by Wilde, Erika
So, she wanted to keep things anonymous, which certainly played into the fairy-tale aspect of the ball. That totally worked for him for the night. It wasn’t as though he was looking for anything more than a few hours of a pleasant diversion, and she certainly fit the bill with her sweet demeanor and generous curves. Not to mention, the mutual attraction flowing between them held a whole lot of promise and possibilities he wasn’t opposed to exploring.
“Okay, Just Elle,” he said in a playful tone as he bent his arm for her to slip her hand into. “Will you be my date for the evening and accompany me to the Wilder Way ball?”
She nodded, her eyes shining with delight as she accepted his offered arm. “It would be a pleasure to be your date for the evening.”
He placed his hand over the one she’d settled on his forearm, touching her more possessively than he’d planned, though he didn’t lighten his caress, because he suddenly did feel very territorial toward her. Her skin was smooth and soft beneath his fingertips, teasing his senses and making him curious to discover if she was just as supple everywhere else. If everything played out his way tonight, he’d definitely find out.
Giving her a slow, seductive smile, he decided to be honest about his interest, and from there he’d let her decide how far she wanted this evening to go. If he had his way—and he was a very persuasive guy when it came to something he set his sights on—she’d end up in his bed.
“Trust me, beautiful girl, before this night is over, I have a feeling the pleasure is going to be all mine.”
The slight hitch of her breath, along with the reciprocating desire flaring to life in her brilliant eyes, was more than enough to let Hunter know that she was just as interested.
Chapter 4
As Elle let Hunter escort her into the ballroom, she felt as though she was walking on air. Light-headed. Giddy. Beyond shocked and delighted that a gorgeous, charismatic man like Hunter Wilder had chosen her to spend the evening with when she’d been so close to leaving the premises with her stepmother and stepsisters enjoying her humiliation.
The three of them were still standing in the same spot when she and Hunter entered the room and walked past them. Helena did nothing to disguise her furious glare, while Gwen’s and Claire’s faces were pinched with disbelief that not only was she attending the ball, but her date was none other than Hunter Wilder, one of the hosts of the party.
In the span of a few minutes, she’d gone from persona non grata to the woman on Hunter’s arm who was evoking curious glances as they strolled side by side. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, and the more heads that turned their way, the more uncomfortable she became.
“People are staring,” she murmured, feeling her face flush.
Hunter glanced down at her as he guided them toward what looked to be a huge dining area. “They’re staring because you look stunning,” he said, the warmth in his gaze genuine. “I’m sure the women are curious to know who you are since I haven’t been at a public event with someone in years, and the men are eyeing you because they’re wondering how the fuck I got so lucky to be with the most beautiful woman in the room.”
Though his flattery made her stomach flutter, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I highly doubt that.”
“Don’t doubt any of it.” He stopped walking and turned toward her, his eyes dark and intense. “You are stunning, and I’m extremely lucky to spend the evening with you.”
Yet he’d just said that he hadn’t been to a public event with a woman in years. A waiter in a formal uniform came by with a tray of champagne and Elle accepted one of the flutes while Hunter declined a drink. She took a sip of the sweet, bubbly liquid before expressing a curious question.
“Why did you allow me into the ball when I wasn’t on the guest list?” she asked. “Your security guy was pretty adamant that it was protocol to turn away anyone who hadn’t RSVP’d.”
A small, teasing smile tipped up the corner of his mouth. “Because you don’t look like the type to crash a party.”
She got the feeling that was the easy answer. “And you asked me to be your date when you just stated that you haven’t been to a function with a woman in years,” she said, and didn’t miss the slightest tightening of his jaw, as if she were traversing into too personal territory. “So why me?”
He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, startling her with that firm grip as he tipped her head back so that she was staring directly, and intimately, into his eyes for anyone to see. It made her entire body aware of him as a man who liked to be in control of a situation. The thought sent an unexpected thrill through her.
“I asked you to be my date because I’m attracted to you, in a way I haven’t desired another woman in a very long time. That’s the honest truth.” Then his voice lowered to a husky, for-her-ears-only pitch as he rubbed his thumb across her glossy bottom lip, the glide of his finger erotic and suggestive. “I don’t have any ulterior motives, unless you count the fact that I’d very much like to get you naked and in my bed at some point tonight so I can fuck you. But I’m pretty sure I insinuated as much right before we walked into the ballroom together.”
Trust me, beautiful girl, before this night is over, I have a feeling the pleasure is going to be all mine. He released her chin and she shivered as his words washed over her again like a provocative caress, causing her nipples to pucker tight against the bodice of her gown, not to mention the throb between her legs.
Yes, he had put the sensual possibility out there in the open. She should have been satisfied with his answer, but she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d deliberately avoided dating women for years when he was such a good-looking and successful man in his late twenties. Her question had given him the opportunity to reveal his reasons, but he clearly wasn’t going to provide details. And really, was it any of her business? Tonight wasn’t about dating in the real, get-to-know-you sense, even if she did have the urge to learn everything about him.
