by J. S. Scott
I chuckled because I couldn’t help myself. “I don’t think we’re going under anytime soon.” Walker was thriving, even without the new alternative energy investments I was adding.
“I’m going to need you to help me pick out a dress. I have no idea what to wear.”
I drank in the sight of her casually dressed, her gorgeous hair cascading down her back. Hell, I wouldn’t mind if she went in a pair of jeans and a colorful sweater. She looked breathtaking. But I knew she’d feel out of place if she wasn’t dressed appropriately. “Where were you headed?”
“The grocery store. My cupboards are bare.”
Mine weren’t exactly stocked, either. I’d never bothered to hire anyone to cook or shop because I was rarely at home. “I’ll go with you. Since you keep refusing to eat with me, I need to stock up. We can look at dresses on the way.”
Right on cue, her stomach growled, and she put a hand over it with a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I skipped lunch.”
“Tonight, I’m feeding you,” I grumbled. I was going to get her some dinner, whether she wanted that or not.
“I—”
“Don’t argue,” I insisted.
“I was just going to say that I’m starving. Can we eat first?”
I smiled as I took her jacket and held it out for her to slip into. “Food first,” I agreed readily. Hell, I’d probably agree to almost anything since I was finally getting Paige to spend time with me.
Maybe it was still a mystery why I was so attracted to her, but I wasn’t going to fight it anymore. I was the kind of guy who liked to solve enigmas and puzzles. Usually, I liked to tackle problems that needed an answer, but I couldn’t exactly say Paige was a problem. But the challenge of figuring her out was just as exhilarating.
I inhaled her tempting, light, floral scent that had always lured me to get closer to her. As I gently lifted the silky mass of hair out of her jacket, I smiled broader when I realized that the cock-hardening aroma had to be her shampoo when the fragrance became just a little bit stronger as her hair sprung free. Jesus, I was sporting wood just from the smell of her fucking hair? It took every bit of control I had not to bury my face in the dark locks, pin her ass against the wall and nail her until I was sane again.
“Thanks,” she murmured, taking over the job of flipping the hair from under her jacket as she moved away. “Don’t you have a jacket?”
“In the car,” I answered huskily, still not over my urge to let my caveman instincts take over control and nail her right there against her apartment wall.
I opened the door and stepped out of the apartment, letting her lock up. Problem was, I wanted more from Paige than just a fuck. For some reason, she intrigued me, and if I wanted to spend time figuring her out, I’d have to be patient. Funny, but I’d never really had the desire to get to know a woman all that well. Most of my adult life had been filled with endless parties, and I realized I’d never met a woman who really wanted to get to know me, either.
I fucked.
I drank.
I got high.
And I tried to forget that my dad had died much too soon, and my younger brother was scarred emotionally and physically for life.
Now my obsession was my company, which was probably a much healthier occupation than being a full-time player, and a hell of a lot more fun. But being with Trace, living in the real world where most people actually had to work hard to get ahead, I had to face the fact that I’d been an asshole almost all of my adult life. It wasn’t an easy thing to admit.
“You okay?” Paige asked hesitantly as we rode the elevator down to the first floor.
I pulled myself from my own thoughts. “Yeah. Why?”
“You look so serious,” she observed.
“And you think that’s unusual for me?” I asked, the question coming out slightly defensive.
She frowned. “I didn’t say that.”
“But you think that,” I grumbled.
“Actually, I don’t believe everything people say. We all do different things for different reasons. You work hard now, and that’s all that matters. You’re obviously brilliant, smart enough to start this new division at Walker.”
“Believe me, I was everything people talk about. I was rarely sober, and more often than not, I was as high as a kite. I moved from one party to another without a single damn thought about my brothers or what they were going through. I’d say that made me a pretty selfish man. Mostly, I avoided Trace because I knew he’d give me a lecture about growing up.”
“Then why did you finally grow up?”
Really, I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do,” she argued.
“Trace, Dane, and I were all together last Christmas. I guess I finally realized what I’d given up to stay in a useless atmosphere with no real family or friends.” It had been a sobering moment when I finally admitted that I hated my life. “After the accident that killed my dad and was nearly fatal for my younger brother, I ran away like a coward. I wasn’t there for Trace or Dane.”
“Everybody handles grief differently. You were young,” Paige ventured.
“No excuses. It was a selfish thing to do. Trace could have used my help. He was young, too. And Dane definitely needed someone to be around for him.”
“Did he? Did he really? I read that he lives on a private island. That doesn’t sound like a guy who really wants company.”
“I could have tried.” There was truth to what Paige was saying. Dane had wanted solitude, and he’d found it. To this day, he didn’t talk much about the accident that had nearly taken his life.
Paige was quiet as she followed me out to my car. I disarmed the security system and unlocked the door, holding it open to let her get in before I closed her door and settled myself in the driver’s seat.
“What kind of billionaire drives an SUV?” she teased.
