Fixated

by Scarlett Avery

  “I’d love one. I was going to grab a glass of water and a Cosmo martini before going out for a stroll in the gardens to cool down. The heat in here is a little much.”

  “Would you like some company?”

  “You mean to go outside?”

  I nod. “If you’d prefer to walk around on your own, I’d understand.”

  “No, not at all. I can’t believe I get to hang out with you again. You’re a blast to be with and I never expected to see you tonight. This really is a treat.”

  “It is for me too.”

  This evening is definitely becoming more interesting by the second. Seems like I won’t have to wait until Monday to taste Miranda’s lips.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Miranda

  While Hunter orders our drinks, I pull out my phone from my clutch and text my best friend to let her know I’m going for a walk outside. I don’t want her to worry if she looks around for me and can’t find me. It goes without saying I omit to tell her I connected with my Powerball. Before I could blink, she’d come running my way just to take a look at Hunter to see for herself if he does justice to the description Nikki shared earlier about the most coveted category of single men in LA. Since nothing is quite clear between Hunter and me, and let’s be honest, it’s an absolute fluke that I ran into him tonight, I’d rather play it safe. There’s no point in creating a false sense of hope just to be crushed later by brutal reality.

  That said, Hunter is making me drool all over myself. He looked amazing earlier when I met him at the market sporting a casual light blue t-shirt, tight-fitting black jeans and a pair of leather dark navy sneakers, but all dressed up in his sophisticated suit, he’s smoking hot. He’s Mr. Perfection from head to toe.

  It’s funny how that group of blonde groupies reacted to Collin and Shane. I guess I don’t get it because I’m not one of their adoring fans, but neither of them really do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, they’re both handsome men, but they don’t exude the same kind of energy Hunter does. Maybe I’m not comparing apples to apples because I spent more time with Hunter and I only met the Dennison brothers a few minutes ago. That said, it was obvious from the minute I laid eyes on Hunter yesterday at the restaurant that there’s something more about him. At Lola’s Paradise and at my catering gig, I’d meet hundreds of men every single day, but none of them caught my attention the way Hunter has.

  I take full advantage of the fact that his back is turned to me while he’s still waiting for the bartender to prepare our drinks to check him out shamelessly. Damn. I can’t find a single flaw with the man’s body—he’s very tall, strong, physically fit, his chest muscles popped out of his t-shirt earlier and even under his tailored suit. It’s impossible to hide how well defined his body is. The playfulness I read in his sexy mocha-colored eyes when he smiles is a huge turn-on and his thick eyelashes leave me weak in the knees. Don’t even get me started on his lips because that’ll only raise my body temperature and I’m already hot and bothered as is. He’s so easy-going. I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy I’ve enjoyed talking to this much.

  I’m completely lost in my thoughts because I don’t even realize when Hunter approaches me holding a tumbler and a Martini glass. “Hey, you.” His voice surprises me and I jolt. My reaction doesn’t go unnoticed. He smiles down at me. “What were you thinking about?” he asks and I blink up at his face.

  “Hmm, I was just wondering if there are as many people outside as there are inside,” I lie, hoping I’m not blushing too much.

  “Let’s go find out,” he says, handing me my drink. “After you, madam.” He extends his arm, inviting me to walk in front of him.

  When we arrive at the same set of glass French doors Kevin, Jessica and I entered a few hours ago, a bodyguard stops us by lifting his right hand like a traffic officer. “You two have your ID wristbands? Or else you won’t be able to get back inside.”

  “Yes, sir.” Hunter and I lift our left arms at the same time to prove we belong at this party.

  “Very well.” Satisfied, the bodyguard steps to the side and allows us to exit the building.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to think that all of these beefy bodyguards here tonight must work out at the same gym.” Hunter chuckles. “They’re all very tall, all muscle and they’re pretty menacing, if you ask me.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Even with my high heels I’m so short and I feel like I’m half their size.”

