by Chiah Wilder
As I headed over to them, I looked around the room and my eyes fell on Trace. He was wearing a charcoal Armani suit with slightly darker lines that tapered in and drew attention to the wideness of his shoulders. Under it, he had on a purple tie that popped against the white shirt. His hair was slicked back and he was perfectly clean-shaven, and honestly, I couldn’t remember a time when he’d looked better to me. I noticed several women giving him a double take as they passed by, and I didn’t blame them one bit. He looked so handsome, chatting away with industry people, most probably charming the hell out of them, a glass of wine in hand. A man in black-framed glasses said something to him, and he tilted his head back and smiled. My gaze lingered on his mouth; I knew what his lips could do. For a brief second, I could feel them on mine, devouring them.
“Someone from the Chronicle is looking for you,” Lindsay said as she breezed by me.
“Uh… right.” Focus. I’m here to promote Vibra, not ogle Trace. As I turned to the glass cases where a large group of people congregated, a woman approached him, and my stomach dropped. She was around his age, with blonde hair pulled up into a delicate chignon at the back of her head, dripping with expensive-looking jewelry, and wearing a dress I was certain I’d seen on a high-fashion catwalk not so long ago. She slipped her hand around his arm and leaned in, whispering something in his ear. The sweet smile he gave her made me press my lips together and roll my eyes. Who is she? When he was kissing me, he didn’t act like he was with someone. He’s such an asshole!
Instead of meeting the tech journalists who were waiting for me by the display cases, I stood studying her. She looked about as far removed as possible from the women Trace was usually spotted with on the cover of those tabloid magazines, but somehow that made it all the worse. The only thing she had in common with any of the women Trace dated was that she was blonde. Like Kelsey. Trace clearly had a physical type, and I didn’t fulfil it.
Gritting my teeth, I stalked over to the journalists, pushing Trace to the back of my mind. I refused to let him ruin the night for me. I was getting bent out of shape for what, a few incredible kisses? He never promised anything. We just got caught up in the moment. He was here with his date, or his girlfriend, or his whatever, and I wasn’t going to let it bother me.
The whole time I spoke with the journalists, anger seethed inside me. I was so pissed at Trace, and for some crazy reason I felt betrayed, even though I knew I was being ridiculous. I’d wanted him to show up looking forlorn and like he hadn’t slept well, not sexy and handsome as hell in a killer suit.
“What’s wrong?” Sofie asked, snapping me out of my stupid little mood. She handed me a glass of champagne. “You look really upset.”
I shook my head, pushing all thoughts of Trace and that beautiful blonde woman on his arm out of my head, and smiled. “Nothing. I guess I got a little head rush. I’m fine now.”
“It is overwhelming. Why don’t you get some food with us? The buffet just opened.”
“You and Colin go ahead. I’ll be along in a few minutes.” I brought the glass to my mouth and took a deep drink as I watched her disappear into the crowd.
A waiter balancing a silver tray covered in tempting hors d’oeuvres came up to me, asking if I wanted the coconut shrimp while he handed me a napkin. I took one and while I was nibbling on it, I glanced over in Trace’s direction. He was watching me, his intense gaze holding me still while my hand stopped midair, a half-eaten shrimp between my thumb and index finger. My eyes darted to his date, who was turned away from him and chatting with an older man, then back to him. Our eyes locked over the crowd, and something in my chest seized up as his gaze burned into mine. I shivered on the spot, inwardly hating the effect he had on me.
“This is one helluva launch, and you look sexy and amazing,” Paul gushed as he brushed up next to me. The scent of whiskey radiated from him and I stepped back.
“You look like you’re having a good time. The launch is successful because of you and the rest of the team.”
Paul leaned in to me, his arm dangled around my shoulder. “You’re too humble. You can’t be that way in this cutthroat business. And you smell so good. You always do. Did I tell you that you look damn hot in that dress?”