I put on my seatbelt and started the engine. “The kind of guy who moves from Texas to Colorado. And it’s not just an SUV. It’s a Porsche turbo with five-hundred and seventy horse power.”
“Impressive,” she answered sarcastically. “I guess I just never pictured you as an SUV kind of guy.”
“Because I’m a rich asshole?” Okay. Yeah. I was a little disgruntled because she still seemed to see me as a frivolous dick.
“No. Not because of that at all. You just seem to be the type of man who likes to go fast.”
I wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but I decided to take it as one. “Zero to sixty in under four seconds, even if it is a crossover.”
I looked at her and shot her a cocky grin.
She smiled back at me before she said, “Don’t let your past define you. I think we all have regrets for things we’ve done.”
“Even you?”
“Especially me,” she admitted quietly.
I wanted to ask her more, find out what in the hell she could have ever done that she regretted. For a woman her age, she seemed to have everything figured out. Yeah, it was evident that she was hiding herself from the world. But she was hyper-focused on her career, and pretty damn accomplished. I wanted to ask her what she meant, but when I saw the closed expression on her face, I decided not to push.
“Okay. Time to show you how fast this SUV can go,” I decided.
I gunned the engine as I pulled out of the parking lot. When I hit the freeway, I proved my point by showing her just how quickly the vehicle could hit the speed limit.
I expected her to lecture me about being more cautious, but in those moments, I learned that Paige really did have an adventurous side.
She didn’t ask me to slow down.
She didn’t act afraid.
She didn’t say anything coherent at all.
In fact, my chest ached just a little as we sped toward one of my favorite rest
aurants because Paige Rutledge did something I’d never heard her do.
She let out a squeal of delighted laughter that I knew would stay with me for a very long time.
CHAPTER 5
Paige
This was a gigantic mistake!
That negative thought had run over and over again in my mind all day. And now, as I was looking back at myself in the full-length mirror on my closet door, I was doubting my judgment even more.
What in the hell was I doing in a burgundy-colored cocktail dress that made me look like I belonged in a world I had no business entering? Certainly, someday I might be required to attend a few charity functions for Walker if I was able to fight my way up the corporate ladder, but I was still far from being on their guest list.
Fidgeting with one of the lacy sleeves on the over-the-top dress I was wearing, I shuddered as I recalled the price of the gown. Sebastian had hauled me into one of the priciest stores in the city to choose appropriate evening wear, and I’d hastily tried on the first few that caught my eye.
Unfortunately, they’d also been the costliest, a fact I hadn’t noticed until we headed to the check-out.
I turned around with a critical glance, admitting that I looked presentable. Hell, how could I not be? The dress was exquisite, with intricate details that would lure any unsuspecting female to try it on. It had certainly drawn me to it when I’d been looking around for something that caught my eye in the store. The cocktail length was perfect, and the silky material brushed lovingly against my calves as I moved. The top was more fitted, with intricate lace and silver beads adorning my shoulders and arms. I’d slipped on the elegant, silver heels to get the full picture.
“I can do this. I can do this,” I murmured to myself, straightening my shoulders as I surveyed the upswept style of my annoying hair, held firmly in place with silver clips.
I’d done a complete makeup job, something I never bothered to do. Usually, I was brutal about pulling back my slippery, straight hair so it would hold for the day, and I did very light makeup—if I did any at all. While I was in law school, messing with cosmetics and primping was a waste of valuable study time. I’d threatened to chop off my hair to make things easier about a thousand times, but Kenzie had always talked me out of it, telling me how gorgeous my silky straight hair was, and how it would be a shame to whack it all off.
Now, I wished I had one of those sleek, short styles so I’d look a little more sophisticated and worldly.
Unfortunately, I was forced to work with what I had.
I closed the closet door, tired of wishing I could be something I wasn’t. When had that happened?
I was focused.
I was driven.
I wasn’t caught up in vanity to look more appealing.
“Sebastian,” I said to myself with a sigh.
The truth was…I didn’t want to disappoint him, or have anybody doubt that I could be a woman he was romantically interested in. I’d started out agreeing to this farce because I wanted to be loyal to my employer. But I also needed to admit that I wanted Sebastian Walker to get the deal he was working so hard to arrange. That particular wish was more personal than business.
I couldn’t help but notice how hard he worked, and how much he longed to leave his old life behind. He wanted to prove himself, and I could relate to all of those things. Maybe that was why I felt so drawn to him sometimes, and why every once in a while, I was pretty damn tempted to take him up on his offer to have dinner together.
Luckily, I’d never crumbled during one of those weak moments when I felt we actually had something in common.
But I couldn’t say I hadn’t been tempted.
Spending time with him the night before had been dangerously fun, but I could rationalize that as business. I was simply helping him out because Walker needed to acquire this property. But really, I knew deep inside that I wanted to help Sebastian follow his dream.
He was intelligent, and his passion for alternative energy made me admire him as a person. From what he’d said last night, the money meant very little to him. His concern was more about the future of the planet.
