by Tara Sue Me
He’d hoped lifting weights and doing push-ups would help negate the built up energy that came with the knowledge he’d be seeing Celeste later today. It didn’t matter they’d be surrounded by people or he’d have a date at his side. All that mattered was seeing her, being in her presence, observing all the contradictions and quirks that made her who she was.
Man, he was a fucked up asshole.
He moved to one arm push-ups. He told himself she was a student. A student who lived at his family home. Who depended on his family for her education. She should not occupy so much of his fantasies, but she did anyway. Something about those quirks and contradictions fascinated him.
“One arm push-ups? This is serious, looks like I arrived just in time.”
Lance groaned. “Go away, Isaac.”
“Nope, not going to happen.”
Fine. He’d ignore him, then.
“I came to see how you’re doing with Ms. Walsh.” He leaned against the wall, wearing that damn cocky grin. “You know Lillian’s going by the estate early to help her get ready.”
Lance kept doing push-ups.
“Of course,” he continued. “She doesn’t know you’ve moved on to one arm push-ups.”
“Is there a point to this conversation?”
“No. Haven’t seen you this tied up in knots over a woman in, I don’t know, ever.”
“Women don't tie me up in knots. It’s the other way around. You know that.”
“I wasn't talking literally, moron. I meant figuratively.” Isaac snorted. “But now that I think about it, it is something to think about, isn't it? Is Ms. Walsh even into kinky stuff? Maybe she only does vanilla. Missionary with the lights off and under blankets. Have you thought about that? Or maybe… maybe she's a virgin.”
Lance stood up. It was clear he wouldn’t be able to get anything accomplished in the office today. “I don’t care if Ms. Walsh is a virgin, vanilla, or has sex while swinging from a chandelier. I’ll be escorting Victoria tonight. Celeste is the last thing on my mind.”
The laugh following him out the door proved what a horrible liar he was.
* * *
Celeste wasn’t sure why Lance thought she needed his business partner’s PA to help her before the benefit. The only PA she’d ever met was Barbara’s Richard, and he was about as worthless as they came.
She didn’t even feel better after talking to Lillian on the phone. Sure, the woman sounded nice enough and yes, it was a good thing she told her about needing a mask for the benefit. But did she need to come over hours before just to help her get ready? Wasn’t that a bit much?
She was still looking for a way to get out of having the woman come over at all when someone knocked on her door not long after lunch and she realized it was too late.
But damn it all, she would try.
“Hi, you must be Celeste,” a gorgeous woman with the most luxurious long black hair she’d ever seen said. “I’m Lillian.”
Celeste lifted a hand to her hair, feeling the urge to brush it. “Hi Lillian. So good to meet you, but you know…” Her voice trailed off as Lillian shook her head. “What?”
“You were going to say it’s over the top, my coming over, and there’s no need for it. And you’re right. I’ll give you that much. But it changes nothing. Once Lance has made his mind up, there’s no changing it. Trust me. I’ve tried many times.”
Celeste moved away from the door with a laugh allowing Lillian to step inside. “I guess it’s best for me to learn that now and deal with it, instead of wasting energy fighting a losing battle. What is all that?” she asked, pointing to three, or perhaps four, bags Lillian carried.
Lillian gave her a knowing smile. “Lance may not change his mind, but I don’t do half-ass.”
An hour later Celeste couldn’t believe she ever thought about telling Lillian she didn’t need her help. Not only had she brought a mask, but she’d done her makeup and hair. She almost didn’t recognize herself when she looked in the mirror and saw the woman in a blue butterfly mask. Of course, wasn’t that the point of a mask?
“Thank you so much,” she told Lillian for what had to be the eighteenth time, but the other woman just waved her hand. Lillian had surprised her by being so easy to chat with and more down to earth than expected. Celeste was glad when Lillian told her she’d be attending tonight’s event as well.