In trying to politely push him away, I lost my footing and stumbled backward, bumping into someone. Paul stood there with a Cheshire cat grin on his face while his unfocused eyes watched me. Strong arms steadied me and I pivoted around to apologize when the scent of him wafted around me. I stood still, barely breathing. It can’t be. But it was. All at once, I was acutely aware of his fingers on my skin, his breath on my shoulders, and his hard chest pressed against my back. The room grew small and a suffocating heat consumed me. I slowly turned around to face the man who’d put my emotions through the wringer for the past week.
Slowly and seductively, his gaze slid downward, taking in every inch of me as my skin tingled and my pulse pounded. The one thing I could count on was my body’s reaction to Trace Prescott. No matter how hard I tried, it just wouldn’t behave.
“Congratulations.” He squeezed my upper arm. “You did a fantastic job with this launch. You must be proud.”
I lifted my chin as I pulled away from him. “I am.”
Paul came closer and dangled his arm around my shoulder again. I wanted to push him away, but the glint of anger in Trace’s eyes made me laugh and bat my eyes at Paul. Totally high school, but the sting of seeing him with a beautiful, elegant-looking woman was still there.
He darted his gaze between the two of us, then said, “I can see you’re busy. I just came over to congratulate you.” He spun around and disappeared into the crowd. When I couldn’t see him any longer, I elbowed Paul and walked away.
As the evening progressed, I snuck too many peeks at Trace and his blonde date, and drank too many flutes of champagne. Self-pity crept in, and even though the unveiling of the new phone was a smash and everyone congratulated me, loneliness spread through me. I was in a packed room on one of the biggest nights of my career, and I felt lonely as hell. All of a sudden, excited voices became fingernails on a chalkboard, aromatic scents of rosemary and thyme became repugnant, and champagne became my enemy. I couldn’t breathe. The room was closing in on me, and I had to get out of there.
I teetered toward the French doors and slipped out onto the patio, the cool night air a welcome change to the stuffiness inside. Tilting my head back, I inhaled and exhaled deeply, letting the crisp, briny air fill my lungs. The city lights twinkled on the bay, and I watched them shimmer across the water in the light spring breeze. I had to clear my head. Not a jealous person, I was surprised how upset I was about Trace’s date. I had to forget about him, and if I couldn’t, I needed to leave Velocity and find work with another company.
I looked behind me. I didn’t want to go back inside. I liked the fresh air, the cover of night, and the mesmerizing effect of the water. I didn’t want to think about anything anymore. Especially Trace Prescott.
I sighed and stared at the ocean.
Chapter Seventeen
Trace
She’s fucking beautiful. That was all I could think when I saw Cierra walk into the launch party. At that moment, I wanted to storm over there, grab her by the waist, and fuck her over the nearest table just to get some relief from the ridiculous tension that’d been plaguing me for the past few weeks. I wanted her so badly that I could almost taste her sweet mouth on mine, the tingle of champagne on her lips from the glass she grabbed as soon as she’d entered the room.
But then Victoria appeared at my side, and I was snapped back to the reality of the conversation I was having with the painfully dull journalists who’d cornered me as soon as they arrived, peppering me with questions about the company and the product. I forced myself to return my attention to them, knowing it was the right thing to do, but damn if it wasn’t difficult to keep my mind off the way Cierra’s curves looked in that dress, or the way her swooped-up hair exposed her delicate neck and that sexy
-as-hell tattoo.
As the journalists droned on, I peeked over at Cierra, wondering if she’d noticed me, but it didn’t look like it. Or maybe she had and was just ignoring me like she’d done all week. Each time I looked at her, she had a group of attentive men around her, and the way she cocked her head and laughed while batting her eyes was pissing me off big-time. I didn’t know what I expected—she was gorgeous, after all, and I couldn’t have been the only one to notice that—but seeing her flirting like that made my blood boil.
“When do we get to have a go on those phones?” one of the writers in front of me asked, nodding toward the cells trapped under glimmering glass cases.
