunch is for wimps"

"Ok, then let me take you out tonight, get you acquainted with Manhattan again"

"I don't need to get acquainted with the city" she smiled with a sigh of relief as she heard the ding of the elevator behind her. Slowly she backed away from him and into the elevator with a thinning crowd.

"How does dinner at Nobu sound, say eight?" he coaxed, his beautiful eyes wandering down her lean form in a men's grey business suit.

"Danny Desai, always the closer" she tilted her head back, eyeing him through a fringe of blackened eyelashes.

"They have that wine you like" he persisted grabbing on to the door with white knuckled hands.

"Remember rule number one Danny, don't pitch the bitch"

He sighed dragging his hand through his hair, teeth nipping at his bottom lip.

"You can't close me, I'm not buying" she said as the elevator doors closed between them. Lacey let out a long heated breath. Suddenly all her senses were heightened and she wanted more of the rush that was Danny Desai.

..

"Consider this from a financial perspective; is Regina cheaper than a hooker?" Rico said looking into his glass of cognac. He held it up against the dizzy yellow light of the bar as if examining its contents.

"You're drunk" Danny offered to his friend, not quite listening to his ranting this evening. He was too pre-occupied with Lacey Porter. Danny picked up his glass and downed his own cognac in one gulp. His Lacey Porter was back in New York, she was back in his life. He could hardly contain his excitement this morning but the evening was a different matter. He couldn't understand what she was doing back in the city. There was nothing left for her back here, her father had been catered off to Lincoln correctional facility and her sister was a coke addicted bartender at some club in the Meatpacking District. Maybe she was back for the Wall Street action, maybe she had grown down tired of the Tokyo market….maybe, just maybe she was back for him. Danny quickly scoffed at this ridiculous idea as Rico jolted him back into the conversation.

"You made three million last year, that could've bought you plenty Grade A nookie-"Rico said, climbing out of his chair and shuffling over to the bowl of nuts on the long maple bar top. Danny's eyes searched the dimly lit bar filled to the brim with familiar industry faces knocking back expensive bottles of hard liquor after a long day of trading terrible markets.

"I swear that guy thinks the sun shines out of his ass" he finally said spotting Archie Yates with a young blonde in his arm.

"He made four million last year; did I mention the private jets and the endless stream of supermodels?" Rico pointed out as he beckoned the barman for another drink.

"This place used to be amazing" Danny said shaking his head watching his father's golden boy buy bottle after bottle of seven thousand dollar cognac for his entourage. The man thought he was the next wolf of Wall Street and Danny detested him.

"How's that?" Rico asked still mesmerised by the magic that was Archie Yates.

"I used to love it here; the best thing about this place was the lack of pompous ass-holes who think they were born to rule the world." He puffed guzzling down his third glass before calling for another drink. It was going to be another long night.

..

"We got to determine if investors will be open to invest" Lacey said under the tiled cathedral ceilings of a dimly lit Nobu restaurant with pink cherry blossoms hugging its expansive walls. Charlie watched her over his lobster tempura as she toyed with her seaweed salad and smoked lamb.

"I need to do some homework, find out how your competitors have performed in the market" she raised her small cup for another sip, silently enjoy the rush the sake gave her weary limbs.

"Are you offering stock options to employees?" she continued to bombard him with questions, oblivious to the candles flickering on their small table and the idling bottle of Dom Perignon sitting inside a silver ice bucket.

"Of course" Charlie said roughly, downing his whisky shot belligerently.

"You realize that going public will mean transparency. Every single thing you do or say will affect your life and your stock price" Lacey continued, her eyes suddenly fixed on him. Charlie shrugged his shoulders as a waiter quickly shot to his side to offer him a fresh glass of whisky.

"Yes" he said, his eyes catching another waiter carting a bottle of Krug champagne to another table.

"Anything you would like to declare before we proceed?" Lacey waved her hand at him to catch his attention.

"Nothing comes to mind" he replied, his hand brushing against hers as he picked up his glass. "How about a bottle of champagne to celebrate?" he added in a flurry, his eyes briefly touching her lips.

"How about we sell some stock first" Lacey smiled lifting her cup to him.

..

Danny couldn't sleep but luckily for him, New York suffered from endless insomnia too. The statuesque Lacey Porter consumed his every thought and apparently, the office just down the hall from him too. He was scrimmaging through his fridge for something stronger than beer when he heard the knock on the door. Hesitantly, he made his way to the door checking his watch before his hand closed in on the door handle.

"Yeah?' he growled at the door.

"Boxers or briefs?" came the answer behind the metal door and Danny beamed as he slipped the lock open and swung the door ajar.

"I always go commando" he answered allowing his eyes to wander over her sleek form in a white dress that hugged her to perfection.

"You gonna invite me in?" she said coyly leaning against the door, her strap gliding down her supple shoulder. Her other hand, held her coat in place as she flung it over one shoulder.

"You staying for breakfast?" he cocked his eyebrow. Lacey brushed past him and made herself at home in his lounge.

"You still obsessed with the Art of War?" she chuckled holding up the book and waving it to him.

"You can't run Wall Street without it" he teased handing her a cold beer.

"I need your help with a certain IPO" she said brushing her thumb around the rim of the perspiring can.

"Does Vikram know about this?" he raised his eyebrows, an amused smile lighting up his swarthy face.

"It's a private project; don't tell me you're still hiding behind daddy's notoriety. I thought you'd have some brass balls by now" she challenged him, unmoving from her spot in the middle of his lounge.

"It's a green company; they're trying to raise money to grow their business" she finally said walking past him to take a look at his view beyond the sparkling neon lights of Manhattan.

"Besides, Vikram is too concerned with landing some coveted mining IPO to care about small companies" she said glancing over her bare shoulder as she smiled at him.

"Since when did you care about the little people, did you grow a conscious in Tokyo?" Danny asked taking a swig of his beer. He hated to admit it but he loved having her in his apartment. It brought back a lot of beautiful memories.

"I never meant to hurt you Danny" she suddenly said as if reading his mind and he had to clear his throat before he could respond.

"Trust me; I have the firm's interests at heart" she quickly added walking toward him again. The softness had disappeared from her voice as quickly as it had appeared.

"Is this you or your father talking?" he snapped back like an injured dog "Sorry, "he quickly said lifting the beer to his lips. She was silent for a long time before she set her can down on his coffee table and grabbed her coat. Danny watched her stroll slowly toward the door, yellow lights playing in her pin-straight hair.

"By the way, "she said holding the door "Gerald Graykirk, the owner of the mining company is a big poker player. You might wanna find yourself at the Carlyle hotel tomorrow night"

"Why are you helping me?" his voice croaked as he fought back his growing need for her. His ache for her wasn't sexual but dear God, he needed her to hold him, share with him, stay and just be.

"You stroke my back and I stroke yours" she shrugged her shoulders winking at him.

"Lacey, it's good to have you back"

"It's good to be back"