Entice Me

by Kelly Elliott

  My gaze followed her down the hallway, not paying any attention to Lily standing there.

  “Jesus, could you stare at her any harder?” Lily spat out.

  Turning away, I made my way to Tucker’s office. Unlocking the door, I walked in, Lily right on my heels.

  “Lily, what do you want?” I asked in an annoyed tone as I turned around to face her.

  Before I could even process anything, she wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing me. It took me all of two seconds to realize what in the hell was happening.

  Lifting my hands, I pulled her arms from around my neck and pushed her gently away.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” I asked, wiping my mouth.

  “I missed you.”

  “Your fucking husband and the father of your kid is out there, Lily.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Mark hasn’t acted much like a husband the last few months. He’s hardly even touched me.”

  I screwed up my face and stared at her. Terri was right; Lily was most likely getting served her full dose of karma, and why she thought I would care baffled me.

  “What’s wrong, Lil? Things not going so great with your knight in shining armor? I often wondered what happens with a cheater . . . I mean, do they stop after only one time, or once they get bored do they find their next target? I guess I got my answer.”

  She pressed her lips together.

  “This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? Him. Not me. So now things aren’t going so well and you think you can just show up and kiss me? Like get a redo on your fuck-up?”

  “We were in love once, Nash.”

  “Yeah, once. You cheated on me. You gave up what we had. Ironically, that has a way of making you fall out of love really quick.”

  “I thought Mark was what I needed, but he isn’t. It’s you, Nash. I need you. Please. Please forgive me.”

  Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before focusing on Lily.

  “You know, it took me a long time to forgive you, Lily. I can’t even begin to explain to you how much you hurt me.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I know, baby. I’m so sorry. I’m ready to be a real couple now. You and me.”

  I shook my head. “I forgave you, Lily, but I’ll never forget what you did. Ever. For months I’ve been walking around with a hole in my damn heart, so fucking afraid to let anyone in or even dare to let myself be happy. Why? Because I trusted you, and you stole that trust from me. You never cared enough to even be honest with me. I wasn’t enough for you then. I know now that I will never be enough, and I won’t make that same mistake twice.”

  She went to reach for my hand, but I backed away.

  “Let me make it up to you, Nash. I know now what I had in you. I was stupid and young, and I thought I needed a bit of excitement in my life.”

  I bellowed out and stared at her in disbelief. She wasn’t getting it. Any of it.

  “I know how to make you happy.”

  “No, Lily, you don’t. You never did. All those months I spent hiding because I was afraid to let someone too close to me after your betrayal. Then something happened tonight. That shit got knocked right out of me, literally. I’m sorry you’re not happy with your husband, I really am. But you made your bed, sweetheart. Lie in it.”

  I walked around her and she grabbed my arm.

  “No! Don’t do this, Nash. Don’t walk away from what we had.”

  Withdrawing my arm from her grip, I smiled as I looked down at her defeated face. The last bit of anger I held toward her felt as if it was finally fading away. I felt sorry for her.

  “Just a reminder, you were the one who walked away, Lily. And finally, I’ve seen it was the best damn thing to ever happen to me.”

  As I made my way to the door, I heard her start crying. I balled my fists and did my best to ignore it as I pulled the office door open and walked out. I’d go make my call somewhere less crowded.

  For the first time in months, it felt like the dark cloud that had been over me was gone. And the girl I had ran into was the reason. When I got back out to the bar, I scanned the place looking for her. I had no idea what caused the instant spark I had felt when she smiled at me. Or the way her voice made my body feel warm and in need of something I hadn’t let myself want in months. But I needed to find her, to see if the connection we had was a fluke. I had to know.

  Damn it. She’s gone.

  “Who you looking for?” Charlie asked as she walked up to me.

  “I don’t know. Someone I ran into a few minutes ago. Lily interrupted us and I didn’t have a chance to get her information.”

  Charlie laughed. “Figures Lily would cock-block you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right?” I replied with a chuckle. “Well, if it’s meant to be, I’ll see her again. I better get to the party.”

  “And I better get to the ladies’ room before this baby makes me pee all over the floor.”

  Lifting my hands, I moved out of her way as she made her way past me. It was hard to believe Charlie was the CEO of a billion-dollar consulting firm in Austin. Her parents had died in a car accident a year ago, and she had been thrown into the position and had to fight to keep herself in the position.

  The bar was packed, so it took me a minute or so to get across and back to the private room Morgan’s party was in.

  Stepping into the room, I felt an instant change. A surge of electricity felt like it made every single nerve ending in my body come to life. What the hell is happening with me tonight?

  Sweeping my eyes across the room as I looked for Morgan. I stopped searching when her gaze caught mine from the far back corner.

  A slow smile spread over my face when her cheeks blushed. Did she feel the connection between us? I needed to find out who she was, even if that old familiar feeling of fear—or maybe it was excitement, it had been so long that I couldn’t distinguish between the two—had begun to creep in.

  Forgetting everything that had happened with Lily, I made the decision that it was time for me to move on. It was time to trust again and let down the wall I had built up around my heart. The woman who currently held my attention was the cause of that decision.

