I guess a simple hello wouldn’t have sufficed.
The years have not been kind to Margaret Montpellior. Her hair is completely grey and is pulled back into a tight bun. There are multiple crow’s feet around her eyes, and her double chin wobbles as she shakes her head at me. Margaret is only a short woman, but she doesn’t shy away from anyone who pisses her, or her son, off. Her nose is wrinkled at me in disgust, and I feel something shift inside me. I can no longer bite my tongue.
“Excuse me, Marge,” she hates it when I call her that, “I really don’t appreciate being spoken to like that. After all, you wouldn’t want me to make a scene now, would you?”
The look of shock and disbelief on her face is priceless. I can’t deal with her right now.
“I am not going to stand here and argue with you. Just tell Charles that I am going to get some fresh air, and when I am ready I will be back to carry on our sham of a relationship.” I don’t wait for her to respond, turning and walking towards the entrance hall.
I can’t believe I spoke to her like that. I can normally keep a lid on my emotions, but something has happened to my brain to mouth function. The look on her face is one that I will forever keep logged in my memory. I feel a smirk creep across my face, and I do nothing to try and hide it.
Seeing my stranger has clearly thrown me.
I quickly make my way through the guests who are still entering the ballroom and head out to the front gardens, keeping my head down to avoid eye contact with anyone. I am not in the mood to make idle chit-chat right now.
I walk into the first garden and find a secluded area behind one of the glorious rose bushes. The scent that radiates from the flowers is heavenly.
I sit on a dainty little white bench which looks onto a pond that is filled with koi carp fish. No one can see me sat here, behind the rose bush. I sit and watch the fish happily swimming about. What with Charles, Margaret, and my stranger all in the same room, my brain is in overload.
I close my eyes and let out a sigh and am instantly frozen in place when I hear, “Surely it’s not that bad to run into me?”
Oh my God, that voice, so smooth.
It’s him.
My stranger.
Shit.
I seem to have lost the ability to speak.
I take in a deep breath and open my eyes. I turn my body in the direction of his voice and I raise my head, so I can look at his caramel pools.
“I didn’t think I was so scary that you had to run off,” he says whilst suppressing a smile.
My gaze settles on his mouth and my tongue darts out to moisten my dry lips. My mind is screaming at me, get your shit together, Stacey!
Oh God, what do I do?
My body reacts to him in much the same way as it did when I saw him in the ballroom. The humming is racing through me, and I have to clench my sex as it starts to stir. He is just watching me, waiting for me to respond. I clear my throat and manage to get my voice to work.
“Well, not scary as such, but maybe a bit underdressed for the occasion,” I say with a hint of sarcasm in my tone.
Of course he doesn’t look the slightest bit underdressed, but it was the first thing I could think of to say. I am totally out of my depth. I need to remain calm and not allow myself to panic.
“I don’t think I did too badly,” he says, holding his arms out either side of him so I can get a look at his full form. Even with his tuxedo on I can see that his body is well cared for. Hell, I can remember his body being like a work of art.
He slowly turns around and my eyes fixate on his pert behind. My, my, my, he really is breath taking. It’s a good job that I am sitting down, otherwise I think my knees would have given way by now. His black tuxedo is complete with a bow-tie and he looks good enough to eat. Looking very smart in his ensemble he manages to ooze a cool-yet-casual vibe.
“Judging by the look on your face, I would say you agree,” he says, smiling.
Shit, now I just look pathetic and am probably a few seconds away from having drool running down my chin. I am struggling to form words, which is something I have never really struggled with before. Think, Stacey, think.
“Okay, so you do look very handsome in your tuxedo, but then so do the other men in this place.” Oh yeah, great move, Stace. Making yourself sound like a tart who eyes up other men is the way to go with this. Genius. You should have just kept your mouth shut.
“Have a wandering eye do we, Miss...”
“Paris. Stacey Paris.”
I hold my hand out for him to shake, praying silently that he doesn’t notice that I am quivering. He steps closer and takes hold of my hand. I feel sparks shoot through my body as our skin connects. My eyes go wide as I stare into his eyes.
He lifts my hand, bends down, and places a kiss on the back of it. I draw in a long, shaky breath and squeeze my legs together. How can he have this effect on me? I barely know the guy.
I clear my throat. “And you are?” I enquire.
“Jake Waters.”
“Jake Waters,” I repeat. I know that name. Why do I know that name? I cast my mind back to a conversation I overheard Charles having a few weeks ago, and it suddenly dawns on me. “Jake Waters? As in Jake Waters who owns the company Waters Industries?”
“The very same,” he replies.
Fuck.
I didn’t realise that was who he is. Well, why would I when all I did was fall for his charms in a bar and spend the night with him in a moment of madness without even asking his name.
He frowns at me. “Why do you look like you have just seen a ghost?” I realise that he is still holding my hand, and I abruptly pull my hand away before jumping up off the bench.
“Uh, I have to go. It was nice to meet you, again,” I say as I dash past him and head back to the entrance of the Bowden Hall.
