by Sienna Snow
When James opened the door to the limousine, a new anxiety that I hadn’t known existed jumped into my gut. I slid my palm over my stomach and exhaled slowly. As the face of the company, this was a regular part of my role. And I’d encountered most of the people who’d be attending the ball at various occasions over the years. So why was I feeling this way? The only difference tonight was having Mr. Most Eligible Bachelor as my date.
Max’s gentle touch on my arm guided me out of the car. I stepped out, brushed the folds of my dress, and paused for a few pictures.
Max’s hand moved to the small of my back and he bent, grazed my ear, and whispered, “Relax. This will be a piece of cake, completely painless. I promise.”
His warm breath sent a blaze straight to my core, and my cheeks heated. “The last time you said that to me, I came home deflowered,” I responded breathlessly.
“Keep thinking of that night and what I’m going to do to you once we get back to the hotel. That way the evening will go by faster.”
Oh, yeah. Thinking of what awaited me was going to keep the night from dragging on.
We climbed the steps of the mansion and entered the ballroom. Though considered a small, intimate affair with around a hundred attendees, some of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world filled the event. An invitation to the Carson Ball meant official acceptance into the elite circles of society. Many business deals, political careers, and socialite marriages had been arranged during the ball. Tonight, I’d work the corporate relations end of the spectrum.
The minute we crossed the threshold of the ballroom, dozens of eyes turned our way. Max’s hand remained on me, helping me stay calm.
“Time to work the room, my beautiful date.”
“No, stay with me for a few more seconds. I feel like I’m in a room of vultures preparing to strike.”
“A very perceptive observation. I have no doubt that many would enjoy taking a piece out of you.”
“You’re not helping.”
“Now if our relationship were in the open, I could stay by your side all night, and no one would think anything of it. But since you insist on separating our public and private lives, I must attend to my own business matters.” Max smiled and walked away.
I deserved that.
“Arya. I’m glad you’re here.”
Carmen walked up with Thomas. They looked fabulous together. Like a pair of models who graced the cover of a fashion magazine.
“Carmen, Thomas. You look great.” I hugged both of them and slanted Thomas a glare. “When did this officially happen?” I gestured to the two of them.
“Don’t jump to conclusions. We’re getting to know each other,” Carmen answered.
Yeah, right. The possessive vibe radiating from Thomas screamed something else altogether.
“So you’re here with Max?”
“Yes, and please keep your comments to yourselves.”
Such a sly girl, trying to deflect the attention.
Thomas smirked. “You make a striking couple. The gorgeous Arya Rey and the equally dashing Maxwell Dane. Every eye was on you as soon as you entered the room.”
“Shut up, Thomas.” Carmen nudged him. “You sound like a social columnist.”
Unoffended, he chuckled and put his arms around both our waists. “Let me introduce you to a few of my mother’s people.”
If I hadn’t known Thomas better, I would have thought that statement was odd, but Thomas grew up with similar issues as I did. His mother was an all-American socialite who fell in love with a lowly Mexican rancher. Their marriage was a scandal in New York society, especially when Thomas’s mother renounced her inheritance to live as a working rancher’s wife.
We approached an elderly couple drinking champagne. “Thomas, my boy, it’s good to see you again.”
Thomas released me and shook the gentleman’s hand. His arm remained around Carmen; however, he ignored the man’s wife.
“Hello, Uncle Matthew. You already know Carmen, but I’d like to introduce you to Arya Rey. We attended Stanford together many years ago, and she’s one of my closest friends. Arya, this is my uncle, Matthew Hathaway. He’s the current CEO of Hathaway International.”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.” I extended my hand, but he gathered me into a full embrace.
“Oh, none of that. Thomas has spoken highly of you for years. Hasn’t he, Darla?”
I turned to Mr. Hathaway’s wife.
“It’s nice to meet you as well.” I held out my hand, but she ignored it.
Well, I guess she doesn’t like me. What did I do to her?
“Yes, we’ve heard all about you. Having friends in high places can be very beneficial to one’s success. Similar to the way your father worked by marrying your mother.”
I yanked my hand back. Now I remembered her name. Her brother had been groomed to marry my mother before she’d met my father.
“Ignore Aunt Darla. She hasn’t taken her sedative today. It makes her a little unrefined.”
“I see that your money hasn’t taken into account your lack of pedigree.” She directed the sneer at Thomas, who acted as if he hadn’t heard her speak.
Damn, this woman was a viper.
“But Mrs. Hathaway, aren’t you the author of a societal etiquette book that states never insult or belittle those you may not like, but who hold considerable power over you?” Carmen interjected.
“And what power would this girl hold over me?”
Carmen. I don’t think telling her is going to help her like me. On second thought, she doesn’t like me anyway—go ahead and tell her.
“Stock, of course. Arya and Thomas each control over 35 percent of Lighthouse International, the conglomerate that owns your company.” Carmen sipped her wine and smiled, leaning her head against Thomas’s shoulder.
I loved her.
“Well, I never. Carmen Dane, you have become completely mannerless associating yourself with these two. Money doesn’t lead to class.”
