I pulled out my laptop. “Sorry that I’m not the one who wants to sit on your lap, but I’m sure Gwen’s around here somewhere.” I eyed him humorlessly.
His jaw clenched, and he exhaled through his nose. We didn’t speak further. The rest of the group joined our tension-filled abrasiveness. A few minutes later, he got started.
Each meeting went the same way. I walked in, we ignored each other while being cordial around everyone else in the room and left without saying a word. By the third and final meeting of the day, we had perfected the fake relationship. He would make corny jokes directed at me, then I would give the most disingenuous laugh I could muster. He’d give me a small, exasperated eye roll and moved on.
I was texting Yvette when everyone got up to leave. Finishing my conversation about where we’d meet for the company party, I looked up and found David and I were alone again. He was leaning on the table across from me, staring me down.
“You’re one of the most infuriating women I’ve ever met,” he said, his tone laced with exasperation.
I straightened in my seat. “Why? Because I won’t join your list of available nobodies just so I can sleep with you? Or because I won’t fawn all over you because you’re the CEO? I told you, if you want that, go find Gwen.” I nodded towards the door.
“Farren, nothing happened.”
“How stupid do you think I am?” I spat.
“Yes, she kissed me. No, I didn’t push her away immediately. Yes, I’m wrong for that. But since then, there’s been little interaction between us that wasn’t about work. It’s not like you and me…” He trailed off and put his hands on his hips, then ran a hand through his hair. “Why am I even explaining myself to you?”
“Good question. Why are you?” I fumed and glared at him. He turned to me again with no words or explanation. I pushed my chair back fiercely and stood. I shoved my laptop in my bag and threw it over my shoulder. As I left the room, the glass door rattled against the wall with my rage.
I went to my room and fell onto the bed, screaming into my pillow, letting my annoyance explode. I shouldn’t have cared what he did and with whom he did it. And I definitely shouldn’t have let him get to me like this.
I got up and went into the bathroom to turn on the shower. My suitcase lay on the floor by the door. I opened it and forcefully rummaged through the clothes. The amount of fury traveling through my body led me to what I was looking for. I took it out and hung it on the door.
Yvette texted me an hour later, asking where I was. I looked at my phone while in the elevator, then put it back in my purse. The buffet dinner for the company was outside by the pool. There were standing tables, a bar, and subtle Ranchera music playing in the background. I walked around the first floor until I saw the employees gathered together.
I hadn’t worn these heels for almost a year, and my feet were letting me know my need to make David fall to his knees wasn’t appreciated. My reflection in the window said everything was perfect on the outside, regardless of how I felt on the inside. I pushed the door open.
Gentlemen in head-to-toe white-linen outfits manned the buffet tables, and a tall, gorgeous woman served as the bartender. Low blue lights highlighted the palm trees in the distance, and there were torches lit all around for additional lighting and heat. Every employee dressed better than a typical day at work, but I was determined to outdo them all.
A light breeze kissed my skin as I walked towards where my associates mingled. I scanned the crowd for Yvette and Trevor. Instead, I found David. He stood a good fifty feet away from me, surrounded by a few men and Gwen. His eyes traveled down my body, and his mouth parted. When his stare returned to my face, his Adam’s apple dipped. The desire in his eyes was clear. Gwen followed his stare and watched me too. I smirked at her, then faced away from them.
I sauntered over to Yvette, standing at a table alone.
“Well, there you are.” Yvette looked past my shoulder in David’s direction, then leaned in. “Aren’t you glad I made you bring her?”
“She does make an impression, doesn’t she?” I winked at her and chuckled.
“Bitch, you look amazing!” Trevor said and hugged me.
I laughed. “Thank you.”
“I’ll go get you a drink. Whatcha want?” Trevor asked.
I shrugged. “Surprise me.”
“Okay! I like this new you.” He walked away smiling.
“You realize he’s going to come back with something that’ll put you on your ass.” Yvette took a sip of her wine.
