by Marni Mann
“Frankie, hi…wow,” he said.
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Hello, Zack.”
“Are you ready, or should we—”
“She’s ready,” Brea said, gently guiding me into the hallway. “You two have fun tonight. I’m just going to help the girls clean up, and then we’re out of here.” She winked and shut the door. I pushed the button for the private elevator that I shared with the penthouse on the other side of the building. I felt Zack’s dark eyes on me, even when I stepped inside and hit the button for the lobby. I also felt his nervous energy…or maybe it was just my own. Was he fixing something on his jacket or just fidgeting? I couldn’t tell. But I knew one of us needed to break the silence. “Thanks for coming tonight,” I said.
“No, thank you. I never imagined I would be attending the ball within my first year.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Or getting to see one of the penthouses in this building, even though I didn’t make it past the foyer.” Aside from Brea and a few previous assistants, I didn’t bring any of our agents to my condo. He was somewhere not many people in my professional life would ever be. I wanted my life beyond work to stay private. “What drew you to this building?” he asked.
“My first large sale was in here. I fell in love with the building and knew I would live here one day.” My fingers slid over my Rolex. The commission from that sale had paid for the watch. “As soon as the penthouse was listed, I jumped on it.”
“Good move.” He paused, our eyes locking. For the briefest of seconds, I took him all in. I felt nothing. “I have one more year before I break any sales records, if I follow your path.”
“You’ll get there.”
He grinned. “You’re saying there’s hope?”
“My first job at the agency was in the mail room. Then I moved on to inventorying the office supplies, cleaning the bathrooms, and making photocopies for the agents, among many other shitty tasks. As long as you work hard, there’s always hope.”
The way his grin turned into a full smile told me he appreciated hearing my history, although I suspected he already knew it. If he was anything like me, he checked his facts before coming. “I’ll have to remember that when I’m dealing with an impossible seller.” When we arrived at the lobby, he held the elevator door open. “Please, after you.”
My driver was parked outside, standing next to the backseat of the company’s SUV. “Good evening, Ms. Jordan.”
I gently squeezed Norm’s shoulder. “Thanks for working the night shift tonight.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I climbed into the back. Zack slid in after me, the movement sending me a whiff of his cologne. It was a rich blend of mint and ginger, a strong and mature scent that tied along nicely with his short buzz cut and wool peacoat. I thought about how Reed’s outfits coordinated even when he went to the gym, and he never left his condo unless he was shaved. Something told me he and Zack had that in common.
Zack was all polished and stylishly dressed, safe and probably even a little predictable. So why did I feel nothing when I looked at him? And yet, when Derek’s untended face crossed my thoughts and my dreams—his appearance the polar opposite of any man I had ever desired—I woke up with my fingers inside of my sex, moaning his name into my pillow?
“I hear this party is a little intense,” Zack said.
I laughed. It was a much-needed release that lightened the feeling that plagued my chest. “Anyone who is anyone will be there so it can be. Just enjoy yourself and try to meet as many people as you can.”
“I’ve been trying to partner with someone in the mortgage industry, but I haven’t had any luck. Maybe there’s someone you can introduce me to?”
I pulled the straps of my jacket, binding them even tighter, and tilted my face toward the window. We were only a few blocks from the party. I closed my eyes and visualized the glass of wine I’d order when I got there.
Of course I could introduce him to someone. There was an abundance of people in that industry, and many of them would be there tonight. Out of everyone, Reed was the best. He wouldn’t work with Zack, though; his sales weren’t large enough for Reed’s portfolio. But I was sure there was a broker in his office who would. “I know just the person for you to meet,” I said. I’d make the introduction, and then hopefully I’d be able to avoid Reed for the rest of the night.
***
Norm parked outside the hall. Zack was the first to climb out, helping me onto the sidewalk. Once inside, he gave me his drink order and waited in line to check our coats while I went straight to the bar. Attendance had doubled, so the venue had been changed from last year’s location. Even in the bigger space, it was still packed. The ballroom was even busier than the lobby; the music could barely be heard over all the chatter, and they’d probably drained the city of flowers considering the hundreds of vases scattered everywhere. At least ten bars were set up around the room. I chose the closest one.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked. His eyes dipped briefly to my chest.
“Pinot noir, please, and a vodka tonic.”
“With a lime?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He placed a wine glass on the bar and began filling it. I wrapped my fingers around the stemless bottom and took a sip. Zack’s drink followed, and I handed the bartender a tip. Doing a quick scan of the room, I hadn’t even made the halfway mark before I paused on a face…a familiar one. One that peered back at me. In one hand, he held a short tumbler; the other ran through his milk chocolate curls.
Derek?
He nodded, seeming to read the question in my mind. His eyes narrowed and it felt like he was looking directly through my dress, seducing my skin with the warmth of his gaze. People passed me, one tapping my shoulder, another saying something as she walked by. I didn’t pay attention to them. Only one person in the room mattered at that moment…he was causing my face to flush. The heat spread down my chest, all the way to the valley between my breasts. I was back in my dream, only this time he was in the room with me. I broke from the intensity of his stare, dropping my eyes from his face. Even though this party had specified formal business attire, he was still so casually dressed—simple dark slacks, black matte leather shoes and a white button-down. No tie, and no jacket. He hadn’t even shaved, but at least his hair was gelled back and off his forehead.