  “I’m six-five and I feel like they’re giants next to me. Let’s go through this way. There’s something I want to show you.” Hunter places his hand in the small of my back and the delightful warmth of the contact surprises me.

  “Wow,” I exclaim, unable to believe my eyes. “From the inside, you’d never think this place hides such an incredible little oasis.” I marvel as I look around me. Although it’s nighttime, the multiple lights brighten the area well enough to allow me to appreciate its beauty.

  “Hands down, my favorite part of this venue is the large and expansive gardens. They’re absolutely enchanting. The lush greenery creates intimate nooks perfect to spend a little quiet time with someone while the party is still raging in the background. When the DJ cranks up the music inside, we still can enjoy it out here. The outdoor speakers set the tone for a sultry night. The best part is that it isn’t nearly as loud as it is inside. You can actually hold a conversation out here, which can be very challenging in there,” he says, shifting his eyes back to the glass French doors.

  “You definitely sound like you’ve been here a few times.”

  “Yes. I’ve been to this venue many times for business and…” Hunter doesn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he stops walking. Intrigued by the fact he’s no longer moving or talking, I turn to face him. “And for fun,” he adds in a low voice.

  His last words are potent. I don’t know if I’m reading too much into it, but there seems to be much more than he’s willing to admit. He’s looking at me with those insanely intense eyes again. He pulls the sides of his lips up into a half smile as if he’s fully aware of the effect he has on me.

  As I rack my brain, desperately trying to come up with clever repartee, I hear excited cries and water splashing. “There’s a pool out here?” That’s the best I can come up with. He’s making me swoon way too much to think straight.

  “Oh, yeah, and from the sound of it, seems like it’s pretty busy. There’s always another party going on around the pool and in the gardens.”

  When we turn the corner, I realize it’s as crowded out here as it is inside. Beautiful people are either lounging around the pool in lounge chairs or playfully fighting in the water. The fit guys are wearing swim trunks while a bevy of skinny women are all wearing tiny nearly-there bikinis. Thank God I don’t have to expose myself that way.

  “Wow. This is way busier than I thought,” I confess, a little disappointed as I take in the crowd. Hunter takes a step forward and drops his tumbler on a table. I do the same with my empty Martini glass. “I was hoping by stepping outside I’d get away from all the madness, even temporarily. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying myself, but there are so many people.”

  He turns to face me. “I accompanied you out here because I thought you needed some fresh air. Had I known you were looking for a more quiet setting, I would’ve taken you to a more secluded spot. You asked earlier who you should complain to about the fact that I wasn’t one of the models?”

  I draw my eyebrows together. “Yes,” I answer carefully.

  “Care to join me upstairs? The designer is having a very intimate private party. I’m on the VIP list and I get to bring a guest. We can kill two birds with one stone—you get to voice your outrage to the top dog and we can also get away from all these crazy and loud partygoers. What do you say?”

  Oh, God, here I go being a little too cocky again. “I was joking when I said I intended on complaining.”

  Hunter takes a few steps forward, places his finger under my chin a
nd tilts my head back until our eyes meet. “What are you saying, Miranda? You’re no longer obsessed with my body?”

  Shit. This man’s touch is sure to make me melt. “You’re twisting my words,” I protest. I know it sounds feeble, but I don’t want him to know how attractive I find him. “I was merely appreciating how fit you are. Who said anything about me being obsessed?” Did I just admit that aloud? “I mean…” Crap. “You know what I mean.” I roll my eyes, defeated. There’s no way I’ll dig myself out of this one.

  “You’re adorable. I’m pulling your leg.” He smiles seductively. “What if I told you I didn’t get nearly enough of you earlier today and I’m dying to spend a little more time with you? Would you take me up on my offer?”

  I swallow hard. Jesus, he’s so direct. It was so easy to flirt like a vamp with my dance partner and I didn’t have a problem being sassy with the bartender because I knew things weren’t going to go any further with either of them. But this is different. Hunter has been on my mind all day. I can either chicken out like I always do with men or I can own it.