“Neither does birth,” muttered Thomas.
I smiled internally at the remark. “Mr. Hathaway, it was a pleasure meeting you. I hope we’ll see each other at the board meeting next month. I would love to have lunch next time you’re in Boston.”
“I look forward to it. I must say you’re as beautiful as your mother was and as intelligent as well.”
“Thank you.”
Darla gasped, but quickly composed herself when everyone glanced her way.
I may not have her pedigree, but I understood appropriate behavior. Why not leave on a proper note. “Mrs. Hathaway—”
But before I could finish, she cut me off by greeting another attendee. I took a page from Thomas’s book and pretended I hadn’t noticed the slight. It was time to escape this woman before I voiced what I really thought.
“Hello Matthew, Darla.” Max inclined his head as he came up behind me and put his hand against my lower back. “I see you’ve met Arya. She’s a refreshing addition to this year’s ball.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” voiced Mr. Hathaway.
“If you’ll please excuse us, I must steal my date for other introductions.” Max led me away. “You looked ready to kill that old bat.”
“She’s dreadful. Poor Thomas, he has to spend time with her. At least, I got away from my bigoted family members.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Hopefully, this night will improve.”
At that moment, another elderly man approached us. “Oh shit,” I muttered.
“No such luck,” Max whispered and took my hand in his. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”
“Please don’t let me do anything violent.”
“Why not? Everyone would think he deserved it.” He lifted my hand for a kiss.
“Arya, I see you’ve been invited this year. You might have attended sooner if you hadn’t rejected your family.”
I stared giving no outward reaction. Max squeezed my hand for support.
“Hello to you
, too, Walter. I see things haven’t changed much since you sued me for my inheritance.”
Before Walter retorted, Max spoke. “How are you doing, Mr. Blackburn? I heard about the new yacht you built. Congratulations on its first successful race.”
“Thank you, Dane. How have you been doing? Maybe you can teach this girl a thing or two about sailing.”
“I’m surprised you don’t know, being her grandfather. Arya is an avid sailor. She took on Adrian St. James recently and won.”
Amazing how Max viewed the sailing incident differently now, when a few days ago he was livid.
“Is that so? Must be some of her mother’s Blackburn genes coming out. Her Indian half wouldn’t know the difference between a rowboat and a sailing vessel.”
My fingers dug into Max’s arm. The nerve of that asshole talking about me as if I’m some dimwit and then insulting my father.
Max gently but firmly pried my hand off his arm and wrapped his around my waist. “I believe her unparalleled intelligence and breathtaking beauty are the result of the unique combination of her genes. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I scanned Max’s face as warmth filled my heart. Did he really see me this way? God, I’d wasted so much time keeping him at arm’s length.
“I take it you two are together.”
“Why do you—”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Max interjected.
Walter’s face scrunched up as if he didn’t believe us. “Well, if it’s true, I’d say you couldn’t do better than a Dane. If I were you, I’d hold on to him with both hands. Not many in our circle would take you on, especially with your lack of upbringing.”
Motherfucker. I understood insulting me, but directing his venom at Aunt Elana crossed the line. “You’re the—”
“I’m the one who needs to convince Arya that I’m worthy of her. Maybe one day she’ll believe me and agree to spend the rest of her life with me.”
My heart leaped as I kept my eyes on Walter, who seemed as surprised as I was about Max’s declaration.
“Now that we’ve had this lovely family reunion, I believe it’s time I courted some prospective investors.” I nudged Max’s arm, but he wouldn’t budge. I knew where his mind had gone.
Please don’t say it, Max. I wanted it splashed across the newspapers when Walter found out. I wanted him to learn about his company the way I learned he was suing me, in public, on the news.
“Don’t expect anything from my direction. The reason our money has grown is through sound investments, not high-risk gambling.”
“Mr. Blackburn, Arya seeking financing from you wouldn’t make sense. RPI, the company that infused one hundred million into Blackburn Industries, is solely owned by her.”
Walter’s face colored to a deep shade of red. “That’s preposterous. RPI is a privately held equity firm. There isn’t one owner.”
Well the cat’s out of the bag. This isn’t as exciting as I thought it would be.
I tilted my head toward Walter and smiled. “Sorry to burst your pompous bubble, but I do own the company. It stands for Rey Private Investments. It would have been prudent for you to investigate the background of the company from whom you were requesting assistance. You courted RPI. I let the company CEO broker the terms. As of five o’clock this evening, I own 51 percent of my mother’s company. The percentage she would have inherited had she not been disowned.”
I sighed inside and my shoulders sagged a little. Telling Walter the results of my plans for his company hadn’t brought the pleasure I’d assumed it would. I’d quietly played this chess match for the past three years, and now it felt like I was the bad guy. Milla was right when she told me I wasn’t cut out to be a true corporate raider. My conscience tended to get the best of me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Blackburn, to cut this off, but I need to introduce Arya to a few people.” Max ushered me away.
“You did that on purpose. Why would you want him to know what I—” I stopped midstride, jerking Max. “Wait a second. How the hell did you know what I’d planned?”