“I enjoyed doing it.” Lillian picked up her bags. “Besides, it gives me the chance to get ready here and be in place when Isaac arrives.”
Her boss, Celeste knew but wondered why Lance didn’t have a PA and if Victoria would be at his side. Another question popped into her head. “Will you have a date tonight?”
Lillian’s expression turned wistful for a brief second. “No date tonight. I’m divorced.”
Celeste felt like an idiot for asking and winced. “Sorry.”
“It’s no big deal. We get along great. We just don’t do marriage well.”
“You see him a lot?” Celeste couldn’t stop herself from asking.
“More than most exes, I’m sure,” Lillian said with not quite a laugh. “He’s Lance and Isaac’s third partner, Ty Bancroft, but he works in London.”
* * *
Someone pounded on his door, seconds after Lance stepped out of the shower. “Damn it!” He wrapped a towel around his waist, pulled his fingers through his hair, and walked toward the door. Whoever it was kept knocking. He flung the door open. “What?”
Lillian. With a big I-know-something-you-don’t-know grin on her face.
“Lillian?” He tried again.
She didn’t reply, but scooted around him and walked into his room.
“Yes, please,” he said to the empty space. “Come on in. There’s nothing inappropriate about this at all. I mean, it’s not like I’m naked or anything.”
“You have a towel on.” She propped her hip on the side of a loveseat. “Besides, you think you have something I haven’t seen before?”
“You haven’t seen mine.”
She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a dick. Trust me, it’s nothing special.”
“You’ll never know.” Lance walked into his bathroom to slip clothes on since it appeared Lillian wanted to tell him something and he refused to sit around in a towel while she talked.
Once dressed, he walked back into the larger room where she sat and waited. “You shouldn’t be in here. You’re not my PA, but you work for my company. It’s inappropriate.”
She could roll her eyes all she wanted, it didn’t change the facts. Lance was certain her ex-husband would agree with him, but he didn’t bring Ty up. That entire relationship was a shitstorm he had no desire to be in the middle of.
“What made you stop by?” Lance asked her.
“I just left Celeste’s room.”
“I thought that would be the case. Why did you feel the need to stop by and report to me?”
She sat up straighter, leaning forward, as if to ensure she had his full attention. “She’s nice.”
Lance wasn’t sure why Lilly thought it necessary to make a special visit to tell him something he already knew. He crossed his arms. “Yes. I have spoken with her a time or two, and can confirm that besides being a gifted violinist, she is also nice. Will that be all?”
“Not yet.” Lillian kept her rigid posture in place while she talked. “She also seems, I’m not sure 'naïve' is the right word, but she doesn’t give off that jaded vibe most people you run into do. She has a refreshingly sweet air about her and a particular light within her. I’d hate for her to lose either.”
He knew what she was talking about. He’d supposed it was because of growing up and working at her family’s organic farm-to-table restaurant, but maybe it was just Celeste. A characteristic of birth and not nature.
“I agree,” he said. “Though I’m still unclear the reason why we're having this discussion.” Did Lillian think he would do something to take that air and light away from Celeste or that he could somehow protect her and
keep anyone else from stripping her of them?
He didn’t let his thoughts dwell on the fact that if he were to strip Celeste, it would be of her clothes.
“You’re a powerful man, Lance,” Lillian said, and every trace of the woman who teased him about his dick, not more than fifteen minutes ago, vanished. “You can see to it that nothing dims that light burning inside her.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask.” Lilly stood up and walked to his door to let herself out. He thought she’d leave without another word, but at the door she turned. “And by nothing happening to her, I also mean you, Lance.”
Chapter Six
Charity benefits, even those hosted by his own family, were not something Lance enjoyed, but saw as a necessary evil. He’d arrived at the lake later than intended, not because of an overwhelming desire to make a grand entrance, but because Victoria had been late. She claimed it hadn’t been her fault because she had expected Lance to pick her up. However, that was a lie; he’d made clear many times, including earlier in the afternoon, that he would not be doing so. He didn’t see the point of driving to the city, picking her up and then returning to the estate, he told her, but he would send a car.