I scooped up my clutch purse as I made my way into the small living room of my apartment carefully, reminding myself it had been years since I’d worn heels quite as high as the pair Sebastian had insisted I buy to match my dress.
I’d drawn the line at buying a new jacket or jewelry. It was too personal, and I’d probably never wear the gorgeous dress again.
I perched on the edge of the couch to put on my great grandmother’s earrings, a gift from my mother on my eighteenth birthday. Her mother had given them to her daughter when she’d become an adult, and my mom had followed the same tradition. They weren’t expensive, but the vintage sterling silver chandelier design dangled elegantly, and it was the nicest pair I owned. To me, the earrings were priceless because they’d been in my family for four generations now.
My chest ached as I put on the second earring after brushing my finger over it lightly, having a melancholy moment as I grieved for the relationship I’d had with my parents when my mom had gifted me the set.
Since the catastrophic event that had changed my life in my last year of undergraduate work, I hadn’t spoken to either one of my parents. Every year, there was a Christmas card. Every birthday brought a similar card. But other than that, we hadn’t communicated.
It’s been over five years.
My chest tightened, my separation from my parents almost unbearable for a brief moment as I remembered how much I missed them, even after the years that had passed.
It still hurts so damn much, almost as much as it had when we’d first parted ways.
Putting a hand over my heart, I tried to calm my rapid, staccato breathing, something I hadn’t even been aware of a few moments ago as I’d let myself get caught up in memories.
“Stop! You’re a grown adult. You made the decision because you felt you had to,” I reminded myself angrily, forcing myself to recall the reason why my parents and I were estranged.
I couldn’t and wouldn’t look back now.
The doorbell jerked me out of my reflections, and I took a couple of final deep breaths to calm myself before walking to the door and opening it for Sebastian.
I guess there are a few moments in life where words simply can’t be formed—and I knew I was experiencing one of those rare times when I was rendered speechless.
Sebastian was casually leaning against the doorframe, his right hand in the pocket of his tuxedo pants, looking like he owned the whole damn world and everything in it. It wasn’t arrogance; it was simply his virile, confident demeanor. He didn’t have a sandy lock of hair out of place, and he was breathtakingly gorgeous in a black tux. Obviously, he was comfortable in the attire, and it showed in his confident stance and the relaxed grin he was sporting as his eyes moved slowly over me, doing a double take as he scrutinized my appearance again.
“Jesus, Paige,” he finally said huskily as he straightened and walked through the open door. “You look absolutely stunning.”
I rolled my eyes at him. Maybe there was still a little bit of playboy left inside the man in front of me. “You have to say that. I’m the only date you’ve got.”
After closing the door, I hurried over to get my best wool coat off the sofa.
“You’re the only one I want,” he answered in a sexy baritone that almost made me believe him. Almost…but not quite.
Nevertheless, I felt a spark of heat slither down my spine and then land squarely between my thighs as I sensed his eyes were still watching me. My body always reacted to Sebastian, while my rational mind wanted to run away as warning bells screeched through my brain. I suppose the complete opposite reactions of my brain and my body weren’t really all that strange.
Sebastian was hot. Probably the most agonizingly handsome guy I’d ever seen. I’m pretty
sure any female would have to be married or dead not to notice him. However, I was a woman who had learned to let my brain figure out what was good for me, and it was definitely on high alert every time I saw him.
My treacherous body had a totally different response.
“This is business, remember?” I tried not to react to his musky, masculine scent that still contained a tantalizing hint of butterscotch as he helped me into my jacket.
Usually, I’d probably flip off any guy who did the old-fashioned things that Sebastian did. My womanhood would probably be annoyed if a man thought I was so helpless that I couldn’t open my own car door, or put my jacket on by myself.
Surprisingly, it didn’t bother me at all. Sebastian did it so effortlessly and subconsciously that it was difficult to take offense. Good manners had obviously been taught to him at a young age, and I wasn’t even sure he was aware that he was being politely old fashioned. Or maybe this was just the way things were done in his world. Either way, it was actually kind of…pleasant. The gestures felt more respectful than chauvinistic.
“Screw business for just a minute, will you?” he replied gruffly. “Give a guy a minute to appreciate a beautiful woman.”
Finally, I turned around and saw the heated look in his eyes, surprised by the very real expression of a man who finds a woman attractive. “I’m not beautiful. My freshman fifteen was actually an undergrad twenty that I never did manage to lose. My lips are a little too big for my face, and my nose is too small. My hair is so straight and fine that I can’t do much to fix it. My breasts are barely average, and my ass is too big.” Really, those last two things were probably the most important.
“Bullshit!” Sebastian’s expression changed to one of displeasure. “You’re fucking perfect. If you weren’t, my dick wouldn’t be so hard it’s almost painful every time I see you. And what the hell kind of fragrance do you use in your hair anyway? It’s like a damn aphrodisiac.”
I stared at him in complete confusion. “I use shampoo.”
“Cock-hardening shampoo,” he shot back accusingly.