  “I would.” In a heartbeat.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Hunter

  The truth is I was hoping to take Miranda to a more isolated part of the gardens I’ve been to many times when I’ve attended events at the Hillcrest and wanted a little alone time with a hot babe. There’s a little hidden nook right behind the pool house with a nice sitting area. The pool house would’ve been ideal, but unfortunately, it’s locked at night. I know. I’ve tried many times in the past.

  When we came out and I saw that the party had spilled over outdoors, I needed a backup plan quick. In a stroke of genius, Rex’s invitation became my lifeline. I distinctly remember him talking about the multiple private sitting rooms located on the fifth floor.

  Damn. During our brief tour of the gardens I could only think of kissing the hell out of Miranda and groping her heavy tits with one hand while I finger-fuck her with the other. As sassy and spirited as she is, she doesn’t come across as an exhibitionist and the last thing I want is to scare her. Heck, who needs the scrutiny of risking being caught while making out outside when I can whisk this sexy lady in red to a more secluded area and have her all to myself?

  We walk in silence, hand in hand, as I weave my way through the crowd. From time to time I turn around to make sure she’s able to keep up with my long strides in her high heels and every time I meet her gaze, my cock stiffens. By the time we reach the room that leads to the fifth floor, all my good intentions about taking things slow with this girl go out the window. I want her way too much.

  Rex was right. The Brixton is deserted and it doesn’t take me long to spot Viola pacing across the room. When she sees me approaching, a knowing smile reveals she recognizes me. “Mr. Evans?”

  “You have a good memory,” I say.

  “You’re hard to forget. So it will be you and a guest joining us tonight?” she asks, moving her eyes away from mine.

  “Yes, this is my beautiful date for the evening, Miranda.”

  “Lucky girl.” Viola smiles at the petite woman clutching my hand. “If I weren’t married, I’d also be vying for your attention.” We all laugh. “Rex apologizes. He’s still in the middle of interviews with the international fashion press. To make up for his absence, he went ahead and reserved one of the sitting rooms for each guest. You’ll have access to the Tower Hill room for the rest of the evening. Each room is stocked with a full assortment of delicious hors d’oeuvres, a variety of tempting desserts, champagne, wine and liquors. Rex made sure that every guest is well taken care of. If there’s anything missing, please let me know.”

  “It’s too bad he’s missed his own party, but I understand his desire to want to strike while the iron is hot.”

  “The collection is a huge success with the European market, but it always has been. That said, the Russian market is the biggest buyer by far. Monique, one of Rex’s assistants, confirmed they’ve already placed an insane number of orders. Retailers there are going nuts with pre-orders. Since this is their first time attending one of Rex’s shows, we’re all blown away by the response. In other words, this evening is a big success.”

  “Sounds like it.” I nod.

  “If you’ll follow me, Mr. Evans, I’ll take you and your guest to the elevators.”

  Miranda is still holding my hand tight. She hasn’t said a word, but it’s impossible to ignore her presence. We follow Viola through a set of doors. Another beefy bodyguard is standing right in front of the elevators. He presses the button when he sees us and we all wait in silence until the car descends.

  Once the doors open, I motion for Miranda to get in first. I step in right behind her. To my great surprise the bouncer follows us. “Phil will take you upstairs to the top floor,” Viola offers as an explanation. “Enjoy your evening.”

  I nod to the guy built like a professional wrestler before returning my attention to Viola. “Thank you. I’m sure I will.”

  During the ride up, Miranda stands timidly next to me. I look down at her and meet her wide eyes. She’s looking at me like a lost puppy. I tighten my grip on her hand for reassurance. She smiles hesitantly and I can tell she’s out of her depth.

  * * *

  “Wow. Is this how the other half really lives?” Miranda walks around the Tower Hill room as she takes in the space. I’m leaning against the locked door absentmindedly scouring the room, but my main focus is on her. “Everything is so elegant. The rest of this venue is quite sophisticated, but this”—she stops pacing and turns around to face me—”takes things to the next level. It’s surreal that I get to be up here,” she marvels.