When she arrived, she may have grumbled a word or two at him before stomping off. He hadn’t seen her since. Not that it mattered, he decided. It was time to part ways with her, regardless. Outside of the bedroom, they weren’t compatible. Now that she’d resorted to playing a brat in public, prior experience told him whatever had been going well in the bedroom would likely not continue that way.
He glanced around the lavishly decorated space. For almost every event held at the estate, his grandmother imagined a vision and worked with whoever it took to see it brought to life. The theme for tonight was “An Evening in an Italian Country Garden” according to his grandmother. Unusual perhaps considering the lake setting, but with the wisteria covered pergolas and the rustic wooden tables and chairs, it seemed to work.
But it wasn’t only the decor he scanned. He was looking for her. Celeste. He told himself it was nothing more than ensuring Lillian had found her something acceptable to wear. Even though the truth was, he had nothing to worry about.
He saw Lillian first. She wore a lioness mask with gold gilding that matched her black dress perfectly. To her side stood the less sparkling, but even more stunning, Celeste.
Lillian had transformed Celeste into a butterfly. Though her mask covered most of her face, he recognized the inquisitive look in her eyes and the determined set of her spine.
Celeste held her head high, but Lance noticed her slight tremble as she reached for a drink one of the waitstaff brought her. Lillian took a glass and scanned the nearby area. Lance lifted his glass when she looked his way and walked toward them.
“Lillian.” Lance tilted his head in greeting.
“A wolf?” Lillian pointed at his mask. “Couldn’t you go for something a little more subtle?”
“Since when have I ever been subtle?” Lance nodded at Celeste. “You look divine as a butterfly.”
“You should give Lillian a raise.” Celeste’s cheeks flushed, and she gave Lance a tentative smile. “It’s all her.”
“Lillian’s an asset to the company, and I don’t know what we’d do without her.” Lance made sure Celeste kept her eyes on him as he said the next part. “But what I see is not all because of her vision and artistry, in fact I'll wager most of it is not because of her at all. I think, Ms. Walsh, it's you.”
She didn't say anything in response, but her cheeks flushed deeper. Too bad. She needed to learn how to accept compliments. To understand how others viewed her. If no one else wanted to help her with that, it was a responsibility he would gladly take on.
However, at the moment, he should change the subject to something less personal. “Have you seen Michael yet?” he asked. When he’d looked around the area earlier, he didn’t remember seeing the young man who won the scholarship two years ago.
“Yes,” Lillian replied. “He stopped by about thirty minutes ago to introduce himself.”
“With his husband,” Celeste added.
“How is Ian doing?” Lance asked. “I haven’t talked with him since last month.”
“Doing great from what I could tell,” Celeste said. “When you said earlier that he lived with his family, I assumed….” she let the sentence trail off.
“I know what you assumed.” Lance didn’t stop the amusement obvious in his voice. “You know of what they say about assumptions, correct?”
“Yes, I’m seeing why now.”
“We told him Ian was welcome to live at the estate with him, but.” He shrugged. “Newlyweds. What can you say?”
Celeste laughed softly. Lillian stared at her phone.
“When do we get to hear you play?” he asked.
She glanced at her watch. “About an hour.”
“I look forward to it. Now, if you ladies will excuse me?” While they had been chatting, he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye and he wanted to investigate.
“Of course,” Lillian said, answering for both of them. “There’s Isaac. Come on, Celeste, I’ll introduce you.”
Lance watched as they walked away. They had only taken a few steps when Lillian leaned over and whispered something to Celeste. He couldn’t hear what it was, but Celeste’s face turned a bright red.
And Lillian had been worried about him?
He shook his head. He wasn’t eager about what he had to do next, but it had to be done.
