Set In Stone

by K. M. Scott

  I needed to get the hell out of there and quick. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were in a meeting. I’ll come back later,” I said as I turned to leave, grabbing the handle to open the door.

  Before I could escape, my father said, “Tressa, please don’t go. I believe you know Mr. Brenton.”

  Closing my eyes, I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole at that very moment. Unfortunately, it didn’t, so when it became obvious I’d have to stay and be professional, I turned around, all smiles for the two of them. “Not really. We’ve only met once, but it’s very nice to formally meet you, Mr. Brenton.”

  Killian smiled and walked over to shake my hand. He seemed to glide across the floor and reached me in two steps. Seeing him up close like this, I realized how much bigger than me he was. I’d never stood next to a professional athlete, other than at the auction, and I couldn’t help but admit Killian was impressive. Even in jeans and a basic white dress shirt, he looked incredible, and what I’d guessed about his body hidden beneath that tux had been one hundred percent correct.

  In fact, it wasn’t just his size that was impressive. Somehow, in the light of my father’s office, he looked even better than he had at the charity event. His gaze focused on my face, his green eyes studying mine so intensely that I was thankful my father couldn’t see how this man looked at me.

  I silently pleaded for my face not to show how uncomfortable I felt at that moment, praying I wouldn’t blush so my face turned beet red. God, he smelled incredible, just like he had that night. Once again, I had to fight the urge to take a deep breath in and close my eyes to revel in the scent. What was that? Something musky with a hint of citrus? Was there vanilla in there too? Whatever it was, it made him practically intoxicating.

  “It’s a pleasure to get to finally meet you somewhere we can talk without hundreds of people standing around us. I wanted to thank you for contributing such an incredible amount to the pediatric cancer care organization. They’ve joined forces with me this year to promote the cause to as many people as we can. Normally I wouldn’t be caught dead at a bachelor auction, but I’ll do anything I can to get people to give to cure cancer in kids.”

  Damn. I couldn’t be rude to him after that little speech. Was that for my benefit or my father’s? I wasn’t sure, but I plastered a smile on my face to show my graciousness.

  “I’m always eager to help out worthy causes, Mr. Brenton, and I can’t think of a worthier one than curing cancer in children.”

  Our eyes locked, and I couldn’t help but think his pale green eyes with those dark lashes were stunning. A woman could get lost in those eyes, and for a moment, I did. But then I remembered how he acted at the auction, strutting up and down that platform while all those women hollered at him and he ate it up. The man standing there in front of me in my father’s office was no different simply because there were no screaming crowds adoring him. He was an attention whore, a playboy, the kind of man I actively avoided.

  “Please, call me Killian. May I call you Tressa?” he asked in that deep voice of his I didn’t want to like, not even a little. Except I did and more than a little.

  From behind him, my father’s gaze met mine, and he nodded eagerly, like my giving this guy my permission to be nice to me was important. Feeling like I didn’t have a choice, I said, “Of course.”

  My father walked over to join us and said, “Killian came here to thank us for our donation and to invite us to a benefit the team is holding next weekend. I’d love to go, but your mother has me booked for a trip to see your Aunt Jordan and Uncle Gage in Palm Springs from Friday to Monday. I’m sure you can go alone, Tressa, can’t you?”

  I loathed when my father played matchmaker. I knew he always had the best of intentions, but I still felt uncomfortable whenever he did it to me or either of my siblings. I’d watched him do his Cupid act with Ethan half a dozen times when we were in high school, and my brother hated it each time. My father had only tried it on me one time with some guy from Cornell in my junior year of college, and that date had been the worst of my life. I couldn’t even remember his name, but I distinctly remembered he drank more than any guy I’d ever met, much to my father’s dismay that night when I arrived home in a cab. Now he wanted to try a second time, and I doubted this attempt would end up any better.

  As much as I wanted to say no, my father giving me that look that said he really wanted me to do this made declining impossible. So I forced myself to give Killian my best smile and said, “I’ll see what my schedule looks like. I’m sure it will be delightful.”

  I only ever said the word delightful when whatever I was being forced to do was anything but delightful. My father knew this as well as anyone, and over Killian’s shoulder I saw his expression change to that hopeful look he wore whenever he wanted his kids not to disappoint him. I was used to seeing him look like that with Ethan and even Diana, but rarely ever me.

  Damnit. I’d barely been formally introduced to Killian Brenton and already my father was giving me that hopeful face like he did with my sister and brother who routinely disappointed him. So far nothing Killian brought to my world had been good.

  “I look forward to seeing you there, Tressa. Are you a football fan like your father?”

  Arching my eyebrow in disgust, I shook my head. “Not really.”

  My father quickly said, “Tressa works so much I doubt she’s gotten to be a fan of anything much in the past few years.”

  While the two men in front of me joked about how everyone was busy, I felt my disgust for Killian grow by the second. Now he had my father making excuses for me when it came to not liking football? Since when did that make a damn bit of difference?

  “Well, please excuse me, but I have work to get back to.”