  Enough with the small talk. I cut to the chase. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t bring you up here to admire the décor. We could be in a wooden shack right now and I wouldn’t care. The only thing that’s been consuming my mind since you came running to us at the bar has been finding a clever way to have alone time with you.”

  “Oh.” She looks away as if my words are too much to handle. I could finesse it a little bit more, but why pretend that I don’t want her badly?

  “Goddamn, you look like a sexy vamp in this red dress. I can’t get my eyes off of you.” Even with the dim light, it’s obvious my words cause her to flush. “I can’t believe how lucky I am that out of all of the guys at the party tonight, I’m the one here with you.”

  I push myself off the door and walk to a large coffee table in the middle of the room. My phone feels extraordinarily burdensome in my pocket and I slip it out and rest it on the glass top. Miranda picks up on my cue and drops her gold clutch on the velvety charcoal-grey armchair she’s standing next to. I close the gap between us, keeping my eyes fixed on her the whole time. Beneath the surface of her gaze I see something there—I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s something deep. Something tells me few people will ever be lucky enough to witness it. The intensity reflecting in those amber eyes tell me she wants me as much as I want her.

  “My God, you surely know how to render a girl speechless.” She tilts her head back.

  I take one more step forward and our bodies nearly touch. The proximity causes her chest to heave and the visual only fuels my desire something fierce.

  “If you knew all of the dirty, raunchy and downright obscene things that are crossing my mind right now, you’d never speak a word again in your life.”

  “Shit.” She exhales.

  The longer Miranda stares up at me, the more uncomfortable my cock feels inside my boxer briefs. It’s as if each time she bats her eyelashes, I grow by an inch.

  “Your mouth...” I start. I just can’t resist bringing my fingers to her lips. I don’t even ask for permission. I never do. “Is so beautiful, so soft and so gentle. I’ve been obsessing about kissing that mouth since I dropped you off.”

  She licks her lips before folding them into her mouth. “Hunter, you’re going to make me lose my mind.”

  “Oh, honey, you ain’t seen nothing
yet.”

  “Ah,” she gasps.

  “Since Mrs. Silverman is nowhere in sight and it’s just me and you, do I get to kiss you?”

  “So it’s okay for you to say all of these heart-stopping things to me, but you ask my permission to kiss me?”

  I lean in closer, watching her watching me. She’s undoubtedly one of the sexiest girls I’ve met in a long time. Surprisingly, she may also be one of the smartest. “Don’t answer my question with a question. You want my mouth on you or not?” I curl up my lips into a teasing smile.

  She bursts out laughing. “You’re a trip.”

  “And you’re a hot little vixen I desperately want.” I crush her body against mine and she turns her face up to me, closing her eyes. With this unrestricted access to her neck, I drop a soft kiss under her jaw line right below her right earlobe. “So do you want me to kiss the hell out of you or not?”

  I get even harder when a rush of pink stains her cheeks as she soaks in my words. “Yes, please,” she whispers in a low voice.

  Her plea breaks me. I reach for her waist, pushing her backwards until her ass hits a high sideboard located against a wall across from me. I lift her onto the buffet and I barely allow her time to sit her ass down before I claim her lips. I fist her mane and tilt her head back.

  “Your hair is every man’s fantasy,” I whisper near her mouth.

  “Um…” Her warm breath is intoxicating. “Thank you.”

  “I want to push you over the edge. I want to see you lose it all over my tongue. Would you like that?” My touch brushes down her neck and dips into the hollow of her collarbone. I could feast on her for days.

  “Uh-huh.” She nods shyly.

  That’s the only answer I need. My lips come down on hers, firm and demanding. I pin her against the wall as I deepen my kiss. My tongue takes her possessively and it doesn’t take much coaxing on my part for her to respond passionately.