A Vow of Seduction

by Nana Malone

  Reece just laughed. “I love your mama, so awesome.”

  “That hurts me right here.” Elina put a hand over her heart as she laughed.

  “Enough Mama madness. How’s the job?” Reece asked.

  “Great, actually. I came early because Delilah gave me the rest of the day off.” Elina filled Reece in on the details, and true to form Reece was genuinely happy for her.

  They chatted for another half hour when Reece did a double take and beamed. “Look, there’s Adam and Gabe.”

  Elina finished her fry and plastered a smile on her face. She had to go into happy wedding mode. Not that she had any problem with Adam. As a best-friend-in-law-to-be, he could have been worse. Adam was really sweet and loved her bestie, so he was okay in Elina’s book. It was just the whole matrimony thing. Why couldn’t they just be the Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell of normal people?

  “Hey, ladies. Fancy meeting you here.” Adam kissed Reece on the nose. He and Reece were just about the cutest thing in the world to watch. Adam was maybe Elina’s height if she was being generous. And his dark hair and eyes were the perfect contrast to Reece’s golden hair and bright blue eyes. They were like a pocket-size Ken and Barbie.

  Elina stood, and they enveloped each other in a huge hug. “Hey, stranger. You ready to make an honest woman out of my friend here?” she asked.

  “She’s making me the honest man.” Adam beamed.

  Elina shook her head. The two of them making googly eyes was not something an avowed single girl needed to see. She turned to Gabe, who gently released Reece from a hug. Or more like, Reece finally let him go.

  Elina felt vindicated when she saw him gulp for air. “You must be Gabe. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She thrust out her hand, but he ignored it. Instead, he wrapped her in a warm hug. The near physical slam of lust was enough to steal her breath and singe her panties.

  He smelled like sandalwood and the beach, and she was so temporarily blindsided that she almost leaned in and inhaled. Gabe released her quickly and stumbled back.

  When he spoke, his voice was husky. “Reece’s mom says you don’t shake hands with family. And seeing as we’re family now, that calls for a hug.”

  It took her several seconds to find her voice. Where the hell had she misplaced that thing? She told herself it wasn’t her fault. Any red-blooded woman would have this response to a guy like Gabe.

  She judged him to be just a little over six feet. And while he was lean, he was solid. From what Elina could see from his biceps and forearms, he didn’t skip time at the gym. And his soft cotton T-shirt didn’t hide a thing. Certainly not the defined pectorals. Get it together, Elina. He’s just a guy. You’ve seen them before.

  She managed to stammer, “Right, family.” He hadn’t been able to make it to the shower, and somehow through the years they’d never met. Because if she had met him, she’d have prepared herself for that stunning lopsided smile. Maybe she would have done some mental calisthenics or something. His eyes were a beautiful shade of green—so clear and alert, with flecks of blue and brown and yellow. Butterflies danced low in her belly, and her smile broke free even though she knew better. Her body—tingling. Brain—on vacation. His mouth was moving. Damn, what was he saying? Focus.

  “Really glad you could make it down early. Now we can get to know each other before the big day.” He was flirtatious, and his voice held a hint of mischief. And he stunned Elina into a momentary silence.

  Yes, hell yes. Wait, what? No. No. She was not looking for anything. The last thing she needed was a guy. Particularly this guy, who was too good-looking for his own good.

  Besides, she’d had someone like this once. Beautiful to look at, charming as hell. She’d even considered forever with him, too. That is, until she discovered he was just as charming with several other girls. No. She knew better than to get sucked in.

  “Yep. Well, I wanted to get some extra time in with Reece.”

  “I think Reece will probably be busy, but I’m sure we can probably find a few things to get up to in the Hamptons. Let me be your guide.” He was persistent.

  Oh boy. This guy would guide her right into trouble. The naked, fun kind. But trouble nonetheless. “Somehow, I have a feeling that you might be the kind of guide that gets me lost.”

