by Erika Wilde
“You’re right,” he said reluctantly.
“He promised to text us later and let us know when it was over.” Tempest gently squeezed Hunter’s arm. “So please try and relax and enjoy yourself.”
They stopped near what was one of her favorite areas she’d designed for tonight’s festivities—an enchanted forest within the ballroom that was straight out of any fairy tale. Real trees were wrapped in delicate mesh fabric and twinkling lights, crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and dramatic up lighting added to the overall effect. Lit candles floated in a huge marble fountain, and dozens of floral arrangements helped to transform the entire room into a picturesque wonderland that the guests seemed to be enjoying.
Hunter glanced at her with pride in his eyes. “You did an amazing job with this year’s charity event. Even if it is a bit fanciful and frivolous,” he teased.
That was a huge compliment coming from her brother, considering he was a no-frills kind of guy. Letting go of his arm, she regarded him somberly. “Do you know why I chose fairy tales for this year’s theme?” she asked, and considering the blank look Hunter gave Tempest that told her he had no clue, she divulged her reasons. “Because everyone deserves a happily ever after. Maddux. Me. Even you, Hunter.” She truly wanted that for each of them.
His mouth twisted in a sardonic smile. “Just in case you’ve forgotten, I had my chance at a happily ever after, and fate decided that I didn’t deserve it.”
The bitterness in his voice was undeniable. After losing his fiancée in a tragic accident—one he’d witnessed and hadn’t been able to save her from—Hunter had mostly closed himself off when it came to women. At least emotionally. Natalie had undoubtedly been the love of his life, but Tempest wanted to believe that there was someone else out there for Hunter. Someone who would make him whole and complete again.
“None of us will ever forget what happened to Natalie,” she said in a soft, compassionate tone. “And sometimes life isn’t fair, but don’t ignore a second chance if it’s offered, because you do deserve it. What happened to Natalie wasn’t your fault.”
Hunter stared out at the twinkling lights around the trees, clearly not wanting to discuss his past or the possibility of opening his heart up to love again.
“Dinner is scheduled to be served in about twenty minutes,” she said, letting the personal subject go so she didn’t completely ruin her brother’s mood and evening. “And I need to go and double-check that there aren’t any problems in the kitchen.”
Hunter slid his hands into the front pockets of his dress pants and arched a brow at her. “Don’t you have people who do that for you?”
She laughed lightly, realizing where this conversation was headed. “Yes, of course, but you know me—”
“You need to be in charge of everything,” he said, knowing her all too well.
She shrugged. So she was a little obsessive about being in control of everything around her and making sure things ran smoothly. It was part of what made her such a good businesswoman. But she also knew that being strong and capable and a perfectionist had stemmed from her parents’ deaths.
She’d been twelve at the time, and losing both her mother and father in one fell swoop had undeniably devastated her. But even though she could have fallen apart, she hadn’t wanted to burden either of her brothers with her internal turmoil and anxiety, and locking down her own emotions had been a necessity.
So many responsibilities had fallen on Maddux’s and Hunter’s shoulders after that life-altering event, including having to take care of her when they’d only been teenagers themselves. She’d tried her hardest to make everything as easy on them as she could. She’d put on a brave face, had become as independent and self-reliant as possible in order to make her brothers proud of her, and all that took immense control that had spilled over into her adult life.
But now, as a twenty-six-year-old woman, finding a man who wasn’t intimidated by her tenacity and confidence or threatened by her growing success had so far eluded her. Even Kyle downplayed her business ideas as frivolous distractions until she settled down, got married, and had babies—preferably with him, she knew. She found his male-chauvinist views insulting and offensive, had even told him so, but he was arrogant enough to believe that she’d come around to his way of thinking. There wasn’t a chance in hell that was ever happening.
Pushing aside those thoughts, she returned her attention to Hunter. Tipping her head back to look up at him, she gave her brother a sassy smile after his comment about her being in charge of everything. “Must be a sibling trait, because you and Maddux are the epitome of controlling, dominant alpha males.”
Her brother smirked knowingly and didn’t deny her comment. “By the way, where’s Kyle?” he asked as if he’d just been inside her head.
“He’s around, somewhere.” She shrugged, a surge of irritation making her lips purse. “Probably glad-handing his way through the party.” As a marketing and sales rep at a large New York advertising firm, Kyle was all about climbing ladders, making connections, and using people to his advantage, and being at the ball tonight definitely gave him the opportunity to further his career aspirations.
“Trouble in paradise?” Hunter asked, sounding hopeful.
It wasn’t a secret that neither of her brothers had ever liked Kyle. “There was never any paradise with Kyle,” she said, and sighed. “Kyle definitely isn’t my happily ever after . . . he just won’t accept the fact that the two of us are done on a romantic level.”
At the mention of Kyle’s persistence, Hunter narrowed his gaze. “I’d be happy to deliver that message for you.”