  “Please, let me walk you out,” Killian said before I could turn to escape. Pressing his hand to the small of my back, he said, “It was great to meet such a supporter of New York football, Tristan. I look forward to seeing you again.”

  “Of course, and thank you for the wonderful offer to attend the event. I’ll have to make sure I ask Tressa all about it.”

  As Killian gently guided me out of the office, I looked back at my father and gave him the death stare I’d only used on others in business negotiations before. I didn’t appreciate my own flesh and blood serving me up for this Cro-Magnon’s delight.

  The door to my father’s office closed, and I immediately moved away from Killian’s hold. Spinning around, I shook my head as I glared at him. “I’m not sure what all of that in there was, but I don’t like it.”

  Before I could continue, Killian tugged on my arm to move me. “Unless you want to have this discussion in front of your father’s receptionist, I suggest we continue our talk somewhere else.”

  I looked back and saw Brenda quickly try to make it seem like she hadn’t been listening to every word we’d said. Furious over the way this fool had already made me look in front of two people I knew, I stormed away toward the elevator.

  Killian caught up with me just as the doors opened and I marched in. Before I could press the button for my floor, he pushed his finger into the button that stopped the elevator from moving.

  “Now, let me explain.”

  Cutting him off, I tried to push him away so he didn’t stand so close, but I couldn’t budge him. Christ, was the man made of bricks?

  “No, let me explain, Mr. Brenton. I don’t like people manipulating one of the people I love more than life itself simply to further their goals. I’m sure your agent or your PR person did a little digging and found out my father loves football. I’m sure you know he’s had a box at the stadium for as long as I’ve been alive. Maybe longer. So you thought you could just waltz into his office and sweet talk him so you could get to me. Well, forget it. I’m not interested in going on any date with you. I had the money sent to the charity this morning, so the transaction is complete. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to get to.”

  Killian sim
ply grinned, like anything I’d said could be misconstrued to be something even slightly amusing. “Why don’t you want to go out on this date with me? I’m a decent looking guy. I’ve got money. Not as much as you, but a good amount. I’ve been the toast of the town since I arrived in this great city, so what’s the problem?”

  “Right there. I have no interest in a man who can’t get enough of the press taking his picture. You’re an attention whore, Killian, and that is the last thing I want in any man I spend time with.”

  “So you do like the way I look,” he said, stepping forward so the space between us shrunk to almost nothing. “I thought you did Saturday night, and I’m usually pretty much on the mark with things like that.”

  I liked the way he looked—way too much for my own comfort. He had a presence about him that emanated power like no other man I’d ever met. It had an intoxicating effect on me, and that was nothing to say of what he made me feel when he stared at me with those incredible eyes of his. Then there was his mouth. His lips were nothing less than inviting and made me wonder what they’d feel like against mine. They looked soft, and something deep inside me craved to know just how they felt on my mouth…on my skin…between my legs.

  Yes, I definitely liked how he looked far too much already.

  Get it together, Tressa. Remember why you didn’t like this man in the first place.

  Right. His ego. It made wanting to even stand there with him for another minute impossible.

  Twisting away from him, I pushed the button to get the elevator to move again. “You’re perfectly fine, and I’m sure many women appreciate how you look, Killian. I just don’t want to go out on that date with you.”

  “We’re making progress,” he said from behind me in his low voice that made me instinctively close my eyes. “You called me by my first name. I liked the way it sounded coming out of your mouth too.”

  My eyes flew open as I realized I was letting myself be seduced by him. Oh. My. God! This man was infuriating!

  I turned around and glared at him. “Does this work on other women? Are there really females who think this thing you do is charming?”

  A slow, sexy smile showcased his beautiful white teeth and perfect mouth. “I don’t know if they think it’s charming, no. It has been known to work on women, though, charming or not.”

  “Well, it’s not working on me.”

  That was a lie. I knew it. He probably knew it too.

  “Not even a little?” he asked, staring deeply into my eyes.

  God, all I wanted to do was get out of that elevator without saying something I’d regret. I wasn’t sure if he had some ability to hypnotize with those gorgeous green eyes, but whatever he was doing with them as he stared at me, it was working.

  I couldn’t let it.

  And then just when I didn’t think I couldn’t stand him looking at me that way a second longer, he opened his mouth again and broke the spell.

  “I’m not a man who gives up easily when I see something I want, Tressa.”

  The elevator punctuated his statement with a ding, like it was announcing the end of a round of boxing, and I snapped back at him as the doors opened, “I am not a thing. That was your first mistake. I don’t give second chances after a mistake like that. Good day.”

  I marched out of that elevator with the silent approval of every woman who had ever wanted to tell off some smug guy who knew he was hot and used it to get whatever his heart desired. I felt his stare on me as I walked to my office and didn’t look back, even when he yelled down the hall to me.

  “Tressa, remember what I told you. I don’t give up easily. We will have that date.”

  No, we won’t, Killian. This time you lose.

  Chapter Six

  Killian

  After meetings with the team all day, I headed back from the stadium with Tressa on my mind. Our encounter in the elevator on Monday morning showed me she had fire for sure, but that fire wasn’t fueled by dislike for me, by any means. I didn’t know why she didn’t want to admit to liking me, but nothing I’d seen so far had given me anything but a green light with her. I’d never shied away from a challenge before. I wasn’t about to start now, especially with the promise of something so incredible if I conquered it.