His style did nothing for me; it was an eyesore, actually. So why did his coarse appearance have the same effect on me as his gaze? Why did I crave the feel of that scruff, of that messy beard scratching against the inside of my thighs? He was doing something to my body. He was making me feel a raw, passionate hunger that I’d never felt with Reed.
I needed to be closer to him.
My feet started moving, my desire building with each step, but my wariness was just as strong. He was my client; these feelings shouldn’t have existed within me. I knew the wine wasn’t making me any stronger, but I carried it anyway, walking toward him until a flash of blonde crossed my vision and brought me to a standstill. It was Julia. Her long golden hair whipped over Derek’s shoulder as her hands wrapped around his arm. The way she touched him made my stomach churn. If he were a ticket holder, I would have seen his name on the list…which meant he’d come here with her. The thought made me feel even sicker. It was just like Julia to invite a prospective client, try to get him naked and earn his business with whatever part of her body he wanted her to open. That must have meant she had no idea I’d landed the contract.
In some regard, she had outsmarted me; inviting him here was something I should have thought of. What surprised me was that he had accepted her invitation. Derek wasn’t stupid. He had to have known it came with a certain expectation. Maybe that’s what he wanted from her—not a contract, just to get her into bed.
Knowing how women like Julia operated, I was sure she wanted me to seethe in jealousy at seeing her on the arm of Boston’s newest and currently most desirable developer. I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction. I wo
uld, however, walk over and acknowledge my client. That was the right thing to do.
Just as my feet started moving again, Zack joined me. He took his drink from my hand, clinked his glass against mine, and thanked me for ordering it for him. Smiling, I turned toward Derek and immediately felt the air change. His eyes darkened, and his upper lip curled ever so slightly.
Maybe I wasn’t the only one who was jealous.
FOURTEEN.
DEREK
I SAW FRANKIE the second she walked up to the bar. I could smell her in the air…the sweetness that drifted from her body, the tropical scent that came from her hair. I saw how my gaze affected her when our eyes connected. She was surprised to see me. Excited. Her cheeks turned a deep pink, the color traveling all the way to her tits. She was aroused.
I had her.
And then I lost her.
Julia had touched me on purpose to mark me in front of her enemy. Had Frankie not been watching, I would have laughed at her attempt and made sure she never did it again. Instead, I allowed her to cling, giving her enough satisfaction so she wouldn’t cause a scene. Then I put several feet of distance between us. Frankie didn’t see that part. She was too occupied, too busy with a man who clinked his glass against hers in a toast. A man who got that gorgeous woman to smile.
Who the hell was he?
She wasn’t dating him; according to Will’s research, she was single. Maybe she was only fucking him. Her tightly wound body told me it was more like he was selfishly fucking her. Just another amateur who didn’t know her clit from her asshole. Regardless, he got to touch her, and I didn’t. The thought of that made my hands clench.
With the amateur at her side, she walked over to me. “What a surprise, Derek. I thought you said you weren’t coming tonight.” Her tone didn’t match the look she had given me just a few moments ago. She was professional Frankie now. I was sure that had as much to do with the amateur as it did with Julia.
“Good evening, Frankie,” I replied. “My plans changed.”
“I’m glad they did.” Her posture told me the wine in her hand wasn’t her first glass. I wondered if the pinot that warmed the inside of her navel was the one I’d had delivered to her office. “I’d like you to meet Zack Mucci,” she added, pulling her eyes away from me to look at him. “Zack, this is—”
“Zaaaack!” Julia said, drawing out his name. Her hand slipped through the air so she could be the first to touch him. She knew she wouldn’t be getting my dick tonight. I’d made sure of that. She’d probably make it her mission now to suck his. “I’m Julia Hayes, the—”
“I know who you are,” Zack said. “And it’s a pleasure.”
“Oh, it is,” Julia said. “But how is it that I don’t know you?”
Frankie looked past both of them; her eyes were squarely on me. Though she was trying to keep an appropriate distance, she couldn’t hide the desire that flickered across her face. “As I was saying,” she started again, “Zack, this is Derek Block, a developer who just entered the Boston market.”
His hand reached for mine, his boyish eyes lighting up. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Block. I’m a huge fan of your work. The use of natural materials and forms in your style are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
So Zack was a fan…I hadn’t expected that.
“I agree,” Frankie said. “We’re lucky to have Derek in our city, aren’t we?”
Those red glossy lips. I loved when she used them to talk about me.
“Zack,” I said, shaking his hand. His grip was submissive. He probably stroked her with the same weak pressure. It was no wonder she was so tense.
Julia’s hand weaved around my arm again and clung to my bicep. “So Zack,” she said, “do you work in the industry?”
Frankie’s eyes darkened when she noticed Julia’s grip, and her breath came faster. That spark of jealousy told me everything I needed to know.
I looked at Julia and Zack. “I need to speak to Frankie alone.”
