by K. A. Linde
Lexi mouth curved up in a smile as Ramsey strode confidently across the ballroom floor. Eyes followed him as he made his way toward Lexi, but he didn’t seem to notice any of them as his green eyes found her brown ones in the crowd. She licked her lips and butterflies took over her stomach. She hadn’t seen him in a month, and damn did he look good. She had forgotten how strong and classically handsome his features were. The Armani suit that adorned his body had obviously been tailored specially for him, and Lexi could surely admit that it was worth every penny. His body looked incredible.
When he finally reached her, he bent down and lightly kissed the top of her head. A wave of peppermint filled her nostrils, and she shivered at the memories that scent filled her mind with. “Sorry I’m late,” he said not taking his eyes from her face. He yanked the chair out from the table and sat down hardly acknowledging the rest of the room. His hand reflexively came out and fingered a strand of her loose, even curls. “It’s shorter.”
Lexi bit her lip to keep from pushing a chunk of it behind her ear. “Yeah. Uh, I just trimmed it,” she was surprised he noticed. She had only cut off the dead ends.
“Well either way, you look gorgeous,” he said reaching forward and capturing her lips in a soft kiss.
Lexi was surprised by his boldness. After turning him down and then not seeing or speaking to him in a month, he was rather forward with his affections. “Thank you,” she muttered pulling back her voice breathy. She wasn’t certain why she was so nervous. She had never been nervous around him before. In fact, she typically was pretty forward and rude in his presence. She didn’t give into his easy charm and he had seemed to like her more for that. Perhaps, since it had been under different circumstances and her mind had been so focused elsewhere, she hadn’t even realized what she felt for Ramsey. She still wasn’t sure and that made her more nervous than she would have been.
“Am I playing the boyfriend role well enough?” he asked still staring longingly into her eyes.
Her heart stopped and then sank. He was acting. Of course that would make sense. She had put him up to this role. She had set up the boundaries. “Uh…yeah,” she said turning from his powerful gaze. “Where were you?”
“I told you my flight was delayed.”
“That was hours ago. Why didn’t you call or text?” Lexi asked hating that she sounded like the overbearing girlfriend, but she really had been worried. At least if they were acting, everyone would believe her role.
Ramsey dug into his pocket and pulled out a black iPhone. “The damn thing died mid-flight and we were circling JFK for about an hour. I had no way to get a hold of you. I’m sorry,” he said reaching out and grabbing her hand under the table. “I got here as soon as I could.”
“I’m glad you made it safe,” she said forgiving his lateness easily. She was still too concerned about his acting abilities to care.
Suddenly Ramsey seemed to notice that everyone had been watching them and turned to face the table. “How’s it going?” he asked smiling like the confident heir to an empire that he was. “Pleasure to meet you all. I’m Ramsey Bridges.”
Everyone shared their name with him, but one particular couple seemed fascinated by his name and began speaking in hushed whispers. Lexi could only imagine what they were saying.
“Hey man, I’m Adam,” he said shaking hands with Ramsey across the table.
“Nice to meet you,” Ramsey reciprocated squeezing a bit harder. “How do you know this bunch?”
“I’m here with Chyna,” he said placing his arm across the back of Chyna’s chair.
“Nice,” Ramsey said with an easy-going smile.
Chyna dug into the salad that had been placed before her. She looked around the table, noticed everyone else’s food, and nearly dropped her fork. “What are you eating?”
Lexi glanced down at her plate, which was filled with a zesty, grilled, lemon-pepper chicken breast with garlic asparagus and a tiny helping of mashed potatoes. “Chicken?” she muttered, confused by the question.
“Right. It looks incredible. Why the fuck do I have a salad?” she asked seeing that everyone else around them had either chicken or steak placed before them.
“Uh…it was probably a mistake,” Lexi reasoned. This didn’t look good.
“A mistake?” Chyna asked looking around at the rest of the ballroom. “Is anyone else eating a salad?”
