by Croix, J. H.
“What a cool job,” Tara said with a smile.
“Addie went out on a dinner date with Ryan Blake,” Trixie interjected with a twinkle in her eye.
Tara’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really.” I quickly recounted the story of how I met Ryan and our dinner date. “He’s been quite nice,” I finished. I completely left out our two heated kisses. I wasn’t ready to dive into that.
“Be careful, my mother’s going to try to matchmake,” Tara warned.
“I don’t need to matchmake. He already took her out for dinner. I believe it’s true love,” Trixie teased.
A bit later, I walked down the steps as I left Trixie’s place, smiling inside and out. Although I’d wanted to move to New York City and was looking forward to the adventure of an entirely different place, I missed my friends and family dearly. Aside from Ryan, few people had even bothered to say hello. I didn’t sense New Yorkers were an unfriendly sort, just not quite as forthcoming as Southerners were in saying hello to strangers. Meeting my great aunt’s closest friend and her daughter made me feel as if I had a little circle of belonging in this big city.
A gust of wind blew down the street, and I looked upward into the slate gray sky. I was impatient for it to snow and looking forward to seeing the city dusted in white. I felt the vibration of my phone as I walked down the steps into the subway. I was feeling on top of it because I’d mastered the logistics of getting on and off the subway.
Once I was seated, I slipped my phone out of my pocket and glanced at the screen.
Sexy Suit: Dinner tonight?
I couldn’t help it. My lips tugged into a smile, and my heart did a little tumble in my chest while butterflies set flight in my belly.
That was how bad I had it for Ryan Blake. I needed to stop thinking like this. I didn’t need to get ahead of myself and fall for some guy who treated romance more like business as far as his reputation indicated.
But what if he really likes you? My ever so hopeful heart whispered.
Staring at the screen, I contemplated how to answer his text.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryan
“Tonight?”
I spun in my desk chair to look out over the Manhattan skyline.
“Yes, tonight,” Graham replied in my ear.
I adjusted my cell phone in my hand. “Fuck. I forgot all about it.”
“Need to rustle up one of your dates?” Graham’s tone was slightly sarcastic.
“Nah. I’ll fly solo. I’m not up for trying to find a date tonight.”
Graham chuckled in my ear. “Not so sure that’s a smart move. You showing up solo means there will be questions. Should I ask Soraya if she’s got a friend who might want to go?”
“For God’s sake, no. I’ll find my own date.”
“All right, then. We’ll see you there. We’re seated at the same table, so at least we can have a decent conversation.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
After I hung up, I stared at Addie’s last text. She’d turned me down for dinner last night. I wondered what I would need to say to get a yes from her. I didn’t let myself think too hard.
Sexy Suit: Here’s the thing. I need a date for a charity function tonight. You’re the only person I want to take. I promise just one kiss. If you don’t even want that, then no kisses.
I hit send and set my phone on my desk as I stood from my chair, sliding my hands into my pockets. I had tossed my suit jacket off hours ago. Today has been a day of meeting upon meeting in the morning and hours scouring numbers this afternoon.
I’d never shied away from hard work. I’d busted my fucking ass to turn around my grandfather’s company. My father had been an entitled prick who almost ran it into the ground with his selfish decisions.
I stared out past the skyline of Manhattan, and idly wondered what it would be like to seriously consider a relationship. To say my parents’ marriage had been awful was an understatement. They basically hated each other. My father married my mother for her money, and she ended up resenting him deeply for convincing her otherwise at the beginning.
Colin and I bonded tightly as brothers. We were each other’s only support in the miserable household of our family. My mind spun to a memory.
George’s claws clicked on the floor as I closed the front door behind me and let my backpack slide off my shoulder. “Hey George,” I said as I plunked down on the floor beside him and petted him while he licked my face. George was the brightest spot in my life. He was an amiable black lab mix given to Colin and me by our aunt.
“Hello there, Ryan,” Hazel said as she walked down the hallway.
Hazel was my father’s assistant and often ran interference between him and everyone else. I looked up at her. “Hi.”
“Your father’s working in his study this afternoon.”
That was all she needed to say. I scrambled to my feet and snatched my backpack up. I started to run up the stairs, but I caught myself in time and slowed to the fastest walk I could manage without making much noise. After I crested the top stair, I kept at my pace until I reached my bedroom door, turning the knob and pushing through.
Once inside the privacy of my own room, I sank my hips onto my bed and dropped my backpack at my feet. I scrubbed my face with my hands and wished my father had stayed at the office. Whenever he was home, it was an exercise in avoidance.
Standing, I pulled my books out of my backpack and walked to my desk. I might as well get my homework done.
There was a soft scratching sound at my door. A smile tugged at my lips because George had followed me upstairs. Forgetting my father was home for a moment, I ran across my room to open the door.
George came bounding in. Just as I was about to shut the door behind him, my father’s voice reached me. “How many times do I have to tell you to keep that dog quiet?”
I closed my eyes and took a breath as anger hit me hard, tightening like a cold fist in my chest. There were so many things I wanted to say. All I said was, “Sorry, father.”