Frankie nodded. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” she told Zack.
I stared at Julia. “What?” she asked. “Me too?”
I had to stop myself from laughing as I pulled my arm out of her grasp. “I’ll be back.” I moved over to Frankie, cupped her elbow, and whispered in her ear, “You’re coming with me.”
I led her toward the entrance of the balcony. Neither her feet nor her body showed any resistance. There were a few people smoking in the corner. We walked to the opposite side, to the end of the deck, where we could have a bit more privacy.
Frankie leaned against the concrete barrier that enclosed the patio ledge. Her eyes slowly traveled over my face. She was thinking about me, taking me all in. I let her. She’d done most of the talking during our encounters. She needed to listen now, to hear what my body was telling her.
It was only when she shivered that I finally broke the silence. “I don’t have a jacket to give you.” I took a step closer. “I can try to block the wind.” My hands came to rest on the concrete ledge, my arms caging her. But I didn’t touch her.
Goosebumps covered her chest, trickling down her arms and up to her neck. “I’m not cold.” Her voice made my cock press against my zipper and my hands clench. I needed to touch her.
“You brought me out here, Derek.” Her eyes finally met mine. “What exactly do you plan on doing with me now?”
My teeth ground together.
Did she want the real answer to that question?
FIFTEEN.
FRANKIE
I WAITED for Derek to respond as his eyes bore into mine. His hands were pressed against the wall behind me, his arms narrowing in around me, constricting the already small space I stood in. The breath he exhaled turned to white clouds of steam from the difference in temperature. He may have been trying to block the chilly wind, but in his presence, I didn’t feel it.
All I felt was him.
It seemed he wasn’t going to give me an answer. “Maybe I should ask you a different question,” I said. His expression remained steely, his stare intense. He looked ready to either reprimand or devour me. I should have feared the latter, but I didn’t. “What are you doing here with Julia?”
“She invited me.”
I looked beyond him, toward the ballroom, trying to hide my emotions. “I have to say I’m a bit surprised you showed up with another agent, considering you offered me a contract only yesterday.”
“You mean, you’re surprised I’ve shown up with Julia.” It didn’t matter where I looked. He could see right through me. “Is that because she has a reputation for sleeping with her clients?”
Was his question based on assumption or experience? There was no indication in his eyes. “She’s not exactly discreet about it.”
“What Julia does with the men she works with is not my concern,” he said firmly. “She’s not joining my team…you are.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to take that.
I lifted the glass to my lips, the backs of my fingers skimming his chest. I wasn’t at all prepared for how hard and muscular it felt. “It looks bad that you’re here with her,” I told him. No one at this party knew Derek’s attorney was reviewing my contract or that we’d verbally agreed to work together. So maybe my concern wasn’t really with how it looked. Maybe it was more about how seeing him with her made me feel.
“But it’s okay for you to bring a date?”
His tone sounded just like mine. “He’s a colleague.” I should have used the word employee. It could have kept him from questioning me further, but I wasn’t ready for that. Part of me liked this jealous side of him.
“I don’t care who he is,” Derek said. “He’s not me. It sends the same message.” Every exhale wafted more of his warm, minty breath over me. As it hit my skin, I imagined it being the tips of his fingers, caressing my cheeks and stroking the sides of my neck.
“You’re missing my point.”
“I think you’re missing mine,” he said. “I saw the way he loo
ks at you.”
“You’re wrong.”
His tongue swiped his lip. It was more enticing than I wanted it to be. “The second he gets you out of this party, he’s going to put his hands on the inside of your thighs and slowly spread them apart.”
I moved my arms behind me, shoving them into the concrete to stop my hands from shaking. Something in the back of my throat had begun to pound, and a tickling feeling was moving its way down my chest. How could I allow a client to say something like that to me, especially someone who could have such a deep impact on my career?
“You’re wrong. I’m Zack’s mentor. The only thing he wants from me is to learn this business.” Why was I explaining this to him? “Regardless, I don’t spread anything for the men I work with.”
His chin tilted toward his chest and he looked down at me. “No?” It was such a dominant question, as if he already knew the answer. This could have been another test…one I might fail if I told the truth.
Reed and I had collaborated on multiple projects before we became a couple. I had a feeling Derek knew that…he knew everything, including what was happening inside my body. I had a suspicion he thought I’d be spreading my legs for him, not Zack.
“No.” I spoke so quietly. But I knew he heard me, and his face told me he didn’t believe my answer. Or maybe he knew it wouldn’t apply to him. I hoped I had the strength to stop myself before things got that far. He was my client—I had to keep reminding myself of that. For some reason, the power that came with that status didn’t seem to come with the same restrictions it had in the past.
It held even less when his face moved closer to mine. We were standing on a balcony in the middle of the city, and yet his scent made me feel like we were in the woods somewhere. Cedar and autumn leaves, pine needles and warm spice. It corresponded to his style, his architecture—masculine, like nothing I had ever smelled before. It was enticing. It made me want to reach for him, to know what his beard would really feel like brushing over my soft skin, what the bristles would taste like if I wrapped my lips around them.