She laughed and shook her head at his overly protective remark. “No, I can handle Kyle, and plan to after tonight. I just didn’t want there to be any animosity between us this evening or risk him making a scene. But enough about me,” she said, not wanting to think about the other man as she smoothed a hand down the lapel of her brother’s tuxedo jacket. “Please try and have a good time tonight, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Tempest knew that Hunter was just humoring her, but she’d said her piece and she could only hope that he’d let down his guard a little bit tonight . . . because how incredible would it be if this evening provided that happily ever after they all three deserved?
CHAPTER TWO
Much to Tempest’s relief, dinner went off without a hitch, all thanks to the three-star Michelin chef she’d hired to organize the event’s five-course meal. Since Tempest had helped with the evening’s seating chart, she’d strategically placed Kyle across the room from the table where she’d sat. Despite what he thought or felt, they weren’t a couple, and she hoped this deliberate separation would make him realize that he needed to move on and find a woman more interested in him than she was. So far, she’d managed to avoid running into him but didn’t think her luck would hold out for the rest of the night.
Forty minutes after dinner was served and guests were mingling again, Raevynn started her second and last set of songs for the evening, kicking it off with one of her upbeat pop tunes that drew a crowd around the stage to watch her perform. Tempest did a quick sweep of all the various rooms, including the area where the silent auction was being held, just to make sure there were no issues before allowing herself to relax and enjoy the rest of the festivities herself.
As one of the hosts of the ball, she stopped and thanked many of their big donors for their generous contributions to the Wilder Way Foundation . . . and just as she moved on from a wealthy older couple, she found herself distracted by the one man who’d always made her stomach flutter with awareness and her body tingle with heat and desire . . . along with a fair amount of lust.
Remy Lowell. Even his sexy, seductive name made her sigh internally, and she didn’t hesitate to detour toward where he was standing near the bar, nursing a drink and looking a bit uncomfortable in this whimsical fairy-tale atmosphere.
She’d met Remy a little over three years ago when she
’d been twenty-three and he’d just turned thirty. At the time, he’d been fresh out of a nasty, unpleasant divorce and had barely spared her a second glance. As a friend of Maddux’s and a contractor, he’d been hired by her eldest brother to help renovate this old abandoned warehouse and turn it into a functional, practical structure that included office spaces on the second floor and luxurious living quarters for her, Maddux, and Hunter on the levels above that. Despite the fact that she’d worked directly with Remy on the various concepts for her own apartment, he’d been all business and clearly not interested in women on any level after his ex-wife’s betrayal.
His structural designs had been unique, precise, and well thought out, and Tempest always knew that when she was ready to hire someone to bring her ideas for Wilder Things to life, which was only months away, she wanted Lowell Construction to be that company. It didn’t hurt that the owner was a delicious piece of man candy she wanted to take a bite out of—albeit one who was a bit rough around the edges despite the formal tuxedo that molded to his well-built frame. From what Tempest had seen and knew of Remy, he was a man who thrived on manual labor and was far more relaxed in worn jeans, a T-shirt with his company’s logo, and steel-toed boots layered in dust.
He always wore his dark brown hair longer than most professionals yet somehow managed to pull off a disheveled style that was sexy as hell. She often daydreamed about what it would feel like to run her fingers through those thick, silky strands or watch as those intense blue eyes of his darkened in the throes of passion while doing dirty, sinful things to her with those big, work-roughened palms of his.
A naughty smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she strolled closer. Yeah, it was a hot fantasy she’d had about him a time or two—or a dozen—and just thinking about having that wicked mouth on her body or those calloused hands caressing between her thighs made her more than a little breathless. He was, quite possibly, that male unicorn she’d been searching for . . . if it wasn’t for the fact that he kept himself so unattainable.
Three years ago, he’d been clearly jaded by one woman in particular, and while Tempest still found him a bit closed off and guarded emotionally—not to mention being oblivious to the appreciative and interested female glances being cast his way—the brusque, brooding man she’d originally met had thawed a bit over time. At least now when she saw him with Maddux in the MadX-Tech offices discussing other business and she stopped by to say hello, their conversation was warmer and much friendlier. There had even been a few times she’d enticed a slow, sexy smile out of him with her not-so-subtle flirtatious overtures.
Now, the mutual attraction was undeniably there between them, even if Remy did nothing to acknowledge the awareness or act upon their growing chemistry. The man had an impressive amount of willpower.
The amusing thought ran through her mind just as he downed the last of his drink and set it on the bar, then casually turned his head in her direction. As soon as he saw her heading his way, the bland, neutral look on his face momentarily changed, revealing that flicker of interest he tried so hard to keep from slipping past his collected composure whenever she was around. But for a brief moment, his attraction to her did emerge in the appreciative way his gaze slid down the length of her body, taking in her curves displayed by the formfitting gown she was wearing.
A muscle in his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, as if he was fighting off just how much she appealed to him, and by the time she was only a few feet away and his eyes reached hers again, he’d managed to school his expression. An amicable smile tipped up the corners of his made-for-sin mouth, and for now, she let him fall back on the pretense of being cordial and friendly and pretending the desire between them didn’t exist.
But she knew better, and so did he—whether he’d admit it or not.
Remy stood by the bar, sipping on an after-dinner drink while the guests at the ball gravitated toward the evening’s entertainment. God, he was beyond ready to blow this joint.