“I’ll regret it tomorrow, I’m sure.”
Yvette’s eyes flickered behind me. “Speaking of which, is your ass burning?”
I looked at her quizzically.
“Powers’s eyes are glued to you.”
I grabbed her water and took a sip. “He’ll get over it.” I had accomplished my mission. It was petty, but it felt good.
Yvette looked up. “And now he’s on his way over. You should see the look on Gwen’s face. This is better than cable.”
I laughed.
“Should I leave?” she asked.
“Nope,” I said.
She chuckled. “I don’t know where this Farren has been, but I like her.”
I felt David behind me before he even approached the table. I looked down at my black painted nails until he was next to me.
“Good evening, Yvette.” His voice was pleasant but cautious.
She smiled at him. “Mr. Powers.”
“David, please.”
He turned and stared at me. “Farren.”
I glanced at him, then looked elsewhere. “David.”
“Can I get you a drink?” he asked.
Trevor came back and set something in front of me. It looked strong, but the scent was sweet. There was an orange peel at the bottom.
I picked up my drink. “No, thank you.” I walked away and eyed Yvette. She smirked at me.
David exhaled, then tried to recover by making small talk with Yvette and Trevor. My smile grew wider. Achieving the exact reaction I wanted from David tempted me to leave right then and there. I wanted him to be as frustrated as I was.
I walked to the edge of the pool and took a sip. The sour liquor hit me hard. I tried not to cough, but I couldn’t keep my face from contorting.
“Trevor’s trying to kill me,” I whispered to myself, looking at the glass.
David came up behind me. “Okay, you win. I’m now chasing you around the party,” he said, annoyed.
I kept my eyes forward. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”
He moved to my side. “Evidently, that doesn’t matter.” He softened.
I closed my eyes. “What do you want, David?”
He leaned closer. “I just want to talk to you,” he begged.
“So…talk.” I moved away, taking another sip and immediately regretting it.
He chuckled. “I don’t think that’s the right drink for you.”
I tried to straighten my face but couldn’t. “I don’t care what you think.” I coughed a few times.
He faced me. “Really?” He nodded at the glass in my hand. “Then take another sip.”
I looked down at the dark liquor, furrowed my brow, and shook my head. I hated it.
He handed me his glass. “Here.”
I carefully let the liquid hit my tongue, delighted to find cucumber water instead of alcohol. I looked at him confused.
“Not a good idea to drink a lot in a foreign country around your employees.” He smirked at me. I drank more.
“You wanted to talk, so talk.” I tried to hand him back the glass.
“Keep it.” He exhaled.
“Let me guess, you’re finding me infuriating again.” I looked away.
“No, I’m finding you irresistible and sexy as hell, which is worse.”
I found his eyes and whispered, “Why is it worse?”
He moved closer. “Because you’re right. You want something I can’t give you. But that hasn’t stopp
ed anything for me, Farren. It hasn’t stopped me from thinking about you. Or wanting you.” The fire from the torches matched the blazing in his eyes.
“I’m sure you’ll get over it.” I began to walk away when he grabbed my hand. I looked at him.
“What if I don’t want to?” The intensity in his voice made all the air release out of my lungs. The wanting he had for me right then was electric and sent a shiver through my body, reminding me of how I felt when he kissed me for the first time in my hallway.
He glanced around and let go, then locked eyes with me again. The passion between us had been kicked up to one hundred with one touch.
His admission that the outfit and my playing coy worked was satisfying, albeit stupid on my part. I was no better than Gwen. I was trying to lull him into wanting me for no good goddamn reason. I couldn’t intensely like this man without having to worry about all the women in front of or behind me. And I definitely couldn’t fall in love with him, because it was impossible for him to love me back.
I couldn’t stand here with him without completely ruining the defenses I had built up in my head. I turned away and double-timed it towards the hotel.