“Later in the night,” I replied. “They’ll come out soon, don’t worry.”
“I can’t wait.” Victoria grinned as she touched her pearl and diamond necklace. I had to admit that she looked stunning, and I noticed several men giving her the once-over as we walked through the crowd.
We’d agreed to go as friends to the launch, but when I picked her up, hope shimmered in her eyes as she looked at me with a nervous smile on her face. My stomach had dropped at once, and I regretted not going stag. When Victoria asked me to take her to the event, I’d agreed because I didn’t want to be bothered by women all night. Arrogant? Yeah, I was, but women did flock to me like flies to honey. I also thought I owed it to her since I’d taken off on her a couple of weeks before.
It would’ve been a lot easier if I were attracted and obsessed with her, but I wasn’t. There wasn’t any chemistry, not like there was with Cierra. I shook my head and glanced at Cierra again. The sparks were always sizzling between us, and that was pretty amazing. I’d never felt anything like it with any woman before. I’d had chemistry with other chicks I’d dated and screwed over the years, but it was purely sexual. With Cierra, it was more; it was deeper, more intense, and totally addictive.
One of the journalists started telling some story about another launch she’d been to a few weeks before, and I was glad for the chance to tune out again and let my mind drift in the direction of Cierra once more. She was nibbling on an hors d’oeuvre when she glanced in my direction, and I held her gaze until she slid it over to Victoria and then back again to me. We stood locked in our intensity, as if no one was in the room but us. My cock moved as desire began to flood my body. A small crease had crossed her brow when she saw Victoria, but Cierra was the only woman in the room I wanted to pay attention to, the only one I wanted to kiss, and the only one my cock was aching to be inside. She blinked once and shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her back arching a little and her ass sticking out, just like it had that night I’d seen her bent over the bar at Beta. I felt something stir deep inside me, and then Paul came over, practically mauling her. The hairs on the back of my neck bristled as I stiffened.
“… so I guess I kind of expected something similar to that,” the journalist finished up, shrugging, apparently realizing that along the way she’d lost everyone listening.
“That’s interesting,” I managed. “This is my first big launch as CEO, so I’m just hoping everyone has a good time.” I took a deep sip of my red wine.
“I certainly am.” Victoria nudged me and I shot her a smile, then looked over at Cierra again. What the fuck is that asshole doing? Seeing Paul’s arm around her was like red to a bull. She looked damn uncomfortable too. Bastard.
“Will you excuse me one moment?” I smiled politely at the people around me, and they nodded. I strode off, downing the last of my wine, the alcohol pulsing around my head, the sight of Paul touching Cierra infuriating me. I couldn’t cause a scene, but I was stopping that shit. Now.
Then I was behind her and she fell into me once again, and I remembered what Sheila had told me. Maybe she was right and it was fate. She looked up at me, her mouth slightly parted, and I had to fight the urge to grab her by the chin and push my tongue inside. We exchanged pleasantries that didn’t mean anything; there was so much unspoken between us. Paul had the damn nerve to wrap his arm around her again, and I was ready to intervene when Cierra smiled and fucking flirted with him. Thinking it was better that I leave than bust the jerk’s lip, I went back to Victoria, vowing to stop acting like a horny teenager and more like a mature CEO.
A few more glasses of wine later, I glanced over but Cierra wasn’t there. I scanned the crowd but didn’t see her.
“Aren’t we going to get something to eat?” Victoria asked, tilting her head toward the buffet table.
As we made our way over to stand in the long line, I kept searching for Cierra but she was nowhere in the room.
“There’s already a huge buzz about the event on social media,” Lindsey said as she and her husband, Bob, joined us in line.
“That’s cool. Have you seen Cierra?” I asked.
“Not in a while. She’s around.”
“No, she isn’t. I’ve been looking for her. Do you think she went home?”
Lindsey shook her head. “I doubt it. She’s been swamped with people all night, so she probably just went out for a breather.” She took a plate and handed one to Bob.
