Hunger (The Seductors Series)

by B. L. Wilde

  “Never,” I muttered before he reached us.

  Chapter Three

  “I was just asking Jade how you two knew each other,” Alicia stated as Oliver handed her a fresh glass of wine.

  “Jade is an acquaintance of mine.” His tone was indifferent. He didn’t even look in my direction as he spoke. Was that really all I was to him now?

  “Really? It looked like you were more than that outside,” she giggled into her wine glass. She was enjoying this, I could tell.

  “I have no idea what you mean,” he muttered.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” I sighed, standing up. I wasn’t going to sit here for Alicia’s amusement.

  “Don’t leave on my account… What was your name again?” she asked with an almost sickening smugness.

  “Jade,” I snapped, starting to move. “It was nice to see you again, Oliver,” I whispered, not meeting his eyes. He moved closer toward me, which meant I had to brush past him to leave. I held in a groan when I felt his hand on my bare back as I walked past. How could one simple touch ignite so much inside me?

  I quickly joined the closest group of people I could find. A few of them were interior designers that I would be working with here in New York, which made it easy to fit right in. I tried to focus on my conversation with them, but my eyes kept wandering the room, trying to find Oliver.

  “Have you been in this business long?” a tall, dark, and extremely tanned man asked me.

  “About five years,” I muttered as Oliver came into view again. It looked as if he was heading toward me.

  “What area do you specialize in?”

  “Artwork, mainly.”

  “Miss Gibbs helped me purchase a couple pieces of artwork a few months ago,” Oliver called from behind me. The whole group began to fall over themselves simply because Oliver Kirkham joined in our conversation. “She did, however, leave the design on my office unfinished.”

  “You never actually agreed to any of the designs, Mr. Kirkham,” I countered, quirking my eyebrow at him. He tried to hide the amusement in his eyes. What? Now he was talking to me. Why?

  He stood close to me while the group began to quiz him about his life. Alicia was nowhere to be seen. Had he asked her to leave?

  “Are you talking to me now?” I whispered when we were finally alone a little later.

  “Yes.” His tone was still guarded.

  “Does this mean you’re going to give me a chance to explain?”

  “I’m thinking about it,” he sighed, looking into the crowd.

  “You’ve hardly let me out of your sight all evening.”

  “That’s because I keep thinking you’re a dream. Jade, I’ve been looking for you for the last six months.”

  “Looking for me?” I frowned, playing my cover.

  “Don’t be mad,” he winced. “I put a tracker on your bank account.”

  “You did what?!” I fumed. Any normal woman wouldn’t be happy with that confession. For me, however, it showed he still cared.

  “I’m sorry, but I needed to know you were safe. Jade, you disappeared into thin air. Can you really blame me?”

  “That is my personal life, Oliver! You had no right to interfere! Have you been tracking me this whole time?” We were in the far corner of the room, but I was drawing attention to us because of my outburst.

  “Are you really giving me a hard time about this?” he snarled back with cold eyes. “I thought you might have been kidnaped. My job makes anyone I care about a target. I had to be sure you were okay. You did far worse, Jade, and you know it!”

  “You’re judging me before you even know the whole story.”

  “I opened my world up to you, and you threw it in my face. I have a right to be pissed about it!” He was becoming more enraged as we spoke. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me? My business even suffered while I was trying to find you.”

  “I didn’t mean…”

  “Why did you leave me, Jade? I need to know.” I was about to answer him when Mr. Brentford joined us.

  “Oliver, we’re almost ready for you now,” he smiled, looking over at me. “You’re not monopolizing Jade, are you?”

  “We were just catching up, Mr. Brentford.” I smiled weakly, looking up at Oliver who appeared to be angry at his friend’s interruption.

  “Well, I still think you’ve taken enough of Jade’s time. Let’s get you set up on stage,” Mr. Brentford teased, patting him on the back.

  “We will finish this later,” Oliver muttered in my ear, running his hand down my bare back before making his way to the front of the room.

