It was one of Avery’s mother’s favorite places to vacation, since she didn’t like to travel much.
The town car pulled up to the valet. There was a line and Avery watched as prolific businessmen and women emerged from the cars, dressed exquisitely. She noticed many women dripping with jewelry and Avery touched her bare neck, her bare ears, and thought perhaps she should have at least accessorized. Especially considering she took off her engagement ring the minute she broke things off with Rick.
When her car was finally at the top of the line, a valet opened the door and helped her out, greeting her warmly. Avery carefully got out of the car, murmuring a thank you. Her eyes swept the glittering couples hanging outside, conversing in low murmurs. Lucas wasn’t among them.
Avery found her footing and walked through the doors that slid open before her. She wasn’t used to attending events by herself. Before Rick, her parents would take her along. If not them, she’d go with friends.
But Avery was different now, more independent. She could walk in with her head held high.
So she did.
Avery rolled her shoulders back and tilted her chin up. At first, she felt ridiculous, especially considering she did all of this while balancing in heels. However, with each stride, she began to feel a sense of calm confidence bury itself deep within her bones. She didn’t need anyone. She could do this all on her own.
She walked through the lobby – filled with growing trees and an indoor creek – to the grand ballroom. She checked in with a smiling plump woman sitting in a baby blue pant suit and was afforded a name badge Avery decided to clip to a strap of her dress.
At that moment, her entire body tensed, but in a pleasant way. Someone was watching her with a feral, possessive look on their face. She couldn’t see anyone do so just yet but she could feel it. It was a hard feeling to describe.
When she picked her eyes up to survey the crowd, she immediately locked eyes with Lucas, and her breath escaped her. He looked beautiful in a tuxedo with no tie, just a white collared shirt unbuttoned to his collarbone. The clothing was fitted specifically to his body, revealing the rippled muscles the wolf possessed. He made no move to conceal the look on his face; if anyone were to look at him, they would clearly see that he wanted her in more ways than one, and he wanted everyone to know it. He wasn’t wearing a mask, which didn’t make much sense because it was a Masquerade, but that little spurt of rebellion caused a painful spark to flare in her pelvis.
Oh, God, she wanted him. Now.
Avery knew she should look away. She should pretend she hadn’t seen the look on his chiseled face. She should go find people to talk to, to network with, to formally introduce herself to. But she couldn’t bring herself to move. Maybe she couldn’t. Maybe she was pinned to the spot where she stood, opened and exposed like an unwilling burlesque girl.
And then he did the unthinkable. He inclined his head to the right, where a long hallway was. It was unoccupied and completely isolated.
This was a bad idea. This was trouble. This was…
He gave her one last smirk and – was that a wink? Had he had the balls to wink at her so publically? – placed his hands in his pocket, heading down the hall at a leisurely pace as though he were going to the restroom. As though he wasn’t about to do anything wrong.
She followed him before her mind realized what her legs were doing on their own accord. Avery glanced over her shoulder – to the left and then to the right – before continuing down the secluded hallway. She couldn’t find him, however. He had disappeared. She was about to spin around and head back to the ballroom when a door to an innocuous room sprung open and an arm shot out to latch onto Avery’s arm and pull her into a dimly lit, cramped supply closet.
She blinked once before looking up at Lucas with a feral grin on his face. “You look amazing,” he told her in a husky purr. It shot heat waves rippling across her entire body and she moved closer to him, like he was some kind of magnet attracting her to him. “I want you.”
“Here?” Avery asked, her heart pounding a heavy beat in her head. She was surprised he hadn’t said anything about it just yet. “Now?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he pushed her against the wall behind her and sucked on the crevice of her neck – where her throat met her shoulder. Where he left his mark on her. A mark she had made sure the makeup artist would cover up. She threw her head back and smacked it against the wall behind her. It throbbed with pain but she didn’t care.
He kissed her mouth hungrily, desperately, while his hands pulled and tugged at the skirt of the dress so he could hike it up. He disintegrated her panties with a quick rip of the cloth and they disappeared somewhere Avery couldn’t keep tabs on.
“Touch yourself,” he ordered in a raspy whisper, his mouth against her throat once more. “You aren’t leaving here until you come for me.”
“You can’t leave any hickeys on me,” she instructed, though she did as he told her. Her fingers found the lips of her center and soon, she was sliding her fingers over the swollen pink nub that contained her pleasure.
“You don’t get to tell me what I do,” he all but barked. “Not here, not now. You are mine, and if I want everyone to see that I’ve claimed you, I will.”
His words sent a shock to her system. Her eyes rolled shut and her shoulders leaned against the wall while her pelvis tilted away from it, almost like an offering to Lucas to take her. He needed no offering – he took what he thought was his without any hesitation. Without even asking.
His big hands gripped her waist and in one swift movement, her legs were wrapped around his waist and his cock slammed into her like he was returning home after a long absence. He let out a cross between a howl and a groan and Avery had to use her free hand to clamp over his mouth and prevent him from giving them away.
