by M. S. Parker
“Thanks for saving me a seat,” I whispered as I sat down.
“Who says it was for you?” he teased, then leaned closer so that he could continue speaking without disturbing anyone around us. “Pay attention to this first one. Lea Chambers is starring in it.”
I didn’t need him to tell me she was one of his clients. I remembered her name from the client roster. I kept my eyes on the screen as the first teaser began to play, but I was all too aware of DeVon sitting next to me, his body angled towards mine. In the darkness, it reminded me of the movie premiere he’d taken me to...and what had happened later that night. My entire body flushed. I barely registered anything that I saw, no matter how hard I tried to concentrate. By the time the lights came back up, I was looking forward to a glass of champagne to take the edge off.
Gerald got back up on the stage. “And there you have it, our five new masterpieces. I hope you all enjoyed them. Please continue to enjoy the party. There’s food and a bar in the adjoining room. It’s been our pleasure serving as your hosts.”
DeVon stood and held out his hand. “Shall we?”
This time, I did take his hand and let my arm slide around his. I’d always thought it pretentious when the men and women at my mother’s parties had walked arm-in-arm, but I didn’t think I would’ve felt the same way if I’d been with DeVon. I liked the feel of his firm arm beneath his jacket sleeve.
We were on our way to the food table when DeVon stopped suddenly. He gave me an apologetic look. “You must excuse me for a moment. There’s someone I need to speak with.”
“Okay.” I didn’t question him. If it had been a part of the business I needed to know, I had no doubt he would’ve asked me to come with him. Whatever this was, it wasn’t any of my business. “I’ll just go get a drink.”
He smiled at me, his eyes warm. “I see you’re still stealing my lines.”
I smiled back. I didn’t know what was bringing about this change, but I hoped it was real. As he walked away, I headed for the bar. The line was mercifully short and I was able to order a glass of champagne after just a couple minutes. I watched the bartender pour it, and after handing me a full glass, I looked for a restroom sign. I spotted it quickly and hurried towards the restroom. As I turned the corner, I came to an abrupt stop. Standing right in front of me and blocking my way was Derrick.
“I knew you were going to take the bait.”
Derrick reeked of alcohol as he swayed towards me. He sneered at me as I took a step back, though not as far as I wished I could’ve gone. There were too many people behind me.
“I still have friends in the business. I had Lindsey invite you so I could tell you face-to-face how much I despise you for what you did.”
I kept my voice even. I didn’t know if Derrick was an angry drunk and I didn’t want to find out. “I think you should just walk away, Derrick. We have nothing to talk about.”
He laughed, a grating sound. “Is that so? Well, I think we have plenty to talk about.” He took a step towards me, crowding me. “How about the fact that you set me up? That you played me in your little game. Did you think I was just going to sit back and quietly take it like some pussy?”
The people behind me moved, leaving the space behind me clear. All I had to do was turn and go. I just wasn’t sure if I wanted to turn my back on Derrick. There was something wild in his eyes. “I don’t have anything to say to you,” I said firmly. “I’m leaving now.”
I half-turned so I could make a sidestep into that space that would lead me away from him. Before I’d taken a step, Derrick’s hand closed around my arm and he roughly yanked me back.
“You don’t fucking get to go,” he hissed in my face. “Do you think you can fuck with me and get away with it? You fucking cunt.”
I was so shocked that he was doing this right here that I froze. All the self-defense classes I’d taken, the discussions I’d had with my female friends about how to foil an attack, and I froze.
He grabbed my other arm, pushed me to the side so we were out of sight from the other guests, and slammed me against the wall. The air rushed from my lungs and I gasped. Everything in my world had narrowed down to just being able to breathe. Then a hand wrapped around my throat and panic flared. I struggled as Derrick’s fingers tightened.
“Nobody fucks with me.” His face was right next to mine as he leaned his weight into choking me.
My hands beat against his chest, tried to pry his hand away. I dug my nails into his wrist and fingers, but he just laughed. I tried scratching at his face, but he merely turned his head away and applied more pressure. Spots danced in front of my eyes and the edges of my sight began to turn gray. If I passed out, I knew that was it. I’d never wake up.
Then, suddenly, his hand was gone and I was dragging air into my burning lungs. I coughed as I leaned heavily against the wall. Through the haze of my vision, I watched DeVon knock Derrick to the ground with a single blow. Then DeVon leaned down towards the other man and spoke in a voice so low I just barely caught it.
“Whatever lawsuit you had planned against Mirage, you’d better rethink it, because I’m pretty sure that the District Attorney won’t take an assault lightly. And if you ever come near Krissy or anyone from my company again, I’ll put in you in the hospital.”
My knees finally gave out as DeVon turned towards me. The anger on his face immediately turned to concern and he left Derrick on the ground as he hurried over to me, shrugging out of his jacket as he came. He leaned down and wrapped his arm around my waist, helping me back to my feet. I was suddenly sure that, for a moment, he’d seriously considered picking me up, and a part of me sort of wished he had.