  He was quite the motivational speaker. Oliver must have been on stage for at least an hour, answering questions after his speech.

  Alicia returned not long after he had gotten onstage, but luckily, she didn’t approach me again.

  “Are we still okay for lunch tomorrow?” Mr. Brentford asked while I was at the bar waiting for a drink. Oh, crap! How was I going to get out of that?

  The evening was winding down now, and Oliver was deep in conversation with a large group of people in the far corner of the room.

  “Oh, I…I…”

  “I’ll pick you up at your hotel at noon. I thought we could try a new Italian restaurant in Brooklyn.” He wasn’t taking no for an answer, so I simply nodded. As I gazed into the crowd, I noticed Oliver watching me. “Jade…” Mr. Brentford stroked my arm, pulling my eyes away from Oliver. “I’d really love an opportunity to get to know you.” He traced his hand down my arm, making his way toward my back. “Mm…you have very soft skin,” he mused, stroking my bare back. Already pinned up against the bar, I couldn’t move. This creep needed to learn to keep his hands to himself. I pushed his chest back, counting to five inside my head as I worked at calming my rage. He was lucky I had to stay in character. I was ready to floor him if his hands got any lower.

  “If you’ll excuse me,” I replied awkwardly, breaking free from his hold.

  I decided to go outside for some fresh air when I saw Alicia laughing with Oliver. Her hand was pressed to his chest while the group they were in chuckled along with them.

  Why did it feel as if this mission was slipping from my hands already?

  I took three deep breaths, gripping the wall in front of me.

  “Here you are,” a soft voice called. I turned to see Oliver making his way over to me.

  “Sorry, I needed some fresh air.” I smiled shyly, wrapping my arms around myself. That was the typical Jade Gibbs body language. It would help me look vulnerable. I needed him to want to take care of me like before. I needed to be back inside his world, and not just for this mission.

  “Are you cold?” he asked in concern, slipping out of his jacket.

  “Not really,” I muttered as he moved to drape his jacket over my shoulders. We stood there staring into each other’s eyes for a few short moments, his hands still on my shoulders. He seemed to be searching for something and was hesitant to let me go.

  “I thought you were going to make another run for it,” he finally admitted in a whisper. “I came outside to stop you.”

  “I’m not running anywhere,” I sighed, pulling his jacket tighter around my body as he finally let me go.

  “How do I know that? I didn’t think you’d run the first time.”

  “You seem to have done fine without me. The woman in the red dress seems nice.”

  “Alicia?” he frowned. “She’s my PA.”

  “So you’ve changed your rule about dating employees?”

  “Jade, I have no idea what you’re trying to imply.” His tone was becoming annoyed again, but I needed to know if Alicia had seduced him. Deep down, I was sure he wouldn’t fall for her charms, but I needed to hear it from him. “Well, fine. If we’re going to have this kind of conversation right now, I don’t like the fact that you’re working for Brian. He’s a sexual predator, Jade. His hands have been all over you tonight!” Wow! Where the hell did that come from?

  “Are
you trying to imply that I can’t protect myself?” I fumed. “Believe it or not, I was fine until you walked into my life!” I was breaking character a little, but I was angry that he thought I could be that naive.

  “Why did you come back to New York, Jade? You should have just kept running!”

  “Maybe I will!” I yelled, standing up. His jacket slipped off my shoulders as I rose. I had no idea why I was losing it so much, but I couldn’t stop.

  “Do you run from everyone you love?” His words struck me down like a bolt of lightning, and I fought back the images from my past. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about the people I had loved and let down. Unfortunately for Oliver, he’d sparked a pure rage that had been dormant inside me for a long time.

  “What gives you the right to ask me that?” I screeched. Startled, he took a step back at my sudden advance. “You’re the one who decided to wear your heart on your sleeve! I told you not to put your trust in me. I warned you. I’m damaged, Oliver. You should have stayed away!”

  “Jade,” he soothed, trying to reach for me. “Calm down.”