Lexi bit her lip as her eyes shifted around the rest of the room and realized, in fact, that no one else had a salad placed before them. “Uh…”
“Is he trying to say I’m fat?” Chyna squeaked out in horror.
“He’s trying to get a rise out of you,” Ramsey informed her. “If you give into him, then he’s won.”
“And how would you know?” Chyna spat out. She was too angry to care who she was speaking to and in what tone of voice.
“Let’s just say I have a lot of experience dealing with father figures who want to control everything and everyone. The first tactic employed is degradation,” he said taking a sip of the water in front of him. “If he can make you feel like you are less than you are, he thinks he can have more power, more control over you.”
Chyna huffed not wanting to give into his good reason. Lexi could tell she was fuming, but she was trying to hold it in. Ramsey’s advice was sound, and she wanted to take it, but that didn’t make it any easier. Chyna murmured something incoherent into her salad, but finished the rest of the meal without complaint.
Dinner ended without another hitch. As plates were cleared away, music filled the ballroom and dancing ensued. Chyna looked as if she might combust with the anticipation of meeting her soon-to-be step-mom. A line had formed before them as hundreds of introductions were made.
“Perhaps we should wait,” Ramsey suggested standing, and holding his hand out. “May I have this dance?” he requested formally.
Lexi placed her hand in his and let him escort her onto the floor. Chyna and Adam followed them and they twirled around in circles to the jazz music playing through the speakers. Soon enough other couples happily dancing to the music surrounded them.
Lexi rested her head against Ramsey chest letting her eyes close as they swayed back and forth as a slow song came on. “I really am sorry that I was late,” he whispered stroking her lower back. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault,” she reassured him breathing in his minty freshness.
Ramsey’s hand came up and tilted her chin up to look into his eyes. “Thank you.”
Lexi raised her eyebrows in confusion. “For what?”
“Letting me be here,” he said capturing another gentle kiss from her.
Lexi had to do everything in her strength not to pull his face back down toward her and cover his mouth with her own. Her body was being very needy in that moment. All she wanted to do was ditch this place and go back to her apartment.
But she knew that she couldn’t do that…even if she wanted to.
She had to give herself time. She knew Ramsey could be so much more if she let herself feel again. That’s why they had set up boundaries. So that he knew before hand that she wanted to take things slow, because she wasn’t usually all that clear when overcome with sexual desire.
“I have to go meet her,” Chyna said breaking up their intense moment and sidling up next to Lexi. Adam was at her side and seemed to look between Ramsey and Lexi with idle curiosity.
“We’ll go with you,” Lexi said using this as an excuse to step out of the physical tension that had formed between her and Ramsey. Ramsey licked his lips before finally breaking his gaze from Lexi’s face and following the rest of them toward Chyna’s father.
“Chyna,” Richard acknowledged his daughter. His eyes traveled from her to the rest of the group, resting on Ramsey for a second longer than the rest, and then returned to Chyna.
“Dad,” she muttered. “You remember my friend, Alexa?”
“Of course,” he said smiling as if he
hadn’t ogled her like a prized stallion and insulted her without another word last she had seen him.
“This is my boyfriend,” Chyna almost choked on the word, “Adam Ward, and Alexa’s boyfriend, Ramsey Bridges.”
Richard sidestepped Adam completely and turned to face Ramsey. “Bridges, you say?”
“Yes, sir,” Ramsey told him shaking his hand firmly.
“I thought I recognized you. Great man, your father. You’re the spitting image of him too. Great things come from your family,” he told him. Chyna could see the look in her father’s eye. He didn’t even have to say anything to her, but she could tell he was wondering why she hadn’t come with a man like Ramsey Bridges.
“Thank you, sir,” he said through gritted teeth. Lexi would have laughed in any other scenario knowing how Ramsey acted toward his father and how he felt about the business.
“Next time you see him, let him know Richard Van der Wal says hello.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll make sure to do that,” Ramsey said stepping back to open the conversation up to the rest of the group.