He was all about supporting the Wilder Way Foundation, a worthwhile organization that was focused on helping kids living in poverty and low-income situations by offering scholarships, mentorship programs, and other educational classes that gave them the tools they needed to succeed. He’d once been one of those destitute youths struggling to change their lives, and he knew what it was like to face adversity. And because there had been no charitable organization around to give him any kind of advantages as a teenager, it was even more important to him to donate to the cause in hopes of helping someone else’s future.
He could have just written a check and done without attending the whimsical ball, but out of respect for his good friend Maddux—who’d pretty much saved his company from ruin after his ex-wife had sucked him dry financially in their divorce—he’d made the effort to put in an appearance in show of his support. He’d made requisite small talk with acquaintances and business associates, spent an agonizing dinner between two women who kept vying for his attention and he had zero interest in, and he’d even helped to drive up the bid on a rare piece of signed sports memorabilia at the silent auction. He’d been outbid and wouldn’t win the memento, but the charity would definitely benefit from the astronomical price.
So, as far as Remy was concerned, he’d fulfilled his obligations and put in his time. He was more of a lone wolf than a social butterfly, and lavish parties were not his thing, let alone a black-tie affair that had forced him to rent a tuxedo since he didn’t own one.
And the frivolous theme for the night’s festivities? He exhaled on a dry, cynical laugh. In his experience, fairy tales and happily ever afters were nothing but an illusion. All smoke and mirrors that obscured the truth that real life, as Remy well knew, was filled with hard knocks, emotional upheaval, and tragic, heartbreaking lessons he wasn’t about to repeat.
Yeah, it was time to leave. He tossed back the last of his drink and set his empty glass on the bar, then turned his head to gauge if he could slip out unnoticed . . . and felt his entire body tighten with awareness when he saw Tempest Wilder heading his way. He’d seen her throughout the evening flitting about with guests and her brother Hunter, but now she’d seemed to set her sights on him, and it took genuine effort to keep his attraction to her at bay.
He’d always thought she was a strikingly beautiful woman, but tonight, she was absolutely stunning in a scarlet-red gown—so appropriate to her name and bold personality—that showcased every seductive curve of her luscious body. The plunging neckline displayed a mouthwatering amount of cleavage, and the material of her dress clung to her firm breasts, the indentation of her waist, and the flare of her hips. He already knew that the back of her gown was cut low, exposing an expanse of smooth, silky-looking skin—and revealing the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. And then there was that thigh-high slit running up the front of the dress that gave him a glimpse of her toned, slender leg with every other step she took in those fuck-me heels.
And God, the woman had long, incredible legs. The kind that induced fantasies of having them wrapped high and tight around his waist as she arched against his driving thrusts and moaned his name when she came.
Fuck. He tightened his jaw as his dick stirred at the arousing thought, just as it always did when he imagined what it would be like to have Tempest pinned beneath him as he finally slaked three years of growing, burning lust in that sweet body of hers. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t given him enough seductive signals for him to know that she was just as interested, and her flirtatious behavior definitely made it difficult for him to keep resisting her.
But resist this gorgeous, enticing creature he would. For one thing, she was seven years younger than him—the epitome of a princess who undoubtedly saw the world through pretty, rose-colored glasses compared to Remy’s more jaded experiences and views. And more importantly, her brother had become a very good friend, and Remy owed Maddux for the overwhelming success of his construction company after his divorce had left him near destitute, not to mention his own psy
che damaged.
Out of respect for his friend, he wasn’t about to mess around with Maddux’s baby sister. And that’s all it ever could be—a no-strings hookup. Dating, let alone any kind of relationship, wasn’t on his radar after being duped, rejected, and royally fucked over by his ex-wife. Literally and figuratively.
All that said, it had been three years since he’d been with a woman. By conscious choice, because he’d chosen to spend all his time rebuilding his business and cultivating the high-profile clients Maddux had sent his way. And while he knew remaining celibate forever wasn’t a viable option, he wasn’t about to touch a woman who could potentially shatter him again. He already knew Tempest Wilder had the ability to get under his skin, to make him want things that weren’t meant to be his, and he was better off keeping things between them platonic.
But Jesus, that knowing, inviting smile of hers—the one currently curving her full, lush lips as she came closer—tempted the hot-blooded man inside of him that desired her.
“Hello, Remy,” she said in greeting when she finally reached him.
“Tempest,” he replied with a cordial nod.
She cocked her head playfully to the side, momentarily drawing his gaze to the way she’d swept her dark hair into an intricate style that was held together with crystal and pearl pins. The elegant updo left her shoulders and slender neck bare, emphasizing the pair of sparkling ruby earrings hanging from her lobes.
“Dare I say you look like you’re about to bolt for the exit,” she said, a light accusation in her tone.
He inhaled a deep breath—big mistake—because the scent of her soft, feminine perfume went straight to his dick. It took effort to remain outwardly unaffected, and for her, he allowed a smile to ease across his lips. “Guilty as charged.” He planned on doing exactly that as soon as she went on her way.