My room remained unlit as I opened the balcony door. I didn’t turn on any lights as I moved outside. I glanced at David’s cucumber water still in my hand, then slid it on the table. I fell into the chair behind me, and it scraped against the cement patio. The black ocean was peaceful but mysterious, and the sea salt air helped me calm down.
My purse vibrated against the glass table. I took out my phone and answered. “Hey.”
“Where’d you go?” Yvette asked.
“I can’t do this, Yvette,” I admitted, my voice shaky.
“Can’t do what?”
“With Powers, I can’t.” I tried to hold back the tears.
She sighed. “I’m sorry, honey. I don’t know what to say.”
I swallowed and nodded. I didn’t know what to say either.
“If it makes you feel any better, Powers left right after you did.”
“With or without Gwen?” I tried to laugh.
“Oh, don’t worry. She’s down here sulking.” Music played in the background. “Did you want me to come up?”
“No, Yvette. Have a good time. Make sure Trevor doesn’t get into any trouble. I’ll see you at one of the many meetings I have tomorrow, I’m sure.”
“Okay, try to get some sleep. It’ll be better tomorrow.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
The phone made a rumble on the table when I dropped it. I stood and leaned on the railing. The peace was nice, but it made my thoughts deafening. The push-and-pull with David was beyond annoying. I needed to make a change.
Either my career or my feelings for him.
Leaving Imperium because of David was ridiculous. I would not allow a man to hinder a job I worked so hard for. But that only left one thing to do. Get. Over. Him.
I tried to distract myself with social media. I tried to go to sleep with low music in the background, but I wasn’t tired. I was restless. I needed something physical to do. What I wouldn’t do for a batting cage.
When the clock read close to two in the morning, I got up and went through my suitcase, finding my swimsuit. Yvette packed a lavender bikini and a white one-piece that showed more than it covered. I threw it on, stretching it to cover the important parts.
I left the room with my robe and slippers, and my towel draped over my arm. Pushing the doors open to the outside, I walked towards the pool’s rippling water and inhaled the chlorine. The only sounds were the wind blowing across the palm trees and the ocean waves crashing in the distance.
My self-consciousness caused me to look around as I removed my robe and set it on the table nearby. I kicked off my slippers and decided I wouldn’t use the stairs to inch in. I needed a jolt to my system to help me think straight.
I walked to the edge and dove in headfirst, thankful to find the pool was heated. The water hugged my body as I flowed under, then came up, smoothing my hands over my hair to make sure it was out of my face. Immediately, I felt better, and my body relaxed. I floated on my back, then went into a backstroke, moving towards where I had jumped in. I sunk the top of my head farther into the water to make sure I wouldn’t hit the wall when I found two hazel eyes.
“Hi.”
I stopped moving and turned around violently to face my visitor. The sound of the water splashing in my haste was loud. I stood, the top half of my torso dripping. The light breeze dropped my body temperature by at least ten degrees.
His sideways grin was just above the water. He was leaning against the wall, watching me pant due to the shock of seeing him there. Those ridiculously perfect eyes traveled down my suit.
I lowered my body under the water again. “What the hell are you doing down here?” I moved backwards, trying to keep my distance.
“Couldn’t sleep,” David answered. “You?”
I lowered my voice. “I just needed to get out of my room.” I looked around. “Are you alone?”
He furrowed his brow. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means, do you have a girl down here with you, David?” I didn’t hide my irritation.
He scoffed. “It’s unbelievable what you think of me. I have to have a woman with me at all times, right? I’m just that big of an asshole that I can’t stand to be alone. Don’t believe everything you read, Farren.” He looked away from me and shook his head.
Amid all my feelings for David, the playboy label was never far from my mind. In my head, David was never with just one singular woman. Multiple came and went from his presence with persistence and consistency. I never once thought of him alone in his bed every night.
“You’re right,” I admitted. “I was assuming again.”
He looked at me. “You want the truth?”
I hesitated but nodded.