I waited to see if he said anything else before I closed the door. A full minute or more ticked by while my heart pounded in my ears, and I felt sick and angry.
I finally closed my door and hoped he wouldn’t come and open it. Every single moment with my father was spent tiptoeing. He occasionally exploded, but that was almost a relief from the relentless cold, cruel way he treated everyone in the family. People simply existing in his world were an annoyance for him.
The sound of my phone chiming on my desk nudged me out of that memory. I snagged my phone off my desk to see a return text from Addie. Before I even finished reading it, I was smiling.
Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no? What is this function, and what should I wear?
My smile stretched wide, and the unfamiliar sensation of joy flashed through me.
I quickly tapped out my reply.
It’s a fundraiser for an animal rescue program. Sadly, it’s a formal function. Can you swing that?
Her reply was swift. Of course I can, Sexy Suit. I’ll blow your mind.
I was laughing as I replied. Can I pick you up at six?
Yes, sir.
Any rules I should know about? I queried. I didn’t specify kisses, but that’s what I meant.
I waited for her next reply with my heart kicking hard and fast against my ribs. To say I was unaccustomed to this kind of reaction to a woman didn’t even come close to capturing how I felt about Addie. She actually made me nervous, something I hadn’t felt in many years. She also elicited a sense of hope, like a plant shimmying up through a crack in the barren desert of my heart.
Hmmm… Came her next text.
I patiently waited for what might come next, turning to stare out the windows with my phone in hand. There I was, a lovesick boy, waiting for some girl to text me back. Even stranger than all of it was the fact I didn’t even care. Not about the way I felt about Addie. I just wanted the next few hours to fly by s
o I could pick her up. My phone vibrated in my hand, and my eyes whipped downward to look at the screen.
More than one kiss.
I feel like I won something.
Don’t congratulate yourself too soon.
I got a wink emoticon at the end of that.
Point taken. I’ll see you at six.
Chapter Fifteen
Ryan
Hours later, I knocked on Addie’s door. It turned out that simply being honest got me to that yes. I needed a date because Graham was right. Flying solo at a social event like this would only end up being more of a headache than it was worth.
Standing in front of Addie’s door, I took a breath and shifted my shoulders slightly. This was a black-tie event, and it was chilly tonight, so I had a wool overcoat on. Snow was falling lightly from the sky.
I heard Barnable’s low-throated bark and smiled to myself. In another moment, the doorknob turned, and Addie opened it. She literally took my breath away.
“Come in,” she said, gesturing me inside as Barnable circled my feet.
I gave my head a shake to keep from gaping at her and stepped inside. A gust of cold air came in with me before Addie shut the door.
“You look stunning,” I said simply.
Her cheeks flushed. “Well, thank you. I told you I could pull this off. You seem shocked. Did you doubt me?” she teased.
“Not for one second.”
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, and she turned away to fetch her coat hanging on the coat rack by the door. Her silky dress wasn’t particularly revealing, yet she was a vision of temptation. The top was slightly fitted around her waist with the sleeves coming down to her elbows before flaring out in a subtle ruffle. The skirt also flared out at her knees, twirling when she moved. The soft cream color set off the rich amber of her skin, and she looked downright edible. She wore a pair of fitted boots that hugged her calves. Addie somehow looked modern and retro at once. She was definitely a woman who had style, and yet, it all seemed natural, rather than an elaborate calculation.
Addie shrugged into a long wool coat, buttoning it quickly as she turned to face me again. “Are we taking the subway?”
“No. I have a driver.”
Addie rolled her eyes at that. “Of course you do.”
I shrugged. “Make fun if you like. I don’t use my driver all the time, but it’s cold out, and it’s starting to snow.”
Addie squealed. “Really?”
“Yes. Is this exciting?”
“I’ve never actually seen snow. Not outside of photos.”
She knelt down and stroked her hand over Barnable’s head. “You be a good boy. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
When we stepped outside, Addie came to an abrupt stop when I closed the door behind us. With her hands clasped in front of her chest, she looked up into the snow as it fell lazily from the sky. The fluffy snowflakes glittered as they passed through the light cast by the streetlights. Addie turned to look at me, the joy evident on her face with her beaming smile.
“Snow,” she said, her tone a reverent whisper.
The part of me that was cynical and sarcastic almost spoke up to point out that it might not seem so amazing after the grit and grime of New York streets got a hold of it. Yet, snow was magical when it was clean and covering the city like light fairy dust.
My hopeful self, a side of myself I really didn’t know very well, held sway over my tendency toward sarcasm. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I waited beside her as she stared up into the sky. After a moment, she looked back at me. “It is. Okay, I’m ready.”
“There will be more snow this winter. I promise.”
After she locked the door, I took her hand and led her down the steps to my car waiting at the curb. Although I did have a driver, Smitty knew I had no patience with him getting the door for me, or anyone else.
Once Addie was seated, I rounded the car and slid into the opposite side and closed the door. I gestured to the front. “Addie, this is Smitty. If you need anything, just let him know.”