  MORGAN PULLED ME from one person to the next as she introduced me to both family and friends. A few members of her family, namely her mother, asked a ton of personal questions. It was a subject I had always guarded and answered short and sweet. Not that I had done anything wrong or came from a shady family. Just the opposite actually. My family was one of the wealthiest families in the state. Second wealthiest in Utah, where I was from. That was the problem. Once people knew who I was and how deep my pockets were, I was treated differently. I never really had true friends growing up. And all of my boyfriends were never really interested in me, only the money or what knowing my father could do for them. After college I stopped telling people who I was. They didn’t need to know I was an heiress to a billion-dollar fortune. Most of it old money from the railroads and investments my family had made many years ago. My father didn’t even have to work, but he continued to do so every day. His job was to make more money, like his father, and his father before him. Even with that, my parents did so much for our community and other programs. I was proud of the way they helped others, almost always keeping their generosity anonymous.

  The sound of Morgan’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Rich, this is Kaelynn. We met last year on a mission trip and have been friends ever since. She’s helping me get my new business off the ground.”

  Rich lifted a brow as he let his gaze roll over the stupid shirt I had on. “Nice shirt.”

  I sighed and looked at Morgan. “Morgan and I had a bet and I lost. Hence the silly shirt.”

  He stared at me for a moment before speaking again. “So you’re helping Morgan get her business going? How much are you soaking her for? You know she’s just getting started and really can’t afford a consultant who probably isn’t going to be of help anyway.”

  M
y eyes widened, and I felt Morgan tense next to me.

  “Rich! Holy crap, are you out of your mind?” Morgan shouted. A few people who heard her outburst turned our way.

  With a smile, I extended my hand to him. “It’s nice to meet you, Rich. I actually own the company, so that allows me to help Morgan without charging her the crazy fees that some consultants charge. We’re a nonprofit, and everything we raise helps go toward helping individuals, as well as companies, who work directly with veterans. We do a variety of things from offering simple support to helping find resources to start nonprofits, as well as assisting people like Morgan who are starting a new business geared toward helping our veterans get the help they need. And although we do charge people for our assistance, it is at a much lower cost and goes right back into the system to help others. In this case, though, I’m offering my services to Morgan pro bono. One friend helping another. I’m sure you get that.”

  He had the decency to look embarrassed. Then he looked at Morgan. “Mike?”

  Morgan swallowed hard and nodded.

  “Makes sense he’s the reason you’re doing this.”

  I felt the tension between the two of them. I knew who Mike was, Morgan’s boyfriend who had committed suicide after suffering from PTSD. It was something that was also very dear to my own heart, the reason for my own business.

  Morgan seemed to snap out of her pensive state and jabbed her finger into his chest. “You owe her an apology, now.”

  I lifted my hands and said, “None needed, really.”

  Rich looked to Morgan. “You didn’t mention she was doing it for free; that would have been helpful.”

  “It was none of your business,” she spat back, a look of disappointment on her face toward the gentleman standing in front of us.

  Glancing between Morgan and Rich, I arched a brow. “Am I missing something here?”

  Morgan shook her head and forced a smile. “No. Rich and I used to date, but I thought we could remain friends. It appears he thinks he can interject his opinions into my life still. If he’s going to act like a dick . . .”

  “Morgan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s only . . . well, I worry about you. I worry what feelings this type of venture might bring up for you.”

  Her body relaxed a bit while my heart melted some. I made a mental note to question Morgan about Rich later. It was clear he still cared about her. I was curious about how long they had dated and why I hadn’t heard her mention him at all before tonight.

  “Listen, I’ll let you get back to introducing Kaelynn around. Again, I’m sorry, and it was great meeting you. I look forward to seeing Morgan’s business take off with your assistance.”

  With a quick lift of my hand and wave, I replied, “You as well.”

  As Rich walked away, Morgan sighed. “I’m really sorry. First my brother and now Rich. I need to let everyone know you’re working for free, I guess. Care to walk around wearing a sandwich board or something? Seems like no one has any confidence in me.”

  “That’s not true. They’re simply worried about you. That’s a sign of people who love and care for you. And I’ll happily wear a sandwich board if that’s what it takes. Plus, it’ll hide this shirt I’m wearing, right?”

  She chuckled, then glanced to her right. “Let’s see . . . Who else do I need to introduce you to? Maybe you can meet someone and get lucky tonight! After all, your shirt advertises how horny you are.”

  We laughed when she nudged me with her elbow because we knew how unlikely that would be. Not that I wasn’t down for a good night of sex—I wasn’t a prude—but I was picky. And picky meant I hadn’t been with anyone in a while. A really, excessively long while.

  The moment he stepped into the room, though, I sensed him. It was the oddest sensation and one I had never experienced. Scanning the room to see who had my hackles raised, it was right when our eyes met that he smiled and I couldn’t help the heat that built in my cheeks. I’d been attracted to men before, of course, but something about this man was different. His smile and those dimples. Lord, they made my knees weaken. Not only was he handsome, but there was something different about him. There was goodness in his eyes, something you didn’t really see too often anymore, especially in men around my age.