She had to remind herself that anything that happened at this ball wasn’t reality, but fantasy, and it wouldn’t be smart to mix the two. The man standing in front of her was not her Prince Charming or happily ever after—he clearly wasn’t offering her either one, and she was in no position to do anything more than enjoy this magical night with him before she had to deal with her stepmother and make some very difficult decisions that could cost her what little she had left of her parents’ legacy.
She took another drink of her champagne before speaking again, this time keeping the discussion more neutral. “I want you to know that I really was invited to the ball. I wasn’t trying to con my way in.”
He smiled at her, softening the harsh lines that had settled across his features during their conversation. “I know.”
She raised a brow in surprise at the certainty in his voice. “How are you so sure? I mean, I could have been trying to sweet-talk my way in.”
“I have something to confess.” He pushed back the sides of his tuxedo jacket and slid his hands into the front pockets of his dress slacks. “I overheard those three women just inside of the ballroom talking about you, and they didn’t seem very happy that you came to the ball, despite your name being deliberately left off the RSVP card. And it was hard not to notice the way they gaped and glared at you when I escorted you into the party. I take it you know them?”
She groaned, embarrassed that he’d been privy to their unpleasant discussion and harsh words about her. “Yes, I know them. The older woman is my stepmother, Helena, and the two girls who were with her are my stepsisters, Gwen and Claire.”
“Is your father here, as well?” he asked curiously.
“No.” She shook her head, unable to stop the pang of sadness rising inside her. “Both of my parents are gone. My dad married Helena a few years after my mother died, but he passed away two years ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said, genuine compassion in his voice. “I’ve lost both of my parents, as well, so I understand how difficult that is.�
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“Thank you.” Already, they were sharing more personal information than was wise. The kind that could draw her in more deeply to this fascinating man.
As if he realized the same thing, he changed the subject. “So, the big question . . . why would your stepmother and sisters exclude you from a charity ball you were invited to?”
She bit her bottom lip, hesitating. God, she didn’t have enough hours left in the evening to answer that loaded question, and she really didn’t want to delve into her unpleasant family dynamics. Just like he seemed reluctant to share certain things, this was a subject she had no inclination to discuss. Especially not with a gorgeous, sexy man she was so incredibly attracted to and one who’d already made his desires and his intentions toward her very clear. And if she was honest with herself, being the center of Hunter Wilder’s attention held immense appeal, and she didn’t want anything to taint what had the potential of being an exhilarating, seductive evening with him.
“It’s a complicated situation,” she said, and didn’t miss the imploring tone to her own voice. “Would it be terribly rude of me to ask that we not talk about it? You just allowed me into this amazing fairy-tale ball, and tonight, I want to enjoy the evening with you . . . and wherever that might take us. And just so you know, I’m not looking for anything more than that.”
There was no mistaking the sensual heat that filled his eyes as he reached out and touched her again, this time gliding his fingers along her jawline, then feathering them down the side of her neck. Her breath quickened, causing the upper swells of her breasts to rise and fall a bit quicker . . . which he blatantly noticed. God, if just a simple caress had the ability to make her body surge with so much need, she could only imagine what other pleasure Hunter’s fingers could bestow.
“Fair enough, Just Elle,” he murmured in a light, teasing tone, keeping up the anonymity she’d established earlier as his hand fell away. “One tempting, irresistible night of whatever makes us feel good. It appears that we’re both on the same page then.”
She immediately missed his warm touch once it was gone, craved it, actually. As crazy as it was, considering they’d just met, she wanted more of him, her body already attuned to his. She’d never had a one-night stand in her life, but then again, she’d never experienced such instantaneous lust and knew this man would be worth ending her two-year dry spell.
“We are most definitely on the same page,” she boldly agreed, looking at him over the rim of her glass as she finished the last of her champagne.
Satisfaction etched his features as he took her empty flute and set it on a passing tray, just as a soft chiming tone sounded through the area and guests started strolling toward an adjoining room.
“That’s the signal that dinner is about to be served,” he said. “And while I wasn’t looking forward to sitting at a table with other businessmen and their wives making boring small talk, the fact that you’ll be beside me just made the next hour much more bearable.”
A slow, sinful smile appeared on his lips as he slid an arm around her and settled his big hand at her waist, guiding her into a beautifully decorated dining room. “Let’s go and eat. I need to make sure you’re well fed and have plenty of energy for what I have in mind for you later.”
The low rumble of his voice and the insinuation in his tone, combined with the hungry look in his golden eyes, were like pure foreplay, and maybe that was his intent. To make sure all her senses were attuned to him, and they were.
“Are you always so direct and bold?” she asked, her tone playful.
“Absolutely. Life is too short not to be up-front about what you want. Are you easily shocked?” he countered, amusement now lightening his tone as he casually nodded a silent greeting to a man they passed on their way to Hunter’s designated table. “Because if you think what I just said was bold, that’s nothing compared to how wicked and downright dirty it’s going to get when I finally have you alone and all to myself.”