He didn’t seem to care, however, because he pounded her like it was his job, like he needed to hit her core with just enough pressure in order to live, in order to survive. It wasn’t long before she felt herself reach the peak of her climax, and just like that, she shattered all around him, splintering in two. He followed shortly after, and for the briefest moment, she wondered just how she was going to situate herself so his cum didn’t run down her leg, given the fact that he shredded her underwear to shreds.
When he finished adjusting himself, he grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her up himself. After he put it away, he leaned in, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. “You smell like me,” he murmured. He opened his eyes so his eyes – so dark and deep – locked eyes with hers. “Good.”
23
Avery exited the closet almost immediately after her red lipstick was reapplied and in place and her hair was presentable. She did not look back at Lucas as she walked back into the ballroom because she knew if she did, all the emotions she had successfully managed to keep at bay would come crashing into her, outing her feelings to the entire room. And as of right now, that wasn’t something she was quite ready for.
“…joint endeavor instead of an individual one,” Gary announced. “If you please, let’s give it up for Lucas Cruz and Avery Montgomery.” The crowd politely clapped – it wasn’t too loud or enthusiastic, but just appropriate enough to show respect. “If you two could come up here, I’m sure everyone would love a few words. Personally, these two have been nothing but professional, not only with us but with each other. Marcy and I couldn’t choose between them, so we decided to go with both. Why choose one when you can have two? Luckily for us, they agreed!”
Avery felt pinned to the spot as everyone started to turn around and looked at her. Even with the intricately carved mask covering the majority of her face, she could not help but feel seen, as though every move was being watched, noted, and judged.
A small touch – Lucas’s hand on the small of her back – snapped her out of her doubt. He wasn’t supposed to touch her – that was the rule – but she wasn’t about to reprimand him for it now, not when he essentially saved her
from the stares. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and couldn’t believe how perfect they looked, even after their dalliance in the closet.
She had just had sex in a closet.
Perhaps she shouldn’t think about that just yet when she was expected to talk in front of a bunch of business people.
When they reached the podium, Avery took a step back, hoping Lucas would be the first to speak. He had this innate ability to make people feel at ease, to get them to feel special, even with a large group of people in the same room. However, Lucas gently pushed her forward and took a step back, slipping his hands into his pockets and giving her a lazy but encouraging grin. Like he believed in her. Like he knew she could handle this.
She swallowed and turned her attention back to the crowd. She could feel herself turning red at the prospect of speaking in front of so many people and she clung to the edges of the podium tighter than necessary.
You got this, a soothing voice that sounded suspiciously like Lucas’s said through her mind. You got this.
Avery immediately glanced back at Lucas but he was staring straight ahead, at the crowd, ignoring her. This had to be the bond. He was reaching out to her through their bond.
“Hi,” she said, and immediately stepped back. She chuckled awkwardly at the sharp sound the microphone made and cleared her throat. “For those of you who don’t know, my name is Avery Montgomery and this is my partner, Lucas Cruz. We’re both excited to invest in this new app and are thrilled to begin this Luna journey together.” She glanced at him again and gave him a smile.
He shot her a smirk in response.
The audience applauded politely, and Avery was about to step back when one voice broke through the applause and caused every hair on her arms to stand erect.
“Avery Montgomery,” Rick shouted from the middle of the crowd. People began turning, staring at him with confused expressions on their faces. Most everyone knew he had been her fiancé but no one knew they had just broken up. In fact, she had no idea Rick even knew about this party.
Unless…
“I am going to kill my mother,” she muttered under her breath. Luckily, she was far enough from the microphone so her words weren’t picked up.
“This partnership between you and Lucas Cruz,” he said when everyone had gotten quiet. Rick had no problem speaking in front of people, had no problem projecting his voice so everyone could hear. Avery had no idea what he was going to ask but she knew, without a doubt, it wouldn’t be good. “Would you say the two of you kept things strictly professional? You are trying to step out of your father’s shadow, correct? And in order to do that, you are aware you can’t sleep your way to the top.”
All eyes shot to Avery. Some people murmured to themselves, shaking their heads at Rick’s lascivious lies, but others looked confused, like they weren’t sure what to believe. She felt something tense just then, and she didn’t have to look at Lucas to know how furious he was in that moment. She could feel him through their bond, how he wanted nothing more than to rip Rick’s throat out in order to shut him up, how he wanted nothing more than to pull Avery behind him, away from the gawking eyes as a way to protect her from their judgment and ridicule.
“What?” Rick went on, walking toward Avery and Lucas now. His hands were gesturing as he spoke, but he was leisure in his movements, as though he were simply taking a stroll in the park. “You have nothing to say? You certainly didn’t hold back when you told me all those dirty, filthy things you let him do to you while you were still engaged to me.”
Lucas growled.
Rick’s eyes shot to his. “And there it is,” he said. “Your true nature. You see, humans put rings on girls who are going to get married. That means they’re off-limits. Maybe if I peed on her, you would have understood.”