  “No! You think you know me, but you don’t!” Without really thinking, I started to storm off down an alley. I needed to breathe. I was so angry.

  “Jade,” Oliver called as he followed me, “you were the one who walked out on me, remember?”

  I stopped in my tracks and spun around to face him. “You had to complicate everything! Why couldn’t it have just been about the sex?”

  “It meant more to you than sex. I know it did.” With each step he took, he closed the distance between us and my body began to burn. “Why do you fight it?” he asked, backing me up against the wall.

  “Why do you look too closely and complicate everything? What happened to taking things slow?” I countered.

  “I couldn’t help the way I felt. I wanted you—only you.”

  “You should never let emotions get the better of you.”

  “So you’re trying to tell me it was only about sex to you? Nothing more?” he muttered, slipping his hands inside my dress softly rubbing my thighs. Jesus, my body was in spasms, igniting all the memories of how he made me feel.

  “You know I care about you.” My words must have sparked a rage inside him, because I felt him grab both my legs and hold me against the wall. “Are you going to take me right here in this alley?”

  “Don’t tempt me, Jade. I’m so angry right now. It won’t be pretty if I lose control.”

  “I want you to,” I yearned, squeezing him between my legs. Our closeness seemed to have an effect on him, and I felt him grip me tighter. I could feel his erection growing against my stomach. “Please, Oliver, take me. My body is burning for you.”

  He gave in with a groan, beginning to kiss and suck down my neck. It wasn’t enough, though. I needed to feel his lips on mine.

  “Ugh, Jade, what are you doing to me?” His hands were snaking up my body toward my breasts.

  “Stop thinking about it. Just go with your feelings,” I purred, moving my fingertips over the top of his dress pants.

  He froze with his lips still pressed to my neck. “Now you’re bringing feelings into this?” he seethed, his mouth brushing against my skin as he spoke. Shit! I’d said the wrong thing, but when he was this close, I had a habit of losing my mind. “You’re contradicting yourself. How am I supposed to keep up?”

  “I…I…” I had no answer for him.

  “I can’t do this, Jade. Not anymore,” he winced, pulling away from me.

  “You can, just…”

  “No! This isn’t going to go anywhere. You made your feelings very clear when you walked out on me six months ago. I’m not looking for sex. I need more. Did you have any intention of coming to see me? Or was this meeting strictly by chance?”

  “Yes, I was going to come see you, I just needed to gather the courage.”

  “I don’t believe you,” he sighed, looking away from me.

  “If you won’t let me explain, I can’t prove you wrong.”

  “Maybe I don’t want you to prove me wrong.” His words were ice cold and they sliced me in two. He didn’t want me anymore. Was that what he was trying to tell me?

  He stood motionless, watching me. I had no idea what was going on in that head of his.

  “Oh.” I shrank back slightly, wrapping my arms around my body as I tried to hold myself together. “I understand. I shouldn’t have come back. I get it. You’ve moved on. I’m sorry for wasting your time,” I whimpered, squeezing past him and making my way back inside.

  He didn’t follow after me like I hoped.

  I didn’t want to be at this opening a moment longer. Spotting Mr. Brentford in the distance, I made my way over to him. “I’m not feeling too well, Mr. Brentford. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to go back to my hotel.”

  “Oh, Jade, let me escort you.” I was going to refuse until I saw Oliver making his way back into the room. His eyes were searching for someone.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” I smiled sweetly.

  “Of course not. We’ll take my car. It will get you home quicker. Do you have a coat?” I nodded as Oliver made his way over to us.

  “Jade, wait please,” he pleaded.

  “This will have to wait, Oliver. Jade isn’t feeling very well, so I’m taking her back to her hotel. If you need to speak with her for some reason, you can contact my office tomorrow,” Mr. Brentford said harshly.

  “Jade, I…I…” Oliver couldn’t finish his words, so I looked down at the floor as his friend escorted me away.

  “Did you need any help up to your room?” Mr. Brentford asked when we arrived at the hotel. Oh, there was no way he was coming anywhere near my room.

