Dr. Grant nods, and just as he’s about to reply, his phone rings. I watch him as he takes it out of his jeans pocket, his muscles flexing through his soaking wet t-shirt. I swallow hard and force myself to drag my eyes away.
“Excuse me for a minute. I have to take this,” he murmurs, glancing up from his phone. I nod at him, and he smiles as he picks up, a twinkle brightening up his eyes.
“Hey,” he says, his voice soft. The way he smiles, the tone of his voice… he’s speaking to a woman, and a tinge of something I can’t quite name settles in my tummy. “I miss you. I was hoping you’d call.” That little tinge in my tummy? It transforms into full-blown jealousy and I look away, trying my best not to focus on his conversation, and failing. I’m not sure why I assumed that Dr. Grant was single. I should’ve known better. He’s insanely hot, and he’s a doctor. Of course he’s taken. We hardly know each other, yet somehow my heart feels a little broken.
“I can’t wait to see you this weekend and hear all about it. I booked a late-night flight so I get to see you Friday night, rather than waiting until Saturday morning.”
I grit my teeth and wrap my arms around myself. Why does this hurt? Is it because I thought he was flirting with me? I’m not sure, but finding out he’s got a girlfriend hurts.
I sip my drink in dismay as he finishes up his call, and all the while, I wish it were me on the receiving end of his words.
“Sorry about that,” he says, reaching for his drink. “That ball you mentioned… your grandfather invited me too. He came to see me at the clinic the other day. Caught me by surprise.”
I look at him with raised brows. The ball is incredibly exclusive. Grandpa must really like Dr. Grant for him to have personally invited him.
“Your mother actually came to see me too. She delivered the invite and offered to get me a tuxedo made.” He leans in and pushes my hair behind my ear. “I guess that is how you got your earring back? Shortly before your mother entered my office, it was on my desk.”
I look into his eyes, my heart racing. Not just from his proximity, but also because of the instant worry I feel. “She came to see you and hand-delivered the invite?” That’s unlike my mother. She has staff for almost everything she does. At most, she would have had one of her secretaries deliver the invite. Why did she go herself? Why is she going out of her way for Dr. Grant, to the point of having him a custom tux made?
Dr. Grant nods. “You’ll have to save me a dance,” he adds, smirking at me, and I tense, wanting to retort that his girlfriend probably won’t like that, but not wanting to act jealous either.
Today has just been an endless myriad of bad news and confusion. I can’t figure out why Wilson suddenly won’t invest anymore, and I can’t figure out the connection between Dr. Grant and my mother either. It feels like I’m missing something, and I hate that. On top of that, I don’t know how to feel about my dad texting me again. Part of me expected him to give up after I didn’t reply to his last text, but it doesn’t look like he will, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
“Amara!”
I turn to find Leia walking up to me, and I breathe a sigh of relief. She’s exactly who I need right now. Leia looks at Dr. Grant wide-eyed, her eyes dropping to his soaking wet t-shirt as he rises from his seat to offer it to her.
“I see your friend is here,” he tells me. He reaches for my phone on the bar and gives himself a missed call. “I’ll head home now. Keep the umbrella and the jacket, okay? You’ve got my number now. Return the jacket whenever you want. Don’t lose faith, Amara. You’re amazing, and you will find a new investor.”
Before I can tell him to take the umbrella at least, he’s gone, and Leia is taking his place.
“Wow, who’s the hottie?”
I grimace, suppressing the possessiveness I feel. I’ve never felt this way about any man, let alone one I’ve just met… but somehow, I don’t like the idea of Leia checking him out.
“Dr. Grant. He works at the college clinic.”
Her eyes widen. “No way. That’s Dr. Grant? Guess I’m going to be faking some ailments then.”
I tense, a rush of jealousy overcoming me. Leia is beautiful, with her long dark hair and those curves of hers. If anyone could steal Dr. Grant’s attention away from his girlfriend, it’d be her, and I don’t like the idea of that at all.