Richard smiled, pleased with at least some of the choices of the group. Lexi guessed that he had been expecting some nobodies to give him more leverage. Adam didn’t exactly carry the prestige that the Bridges name carried but he was a nice guy. Lexi didn’t actually know what he did or if he had any money.
“I’m sure you’re all very anxious to meet my darling,” Richard said turning around to smile at his fiancé. “Victoria, this is my daughter, Chyna.”
The two came face-to-face, dark meeting light for the first time. Chyna swallowed a lump in her throat. “So nice to meet you,” Chyna whispered as she pulled back slightly.
Victoria smiled slyly. “You too. I’m sure. You look different than Richard described you though dear,” she said eyeing Chyna up and down. “Wasn’t your mother a model?” she asked arching an eyebrow up.
Chyna’s mouth dropped open slightly at the insult. Her eyes widened ever so slightly. She glanced at the people surrounding her. “She is a model, actually.”
“Really? At her age?” Victoria asked astounded.
Chyna forced a fake smile. “She’s actually in Milan right now prepping for a show.”
“Well, isn’t that wonderful. Does she have the same problem with alcohol giving her dark circles under her eyes?”
“You don’t have circles under your eyes,” Chyna said in confusion.
“No, but you do,” Victoria said smiling sweetly. She turned to face Richard who was talking to a French couple about their American tour. “Richard, dear,” Victoria called not giving Chyna time to respond.
“Yes, my love?” he asked, excusing himself from the couple and coming to snuggle up against Victoria’s neck.
“Can we go dance? I’ve been standing here far too long,” she pouted.
“Of course,” he said escorting her onto the floor as he brushed past his daughter without another word.
Chyna twirled around and stared at them in complete shock and awe. “What a vile creature!” she cried her mouth still hanging open from her encounter.
“Yeah, she’s a real bitch,” Adam agreed.
“I thought you handled that well though,” Ramsey acknowledged Chyna.
“I can’t believe she said those things, and right in front of your dad,” Lexi said.
“He doesn’t care. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Chyna said making a beeline for the exit. Lexi, Ramsey, and Adam trailed behind her. Lexi was amazed that Chyna didn’t even look back. Maybe she was just too drunk. They descended the final flight of stairs that led to the city street, and Chyna’s driver pulled up in front of the building almost instantly. “You guys need a ride?” Chyna asked reaching out for Adam.
Lexi glanced up at Ramsey. He smiled and answered, “No, we’ll take a cab.”
“Let me know if you need me,” Lexi said hugging Chyna good-bye. “I’m sorry about everything that happened.”
“Don’t worry about it. Not your fault. My dad is stupid for thinking that twit wants him for anything more than his money,” Chyna told her.
“I know, but still—let me know,” Lexi told her. Chyna nodded and then dove into the car. Adam shook Ramsey’s hand one more time, smiled at Lexi, and then followed Chyna.
“So,” Lexi began staring up into Ramsey handsome face. “My place?”
They hailed a cab to Lexi’s apartment, and soon were both comfortably relaxing in her bed. Lexi smiled up in Ramsey’s handsome face feeling incredibly content with the way things were going. They had put on a movie for background noise as they talked about inconsequential aspects of each other’s lives. Lexi informed him that she was a gymnast while he confessed he had played soccer and football in high school, but when he had gone off to college he’d really gotten into lacrosse. They discussed their love for the ocean and Ramsey promised to take her sailing. The stories were endless and as Lexi was beginning to fall asleep wrapped in his arms, he brought up one more topic.
“So, what ever happened with you in Atlanta?” he whispered into the silence.
Lexi scrunched her feet up underneath her and wrapped her arms around her knees effectively cutting him off from her. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about Jack. Her breathing hitched and she bit down on her lip hard enough to keep her mind occupied with the pain. “Uh…I just had to get away,” she finally muttered.
He scooted closer to her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, I’m not trying to pry. I’m just curious.”
