by Mila Cole
“Damn I’m good,” he admitted, taking my hand in his. He twirled me around before pulling me in close. Thank goodness no one was around because the moment was far too intimate to share with anyone else. “You look gorgeous.”
Heat filled my cheeks. “You look great too. Can I straighten your tie?”
He nodded, so I handed him my bag to hold while I adjusted the black tie around his neck. My fingers lingered around the silky fabric. I didn’t want to move. When I shifted my eyes up to him, he was staring at me. Those beautiful eyes of his looked darker somehow. Like the heat of the moment had purposely made them change color. It was intense. I could feel my pulse pick up as if he were about to kiss me. Our lips were only inches apart, so close that I could feel the heat of his breath against my lips.
“We should get going, Princess. You don’t want to be late.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Was I that naïve to think that there were really sparks between us?
I stomped off to the elevator, wishing for a bit of distance between us. I could’ve used some sulking time.
He stepped inside next to me, and the moment the elevator door closed, his deep voice said, “Too many cameras out there.”
Then he turned so that he was standing directly in front of me.
My breath stopped.
My heart stopped.
And with a push of a button…
The elevator stopped.
Twenty-One
Slick
When my hand tapped that red emergency stop button, her eyes grew wide. It wasn’t fear. I’d seen that look before. Those pale blue eyes almost looked red under the soft glow of the elevator lights.
I had to kiss her just once. No one was around. No one could see us. There was no way we’d get caught. And I had to know what was really going on between us. If it was nothing, then we could pretend that this never happened. If it was something more, then I needed to know before the thought alone killed me.
My hands wrapped around the back of her small neck, feeling the goose bumps rise under my fingertips. With a small tug, she was pressed against the front of me. My thumb traced the delicate skin, and I could feel her rapid heartbeat underneath it. It was like a locked and loaded gun just waiting for someone to pull the trigger.
“This what you want, Princess?”
Breathe, little girl.
I waited a beat, but it seemed she couldn’t speak. Her hand reached for my coat, and I could feel it pull as her fingertips gripped it tightly.
I moved my hand down the front of her dress slowly until I reached her hip. My dick was standing tall and proud, like it’d been waiting for me to touch this girl for far too long. I couldn’t agree more. So I went for it. I tilted my head down to meet her and touched my lips to hers. The buildup in my mind couldn’t even compare to the way her lips felt against mine. So warm. So sweet. She was like forbidden fruit, and I was a starving man.
My tongue slipped eagerly inside hers, finding exactly what it wanted. It was like my body had a mind of its own.
“Fuck!” I said when I pulled away. My lips were still tingling. “I’m in so much trouble,” I admitted. The kiss was far better than I ever imagined, and it only made me want her more. Screwed. That’s what I was.
She giggled. Her lips were still swollen and puffy.
“This is not funny.” I raked my hands through my hair.
There was no way I could keep my distance now.
This girl would be the death of me.
Simple as that.
I released the emergency stop button, and the elevator began to move again. “Why are you still laughing? Your father is probably going to kill me.” Even just saying those words sounded wrong. Do you know how many years it’d been since I’d been worried about what someone’s father might’ve thought?
I was someone’s father for crying out loud.
“Hey, Slick,” Lighter said before we stepped off the elevator.
“Yeah?”
“For what’s it worth,” she whispered, “it was amazing.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It was.”
*
Once we made it to the event, the two of us didn’t have time to think any more about what happened. We were too busy. Funny that I didn’t remember signing up to help, but somehow, I was put to work.
When people started to arrive, Lighter had to go out of the building to meet her dad so that the two of them could be seen together for photographs.
“Hey,” Tony said as he walked next to me. “We have a problem.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “What kind of problem?”
“Derosa’s car was followed. We circled the block around the building, and they wouldn’t let up.”
“Did you see who it was? What were they driving?”
“We couldn’t see them. It was too dark. But the vehicle was a big black Suburban. They didn’t pull away until we pulled up next to the curb here.”
I glanced back at the row of cars lined up against the curb, then back to Derosa and Lighter. They moved arm in arm through the line, while cameras snapped hundreds of pictures of them. She was too damn beautiful to be that sick man’s daughter.
“I think we should put a man at every entrance. We have enough people here,” I urged.
“Good call. Keep an eye on them, and I’ll step back to let everyone know.” He pointed at the headset in his ear.
My adrenaline was pumping hard. Threats were one thing. Having someone get close enough to carry through was completely different. Whoever it was that was sending Derosa some kind of message wasn’t playing around. I was going to need some names and faces after this. No more guessing who was after them. I had to be prepared. He couldn’t expect me to run an operation blind.
“We need to talk,” I told him just as we were entering the building.
“Later” was all he said.
I nodded. Though what I really wanted to do was slam him down in a seat and force him to talk. Being perceived as powerful didn’t mean that he was invincible. He couldn’t pretend that everything was fine when it wasn’t. Unless he truly didn’t care that he was putting everyone he loved at risk.
Karma, man.
When the party was in full swing, Lighter moved about the room flawlessly. It was like she was tailor-made for these things, which I guess in reality she was.