Lucas stepped forward but Avery positioned herself in front of him in hopes to mask the threatening gesture. She hoped Lucas wouldn’t push her aside, wouldn’t try to do anything that would give him, his business, and wolves a bad name.
“Rick, why are you making a private issue between us that was over and finished into a spectacle in front of all of these people?” Avery asked. Her voice was surprisingly calm, her heart pounding against her chest loud and uncooperative. But outside, she was calm. She could breathe. It didn’t matter that she was speaking in front of all of these people. Her eyes were focused on Rick and getting her point across, defending and protecting Lucas was all that mattered.
“Because these people need to know how fickle you are,” he explained. His eyes were dancing before dropping to her neck, trying to look at her hickey. However, he caught sight of something and his face paled. His eyes immediately filled with nothing short of disgust and the force of it caused his to falter, to take a step back. “Did he… Did he bite you? Did he stake his claim on you?”
“Rick.” Now, Avery’s voice was sharp and tight. She thought the makeup artist had covered the mark with makeup where no one would be able to tell, but apparently, Rick knew her body too well where any unfamiliar marking on her was questioned. “My personal life has nothing to do with my professional one.”
He started laughing, like she had made a joke. It was a hollow sound that didn’t reach his eyes. “Are you kidding, Av?” he asked. “It has everything to do with it! You’re a slut. You are slandering your dad’s name with your behavior. I’m actually surprised that he hasn’t disowned you, to be honest.”
The blood rushed to her ears and there was a quick response on the tip of her tongue. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her, waiting for her response. Some wanted to see her fail. A few wanted to see her succeed. But most wanted to see how she would handle her first public scandal. If she was serious about business, it would not be her last, especially if she and Lucas were going to be together for a while. She could feel Lucas, simmering behind her, ready to spring into action. Ready to make Rick suffer in multiple ways. He was controlling himself because of her, she knew.
This was about her. This was her fault. She needed to handle this on her own.
“Rick,” she said. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”
He blinked in surprise. Some people in the crowd started muttering to themselves. Lucas felt puzzled as well. Avery kept her eyes on Rick.
“You have every right to feel this way,” she said. “I didn’t handle things the right way. I could have been more respectful and compassionate to your feelings and I wasn’t. I accept responsibility for that. Is there anything else you’d like to address?”
Rick swallowed. Avery wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that his mouth had gone dry or if it was because he was speechless. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
“Yeah,” he managed to croak out. “What’s your relationship with Lucas Cruz? Is it professional? Are you merely business partners or are you lovers as well.”
Lucas growled next to Avery. She hadn’t realized he was in line with her and without thinking twice, she reached out and put a hand on his forearm to calm him. He didn’t immediately relaxed but he didn’t attempt to threaten Rick any further.
“It’s none of your business,” she told him, “but since you want it answered, I will tell you: Lucas and I are a couple. We have feelings for each other.” Her eyes shot to Lucas and she hoped it was okay that she was confessing everything, that she was telling everyone their private lives. But he smiled encouragingly and there was a delighted sparkle that lit up his dark eyes. She turned back to look at Rick, confidence flooding her body, shaking her bones and making her even stronger. “I would even say we are the first successful coupling thanks to LunaApp.”
A couple of bystanders laughed. More applauded. Then, the whole room did.
Rick’s eyes flashed to Lucas, a challenge in them. “Are you trying to get back at me or something, Lucas?” he asked, his tone cocky but his eyes hard. “You still want to scoop up my sloppy seconds?”
Lucas bared his teeth and growled. His brow hung low over his eyes and his body was twisted and tens
e, ready to spring. He looked more wolf than human, and a collective gasp went out across the business community. It didn’t matter that Lucas Cruz was the fastest self-made billionaire in the entire country. It didn’t matter that he was one of the most successful men in the world, and the fifth richest person on the planet, behind Charles Montgomery. He was a wolf. He would always be feared. But maybe, maybe Avery could do something different. Could show them a different side of him.
“Lucas believed in me when no one else did,” Avery explained, her voice cool and articulate. Rick’s eyes found hers and she refused to look away. “No one – including you – believed I was capable of doing this, of being successful, on my own. Lucas was the only one who offered to teach me what it meant to truly appreciate business. And what it meant to truly fall in love.”
She stopped and continued to look at Rick. Up until he was compelled to look away.
“Avery is everything,” Lucas told Rick. “She’s par to none so the fact that you would compare her to anyone else is insulting. You aren’t welcome here.”
Avery dropped her arm from Lucas. Just because she had publically confirmed their relationship did not mean they had anything to prove to anyone. A security guard came over to Rick and calmly request his departure.
When Rick was gone, Lucas slid in front of the podium. “Thank you for your support,” he said. “To go off of what Avery was saying, before we were interrupted, the two of us both believe in this app and the lives it will change. It’s already changed mine.”
24
A Match Made in Business?
The Somerset Series: A Box Set: Books 2-4 Page 30