“Let’s get you to the ER.” His voice was gentle as he draped his jacket around me. “You’re going to be okay.”
I leaned against him. His arm was a comforting weight around me, his hand warm against my hip. I shook my head. It hurt when I spoke, so I made the words count. “Just take me home. Please.”
Chapter 19
DEVON
My blood was still boiling and the only thing keeping my hands from shaking was their tight grip on the steering wheel. I’d been pissed before when Carter had made that inappropriate comment about Krissy, but I’d never been as furious as I was when I saw Derrick with his hand around Krissy’s throat. Any man who put his hands on a woman like that deserved whatever he had coming, but the fact that it was Krissy made it so much worse. I shivered as I thought what could have happened if I hadn’t gone looking for her after returning to the bar and not finding her there.
I glanced over at her. She’d been silent for the last few minutes, but I didn’t know if that was more because her throat hurt than her not having anything to say.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital?” I broke the silence.
“I’m sure,” she said softly. “There’s nothing they can do.”
My hands tightened around the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. “I should’ve beaten the shit out of that asshole.” My voice was tight as I struggled to keep myself under control.
“Thank you,” she said. “For saving me.”
“That was crazy,” I said, sending another sideways look her way. “Derrick’s done in LA. I’ll make sure of it.”
“He was right to be angry.”
I hit the brakes harder than necessary as we reached a red light. I turned towards her, staring. “Are you defending him?”
She shook her head. “I’m not into victim blaming, but I’m saying it wasn’t entirely unprovoked. I didn’t just give him rumors. I kind of set him up to do something stupid.”
Guilt rippled through me. “You mean the merger rumor?”
Her eyebrows shot up. Apparently, she hadn’t realized I’d known the details of the fictional information she’d shared.
“I have friends all over,” I said. I returned my attention to the road as I continued, “And once I heard what Derrick was looking into, I added fuel to the fire by putting
out similar gossip so he’d hear it from more than one source.”
Krissy shook her head. “And here I was, feeling guilty that I’d done such a good job of convincing Derrick that what I’d said was true.”
“It doesn’t matter what we said. Derrick’s responsible for his own actions…we’re all responsible for what we do, how we react.”
Krissy’s face was somber as she turned her head to look out the window. I knew that meant the subject was closed for the time being. I didn’t try to force it. Either she accepted that I was saying I wasn’t going to excuse my previous behavior or she didn’t.
I parked in front of her building and went around to her door to help her out. She didn’t look like she was going to fall over again, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I put my arm around her waist, trying not to think about the heat from her skin burning through my thin dress shirt.
Neither one of us spoke as we made our way up to her apartment. When we reached her door, she pulled away from me, digging in her purse for her key. She unlocked the door, but didn’t go right inside. Instead, she turned towards me.
“Thank you, again.”
My eyes fell to her mouth and all I wanted to do was kiss her. Not the rough, dominating kind of kiss that I normally delivered. I wanted her, but my desire was tempered with the need to protect her. I wanted to kiss her so that she knew I wasn’t going to hurt her, that I’d fight anyone who tried to hurt her.
I tore my eyes from her lips and my gaze moved to the marks on her neck. There would be a livid bruise tomorrow and my hands clenched. “Do you want me to stay?” The question popped out before I thought it through. I could feel heat rising to my face and it had nothing to do with anger. “I mean, to make sure you’re okay.”
She gave me a soft smile and put her hand on my cheek. The touch lasted only a few seconds, but it was almost enough to weaken my resolve. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”
I couldn’t stop the disappointment, but I knew it was for the best. I wasn’t sure how long my self-control would last if she’d invited me in, and I didn’t want tonight to turn into a gratitude fuck, or even just an “I don’t want to be alone” fuck. I didn’t want to be that man anymore.
I waited until I heard her lock the door before heading back down to my car. I hardly paid attention to what I was doing as thoughts ran through my head. Aside from the fact that I’d gotten a great deal of satisfaction from knocking Derrick out, I’d saved Krissy. Then I’d shown her that it wasn’t all about sex for me. I’d taken care of her, and I hadn’t tried to turn it into anything sexual. Oh, I still wanted her, and the thought that she was probably in the shower right now was enough to make me hard, but I’d shown restraint, proven that I could be a gentleman not just to the people I needed to charm, but to someone I cared about, too.
The first thing I was going to do when I got home was to email Krissy and say that I wanted to talk about some possible new leads tomorrow after work. I would use that opportunity to show her that tonight hadn’t been just a fluke. I was going to change.
I didn’t want to be the old me, the one who would’ve taken advantage of the situation just to get laid. The one who would’ve called someone else to meet me at my apartment so I could get some release. I wasn’t going to be that man anymore. I had to change into someone worthy of Krissy. I needed to be a better man, one who cherished the woman he loved. I’d been that man once before. I just had to find out of I could be him again.