  “No, but thank you for escorting me.”

  “I hope you’re feeling better by our lunch date tomorrow, Jade,” he called as I began to leave.

  “I hope so, too. Thank you.” I smiled shyly, making my way to the elevator. What a moron.

  I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. Tonight hadn’t gone quite how I’d planned, and it was draining.

  It wasn’t like I was expecting to walk right back onto Oliver’s bed, but had he really given up on me? Why was he still looking for me, then? None of it made any sense.

  Sonia messaged for a progress report not long after I got back. I was typing up my response while listening to some soft rock music when a knock came at my door.

  My heart began to hammer loud in my chest. Had he come to apologize?

  “What the hell did you do to Oliver? The guy looks like he’s in pain,” Alicia snapped, pushing her way inside. Great! She was the one person I didn’t want to see again tonight.

  “I have no idea what you mean,” I spat back. “And I didn’t invite you into my room!”

  “Look, Jade, we’re on this mission together whether we like it or not!”

  “I’m not working with you on this mission, Alicia. Oliver is my target! You shouldn’t have even been there tonight. It was my first contact!”

  “Technically, I think you’ll find he’s mine. I’m the one sharing a bed with him.”

  “I don’t believe you,” I snarled. “Oliver denied that when I asked him.”

  “Of course he would. He doesn’t date employees. Face it, Jade, you’ve already lost. Oliver is almost mine, and there is nothing you can do about it. I’ll have that power core in no time and finally be able to knock you off your pedestal. I have no idea what Sonia sees in you, anyway.” Oh, if Alicia wanted to war, she had one. I was far from done with this mission. In fact, I’d only just started.

  “Why are you even here, Alicia? What if Oliver found out you came here to see me? How would you explain that?”

  “He’s gone back to his apartment. There is no chance of him finding out. I came here to tell you to give up. He’s not interested in you anymore.”

  “You’re wrong. He’s mad at me now, but he loves me. I can still feel the connection we share.”

  “I intend to b
reak it. Do you think I’ve forgotten what you did last year?”

  “I’m not backing down on that. You overstepped the rules, and I couldn’t let you do it.”

  “You better watch you back, Jade. I’ll bring you down this time. One way or another, I’ll make you pay.”

  “Threats don’t scare me,” I glared. “There is nothing you can use to get to me.” Only Oliver could be used against me, but Alicia didn’t know that.

  “Oh, I’ll find something.”

  “It’s time for you to leave. You’ve overstayed your welcome.” I marched over to my door, holding it open for her.

  “I’ll be watching you, Jade.”

  “And I’ll be doing the same with you. You haven’t won yet, Alicia. Not by a long shot.”

  “We’ll see,” she smirked, strutting off down the hallway.

  My heart was racing so fast. Oliver wouldn’t pick Alicia over me, I was sure of it. So why was there doubt in the back of my mind?

  Chapter Four

  I didn’t really want to make an effort for my lunch date with Mr. Brentford, but he was the only thing linking me to Oliver at the moment.

  Reluctantly, I opted for a sophisticated, red cocktail dress. It wasn’t very revealing, but it did fit my body like a glove. I didn’t do much with my hair, though. My natural, loose curl was enough to finish off the look. In my mind, there was no reason to put in the extra effort. It wasn’t like I was trying to impress my boss.

  Mr. Brentford was already waiting for me when I arrived at reception. Talk about enthusiastic!

  “Wow, Jade, you look stunning,” he beamed, kissing my cheek and hugging me. His hands were too low on my back as he escorted me out of the hotel, and I had to take a deep breath to maintain my composure. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Much better, thank you,” I smiled, allowing him to lead me outside.

  “I thought we’d take my limo.” What was it about rich men that made them use their wealth to seduce a woman?

  “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble,” I murmured, watching him as he joined me in the backseat.

  “You seem to be a woman who enjoys the finer things in life.” He pulled out of bottle of wine as he spoke. How cliché could this guy get? “Would you care for a glass of wine?”