by Lana Hartley
“I just wanted to see if you’re okay. Great show darling, truly. I’d like to talk with you about future opportunities. May I ask for a dance?”
Denham leans forward in a half-bow, showing off his oily, balding patch.
Lacey practically gags and takes a hard swallow of her drink before putting it back on the table, patting her throat.
“No, that’s okay.” She tries hard to look him in the eye and be composed and professional. “I’ve got to—”
“No, don’t be silly.” Denham steps forward, grabbing her hand and starting to drag her towards the dance floor. “All the models have a dance with me! It’s like a tradition!”
I grab her other hand. “Look, the lady said she didn’t want—”
“Adam,” He says, giving me a stare so hard that I drop Lacey’s hand. “It’s none of your concern. It’s just a dance, for Christ’s sake.”
He drags her away, Lacey teetering on her high heels as she tries to catch my eye through the crowd.
Let him have a dance or two. He might as well enjoy it while he can.
I smile lightly. It’s not just Lacey I plan to take from him.
Chapter 4
Charlie
I see that sleaze of a CEO snatch Lacey away from Adam. I can see she’s uncomfortable and would rather be dancing with anyone other than that fucking creep.
I can’t believe he’s a loose acquaintance of our father’s. On our island he would’ve been tossed out for his gross actions! But for now we need to bide our time.
The CEO grazes his hands over her, and Lacey looks as if she might be sick. I swear he’s leaving grease stains on her dress where he touches her. What a damn shame, too, because that dress is exquisite on her.
It’s a lovely dress that would look great on any woman, but on Lacey? Jesus, she takes it to a whole different level.
It hugs every luscious curve and leaves nothing to the imagination—and yet all I can think about is seeing more.
God, what I wouldn’t give to have her alone so I can become acquainted with all her curves, inside and out. I haven’t been able to keep my eyes or mind off her since I first saw her on the runway. And that was before her perfect tits popped out for the world to see.
The CEO snatches me out of my erotic thoughts with a loud, nasally laugh that causes several heads to turn in his direction. I’m pretty sure everyone in the room cringes from the sound, especially Lacey who’s in the direct line of fire.
The asshole keeps trying to pull her closer so there’s no space between them, but Lacey manages to gracefully maintain some distance between their bodies.
Time to save the gorgeous angel once more, Charlie.
As I gradually make my way toward Lacey and the CEO, I formulate a plan to pull her away without pissing the jackass off and earning myself a spot at the top of his shit list.
“There you are, beautiful,” I exclaim cheerfully once I’m standing right behind her.
She whips around quickly, and a small smile graces her face when she recognizes me. Score one for me that she remembers me so easily.
Definitely going to make it a priority to make her smile as often as possible. That tiny smile lights up her face. I wonder what a full-blown smile will do.
“There’s someone very special that wants to meet you,” I continue with a smile, maintaining eye contact as a high-pitched protest comes from Mr. Denham.
“Surely it can wait, Charlie,” the assface whines. “We’re enjoying each other’s company at the moment.”
Enjoying my ass. I look at Lacey, and her face says it all. She would rather be with anyone but him.
“She can meet whoever you want her to meet another time, Charlie. Lacey would rather be dancing with me rather than make small talk with someone who will likely drone on nonstop until she’s bored to death.”
Lacey looks like she’s about to say something, but I shake my head slightly. Whether it’s to object against the CEO or agree with him to avoid his displeasure, it doesn’t matter. I know what she needs, and I plan to give it to her.
“I don’t mean to interrupt the lovely time you two are enjoying together, but really, sir, it can’t wait. I know you’re a generous man, and you love all your models to the point that you wouldn’t want to rob them of any opportunity to further their career. It helps the company as a whole, too, so you and her will both benefit from it.”
He glares at me. I know he wants to shut me down once more, but then it will make him look like a jerk in Lacey’s eyes, and if there’s one thing I know about the man, it’s that he doesn’t like to look bad in front of anyone.
“Well, in that case, you must go, Lacey,” he says in a fake and cheerful voice.
She turns to him.
“I will find you again, my sweet butterfly,” he adds as he clutches her hands in his.
“Thank you, sir,” she replies, her body actively doing whatever it can to distance itself from him, short of breaking out into a full-fledged sprint.
When she turns back to me, she smiles at me, and mouths, ‘Thank you.’
I nod to the CEO and tug Lacey along behind me. We head toward a table in the back, where I introduce her to a friend of mine who I know wants to talk our heads off. I glance toward the CEO.
His attention is focused on a group of other models. What a dumb fuck.
Soon, I have all of Lacey’s attention all to myself.
“So, I see your night has been going great, so far,” I say as I smirk at her.
She lets loose a laugh. It’s a genuine laugh that ripples through my body.
“I guess you can say that,” she says with a chuckle. “It could be worse.”
“That’s true,” I state.
She glances away from me and fiddles with her drink. Looking closely at her, it seems she isn’t just fiddling with it because of awkwardness. No, she looks nervous.
“You know, I would think that your nerves would have gotten to you before the show, not after,” I remark.
She looks at me a little confused.
“You’re fiddling with your drink there because you’re nervous, but for what, I don’t know.”