“I thought you were all obsessed with that one-night stand dude,” I say, my tone harsh.
Leia frowns at me, and then she smiles. “You like him. Well, shit. Come to think of it, it took me days to get details about your doctor’s appointment out of you. Now I see why. Ugh. I love this! It’s the perfect meet cute.”
I shake my head and sigh. Only Leia would think something like that would be cute. “He’s got a girlfriend, Leia,” I tell her, wanting her to knock it off. The last thing I want is for her to get my hopes up.
Leia’s smile drops, and she sighs. “Oh. That sucks.”
I nod and look away, sadness washing over me. “Today has been such a shit day,” I murmur.
Leia wraps her arm around me, and I drop my head to her shoulder. “Tell me all about it, babe.”
And I do. I tell her everything. I tell her about everything she missed out on, and with every word that tumbles out of my mouth, I feel just a little better.
Chapter 13
Noah
I stare up at the hotel the ball is being held at, feeling out of place and intimidated. Grayson has taken me to some really nice hotel bars before, but this is different.
I tug on my bowtie nervously, hoping I don’t look stupid. The suit fits perfectly, yet I still feel silly wearing it. It feels weird to wear an expensive tux that a stranger bought me. The Astors seem nice and I’m trying not to overthink things, but somehow I feel like there must be an ulterior motive of some sort. Could it really be that they see potential in me? I find that hard to believe, but for once, I want to have some faith. Not just in my own abilities, but in people in general.
I feel out of place as I approach the entrance. This is going to be awkward as fuck. I won’t know anyone here. I probably should’ve brought a date, even if it’s so I’m not alone.
My mind drifts to Amara as I hand the guards by the door my fancy invitation. She’ll be here tonight. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since she first walked into my office. She’s probably the one woman in town that’s most out of reach, yet I can’t control my thoughts.
Even when I was visiting my sister last weekend, Amara was all I could think about. Amara kept me so distracted that it took me a while to realize what was going on between my sister and my best friend.
I walk into the ballroom, instantly feeling intimidated. This whole place reeks of money. Money that I don’t have. I don’t belong here, but someday I will. I have every intention of becoming successful, of making a name for myself the way my father did.
I nod politely when I notice Mr. Astor standing in the middle of the room, surrounded by men I’ve only ever seen on television. This is the world Amara lives in. She and I… we couldn’t be more different.
I tense when Mr. Astor waves me over, and I’m oddly anxious as I walk up to him. I didn’t expect him to speak to me at all tonight, and something about him unnerves me. A man this powerful… why is he paying any attention to me at all?
“Noah, my boy,” he says, clapping me on the back. “Come, there are some men I need to introduce you to.”
He excuses himself and pulls me along before I even realize what’s happening, and before long I’m standing in front of the owner of one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the country. “Lucas,” Mr. Astor says, “meet Dr. Noah Grant. He recently started working for me, and I have great plans for him. If I have it my way, he’ll help me build a medical empire that’ll rival yours.”
His words have my heart racing. An opportunity like that would change my entire life. Hell, I could accomplish far more working for Mr. Astor than I ever could by myself, if he means what he says.
I shake Lucas’s hand, and just minutes later I have his business card in hand, and an appointment to grab coffee with him next week. The next thirty minutes proceed in the same way. Mr. Astor personally introduces me to every single person in the room that could further my career, and every one of them pays attention.
I’m left reeling by the time Mr. Astor walks away. Any doubts I had about him just being nice for the hell of it are gone. He truly does have plans for me. Plans that could transform life as I know it. Plans that could get derailed if I get involved with the one person he told me to stay away from — the woman that captured my eye the second she walked in.
I lean back against the wall with a champagne glass in hand and watch Amara flit through the room, clearly in her element. In this world where I’m entirely out of my depth, she’s a fucking queen. The black dress she’s wearing shimmers with her every move, highlighting her amazing body, and around her neck she’s wearing diamonds that sparkle underneath the chandeliers. I bet just her jewelry equals a year’s salary for me.