  Before he had a chance to make his way over to me, though, Rich walked up and slapped him on the back. They were soon lost in conversation. I watched him intently. The way he grinned at the man, nodded his head, and really seemed to be focused on what Rich said. He wasn’t letting his eyes wander the room at all. His entire attention was on his friend. Well, I assumed they were friends.

  “So, who do you have your eye on?” Morgan asked, bumping me on the arm yet again, and this time using a teasing tone to her voice. “You’re practically undressing him with those bedroom eyes.”

  “What?” I asked, letting out a chuckle. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Uh-huh. You have a lustful look in your eyes, Kaelynn. One I’ve never seen before. Who is it? Show me!”

  I gave her a slight push. “Shut up! I do not. I have, however, spotted the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. We actually ran into each other outside the bathrooms earlier. Seems like a really nice guy. You must know him if he’s at your party.”

  “Point him out to me,” Morgan demanded, standing up on her tippy toes.

  My eyes went to the last place I had seen him. He was still there, still deep in conversation.

  “There. The guy talking to Rich.”

  Morgan’s face erupted into a full-blown grin. “The one in the blue shirt?” she asked for confirmation.

  “Yep. Mr. Hottie McHot. I feel like I need to break out into a version of Janet Jackson’s ‘Nasty’ with the thoughts I had after I bumped into him earlier. Don’t judge me; it’s been a while.”

  Morgan covered her mouth in an attempt not to laugh.

  I sighed. “Geesh, listen to me. I sound like a pathetic woman who has gone way to long without sex. But I think I could get on board for sex with Mr. Hottie McHot.”

  “It’s been that long, huh?” she asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “You could say. He’s good looking, though, isn’t he? You should see his dimples. Lord, I’m a sucker for dimples. He has to be too good to be true, though. He was so sweet and kind, then add the good looks on top of it. He has to be either gay or married.”

  Morgan focused back on him and shook her head as she finally let out the laugh she had been trying to hold in. “He’s not either. He is, however, one of the sweetest men I have ever known.”

  My interest was piqued. “Spill it. Who is he and how do you know him?”

  Morgan grabbed my arm and we started making our way through the crowd. She walked over to introduce me to him. A part of me wanted to stop her; I’d already had my dreams crushed by the last guy I dated. I made the mistake of taking him to meet my parents. Three days later, he dropped to one knee to ask me to marry him. His speech was one of a kind, definitely one for the keepsake books. He stated he hadn’t fallen in love with me yet, but he was pretty sure a trip to Europe, just the two of us, obviously financed by my resources, would surely do it.

  Jerk.

  The other part of me, however, liked the way this guy made my entire body tingle. The way I felt a fire deep inside my soul when he smiled at me. No man had ever made me feel that, and it sort of scared me. But not enough to keep from meeting him, though.

  What was one more encounter with him anyway? We’d meet, talk a few minutes, then he would probably go after one of the women in here who were throwing themselves at guys like this.

  “I can’t wait to introduce you!” Morgan shouted over the music, a giddiness in her voice I’d never heard. I couldn’t help but grin at her.

  It didn’t take long for Mr. Hottie McHot to see Morgan pushing her way past people to get to him. As a matter of fact, they seemed to understand why she was trying so hard to make her way through the crowd, and they moved out of her way—think of Moses
parting the Red Sea as a helpful visual—once they caught sight of who she was heading toward.

  Oh no. If this was an ex of Morgan’s, I was going to hit myself.

  “Hey, long time no see,” Mr. Hottie McHot said to me, and then looked over at Morgan with what? A look of adoration passing between them? “Same goes for you.”

  When he leaned down and kissed her cheek, I tried not to feel jealous. Damn, I knew it. I pushed away that nagging feeling in my stomach that screamed I didn’t like that he kissed my best friend and not me.

  “Nash, I understand you already met near the bathrooms, but now I’d like for you to officially meet my best friend Kaelynn.”

  My mouth dropped open as my shocked look went from Morgan to Nash and back again.

  Nash?

  Nash as in the brother Morgan always talks about?

  The brother who had his heart broken by a woman who cheated on him, and from what I could tell from the stories, cared more about money than him.

  With a smile that made my knees tremble yet again, Nash extended his hand. His dark hair looked messy, like he had run his fingers through it a lot since the last time I saw him. His eyes were so dark, and they danced with a little bit of mischief. It made me smile even bigger.

  I placed my hand in his and he shook it. Why had I been secretly hoping he would have brought it up to his mouth and kissed the backside of my hand? He seemed like the type who would do that.

  For the love of all things, Kaelynn, this isn’t a fairy-tale movie.

  But then he winked, and it was so much better than a kiss on the back of the hand. “So you’re the one helping Morgan start her new adventure?”

  I loved that he called it that. It was going to be an adventure. One that would help so many people.

  “Yes, that would be me.”

  “At least now I know your name.”

  Laughing, I nodded. “Same to you.”

  “Any good pick-up lines yet?” he asked with a teasing smile.