  I checked to see if she called since I’d sent her flowers earlier. Nope. Sitting back, I watched as the lights on the highway flew past the car and wondered why she hadn’t at least sent me a message to thank me. I’d never met any woman so difficult, but after what I’d felt when we were in that elevator together, I couldn’t give up getting her to go out on that date.

  Maybe the flowers hadn’t been delivered. A quick check on the florist proved that wrong. They’d been signed for by the woman herself.

  So she wanted to play hardball. Okay. I could do that too. I’d hoped she’d come around on her own, but I wasn’t above going low to get what I wanted.

  Time to go in for the kill.

  A few seconds later, I was looking at Tressa standing in the living room of her penthouse. As always, she looked gorgeous, even dressed in a loose blue dress that hid what I imagined was an incredible body. She frowned when she saw me, so I knew didn’t have much time to get out what I wanted to say before she’d end the call.

  “You again? I think you’d be considered a stalker now.”

  “Well, this is a serious call. I’d hate to have to tell the organizers of that event the other night that you refuse to go on our date. Would that be considered fraud? They did advertise that the winning bidder would go out on a date with me. I think that’s sounds a lot like fraud.”

  I watched with pure enjoyment as Tressa’s mouth dropped open. I’d found her soft spot.

  “It’s not fraud. Don’t be ridiculous. God, you are a piece of work, Killian Brenton.”

  Putting on my best sad face, I continued, “The rules charities have to follow are pretty serious. Charges of fraud could get them shut down. I’d hate for that to happen, wouldn’t you? They help so many kids with the money they get people to donate. That’s not going to be easy to make up, and I think we both know cancer isn’t just going to stop because they go out of business.”

  Tressa’s shoulders sagged and she hung her head. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  “No.”

  Looking up, she seemed almost defeated. I saw it in her dark eyes. I didn’t want to see her like that. This was never about beating her at something.

  “Why? Why does this mean so much to you? I already sent the charity the money I bid. What does it matter if we go out on a date or not?”

  For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. Her frustration with this whole thing confused me. It was just a date, and I knew she liked me just as much as I liked her. Why did she still want to fight me on going out for one damn dinner? Leaning back against the driver seat, I turned to watch the cars as mine passed them and figured now was the time to be serious with her.

  “This charity means a lot to me. My foundation works with them to help in the fight against pediatric cancer. I wouldn’t usually let myself be auctioned off, but for this charity, I’d do anything.”

  Tressa nodded and then sighed. “Can this date be somewhere low key? Please?”

  I shook my head no. “The PR is important to helping them bring in more money.”

  “You’re the one everyone wants to see, Killian. Not me,” she said in a pleading voice.

  “Seeing me with a beautiful and successful businesswoman who’s from New York would be impressive, Tressa. You’re no fool. You know this.”

  After a moment of hesitation, she finally relented. “Fine.”

  Success! I knew she’d give in and go on our date. Even though I wanted to celebrate, I controlled myself and coolly said, “How about tomorrow at eight? I’ll pick you up. Just tell me where.”

  “The Richmont Midtown,” she said flatly.

  “Great! Cheer up. It’ll be a good time. We’ll have dinner and a few laughs.”

&nb
sp; She nodded and then the screen went black. I had to admit I felt good. I knew she’d agree. Thankfully, I’d made reservations earlier that day. It always paid to think positive.

  * * *

  Just like before I called Tressa the first time, my palms suddenly grew sweaty as I pulled up to in front of the Richmont hotel at quarter to eight Wednesday night. I’d been playing football since third grade, and never once had my palms gotten sweaty before or during a game. In fact, I couldn’t remember any time I had sweaty palms other than when I called her for the first time and right now.

  “Stay cool, Killian. It’s a date, not a lifetime. One night, and if things go to plan, a night that will end with this woman in my bed. Nothing to be nervous about,” I said to myself in the rearview mirror as I checked out how I looked one last time.

  I looked good, so now it was show time. Tressa walked toward the car dressed in a knockout red dress as the press that had been hanging out around the hotel for days began to rush her, so I quickly jumped out of the car and ran up to her.

  Putting my arms around her shoulders, I shielded Tressa from the reporters already swarming around. “Enough. The lady is just trying to go out to dinner, and you guys rush her like she’s holding the secret to life here. Give her some space.”

  “Are you two dating?” one young guy with a camera yelled out from behind another reporter busy sticking his phone in our faces to get a comment.

  “How long have you been together? Miss Stone, does this mean you’re leaving Stone Worldwide? Killian, does this mean you’re off the market?”

  Tressa’s head spun toward the reporter who asked about her quitting her job, but I pushed him away and said in her ear, “Don’t even listen to them. They ask questions that don’t make any sense sometimes. Just ignore them.”

  “Why would they think I’m quitting Stone Worldwide? Who would have told them that?” she asked pointedly, clearly thinking I’d had something to do with it.