  He winked at her. “Isn’t that half the fun?”

  Elina was sure of one thing. If she wanted to hold on to her panties and her sanity, she had to stay on her toes around Gabe. It didn’t matter if he made her insides go all fluttery. Besides, if she ever wanted her own solo client, then she had to keep her eyes on the prize and not on his muscles.

  * * *

  It was the chase. It had to be the chase. Gabe Alexander stared at Elina on the dance floor. She was laughing at something that Reece’s mom said and he was completely struck by her. Had been since yesterday. But no amount of charm and wit was getting through to her. She was like flirting with a brick wall.

  Normally, women fell into his lap. He wasn’t used to doing so much work to get someone’s attention. But it didn’t matter what he did, Elina gave him nothing to work with. He already knew from Reece and Adam that she didn’t have a boyfriend. No recent breakups. She was single.

  And he felt that electric current when they first hugged, so she was attracted, but she still didn’t take the bait.

  Not like he had time to chase a girl right now. He was chasing funding for his first movie, and was running out of time. Stone Heart was the unofficial biography of his grandmother, Gretta Stone, and how she became the first Hollywood movie executive back in the fifties. She was the reason his father got a start in the business.

  He’d wanted to tell the story for a long time, but the funding was difficult. Well, it doesn’t have to be difficult. But there was no way he was asking his father for the funds. That was the last place he wanted to go. Not that the old man would even back the film. Once he’d transitioned out of acting, he’d become a director, only focusing on the big-money projects. He didn’t think the movie would make him any money.

  It didn’t matter, though; Gabe was determined to do this on his own. For once, he wanted his career to be his own with no influence from the old man. He owed his grandmother everything. Between her and his mother, they’d pulled him back from the brink. He was getting this story told.

  As a kid, it made sense. He was Andrew Alexander’s son. It made logical sense to follow in his father’s footsteps. But soon, all anyone had ever seen when he walked into a room was his father. So, like any teenager, he’d rebelled. And he was still paying for that rebellion.

  But he had a few friends in the business, and plenty of money, thanks to a wildly popular trilogy he did when he was twelve, but he didn’t have producer money. And the rest of the world saw him as that spoiled kid, acting out, boozing it up and sleeping with too many women.

  Thanks to his grandmother, after college, he’d long since cleaned up his act, even made some wise investments. He needed to change that bad-boy image if he wanted a career in this business.

  But even with everything going on, and everything on the line, he was completely drawn to Elina. It was mostly her laugh. Every time she talked to Reece she was happy and giddy. They laughed like two teenage girls snickering over some boy they liked.

  But during the ceremony, Elina looked haunted, scared. He wanted to know why. More than that, he wanted to fix it. To make it go away.

  “You stare any harder at her and I will make you declare your intentions.”

  Gabe laughed and slapped Adam on the back. “How is the newly minted groom doing?”

  His best friend grinned. “I’m perfect. I can’t believe it’s finally done. She’s mine.”

  Watching Adam and Reece almost made Gabe want to settle down. They were so suited to each other, and really happy. “Good for you, man. I’m happy for you. And
I hope you enjoy your wedding present to the fullest.”

  Adam shook his head. “You didn’t need to lend us your yacht. You know that, right?”

  “Whatever. It just sits most of the time. Someone deserving might as well get use out of it.” His father had bought the yacht and signed him as a co-owner, insisting it was a good investment and good for the image, but the old man never went near the thing. He hated the water.

  “Well, we appreciate it nonetheless.” Adam inclined his head toward Elina. The photographer was shooting her in the dimming sunlight. “So what’s the word, man? Are you going to make a move or what?”

  Gabe rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding me? I’ve been putting on all my best moves since yesterday. This is my game. It’s the only game I’ve got.”

  Adam laughed. “Man, you’re going to need to work on that. That pretty mug will only take you so far.”