She’s beautiful… and Mr. Astor was right. She’s not for me. I know she isn’t, yet my heart tightens when she smiles at another man. He offers her his hand, and she takes it, letting him lead her to the dance floor.
I take him in, the expensive tux, the shiny shoes. He’s handsome, and he’s clearly rich. I can’t compete with that. Not that I would.
I watch as he twirls her around on the dance floor, making her laugh. The way his hands move over her body betrays the intimacy between them. Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Maybe he’s just a lover. Either way, he’s something to her, and it doesn’t sit well with me.
She and I are nothing more than acquaintances, yet I can’t help the possessiveness I feel. I want her eyes on me. I want my hands on her body, the way they were when she and I stood in the rain.
Amara pauses on the dance floor, her eyes wide. I have no idea what he just told her, but she looks shocked. I tense when her dance partner grabs her hand and pulls her toward the large balconies. The two of them disappear through the flowing curtains, and I grit my teeth.
I will myself to stay put, to push what I just saw out of my mind… but I can’t. There’s something about Amara Astor that I cannot ignore. That single second of distress in her eyes was enough to have every alarm bell in my head ringing, and I’m barely thinking straight as I walk towards the doors she disappeared through.
“You know I want you back.”
I tense, pausing just out of sight. Amara is leaning back against the balcony, and the guy she’s with has her trapped between his arms. She doesn’t look uncomfortable, though. Angry, maybe… but she doesn’t look like she needs help.
“We’re over, Gregory,” she tells him, crossing her arms over her chest, her beautiful eyes narrowed.
“Maybe,” he murmurs. “But maybe not. You won’t find another investor, Amara. Your grandfather warned every one of us not to invest in you. I’m the only one that’ll be willing to go against him and risk his wrath. Just tell me you’ll let me take you on a date, and the money is yours.”
Her eyes widen, and the flash of pain I see in them makes my heart tighten. Mr. Astor… why would he do that? It makes no sense.
“Just one date, Amara. Do you really want to see your dreams fade to dust?”
I straighten and walk around the corner, my footsteps loud on the otherwise empty balcony. Amara’s eyes find mine, and something flickers through them, but I can’t quite place what it is.
“Amara,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. “Didn’t you promise to save me a dance?”
Chapter 14
Amara
Dr. Grant smiles at me and holds out his hand, waiting patiently. He’s ignoring Gregory entirely, and somehow that just makes him even more sexy. No one ignores Greg. He’s the heir to an oil empire, and not one person I know ever stands in his way.
Except for Dr. Grant.
“She’s preoccupied,” Gregory says, and Dr. Grant finally looks at him, his brow raised as though he isn’t impressed in the slightest. I can’t help but laugh as I slip my hand into his. He pulls me towards him with more force than I expected, and I tumble into his arms.
The way his arms wrap around me makes my heart race, and I instinctively push my body against his, wanting to be even closer to him. Dr. Grant’s eyes meet mine, and my heart skips a beat. That chiseled jaw, those honey brown eyes… and those lips. I swallow hard and drag my eyes away before they have a chance to betray the desire I feel.
“Where does that lead to?” Dr. Grant asks, tipping his head to the staircase behind us.
I grin and turn around, grabbing his hand as I pull him along. “You’ll see.”
My eyes meet Gregory’s as we walk past him, and for a second I worry that I’ve just put Dr. Grant at risk. Gregory doesn’t like to lose, and he doesn’t like having anything taken from him. I’m certain the only reason he wants me back is because I dumped him before he could leave me. I’m probably the only woman to ever have done that to him, and in doing so, I turned myself into a challenge.
“Hey, slow down.”
I pause and look around in surprise. I’ve been lost in my thoughts, not realizing how far into the garden I pulled him.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Grant,” I say, turning to face him.
He smiles at me and shakes his head, his hand lifting to brush aside my hair. “Don’t be,” he murmurs. “It’s beautiful here.” He’s referring to the rose garden, but his eyes are on me. The way he’s looking at me has my heart racing and I look away, unable to hold his gaze.