“Well, can we not talk about this?” she asked looking up at him with a fearful expression across her face. She had no idea what would happen if she started talking about Jack at that moment. She might end up blurting out what had actually happened, and with everything in such a delicate position in her life—both Ramsey and her emotional state of being—she wasn’t sure she could handle it. He might turn and run in the opposite direction if he knew. That would be the logical thing to do.
“Yeah, sure, if that’s what you want,” he agreed. “I don’t want to see you hurt like that ever again.”
“Maybe another time,” she told him relaxing some into his body. She was so afraid to talk to Ramsey about relationships in the event that he would in turn ask her similar questions. But she was so curious about his past. Even though she had just refused to talk to him about what had happened in Atlanta, she couldn’t keep herself from asking, “Have you ever been in love?”
Ramsey stiffened at the question his entire body going rigid. Lexi glanced up into his eyes, which had hardened. His jaw was set tight; his breathing controlled and even, as if he was thinking about each inhalation. Lexi had no idea that simple question would have elicited such a reaction, but she immediately regretted the decision to ask.
“Uh, sorry,” Lexi said trying to do damage control. “I guess it’s a sore subject.”
He breathed out heavily and turned to face her. His features had returned to their normal softness. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to flip out. You just caught me off guard.”
“Oh. Sorry. Really, I didn’t mean to pry.”
“No need to apologize,” he said waving off her apology. “I should have just told you—I’ve never been in love.”
Lexi’s eyes widened in surprise. That certainly was not what she had expected. “What? Really? Haven’t you ever had a girlfriend?”
“Not in the real sense of the word.”
“Never?” she asked in disbelief.
“I’ve…dated,” he said that word carefully, “a lot. I’ve just never had anyone hold my interest.”
How could someone have gone through their entire life without a girlfriend…without ever being in love? She wasn’t exactly good with relationships, well she was terrible, but she had been in love. Tragically in love, but still there was always that cliché statement—to love and lost is better than to never have loved at all.
She was reminded of Bekah’s comment to her about Ramsey
being a player. She didn’t know how to take that now that she knew what kind of person Bekah really was. On the other hand, hadn’t he just confirmed his player status?
And if nothing ever held his attention, why was he still after her? Was it because she denied him what he wanted?
“Wow,” she managed. “That’s…seriously depressing.”
Ramsey laughed aloud. “It’s been kind of lonely if that’s what you mean,” he said pulling her into him.
“But you’re so attractive.”
He laughed again heartier this time. “Thank you. I feel as if that is a contributing factor in why I have never found someone to hold my interest. I’ve heard,” he told her sliding his hand into her hair and beginning to massage her head and down to her neck, “that most women are interested in my appearance. This makes it rather difficult to find anyone who wants more than that, or if they do, they want my money.”
“Uh huh,” Lexi said closing her eyes as his worked his way down to her shoulder blades.
“You never seemed interested in either.”
“I’m interested in your looks,” she murmured cracking a smile.
“Oh really?” he asked kneading the knots out of her back.
“God, that feels good,” Lexi huskily said pushing her body back against his. She was trying to suppress her physical desire for him, but the way his hands were moving made that more and more difficult.
Ramsey groaned at the feel of her. “Yes, yes it does.”
“Oh,” Lexi said realizing that she had effectively pressed herself flush against him and that a simple massage was beginning to turn into much more if she didn’t stop herself.
Ramsey turned her body around and stared into her big brown eyes. His eyes drifted lower landing on her lips. He smiled as she did the same thing. Coming forward his lips pressed firmly against hers. His tongue darted out opening her mouth and massaging her tongue with his. She groaned from deep in her throat. Her hands came up and pushed up into his blonde hair egging him on. His arms wrapped around her waist pulling her closer.
Just as Lexi was about to scramble to strip his clothes off, he pulled back from her. “As much as I want to continue,” he said his eyes smoldering with desire. “I know we should take this slow.”