  Gabe stroked his chin. “Don’t be jealous. Only one of us can be pretty.”

  Adam rolled his eyes. “I’ll settle for being the smart one, then. Look, dude, if you want to get closer to Elina, you can’t spit game at her. You have to talk to her. Be real. She’s pretty cool.”

  Gabe cocked his head and studied her. “What’s her problem with weddings, anyway?”

  Adam stared into his scotch glass. “Problem? What problem?”

  “Oh, come on. You can see it, too. She looks uncomfortable, unhappy even.”

  “Okay, but you didn’t hear this from me. Her mother has been married seven times. It soured her on the whole marriage thing.”

  Gabe whistled low. “Seven?”

  “Yeah, a couple of times to Elina’s dad, but it never seems to work out. So Elina has a thing about weddings.”

  That would certainly explain it. “I get you.”

  Adam shoved him in the arm. “What are you sniffing after Elina for, anyway? Don’t you have your hands full?”

  Gabe finished his drink. “Yeah, I’ve got a few things going on, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a beautiful woman.”

  “Between the funding hunt, the movie and casting, how will you find the time?”

  “You just let me worry about that. I’ve got the funding under control. Well, mostly anyway. I’m meeting with that fixer in the city on Monday. She’s got a lot of experience with entertainment clients. She’ll help me change my image as well as get some studio appointments. She’s a pretty big player and can help get some buzz around my name.”

  “That’s great.” Adam studied his glass again. “Here’s the thing, Gabe. As the best-friend-in-law, I have to warn you, Elina’s not that girl that you screw around with and leave. Reece will have your rear if you break her heart. She’s very protective of Elina.”

  “Would you relax? I have everything under control. I’m not going to hurt her.” He shrugged. “I just want to see her smile.” And that was mostly true.

  Chapter 3

  Water, water, everywhere, and no way to swim to shore. At least not in her dress. Reece had left out one specific detail to Elina. She hadn’t mentioned the damn reception was on a yacht. With no way out, except to swim. And in the slinky vermilion-red mermaid-style gown, there was no way that was happening.

  Elina grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray. If there was no getting off the boat, she might as well have a drink...or several. She searched the crowd for someone to talk to other than Adam’s spoiled, moneyed, Wall Street friends.

  “You want to tell me why you’re all alone drinking away your sorrows?”

  Elina smirked before turning around to face Gabe. God, the man was sexy. It really was unfair. The whole effect of movie-star-gorgeous looks was exacerbated by the impeccable Tom Ford tuxedo. She had to hand it to the man, he was wearing that tux.

  “I’m not sad.” She lied, “I’m celebrating. Like everyone else.”

  Gabe shook his head, the corners of his lips tipped up in a ghost of a smile. “Usually, happy comes with a lot more smiles.”

  Elina forced her lips to turn up. “See, happy.”

  “Okay, you got me wrong,” he said, laughing.

  She tried to change the subject. “What about you? Why are you over here keeping sorrowful me occupied? You could be up there dancing with the two bridesmaids who have been eyeing you all night.”

  Gabe never took his eyes off of her. “Maybe it’s because the girl I want to dance with is drinking by herself.”

  Elina put up a hand. “Can we just stop with the whole flirtation thing? I mean, obviously you’re beautiful, but you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  Gabe nodded thoughtfully. “Oh, I see. You’re not into guys?”

  Elina sputtered and laughed. “I am. I’m just not into guys right now. All your best efforts in the last two days are being wasted on me, when you could be using them on ready-to-ride bridesmaids.”

  He shrugged. “I think I’ll stay right here. You’re more real than those two, anyway. So tell me, Elina Sinclair, why don’t you have a date to this shindig?”

  She rolled her eyes. “See earlier comment about not being into guys right now.”

  “Let me guess, career girl. Super focused. About to take the world by storm.”