Her cheeks turn pink as she blushes. “Oh, um, it’s nothing. Really.”
She’s brushing me off, but I’m not that easily deterred.
“Lacey,” I say in a deep and commanding voice, making her look at me without any hesitation. “Tell me why you’re nervous, sweetheart. Maybe I can help dispel some of your nerves.”
Her beautiful blue eyes gaze at me, trying to get a read on me. Hopefully, she sees that she can trust me and confide in me.
“Okay,” she whispers. “You have to promise not to laugh or judge me too harshly, though. Please?”
I grip her chin and look her dead in the eyes. “I’m not going to laugh at or judge you, angel. Promise. Now, tell me what’s got you feeling nervous right now.”
“It’s silly, really. All the models made a deal to sleep with whoever they’re dancing with at midnight. I’m nervous because I don’t know if they’re expecting me to go through with it.”
There’s that blush again.
“The funny part about it all, though, is that—” She swallows nervously, and she begins to fidget by alternating which foot she stands on. “The funny part is that I’m still a virgin.”
Her eyes close, and she flinches slightly. She’s likely waiting for me to laugh, run away from her out of shock, or some bullshit other men pull when they hear a woman out of high school says she’s a virgin.
She opens her eyes when I don’t react in any way.
“So, you know, I’m nervous because I’ve never had sex. Never been with a man. I always thought it would be with someone I know. Not some stranger I’m dancing with at midnight. What if I’m not even attracted to the guy? That doesn’t seem fair. I mean, what—”
“Lacey,” I calmly interrupt.
“Sorry. I’m blabbering. You probably don’t want to hear any of this. Why would—”
/>
“Lacey,” I say more firmly this time. “It’s fine. No need to blush when you say you’re a virgin. Although it’s quite cute, you shouldn’t be embarrassed. Honestly, I think it’s refreshing in a world where everyone fucks at the age when they’re starting to battle teenage acne so they can say they’ve done it.”
She stops fidgeting and is starting to calm down.
“It’s amazing you’ve managed to stay a virgin up to this point, angel,” I continue. “And don’t feel you need to go along with the deal the other models made. Okay?”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Okay,” I say. “I’m going to go get us both a drink. I think we both need one, but I especially think you could use one after everything that’s happened tonight.”
She just nods at me.
God, she’s beautiful. I know I shouldn’t do what I’m about to do, but fuck it. I can’t refuse.
I lean down and briefly give her a gentle kiss on her sweet lips. Our lips only touch for a second, but it’s enough to make me hard as a rock. Her lips are soft and sweet as hell.
I look at her face and make sure she’s still calm and will be alright if I leave her for a few minutes.
“I’m okay.” Her forehead scrunches up in confusion. “I’m sorry, what’s your name again?”
“Charlie,” I state.
“I’ll be okay while you go get us some drinks, Charlie,” she says as she smiles sweetly.
I smirk at her and walk away to head for the bar.
I chuckle to myself as I wait for the drinks I order. I never would have thought that the reason behind Lacey’s nervousness was the fact that she was a virgin and the models wanted to fuck whoever they’re dancing with when the clock strikes twelve.
It’s like some twisted Cinderella scenario. But instead of the night ending at midnight, it’s just getting started—with their own magical wand to play with. No fairy godmother help needed.
With the drinks finally in hand, I head back to where I left Lacey. But when I reach the table, she’s nowhere to be found.
Where the hell did she go? I told her I would be back.
I look around until I spot her talking with a group of people surrounding her. She’s smiling and enjoying herself, so instead of interrupting the good time she’s having, I stand there to watch her—and happily so.
She is, by far, the most gorgeous woman in the room. There are some beauties scattered throughout the party, but none of them hold a candle to Lacey.
I have to have her. I’m going to have her. I didn’t tell her, but I’m going to be the one who takes her virginity.
I love that no other man has had her or touched her. I want to be the man who finally gets to enjoy that sweet body.
She doesn’t know it, but at midnight, she’ll be in my arms. She’s going to be all mine.
Chapter 5
Sam
I can’t find Lacey. I’m feeling a bit worried for her and frustrated at myself.
I didn’t keep track of her properly. I shouldn’t have lost her. I’m not sure how I let this happen.
I cut through the crowd, smiling politely as I brush past people, searching for that familiar face. Finally, I see one—Charlie, finishing a drink not far from the bar.
“Hey, Charlie!” I give him a wave.
He points at me and starts moving toward me.
“Have you seen Lacey?”
I’m disoriented for a second, as the words I was thinking pepper the air with someone else’s voice.
“Oh. Hey, Adam,” I say as he comes up from behind me.
Charlie stops in front of us. “Where’s Lacey?” he asks.
I look at them both.
“So, none of us know where she is? Who she’s with?” I throw the questions in the air, already knowing the answers.
“We have to find her,” Adam speaks up. “Denham came and took her away—to dance, I think. She wasn’t happy.”
“Dial up your urgency there,” Charlie says, looking determined. “There’s some deal going on with the models. Whoever they’re dancing with at midnight is the guy they have to fuck.”
“What the—!” Adam exclaims.