“Arya, I’ve spent the last five years keeping up with everything you’re involved in. I happened to come across an investment company that owned various businesses that were heavily involved with either you, Milla, or Lex. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the rest.”
“Apparently not.” I thought back to Walter. “Max?”
He peered down at me. “Yes?”
“How do you do the corporate raider stuff all the time? Telling Blackburn what I’d done didn’t feel as great as I’d expected.”
“When you’re born into it, you don’t think about the consequences beyond profit and stocks. Keeping your moral center is very hard. Why do you think the people around you are loyal?”
His words lifted some of the guilt I carried. “Max, thank you for staying by my side.”
“You are most welcome. You can make it up to me when we get back to the hotel.”
“If I must,” I teased.
“Let’s go meet Senator Carson. He’s the burly, silver-haired gentleman over there.” Max gestured to a distinguished-looking man standing in a crowd of other politicians. “He’s requested an introduction. Apparently, he’s been a fan of yours for a while.”
“Why not? I’ve had a less than stellar evening. It would be nice to meet someone who is happy to see me.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
You have your instructions when you go up,” Max said to me when he dropped me off three hours later at our hotel. “I’ll be up shortly. Take the main entrance to the elevators. This way people will see you arrive alone. I’ll take the private one through the garage.”
I gritted my teeth, trying to hold my tongue, and exited the limousine. Keeping things quiet was my idea. I hoped after tonight that would be a thing of the past.
“Arya, did you hear what I said?” Max asked in the tone that had me pausing and my core clenching.
I paused, staring at the doors of the hotel and answered him. “Yes, Sir. I will follow your instructions.”
James approached me within seconds and followed me into the hotel. I rushed toward the elevators, but multiple times people stopped me for pictures and autographs. Any other day I’d have been happy to meet fans, but at this moment all I wanted was to reach my suite and calm my nerves before Max arrived.
“You could have gone with him,” James said in his quiet but firm manner.
“We can’t. Our relationship isn’t public knowledge.”
James entered the security code in the elevator allowing access to my suite. “Ms. Rey, no matter how much you deny it, you know the truth. Don’t behave like this stupid old man and waste time pretending you don’t love each other when you do.”
He missed being with Aunt Elana in California, even if he never voiced it. Maybe I should have someone else handle my security, I thought, so he would have time with my aunt.
“James, do you want to go home to be with her?”
“No, Ms. Rey. Elana would never have me, knowing I’d left you here when there is an open threat against you.” He clasped my hand, squeezed, and released it.
“I love you too, Papa Bear.”
James grunted in response. The elevator dinged, and James made a quick sweep of the area and then my suite. He gestured for me to enter. “Good night, Ms. Rey.”
“Good night, James. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He closed the door and left me in silence.
I contemplated the private elevator doors that would soon open, and my skin prickled with anticipation. Time to get moving.
I removed my shoes and left them near the sofa. As I entered the bedroom, I noticed that all of Max’s things were unpacked and sitting next to mine. A lump formed in my throat. For the next three nights, we were sharing this space as a couple. I took in a sharp breath. My comment about getting in too deep was now a complete understatement. I’d admitted on the yacht that we were together even if it wasn’t public knowle
dge. Now I had to tell him I wanted more than what we shared in private, that I was ready to give him what he wanted when we started this whole thing.
All I can do is hope that he still wants me he learns about the past.
Shaking the thought from my head, I approached the foot of the bed and reached behind me to open the hidden zipper of my dress. At that moment, the elevator arrived, and Max strode in. I glanced over my shoulder as he prowled directly toward me. My breath hitched.
He grasped the shoulders of my dress and tore the expensive material in two. “I told you tonight would be the last time you’d wear this dress.”
I trembled and licked my lips. Instead of feeling upset, his show of aggression aroused me. Max tugged my head back for a deep kiss. The taste of aged cognac filled my mouth, and lust coursed straight to my core.
Max stepped back. The emotions glazed in his eyes made my lips tremble. “Climb onto the bed and lie on your stomach.”
I followed his instructions and waited.
“Close your eyes and relax. Tonight is all about your pleasure,” his sexy voice crooned next to my ear.
Sure, that would happen after ripping the dress from my body. At least the one-piece bustier covered my breasts and stomach. What would he do next?
He settled down beside me and slipped a blindfold over my eyes. My senses jumped to full alert. The bed shifted, the bedside drawer opened, and then Max started placing objects on the table.
What was he getting out? Had he brought toys from the playroom?
“I see the wheels churning. Remember, curiosity killed the cat.”
I blew out a breath and strove to relax my mind and enjoy. After a few more minutes, Max traced the back of my corset. Cool metal touched the dip of my spine, and then all of the sudden, my back was completely exposed. “We won’t need this tonight. It would only get in the way of what I have planned.”
I shifted, but then stilled. On my stomach, he wouldn’t see the scars. Once he’d finished with our game, I’d find a way to cover myself.
Tomorrow. I promise I’ll tell him tomorrow.
“Calm yourself, Ari. I want you to melt into the sheets and become my canvas. I know the night started out less than desirably, but I’m planning for it to end right.”