Never in a million years did I think I’d want to get my rocks off with an eighteen-year-old, spoiled socialite. I remember the day I first met her, when she’d strolled into her father’s office with those sunglasses on her head. My first reaction was that she was hungover and a disrespectful brat. I was ready and willing to put her in her place. Now, I was ready and willing to bend her over one of those tables.
You should’ve seen her when she stepped up to the microphone to announce the date auction. The room stood still while all eyes focused on her. The colored lights from the ceiling made her shine up there. There wasn’t a single man in the room that didn’t want her. Not that I could blame them. What a beautiful sight she was.
Tony walked over to stand next to me so that the two of us could be close to the stage while Lighter was up there. I scanned the crowd, making sure no one was a threat. The only dangerous weapon I could see were those numbered wooden paddles for the auction. I’d never witnessed anything like that.
When all the ladies walked up to the stage, Tony told me under his breath that he wished he was richer and that he had control over one of those paddles. Normally I would’ve agreed, but the only girl I could see on that stage was Lighter. No one else compared.
The crowd clapped as each of the girls was auctioned to the highest bidder. When I say high, I mean more than the cost of a brand-new car. The winners were only promised dinner, though I suspected some of them would be expecting more, considering the price they were paying. One girl, a tall brunette in a red dress, brought in forty-eight thousand dollars. Now mind you, I knew it was for charity, but I couldn’t see sp
ending that much money for a date where you weren’t even guaranteed to get laid. Shit, there were hookers that didn’t make that much in a year, but at least with them it was a sure thing.
Lighter was standing off to the side of the stage closer to us, watching along. You could tell just how overjoyed she was at all the money being raised. She had every right to be proud.
The man standing behind the mic announced that they had one last date to auction off. When he started to list the woman’s attributes, my heart sank. Lighter’s eyes were fixated on the floor beneath her, and she wouldn’t look up. I stepped up next to the stage where I stood directly behind her. The heat of my rage was radiating off me so hard that I was sure she could feel it. I was about to tell her that I’d kill any man who dared to place a bid on her, but I was stopped short as the announcer read off her name and she stepped forward.
I had to stop myself from yanking her off the stage in front of everyone.
Tony placed a hand on my shoulder and told me to keep my shit together. I guess it was obvious that I was pissed. Beyond pissed. Yet there was nothing I could do about it without making a scene.
Lighter stood there at center stage. Everyone had their eyes on her. She looked like a lavender-haired angel.
“Keep your cool, man,” Tony said. “It’s just a date, and it’s for charity.”
If he weren’t there, I probably would’ve already flipped out, ran up there, and hauled her away caveman-style.
“We’ll start the bidding at ten thousand,” the man announced.
I felt sick, and I didn’t want to watch. But I couldn’t just walk away when I was in charge of her safety. My stomach was in knots. I couldn’t have her, but I didn’t want anyone else to have her either. It made me realize the kind of hold she actually had on me. I was jealous; I’d admit it. It felt unnatural and wrong. But I couldn’t help it. She should’ve been mine. I’d tasted those lips—those sweet, plump lips. Not a single man in the room was good enough for her. I didn’t want them anywhere near her.
“Fifty thousand,” someone said from the back of the room. Everyone gasped.
“Fifty-five,” another voice called out.
“Sixty.”
Son of a bitch.
“Who was that?” I asked Tony.
“Don’t know.” He shook his head. “Whoever it was sounded young.”
“Sixty-five,” a voice rang out.
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
“Fuck.” I groaned.
“One hundred grand going once… Twice… Sold! Step forward, young man.”
Wait. I recognized that face. You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll kill him.
Twenty-Two
Lighter
The ride home last night was eventful. Slick was pissy about the auction. He barely said a word to me. Not that he could say much. I was wedged between him and Trim in the back seat the entire ride back.
I knew that he was mad when he figured out that I was one of the girls being auctioned, but he was even more pissed when he realized it was Landon that had paid the hundred grand.
It was crazy for him to spend that kind of money, but thanks to his donation, we raised over three hundred thousand dollars. It was the most money that the PHS had ever raised with an event. Talk about gloating. I was soaring high despite Slick’s foul mood.
Landon and I talked after the auction and agreed that we’d have our date tonight, since I was supposed to go out of town to visit my mom this weekend and he was already in town. Trim was scheduled to go to Canada with me as he already had a valid passport. I didn’t expect Slick to go since he had a daughter. It would be hard to be away from her that long.
As I was getting ready for my date, I wasn’t worried at all. I was happy that Landon was the one who’d won. It wouldn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. The two of us had been on hundreds of dates in the past. The only awkward part would be having Slick be less than fifty feet away from us. It was his shift to work, and he was going to have to stand guard while Landon and I had dinner and whatever else we decided to do. When I texted him the details first thing this morning, all he said was “Okay.”
I got why he was upset.
I did.