  Elina laughed. This was fun. He was fun. It felt good to flirt, and laugh. It can’t go any further than this. But it never hurt the self-esteem to have a good-looking guy hit on her. “It’s like you’ve been following me.”

  “No, I’m not that much of a creeper. I just pay attention. So come on, tell me, what do you do?”

  People always got the wrong impression when she talked about her job, so she kept it as simple as possible when anyone asked. “I work in PR.” Then she flipped the conversation on him so she wouldn’t have to talk about herself. “And what about you? Let me guess, fashion model?”

  He laughed. “No, but that’s a new one. Usually the girls who take a stab say billionaire.”

  “Wait.” She put her hand on his arm. “So you’re telling me you’re not one? Ah, that means that we can’t talk. I don’t always drink champagne, but when I do, I only drink with the disgustingly wealthy.”

  He laughed, and the low timbre made her insides melt. “You know what, I’ll say that persistence is key. I may not be a billionaire but I could be worth your time.”

  “Okay, if that’s not your job—though I always wondered how that can be a job anyway—what is it?”

  “Well, soon enough I’m hoping to add filmmaker to my list of talents.”

  She lifted her brows. “For real? That’s amazing. What kind of movies do you want to make?”

  “The story of my grandmother. She was a Hollywood executive back in the fifties. The first female executive. I’ve already got my dream cast picked out. All I’m looking for right now is funding.”

  It was easy to talk to him. He told her about his movie and what inspired his grandmother. And that particular time in Hollywood history. Despite her carefully constructed walls, she told him about herself. About some of her wackiest clients, her friendship with Reece. Even her mother.

  Conversation flowed easily. When she relaxed and wasn’t so focused on his pretty face, she could talk. It turned out they even liked the same indie hip-hop group. “I’m actually headed to see CJ Fusion in the city next month,” he said.

  “No way. Reece and I are going to the same concert.”

  “See, now you have to dance with me. I’ve proven my cool points.” He reached out his hand, and Elina stared down at it for moment. If she took it, she knew she wouldn’t want to stop. Being in his arms was too tempting.

  Could she throw caution to the wind? She was stuck on a boat, though. So nowhere to go. She might as well have some fun. Sliding her hand into his, she relished the warm buzz it sent through her body. “Okay, lead the way. I warn you, though,
I don’t normally dance in stilettos, so join me at your own risk.”

  * * *

  Gabe liked her. It was just that simple. As she danced and twirled in his arms and gyrated her booty to the latest Top 40 songs, he felt happy, and he was glad to see her smiling instead of that frowning concern. She made him feel lighter.

  Eventually, he took her hand and led her off the dance floor, dragging her to the other end of the yacht and down the stairs.

  “Hey, isn’t this corded off?”

  “You hardly seem like a girl who is bothered by the rules.”

  Elina laughed. “Okay, not usually, but this is someone’s yacht. I like you and all, but I’m not willing to do time for you. Orange is not my color.”

  “Relax, would you? I can usually talk my way out of anything. And I sort of know the owner.” Never mind that he was the owner. Part owner, anyway. “I want to show you something.”

  “Oh, I can take a guess at what you want to show me.”

  If she had been any other girl, he wouldn’t be so careful with her. Not to mention, Adam had warned him off. Normally, he’d be leading her back into the bedroom. But instead of heading straight to the sleeping quarters, he veered left and took her into his favorite room.

  When he turned on the light, Elina gasped. “Oh my God, this is beautiful.”

  This room was used specifically for parties. It had a small karaoke stage and comfortable lounge seating. But the most astonishing feature of the room was the see-through glass floor. When the lights in the room were activated, it triggered the lights at the bottom of the yacht, illuminating everything that was beneath them in the ocean.

  Already, several curious fish had swum up to take a peek. “You like it?”

  “It’s awesome.” She inclined her head toward the microphone. “What’s that for?”

  “What do you think it’s for? You and Reece were talking yesterday about your mad karaoke skills. I want to see for myself.”