She laughed, feeling a little breathless as she cast a sidelong glance at his masculine profile. “Is that a warning?”
“No, just a fact.” He turned his head and his now dark gaze met hers as his voice dropped to a silky, for-her-ears-only murmur as they skirted around a few more tables, the noise and the chatter of other people in the room keeping the conversation between them private. “It’s only polite that I let you know up-front that I’m not a soft, gentle, traditional kind of lover. I like to be in control at all times, and I like to fuck hard, but the one thing I can promise you is that I will always respect what you want. The pleasure will always be mutual.”
He was being up-front about his own desires and clearly testing her boundaries to make certain she was on board, which she appreciated. But the fact that he was establishing what, exactly, would happen behind closed doors told her that he was, at the core, a man who would never take advantage of a woman or do anything she might be uncomfortable with. Considering how aroused she already was, her body was very much on board with what he was proposing.
God, when had she become so shameless, she thought, feeling a warm flush spread across her cheeks.
“Are you ready to turn around and run, Just Elle?”
The unmistakable dare in his tone had her lifting her chin in unwavering certainty. “Not at all, Mr. Wilder.”
His mouth twitched with satisfaction. “Good.”
Reaching their table, he pulled out the chair next to his that was marked as “Guest,” and she sat down, while their other tablemates did the same around them, no one paying them any attention as they settled into their own seats.
She expected Hunter to do the same but instead felt one of his hands slide along her bare back and beneath the fall of her hair, his thumb stroking the nape of her neck as he bent down so that his mouth was right next to her ear.
“Just so you know, if I had my way, I’d blow off this party and take you to my place right this second so I can strip you out of your gown and enjoy every soft, delicious inch of what’s beneath . . . and be assured, I’m going to do just that, with my mouth, my fingers, my cock,” he said, his low, husky voice dripping with promise.
Breathing normally became a challenge, and it took all of her effort not to squirm in her seat or rub her thighs together to ease the ache that was becoming more difficult to ignore with every word Hunter spoke. The man was a master at verbal seduction, and by the time he did have her alone, she was probably going to be on the verge of combusting.
His fingers trailed across her shoulder in one last caress before he sat down beside her and released a disappointed sigh that had her turning her head to look at him since it contradicted the provocative spell he’d just put on her.
A devilish light gleamed in his eyes, telling Elle that he was aware of the chaos he’d just created inside her. “However, as much as I’d like that to happen, I’m going to have to restrain myself—which admittedly isn’t my strongest trait when it comes to something I want,” he interjected before continuing his explanation. “Unfortunately, I’m required to spend at least the next few hours at this ball to appease my sister, who spent months putting this charity event together and expects me to show my face and mingle with the guests.”
He looked completely put out by his duties, and she couldn’t help but smile at him. “It is the Wilder Way Foundation, and you are one of the hosts,” she pointed out. “I’m inclined to side with your sister on this one.”
“A traitor already,” he said, more playfully now. “It’s going to be a long couple of hours, but I’ll just have to find various ways to make time pass quickly.”
She had no doubt that he would.
While they enjoyed a delicious five-course meal, they talked to the other guests sitting at their table, a few of whom were already acquainted with Hunter. Elle was content to listen to their conversation between each delicious dish they were served and take in the atmosphere. She caught sight of Helena and her stepsisters sitting a few tables away and was eternally gra
teful that their backs were facing her so she didn’t have to withstand their nasty looks during what was an enjoyable dinner.
When they’d finished their rich, decadent chocolate ganache tart for dessert, everyone dispersed to enjoy the rest of the festivities. With Hunter’s arm settled around Elle to keep her close to his side, he was surprisingly attentive as they wandered through the various rooms, exploring all the fairy-tale aspects of the ball, which completely enthralled her. They stopped to listen to Raevynn Walsh sing her hit songs from the elaborately decorated stage that had been set up in the ballroom and then spent a good amount of time in the silent-auction area, checking out all the offerings on display. And though Elle didn’t bid on anything, and neither did Hunter, it was still fun to see all the extravagant items that had been donated to the cause.
She enjoyed another glass of champagne as they continued strolling through an area with fun fairy-tale backdrops and what looked like a real enchanted forest. She was laughing at something Hunter said to her when she saw Helena, Gwen, and Claire not far away, and their heads turned to stare at her as soon as one of her stepsisters realized she was in the vicinity.
Hunter noticed them, too, and deliberately steered clear of the trio . . . but as they made their way through the various rooms, she realized that her stepmother and sisters were following her and Hunter, trying to covertly watch what happened between them. Elle found it ridiculous and annoying.
“They’re very determined to spy on you, aren’t they?” Hunter said, sounding equally irritated by their persistence.
“It seems so.” If they weren’t at a formal event, surrounded by elite guests, Elle would have confronted them by now, but she wasn’t about to make a scene. “They’re wasting their time following me around when they should be enjoying the ball. I don’t know what they expect to see.”
“Oh, I do,” he muttered, a frown creasing his brows.
She blinked at him in surprise. “You do?”