I walk as quickly as my stilettos will allow me to. He looked taken aback by my reply, but I can’t let myself get into a proper conversation with him. My heartbeat is pounding, and I feel dizzy with the realisation of who I have slept with. Charles will flip his lid if he ever finds out.
Jake Waters owns one of the largest companies in the world, and it ranges in all types of business from accountants to construction. The guy is a multi-millionaire and he’s only thirty-three years old.
Jake also happens to be the rival accountant company for Charles’ firm. Oh, and Charles just happens to hate Jake’s guts.
I try to calm my breathing and stop myself from shaking. The last thing I need is Charles noticing my current state and asking me a hundred and one questions.
I stand outside the Great Ballroom and take long, deep breaths.
When I have managed to regain some composure, I enter the ballroom. The guests are all sat down and are being served their starters. I scan the room, looking for Charles and spot him at a table, right in the middle. I steadily walk towards him, although he seems to be far too engrossed in conversation to notice where I am.
“I’m sorry that I took so long,” I say to Charles as I take my seat beside him. “I just needed to clear my head.”
Charles looks at me for a few seconds and then returns to his conversation with another guest at the table. He doesn’t even speak to me. I am mortified. How dare he make me feel so worthless.
I quickly look at the other guests sat around the table and hope that none of them just witnessed Charles humiliating me. Most of the diners are immersed in their own discussions, but Martin, who is sat opposite me, is looking directly at me. I give him a weak smile which he returns with a frown. I just shake my head at him and avert my gaze.
I quietly start to pick at my duck starter. I would much rather be eating a burger to be honest. All this rich food makes me feel a bit sick.
Putting my fork down, I feel goose-bumps cascade over my body as I see Jake walk across the room and sit at the table next to me. He is staring at me and I can almost feel his eyes undressing me. The heat gathering between my legs would suggest that I like the thoug
ht of him undressing me.
Shit, I need to get a hold on my body’s reactions to him.
I watch as Jake picks up his glass and raises it in my direction. I quickly look away.
So, not only have I got my feelings to contend with, but now Jake will be able to see that I am here with Charles.
The last thing I want is to become a pawn between the two of them. For all I know, Jake may decide to hold me to ransom over the fact that we slept together. I’m really hoping that Jake keeps his mouth shut about what happened between us. I dread to think how Charles and his precious mother would react if they were ever to learn the truth.
Chapter Four
Charles acts like an ignorant ass throughout the entire meal. I also have to endure Margaret staring daggers at me the whole time with her beady little eyes. On top of that I have to keep my eyes from wandering over to where Jake is sat. This really does go down as the most uncomfortable event that I have ever attended.
Once the dessert has been cleared away, we are all asked to move to one end of the room so that the staff can quickly clear the tables away for the dancing part of the evening to begin. I am relieved that the meal is over.
As I stand up, Charles grabs hold of my hand and leads me to a corner of the room.
“Why did you speak to Mummy the way you did earlier?” He is not happy one little bit. It makes me cringe that he calls her mummy.
I roll my eyes as I sense a storm brewing, and I don’t mean the mother nature kind. God, Charles and his mum are like a tag team; piss one of them off and the other one comes at you too. I don’t stand a chance against the both of them.
“She was going on at me and I snapped. I came here to support you, but all I seem to get is grief, and to be quite honest, I’m bloody sick of it,” I say quietly. As much as I would love to embarrass Charles in front of all these people, I really don’t need them knowing that my love life is a sham.
“Well, have a little more respect next time,” he hisses at me. I smile at him through gritted teeth and turn away.
I spot Jake leaning against the wall just along from us. He is talking to Martin. I wish I could go over there and just be near him, but I know that I can’t. I turn back towards Charles and dutifully stay by his side whilst the ballroom is prepared.
After about fifteen minutes the ballroom is ready, and the band are all set up to play. They start off by playing some jazz music which has a great vibe. I feel my body start to sway in time to the beat.
“Do you want to dance, Charles?” I ask him, even though I know that he will say no.
“No thanks. There are people that I need to speak to.” With that he walks off and starts chatting to some young blond woman. I don’t feel remotely jealous. I do however feel rejected. I know that we’re not in a great place and haven’t been for some time, but a little attention wouldn’t go amiss. I could cry through sheer frustration at my situation. My head is all over the place.
“I’ll dance with you.”
I look to the side of me to see that Jake is still leant against the wall, but somehow without me noticing, he has managed to sneak right up next to me.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I tell him.
“Come on, one dance won’t hurt. I promise I’ll let you lead,” he says with a smirk and I feel a smile creep across my lips. Why the hell shouldn’t I dance with him? My boyfriend certainly isn’t interested in doing so.
“You have a beautiful smile.” I can feel the blush on my cheeks from Jake’s compliment. Thank goodness the lighting is dim in here.
I give into the temptation and grab Jake’s hand, pulling him onto the dance floor. The band finishes playing their jazz number and start to play a slower song. Maybe dancing to this isn’t the best idea, what with it being a much slower pace.
I am about to make an excuse when Jake takes both my hands and places them on his shoulders. He then puts both of his hands on my hips, causing my adrenaline to sky rocket.