We walk together, and much to my surprise, he keeps my hand in his, our fingers entwined. His warmth, his touch… I’m enjoying it a little too much. I can’t keep my thoughts from drifting, and the small sense of enjoyment I felt is ripped to shreds by the memory of the phone call I overheard.
“Is your girlfriend okay with you walking through a rose garden holding someone else’s hand?” I ask, my tone harsh. “Because I wouldn’t be.”
Dr. Grant pauses and tightens his grip on my hand. I’m tempted to yank my hand out of his, but at the same time I want to hold on to him for as long as I can.
He looks startled by my question, and then he smiles. “My girlfriend? Hmm… yeah, I see how that conversation could’ve been interpreted that way.” Dr. Grant smiles at me, and I hate how sexy he looks, standing here in the moonlight. “I was speaking to my sister in that bar I took you to. She moved to Cali a few months ago, and I went to see her last weekend.”
My eyes widen, and he chuckles, the sound making the butterflies in my tummy come alive. I look away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
“So… is there anyone who’d be upset about me holding your hand?”
My heart hammers in my chest and I smile as I shake my head. “No. No one.”
“Except your grandfather,” he murmurs, his voice so soft I barely missed it. I frown at him, and he shakes his head. “It’s nothing. So, who’s Gregory? Your ex?”
I nod reluctantly, wishing he hadn’t seen us together. I know I have nothing to be embarrassed about, yet somehow I am.
“It sounded like he’s willing to invest in your company. Are you going to take him up on that?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to, but I might not have a choice. My grandfather warned every one of our acquaintances not to invest in me, so I’ll probably have to accept Gregory’s offer.”
Dr. Grant tightens his grip on me and turns toward me, his eyes flashing with intensity that sets me ablaze. “So you’re going to date him?” he asks, sounding angry.
“What choice do I have?” I ask, my voice breaking.
He cups my cheek, his thumb tracing over my lip, and my breathing turns shallow. “I’ll help you.”
My eyes widen, a tinge of hope settling deep in my chest. “How?”
“Have you ever heard of Grayson Callahan?”
I laugh. “Who hasn’t?” The tech giant has his hands in every tech-r
elated industry, from robotics to corporate software solutions. He’s one of my biggest idols, and one of the few people that’s out of reach for me, even as an Astor. He didn’t come from money, so none of the people that surround me have access to him. He’s a recluse, and opportunities to meet him are pretty much nonexistent.
“He’s my best friend. He’ll help if I ask him to. Besides, he just told me he’s dating my sister, so I have a feeling he’ll be quite eager to do me a favor.”
I gasp. “No way. Grayson Callahan is your best friend? That can’t be true.”
He nods, a reassuring smile on his face. This could change everything for me. Having Grayson Callahan backing my company means it’d be an almost instant success. Everything that man touches turns to gold.
“I’ll call him tomorrow and ask him about it. He’ll likely want you to present your product and you’ll need to have a business plan ready.”
I nod eagerly. “Of course. I’ve got an entire investor’s package to present him with and I’ll work on improving my prototypes too. I have a full set of toys to show him.”
Dr. Grant’s eyes narrow, and he shakes his head. “You can show him the toys. No demonstrating.”
I stare up at him in surprise. Is that… jealousy? I blush and look away. “Of course, Dr. Grant.”
He places his index finger underneath my chin and tilts my face back up to his. “Noah. Call me Noah.”
“Noah,” I whisper, my heart skipping a beat. Somehow saying his name feels like a privilege, a sin.
“Good girl,” he murmurs, and I swallow hard. The tone of his voice, that look in his eyes… I can just imagine him saying those exact words to me in bed.
“I can’t thank you enough,” I tell him, hoping my sincerity is evident. “If there’s anything at all that I could do for you, please let me know.”
Dr. Grant… Noah nods. “There is,” he says, pulling on my hand. “Dance with me.”
Dr. Grant (Off-Limits) Page 6