“Very nice to meet you, miss,” Smitty said, glancing over his shoulder with a wink. Smitty was going on eighty and still flirted like a teenage boy.
Addie cast him a wide smile. “So nice to meet you.”
With a nod, Smitty began driving. He took up an easy conversation with Addie as he made his way through downtown Manhattan. It didn’t surprise me in the slightest to discover Addie had a million or more questions about New York City, all of which Smitty was happy to expound upon.
After he pulled up to the curb in front of the arts hall, he glanced back and looked from Addie to me. “You’re a lucky man,” he said with a sly grin.
“I’m aware of that.”
Chapter Sixteen
Addie
The hum of voices was constant, mingling with the sound of glasses and silverware clicking. Ryan sat beside me, taking a swallow of his scotch as he chuckled at something one of the other guests at the table said
Soraya leaned over to murmur in my ear. “These things can be a bit much. How are you doing?”
I liked Soraya. She was sharp and funny and didn’t seem to care much for trying to fit in. With her dark hair and striking looks, she was a stunner. She also took no bullshit and teased her husband, Graham, with abandon.
“I’m doing fine. I might seem like a fish out of water, but I can handle myself.”
Soraya leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her wine. “I like you. I think you’re going to be good for Ryan.”
Her eyes bounced from me to him. “Ryan, I sure hope you have enough sense to keep Addie.”
Ryan’s warm gaze caught mine before he looked back at Soraya. “I like to consider myself an intelligent man,” he teased.
Graham chuckled. “Looks like you might have to prove it to my wife.”
Ryan slid his arm around my shoulders. The feel of his warm palm landing between my shoulder blades was like a hot brand. Heat twisted in my core. “I’m up for the challenge,” he said. When he looked toward me, his gaze was dead serious, and I was suddenly flustered.
Soraya seemed to sense my stress and replied lightly, “Do your best.”
Someone stopped by the table, one of many people who wanted to talk to Ryan and Graham about business, and the conversation moved along. As the evening wore on, what little I had allowed myself to read about Ryan was proved to be true. He was socially sought after, and plenty of women seemed more than a little curious about who I was and why he was with me.
The benefit was an art auction to raise money for an animal shelter. At one point during the bidding, a woman all but stole Ryan from my side, dragging him off to talk to him about something.
Soraya muttered something under her breath, and I looked to her. “Excuse me?”
“That’s Crystal Stokes. She’s had her eye on Ryan forever. He took her to one function like this, and never again after that.”
Glancing to Soraya, I said, “He’s only taken me out twice. It’s not like I can read anything into that.”
Soraya arched one of her dark brows. “Ryan likes you. Graham even thinks so.”
My cheeks heated, and I shrugged slightly. “Maybe.”
Graham came over, sliding his arm around Soraya’s waist. His hand curled over her hip possessively as he leaned down to press a kiss on her cheek. “How much longer do we need to stay?” he asked.
“I’m not leaving Addie here alone,” Soraya replied swiftly. “Some of the people here are the human equivalent of sharks.”
Graham’s eyes shifted to me, and he smiled indulgently. “Pretty sure Addie can handle it on her own. Plus, she’s got Ryan.”
“Not with Crystal trying to get her claws into him. Go get him back over here,” she ordered, nudging Graham with her elbow.
Not that I had any doubt about Graham’s obvious adoration of Soraya, but he further proved the point by not even hesitating. He strolled over and promptly cut into the conver
sation, which appeared mostly one-sided on Crystal’s part. In another moment, he was walking back towards us with Ryan.
“As you wish,” he said when he stopped beside Soraya again. He caught her hand in his and lifted it to dust a kiss over her knuckles.
“Sorry about that,” Ryan said as he stopped at my side.
“You don’t have to stay beside me the entire night.”
“I know I don’t,” he murmured. “But I’d rather. That was a distraction and a complete waste of my time.”
Glancing up at him, I noticed the lines of tension on his face and irritation flashing in his eyes. Whatever Crystal had wanted to discuss didn’t appear to be sitting well with him.
Graham and Soraya were drawn away from us by another business associate, and Ryan looked down, turning to face me. He was downright dashing. With his dark hair and glacial blue eyes, his black and white suit set off the contrast.
“Thank you for coming tonight,” he said, the gravelly sound of his voice sending goosebumps prickling over my skin as I looked up into his eyes.
“Of course,” I managed to reply, my own voice coming out raspy.
He reached for my hand, catching it in his. “How’s your other hand feeling?”
When his thumb began to brush back and forth right along the sensitive area on the inside of my wrist, it felt as if fire was licking across the surface of my skin, radiating away from his touch. I had to force myself to focus and almost forgot what his original question was.
“It’s fine.” I lifted my other hand between us, twisting it to the side so he could see. “The stitches are already absorbing, and there’s no more redness. See?”
He glanced down and looked carefully before I lowered my arm. “I do. Daniel did a nice job with those stitches. I’m guessing the scars won’t be too bad.”
I bit my lip. “He did. Thank you again for calling him that night. I haven’t had a chance to tell that story to many people, but everyone seems a little surprised you didn’t call the police on me.”