Chapter 20
KRISSY
I hadn’t been able to help but feel disappointed when DeVon hadn’t kissed me at my door. I’d seen him looking at my mouth and I’d known what he’d been thinking. Hell, I’d been thinking it, too. Then he’d asked if I’d wanted him to stay.
The idea had been so appealing that it had almost hurt to say no. More than anything, I’d wanted to fall asleep in his arms. Not after sex or by accident, but on purpose. I’d never been much of a cuddler, but every once in a while, the feeling of a man’s strong arms around me, holding me in a way that wasn’t sexual, appealed to me. There had been precious few men I’d allowed that close, but I wanted it from DeVon.
I’d known, however, that if I’d asked him to stay, it wouldn’t have been cuddling. DeVon didn’t do that. It would’ve been heated, passionate sex, but not the kind of comfort I needed tonight. I wasn’t in so much pain that I regretted not going to the doctor – a couple extra-strength Tylenol would do just fine – but I was nowhere near feeling well enough to fuck. And that’s what DeVon did. That’s what I did most of the time. Tonight, I couldn’t.
My feelings of disappointment grew as he didn’t press the issue, but I didn’t let him see how I felt. Instead, I went inside, more confused than ever about whatever this was between us. If he’d really wanted sex, why hadn’t he tried one of his usual seduction techniques? It wasn’t like he hadn’t used them on me before.
As I walked towards my bathroom, I stripped, leaving my clothes wherever they happened to come off. I’d never met a man as confusing and unreadable as DeVon Ricci. One minute, I thought he was after my body, then the next he was pissed at me. He would act all sweet and nice, then be cold and business-like. He’d act like he wanted to kiss me and take care of me, but walk away without pressing the matter.
“Men,” I muttered as I turned on the shower.
I washed my hair, wincing as I found a bump on the back of my head where it had collided with the wall. It didn’t feel like I’d bled at all, which was good, but I was going to have to sleep on my side for a couple days.
As I reached for my favorite lilac-scented body-wash, my thoughts went back to DeVon. I wanted things to change between us. I didn’t want us to keep doing this dance forever, this back and forth that wasn’t getting us anywhere. But, I knew for that to happen, one of us was going to have to make the first move. I smiled as I inhaled the floral scent rising from the soap lather. I wasn’t the kind of person who thought the woman had to sit back and wait for the man to make the first move. If he wasn’t going to take the initiative, then I would. First thing tomorrow at work, I was going to take the next step.
Chapter 21
KRISSY
By the time I’d gotten out of the shower last night, I’d realized that extra-strength Tylenol wasn’t going to cut it, so I’d taken a couple painkillers I had leftover from twisting my back a few months before I moved to LA. They were due to expire soon anyway, so I’d figured I might as well not let them go to waste. Unfortunately, I’d forgotten that these particular painkillers had a tendency to knock me out for a good ten hours.
Even rushing, it was still almost noon by the time I arrived at Mirage. I doubted I’d get in any trouble considering what had happened the night before, but I still didn’t like being late. I walked as fast as my heels and tight skirt let me and ignored the curious stares I got as I made my way through the lobby. On a normal day, I would’ve assumed they were watching because I was obviously running late. Today, however, I knew it was more likely the livid bruises standing out against my skin. I’d considered wearing a scarf or trying to use cover-up like I would’ve on a hickey. It had been the realization that’s what most people would assume that had made me decide against either one. I didn’t want anyone thinking that’s what had happened last night. I was almost positive that the word would get around about what Derrick had done – if it hadn’t already – but until then, I didn’t want to add fuel to the rumors that I’d slept my way to the top by trying to hide something that I didn’t need to be ashamed of.
I’d chosen a plain skirt and blouse, nothing that would call extra attention to me. The bruises would do that all on their own. From the side, I could pass them off as a shadow, but from the front, there was no doubt what they were. I just hoped I didn’t have to spend the rest of the day having to answer questions about what had happened. I had other plans for my time.
Under my black skirt and dark green blouse, I was wearing something very much not work appropriate. Sheer bl
ack lace for both my bra and panties, leaving little to the imagination. The bra was a bit more substantial only because I was busty enough to need the support. The panties, however, hardly had any material to them at all. When I’d put them on this morning, I’d had the sudden image of DeVon ripping them off of me and it had only been because I was late that I hadn’t taken the time to indulge in that particular fantasy.
Soon, I hoped my fantasy would become a reality. On the pretense of apologizing for being late, I was going to go straight to his office. While I really did intend to apologize, the real reason for my visit was to seduce him, maybe even have a go at it right there. After all, his was the only office that didn’t have glass walls. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know why that was.
I was still going full speed when I rounded the corner towards the elevator and ran straight into a wall of good-smelling muscle.
“I’m so sorry,” I stammered as I looked up. The first thing I noticed was that the man I’d run into was handsome. The second thing was that I knew him, and as things clicked into place, I remembered that we’d slept together back in New York not long before I’d moved. And I had no idea what his name was. I didn’t let myself focus on that, however. I had a more important question on my mind. “What are you doing here?”