“I haven’t seen anyone since I saw you at Gianelli’s. And surprise, surprise, I didn’t sleep with Aurora that night either.”
I looked down. “What about the woman who met you at the office after-hours?”
“You mean my sister, Allison?” There was irritation in his voice. “Hate to disappoint you, but I’m not into incest either.”
I closed my eyes and whispered, “Shit.”
“So, Ms. Hallston, it appears you’ve had more sex than I have in these last few months. How about that?” he said sarcastically.
For a moment, I felt ashamed of my behavior. I had lumped David into a category that wasn’t fair to him. I was still pissed he’d kissed Gwen, but he wasn’t everything I had made him out to be in my imagination. I expected him to be the worst kind of man-whore.
I moved forward. “David, I’m sorry. I really am. It’s just when you said you didn’t want a commitment with anyone, in my head, you were this guy who slept with anyone. And after Gwen—”
“I didn’t start that.”
“I know, but you stayed in her apartment.”
He exhaled. “She was drunk, Farren. I didn’t want to just drop her off. But I gave her the wrong impression, and that’s my fault.” He shifted his stance to adjust his trunks. When he stood up and revealed his hard chest and abs, I tried not to gaze for too long before he sunk back down.
I focused on the water. “You’ve never eaten a doughnut in your life, have you?”
That broke his seriousness for a moment. He laughed when I smiled at him.
I sighed. “I am sorry.”
He relaxed and softened a little. “I’ve been trying to explain this to you—”
I held my hand out to him. “It doesn’t change anything, David,” I interrupted.
He searched my eyes. “Why doesn’t it?”
“You’ve been consistent with one thing, and that’s not wanting to be tied down. And I don’t blame you at all for that, it’s how you choose to live. There’s no written rule that says you have to be monogamous. But it’s a part of my rules.”
He pushed h
imself off the wall and came towards me, like a shark approaching its prey. “So, I can’t change my mind?”
“Stop,” I commanded.
“You were the one that said if I wanted to get better at something, I needed to practice.”
“David,” I warned.
“What?” He kept moving.
I moved backwards, holding my finger up to him. “It’s two in the morning, we’re both semi-naked, and there’s no one around.”
He slowed, but he kept inching closer. “Do you doubt your self-control?”
I exhaled, not taking my eyes off him. “Around you? Yes.”
His smirk appeared. I circled back to where he had come from and moved towards the stairs.
He turned and watched me. “What if I said I was willing to try?”
I stopped and faced him. “Try what?”
“Just dating one woman.” He licked his bottom lip before sneaking towards me again.
“Who?” I breathed.
He laughed. “I was thinking it should be you, but if you have another suggestion…” He moved closer. “Someone a little less stubborn,” he was only a foot away from me, “less challenging. Actually, I like the challenging part.” He reached me and pulled me to him by my arm. His hands were on my hips, holding me. “A little less stunning, especially in that black jumpsuit.” His gorgeous eyes bore into mine. “How could you do that to me?” he whispered.
“What?” I whispered back. I put my hands on his cool shoulders as I ran the tip of my nose against his.
His lips brushed mine and frustration covered his face. “Look like that and not let me touch you.”
I gave in and melted into David Powers’s kiss. The hollow feeling gave way to temporary elation. It was short-lived because of the voice in the back of my head yelling at me. “A playboy doesn’t just stop being a playboy!” He could be lying about not seeing anyone these past months. I had no way to verify. And why me? Why would he throw away his entire way of life for someone who worked for him?
The part of my brain that wanted to see him naked told me to shut up and enjoy this. For now, I agreed. But questions would need answering before I believed any of this was real.
David wrapped my legs around him and inched me to the stairs of the pool on his lap. His hands moved behind me and up to my neck. I should’ve been cold, but with his warm body cradling me and his mouth on mine, it was like Nevada in July. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but my insides screamed for more of him.
The One of Many Page 13