I should’ve mentioned the part about me being auctioned and not let it be a surprise to him and my father. But I was afraid that everyone would try to convince me not to do it, like I was a child or something. It was for a good cause, and thanks to my auction, we raised triple the amount of money than we thought we would. I wasn’t ashamed. And even though Landon’s intentions were probably much different than mine, we were only going to dinner. I wasn’t planning for this to lead to anything more.
There was no way that it could. Not after that kiss with Slick.
Slick… Sheesh… It was pathetic that I couldn’t even tell you his first name, yet in my dreams, we’d crossed every line imaginable. Funny really.
Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I slid my tiny pearls around my neck. My mom and dad had got them for me for my sixteenth birthday. They’d been delivered to my apartment that morning by someone wearing a suit and sunglasses. My parents hadn’t even come to visit me that day, but the pearls were beautiful. They looked perfect with my pale blue, knee-length dress.
My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and I kept my makeup simple. A light-colored lip, some mascara, and a little shimmery powder. I looked more my age without all the makeup. Kind of sweet actually. It was a nice look. The tabloids would probably have something ridiculous to say about it. Probably call the look a fail in the fashion world. They were cruel sometimes, which was why I never read those stuffy magazines. Aside from my subscription to Decorating Darling, and the New York Times, I never picked up a magazine or a newspaper. I was strictly a novel-reading girl.
With my purse in one hand and my shoes in the other, I padded down the hallway to the formal living room. The room was rarely occupied when my mother wasn’t home. I loved the way it was decorated, and the fireplace, but it was so large and the furniture was so spread out that it didn’t feel comfortable. There was an echo in the room that bounced around on those high ceilings, making it feel more like a cave than a living area. My mother loved it though.
I sat down on the oversized sofa and slipped on my white wedges while I waited for Landon to arrive. The shoes were beautiful, but my feet would probably be aching before the night was up.
The evening was going to go fine, so long as Slick didn’t act like a caveman. We never had a talk after that kiss. It was a passionate kiss that I could still feel in the pit of my stomach. One that I hoped I’d never forget in my lifetime. Also, one that I hoped to repeat many times in the future. He knew where I stood. He had to. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone. I would’ve let him strip off that evening gown and take me right there in the stopped elevator last night, if that was what he wanted. He had more restraint than I did. After the kiss, we never discussed what would happen next. Did he want me? Did he not want me? It seemed to always be a game with him. I just hoped he’d tell me what was going on soon. I couldn’t stand being clueless, especially when it was my life. If this game went on any longer, then someone was going to wind up murdered, with a stiletto, in the library.
The ding of the elevator rang low in the distance, so I grabbed my purse and headed toward the foyer. Landon was standing there when I walked in.
“Hey.”
I smiled. “Hi.” I was speaking to Landon, but my eyes were locked on Slick. He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. His arms were crossed over his chest, the muscles in his arms nearly busting the shirt at the seams.
The temperature in the room felt like it had risen five hundred degrees. This was going to be a long, long night.
My eyes darted back to Landon, and I tried to pretend I hadn’t just stared at Slick like he was a piece of cake. My hands fidgeted on my bag, and I closed the distance with a huge smile on my face. Landon wasn’t stupid though. He gave me a small kiss on
my cheek before pressing the button to the elevator.
Just as the doors opened, Landon placed his hand around mine. That squinty-eyed look he gave Slick didn’t go unnoticed. I knew what he was doing, and I tried giving him a look that would tell him to keep his cool, but he just smiled at me and squeezed my hand a little tighter.
So there I was standing between the two of them on the elevator. The smell of their cologne mixing was about to make me gag, and the macho attitude was off the radar.
Did I mention this was going to be a long night?
Twenty-Three
Slick
I wanted to laugh.
You have to admit, me sitting up front with Norman while Lighter and Pretty Boy were in the back seat on the way to their date was laughable. Even Norman seemed to have a snide grin on his face, as if he knew it was funny too.
Norman pulled up in front of SAPPHIRE, a very expensive restaurant, one that I’d never stepped foot inside and probably never would again after tonight. I checked with him to make sure that we hadn’t had any unexpected followers before I let the two of them get out of the car. Not that Pretty Boy mattered. I wasn’t in charge of what happened to him. If he wanted protecting, then he should’ve brought his own security.
Once I was given the go-ahead, I stepped out of the vehicle and opened Lighter’s door. I waited as she scooted to the edge of the seat and then stepped out onto the pavement. She looked so different this evening, more innocent and young, but still so beautiful. It was eating me up inside that she was going on a date with the little fucker. It probably would’ve been easier to see her with someone I hadn’t already beaten the crap out of. This guy was a parasite. He was going to do everything in his power to get to me, and even more to get to her.
I followed behind her as she walked arm in arm with him up the steps to the restaurant. There were photographers lurking around who managed to snap a couple pictures of them as they walked inside. Lighter didn’t seem bothered by them. They weren’t hounding her, so I didn’t try to intervene.
Once they were inside, the two of them were led to a private area secluded from the rest of the restaurant. It was in a back corner where very few people were sitting. I could only imagine what it cost to reserve that table, but since he dropped a hundred thousand dollars on the date, I was sure he’d spare no expense for the dinner.