* * *
When Celeste returned to the party after dropping off her violin in her room, she felt almost high for lack of a better word. Not that she knew exactly how one felt when one was high, but she thought it had to be like the rush of excitement coursing throughout her body, making her want to skip through the crowd and dance around in circles.
She took a glass of wine from a waiter. The set she’d played went extremely well, not only because she’d been pleased with how she played but because it shut the gossip up. Before she played, she’d heard several people whisper that of course she won the scholarship because Lance had been the only one at the audition and look at her.
That talk had stopped at the conclusion of her last note.
Lillian walked by, chatting with a group of women. Celeste waved and Lillian excused herself and walked up to her. “Celeste. That was wonderful. I had no idea… I mean I knew…. but wow.”
They both laughed.
“Thanks,” Celeste said. “I guess.”
“Sorry,” Lillian said. “It's just that you were so amazing. Barbara had to get back to her room, she wasn't feeling well. But she wanted me to tell you how much she enjoyed what you played.”
Celeste nodded. Barbara had heard her practice a few times, so she knew how Celeste played, but it still felt good to know she’d pleased her benefactor.
“Has Michael played already?” she asked Lillian. A waiter came up to them and Celeste traded her empty glass for a full one.
“Yes. He played right after you.”
“I hate I missed him.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. He still has two more years at Juilliard. You’ll hear him plenty.”
Lillian pointed out a few people from the office and others who Barbara worked with on various boards. Celeste smiled and nodded, knowing there was no way in hell she’d ever keep them all straight.
Lance stormed by, and Celeste couldn’t remember what she wanted to say next.
“I’m going to get another drink,” she told Lillian, watching as he walked toward the bar.
Lillian nodded and turned to talk to the person next to her.
Celeste scurried to keep up with Lance, hoping no one was watching, and if they were, that it wasn’t obvious what she was doing. She slowed her steps as he neared the bar. Something behind had his attention, though what, she couldn’t quite tell.
She kept her eye on him while the bartender poured he
r a glass of wine. When he handed it to her, she thanked him and moved off to the side, finding a spot where she could observe Lance without being obvious. He stood not too far away but had ducked around a massive ice sculpture.
“Victoria,” he said.
Victoria was here? That was surprising. Celeste hadn’t laid eyes on the woman once the entire night. Had she only recently arrived? She crept closer but couldn’t hear what was being discussed. Damn that superpower of hers. Supersonic hearing. That’s what she wanted. Or at least the ability to read lips.
For several minutes she couldn’t hear anything but decided against getting any closer for fear of being discovered. Lance stood facing away from her, but she easily watched as Victoria’s expression changed from annoyance, to alarm, and then to disbelief.
“You heard me,” Lance said, raising his voice in response to Victoria. “My quarters in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.”
Without waiting for him to turn around, Celeste spun and made her way back to the house. It didn’t surprise her how Lance’s commanding tone and his words turned her on. However, her decision to find a position allowing her to eavesdrop on Lance and Victoria?
Totally the alcohol’s fault.
She was an idiot. Not only was she an idiot, she was a slightly tipsy idiot who should never be allowed near alcohol again. She needed to get the fuck out of Lance’s room before anyone else saw her and figured out she was batshit crazy.
Her initial plan had been to hide out in the room next to Lance’s, but of course Barbara picked that exact moment to leave her room, claiming she felt much better and was headed back outside. Celeste was caught and, not knowing what else to do, had pointed to the wrong room and asked her benefactor if it was Lance’s.
After being shown which room was his, Celeste had no other choice but to enter the correct room and wait for Barbara to make it down the hall and out the door. But just when she decided enough time had passed and made a move to leave, the sound of stomping came down the hall.
Damn it. That was most likely Victoria. Which meant Celeste couldn’t leave his room without detection anymore. Seeing no other option, she dove under a desk in the nearest corner. For better or worse, she was stuck with ring side seats to whatever Lance and Victoria were getting ready to do.