Charlie nods slowly.
“We have to find her,” he says quietly, determination crossing his face.
We look at each other silently for a few seconds.
“I think we should work together on this.” I look closely to see how my brothers react. I honestly don’t have an angle here for myself.
I need my brothers to help me track her down, and I’m not going to stand in anyone’s way.
It’s all up to Lacey. What she wants is what matters.
I mean, sure, I want her. I want her so bad I can taste it. I just care about the girl.
I don’t want her to feel like a piece of meat being dragged in three or more directions.
“I agree.” Adam runs a hand through his hair. “She was pretty nervous. Now I know why. I think we should try to find her and just stay with her until midnight. I’m not going to pressure her or anything, but we should make sure she’s in anyone’s hands but Denham’s. I don’t want that to happen.”
I nod slowly. “Hey, nobody said anything to her about…the thing, right?”
They shake their heads. Good, we’re all on the same page. We don’t want our secret getting out, especially when we’re so close.
“Okay,” Charlie says. “Let’s split up! We have to find her soon. It’s almost midnight.”
We move away from each other and toward the dance floor. I cut straight down the middle, weaving through the dancers. Adam moves around one side while Charlie takes the other.
We all move in the same direction, pretty sure she’s down this end of the room. We would have seen her by the bar or tables. The only other explanation is that she’s hiding in the bathroom.
Hell, I would, too, if there was any risk of doing it with someone like Denham.
Just when I start to think she really isn’t here, I glimpse her at the end of the dance floor. She’s trying to put distance between herself and Denham. He keeps pulling her in tighter, hands slipping across her waist and her ass.
I move a bit quicker, losing sight of her in the crowd. Any minute now, Adam and Charlie will be coming in from the sides. So long as one of us gets to her before the clock strikes, everything will be fine.
I feel an intense need to protect her, to hold her and keep her away from anything unpleasant. We barely know each other, but she captivates me.
There’s just something about her. I feel something for her that’s so intense it surprises me. I really, really want to get her away from Denham.
I push through the dancers. Almost there now. I see her pull away from Denham, and he pulls her back in again.
Enough of this.
I step up to them, halting the clumsy circles by putting a hand on Lacey’s shoulder. She lets go of Denham—but he deliberately tries to unbalance her on her high heels, so she has to cling to him. She tries to take a step, misses, and falls into my arms.
Her big blue eyes are wide and pleading. My arms tighten around her as I help her stand up and get her back on her feet.
Just as she gets balanced, Denham grabs her hand and tugs her again. Just lightly but with a real prick of a smile on his face.
He’s enjoying this way too much. Before I can do anything, Lacey falls toward him with a shocked gasp, tipping off her heels again.
Her arms grab crazily at Denham’s shoulders as she fights to stay up. Denham catches her around the waist, letting his fingers roam across her skin as he grips her.
All his movement and grabby hands are not to help her up. It’s quite obvious. He takes a sudden, small step back, and her feet almost go out from under her. She grabs his shoulders even harder, forcing his face right into her tits.
You creepy little pile of pond scum.
I feel myself tense all over as I step forward. This is going to end. Now.
Just as I reach out, I see
Adam coming up behind Denham. He nods at me. I reach forward and grab Lacey’s shoulders as gently as I can, pulling her toward me.
At the same time, Adam grabs Denham and pulls him back in almost exactly the same gesture. I hold Lacey against me for a second, using my body to hold her up.
“Are you okay?” I whisper to her.
She nods, gasping.
“Thank you. He keeps pulling me off my feet. I’m trying to be nice, but I just—”
“It’s fine. He shouldn’t be behaving like that. What kind of man is he?”
I scowl at where he and Adam are facing off. Looks a bit like a tiger and a mole-rat facing off really. Denham looks up and sees Lacey pressed against me, my arms around her waist.
“Hey!” He forgets Adam and takes quick steps over to me. “I was dancing with the lady. What the fuck are you doing?”
As he steps up, Lacey tenses against me, her head shaking a little.
“No, not again,” she exclaims as he gets closer.
He reaches out and grabs her hand, pulling at her again. I keep hold of one hand, almost ready to growl at Denham.
Jeez. This really is the last thing I want, but Denham is being such a scumbag.
The lady said no. What the fuck is his problem?
Adam stands beside me, not knowing what to do. Denham tugs her again but can’t pull her off-balance toward him because I’ve still got her other hand. He scowls at me, tugging again.
Jesus. This guy is really something.
“Mr. Denham, please,” Lacey gasps, “I appreciate your interest but—”
This girl is all class, truly. How is she staying so composed through all of this? I can’t think of one girl who wouldn’t be screaming like a fish wife by now.
With relief, I see Charlie approaching.
“Listen here, Denham,” I say in a firm tone. I’m using all of my self-control to not say or do something far worse. “Let her go. Now.”
Denham shakes his head, glaring at me. “Shut up right now, Sam. This is none of your business. Why don’t you just fuck off right now with your—”
Charlie comes up behind him and knocks Denham hard with one shoulder, pushing between him and Lacey. As Charlie batters him out of the way, he pushes Lacey firmly toward me. Not ideal but genius under the circumstances.