“Outside?”
“On the patio. Here, honey, try some of the smoked salmon. Richard said it’s very good.” She put a couple slices on his plate.
“Where’s the patio?” I asked as I put a scoop of tomato salad on my plate.
Bob pointed to a set of French doors. “Out there.”
I stared through the windows on the doors, trying to see if I could find Cierra in the moonlight.
“Aren’t you going to take any of the salmon?” Lindsey asked me as she piled it high on her plate.
I shook my head, then looked at Victoria when she poked me in the side. “Go on. I’m good.”
“What do you mean?”
Leaning closer to me, she said in a low voice, “The woman with the chestnut-colored hair. That’s the one you’re talking about, right?”
I nodded. “Was I that obvious?”
“Not to the average person, but to a woman who’d like nothing better than to have you look at her like that, yes.”
“Sorry if I was rude.”
“Not at all. I can tell you like her a lot, and she likes you too.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“As often as you were sneaking peeks at her, she was doing the same to you. And don’t worry about me. I’m making a play for Daniel Hanson. I’ve been dying to meet him for a long time, but we don’t run in the same circles. He’s invited me to his table after I get my food, so it’s a win-win for both of us.” She smiled.
Setting my plate on an empty table near the buffet, I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re a good sport. Daniel will be lucky to have a woman like you.”
She balanced her plate in one hand and gave me a soft shove with the other. “Go on, and don’t worry about taking me home. When I told Daniel that you and I weren’t a couple but just friends, he said he’d love to escort me.”
I whirled around and headed toward the French doors, opening them slowly and stepping out into the chilly air. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dark, and then I saw her staring at the view. I walked toward her, the small rocks crunching under my feet. She spun around, and the way the moonlight shone over her made me stir in my pants.
“Why aren’t you inside enjoying the party?” I asked as I approached.
“I needed some fresh air. It was stifling in there. What’re you doing out here?”
“Looking for you to tell you how beautiful you look tonight.” I reached out and grasped one of the tendrils hanging loosely over her neck and shoulders. It was so soft, and she watched me intently as I twirled it around my finger.
“Thank you. Shouldn’t you be getting back inside? It’s rude to leave your date alone.” Bitterness edged her voice.
I came in closer. “Is that what has you upset at me? Victoria is just a friend. She wanted to come to meet some new people, and she’s in there right now m
aking her move on Daniel Hanson.”
She licked her lips. “She is?”
“Yeah.” I traced the bottom of her lip with my thumb and saw her shiver.
“People will see us,” she whispered, but didn’t move an inch.
“It doesn’t matter.” And it was true. All that mattered was the feeling of her sweet, soft lips against mine, and the way her body felt pressed against my own. I caressed my hands down her hips and over her waist, pulling her closer, pushing my tongue into her mouth and tasting her; she tasted like champagne, just as I expected, sweet and bubbly and addictive.
“Fuck, Cierra, I’ve been missing you all week.”
“You had a funny way of showing it.”
I pulled back a bit. “I came by to see you on Friday, but you’d left early. Don’t you know I’m fucking crazy about you? Did you think last Sunday didn’t mean anything to me?” I kissed her hard and deep until she moaned against my lips.
“It meant something to me, but you have your pick of so many women. I don’t know… it’s hard to believe it’s anything more than a fling for you. I don’t want an office fling. I can’t risk losing my job and—”
My mouth silenced her. When I let her come up for air, I said, “I pick you. I don’t want to be with anyone else but you. Plain and simple. Don’t ask why because I don’t know. I just know I want to be with you.”
“I want to be with you too,” she whispered, her lips grazing my ear.
That’s all I needed to hear. “Let’s go.”
“But the launch….”
“Lindsey and the others can handle the rest. We’ve done our part. I need you real bad, babe.”
She glanced down at the outline of my erection and her eyes widened, then slid up my body until they locked with mine. Blinking rapidly, she hooked her arm around my waist. “What’re we waiting for?”