I am frozen in time and butterflies start doing somersaults in my stomach. I am aware of everything he is doing. Nothing and no one else exists in this moment as we start to dance to the music.
He leads, I follow, and we dance in silence for the first half of the song. Jake is staring into my eyes which makes this moment seem significant, for reasons that I can’t comprehend.
I know that if Charles can see me then he will be furious, but I really don’t care. I will deal with the fallout later.
“So, Stacey,” Jakes says, breaking the silence between us. “Why did you run off from me?”
“Oh, I knew that the food was being served at any moment, so I thought it best that I get back,” I reply.
Jake chuckles quietly and leans towards me, putting his lips right by my ear. “I don’t mean tonight, Stacey. I meant when we had our first encounter together all those months ago.”
Oh God.
I feel my heartbeat quicken and my sex starts to stir. I am positive that I look the colour of a beetroot right now. I am a little shocked that he even remembered me. Then again, I never forgot him. I’m not quite sure what to tell him, so I simply stick to the truth.
“We met in a bar, we went back to yours and had sex. Then, when the morning came, I left. That’s how it works, isn’t it?” I manage to make myself sound cheap from my brutal description. It was so much more than sex, but how am I meant to say that to him? I am doing a fantastic job of impressing people tonight. Not.
“I suppose it is. I wouldn’t know though, it’s not something that I would usually do,” Jake says with a wink.
“Me either,” I say a little too loudly.
A couple dancing near us looks over and I manage to smile politely at them. I feel my defences rise at Jake’s comment. He probably thinks that I am just some floozy who will jump into bed with anyone. I can hardly blame him for thinking that I suppose, but I am still going to put him right on the matter.
“That was the one and only time that I have been crazy enough to go home with a stranger and have a one-night stand. Don’t think that I make a habit of it, buddy.”
“Whoa, calm down. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I just wondered why you left whilst I was asleep. I didn’t mean anything by it, I promise.” Jake stares into my eyes and I know that he is telling me the absolute truth. Why do I feel like this around him?
“Okay. Sorry,” I say, my anger slowly ebbing away. I should really think before I react sometimes. I suppose I am just so used to Charles putting me down that I expect every guy to do the same thing.
“I didn’t think that you would want me there the morning after, so I left. It was only meant to be a one-night thing. I have a boyfriend,” I say coyly.
“Ah, you mean the ever-charming Charles Montpellior.” Jake’s voice is laced with sarcasm.
“Uh, yeah. I guess you figured that out, huh?” Now you just sound fucking stupid, Stacey. Of course he figured it out.
“Yeah.” Jake chuckles. “Were you guys together when you slept with me?” I avert my eyes from Jake in shame at his question. I can’t bear to admit that I cheated on Charles. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I know it looks bad. I know what I did was terrible, but I just needed to clear some stuff in my head and I needed to be wild, just once.” I try to explain my scandalous behaviour. “I never intended to come back to yours, it just happened.”
“So coming back to mine was a mistake then?”
“God no.” For fuck’s sake, Stace, tone it down and make yourself sound less eager. “I meant to say that you were not a mistake, but I just needed one night out of my reality. One night where I did something for me. Just one night where I did something wild and enjoyed it.”
Jake is smiling, and I am now aware that we are slow dancing to a completely different pace of song. We must look ridiculous.
“So, I was your wild something?” Jake asks.
“Yeah, you could say that. Sort of like my perfect stranger.”
Oh C
hrist, did I really just say that out loud? I need to stop embarrassing myself and get the hell out of here.
I break away from Jake and stand a few feet back from him. I feel flustered and need to regain my composure, which I am not going to achieve by being near him.
Jake puts his hands in his trouser pockets and I ache from the loss of contact.
“Thanks for the dance, Jake, but I really need to go and find Charles now.”
With that I walk off of the dance floor and go in search of Charles.
I can feel Jake’s eyes on me, burning into my back as I walk away.
Chapter Five
I find Charles sat at the bar with the same young blond woman that he was talking to earlier. He doesn’t appear to be aware of Jake and I dancing together just now. Thank goodness for that.
I roll my eyes at the sight of the woman hanging on his every word and I go and interrupt their conversation. I stand just behind Charles and tap him on the shoulder.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I would like to go home now, please,” I tell him. Charles turns around and scowls at me.
“What? We can’t possibly leave yet, darling. We need to mingle some more. Would you like a drink?” Charles looks and sounds utterly pissed off that I have intruded on him talking to this blond woman.
Whoever she is, she sits there with her legs crossed in front of her and the slit of her dress reveals the top of her thigh. Her make-up appears to have been applied with a trowel, and her breasts look like they are trying to make a bid for freedom from her low-cut dress. Christ, it barely covers her nipples.
She is twiddling a lock of her long blond hair around her finger, an obvious sign that she is flirting with Charles. She smiles at me, but I can sense that she would rather I just disappear. This woman clearly doesn’t care that I am Charles’ girlfriend. I sigh and turn my attention back to Charles.
The Complete Perfect Series Page 3