She should have.
“Well,” he said, his voice tight and his teeth clenched just a bit. “If everyone’s finally here, then maybe we can talk more about social media.”
Robert went back to his speech, eyeing the newcomer the entire time, out of both a mix of fury and something else. There was something intriguing about those bright green eyes of hers, about the flush to her cheeks due to her embarrassment.
He’d have to remember that.
CHAPTER EIGHT
That night at the cocktail reception, Allison was working hard to keep herself sipping one more club soda instead of asking for a Chardonnay. She’d already suffered through a hangover in the desert this morning, and there were two more days of info sessions and notes to take. After all, McDonough expected a thorough report and she’d have to give him one. However, she’d be leaving out the part where she’d become the unexpected star of the opening address.
Ugh, at least I missed part of Robert Stone congratulating himself.
“Miss?” the waiter asked her. “Would you like anything else?”
“A hammer to the face?” she asked, only half joking.
“Oh, I wouldn’t ask for that,” a low, rumbling voice practically purred out behind her. “You have a very pretty face, it would be a shame to mar it.”
Allison stilled and steadied herself. She knew that voice, had heard it not seven hours ago from the podium and had heard it on CNN and other places in interviews. Know the competition and all that. It was Robert Stone.
Perfect as if him taking potshots at me wasn’t bad enough.
She turned to him and narrowed her eyes. “Robert Stone, the pleasure is not mine.”
“Oh call me, ‘Arrow,’ most of my friends do,” he said, grinning, and she wondered if he really thought she was so stupid as to fall for his megawatt smile. Of course, there were probably a ton of women who fell for it routinely. That and a flash of a certain black credit card.
She shook his proffered hand, adding a bit of pressure to her squeeze, letting her nails dig into the back of his hand. Allison was a kitten with claws. “I’ll stick with Robert, since we’re definitely not friends.”
He arched an eyebrow at her and she felt her cheeks flush. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen him before on television, but he was so much more attractive in person. He was taller than even Tom, easily 6’4 with a lean, swimmer’s physique. His hair was blond with a bit of frosted tips at the top, something that was a retro throwback but that he somehow made work. His brown eyes were a deep chocolate brown and would almost lull someone into thinking that an earnest soul lay behind them.
Still, she wasn’t falling for it.
He was the ultimate frat boy unleashed, the reason she was in the damn doghouse with her boss. He could pretend he cared about the future of marketing or was some inspiration for their business, but his answer still boiled down to tighter skirts and more revealing bikinis on the actresses.
He laughed as if what she said were amusing. “You don’t have to be like that. I won’t hold it against you for your entrance. It was certainly memorable. Besides,” he said, taking a moment to order himself a Scotch. “You gave everyone a good laugh and we needed one that early in the morning. Sort of like you set it up, and I knocked it down.”
“That’s not how I felt about it,” she replied, sipping her drink. “Look, Robert, I get it if you want to lord over me that I messed up your big, public back-patting session. I know you like to have your ego…among other things stroked.”
He grinned and she had to admit that the lopsided smirk was attractive, would have looked great on someone who wasn’t a complete rat. “Then you do know me.”
“Everyone knows you. Your reputation precedes you.”
“So you hate me for being good enough to make over a billion in this game.”
“No,” she said, “I hate you because you have made everything in advertising about a race to the damn bottom. Look at what you sold Schmidt’s Lager on.”
He shook his head and sipped his drink. “They were dying with that stupid beach theme. They’re a damn lager, not even a summer beer. Besides, I know my target audience. You think they care about anything more than getting off?”
“Women drink beer too,” she countered as she started to walk away. He grabbed her arm and she could have forced it, broken away, but there probably wasn’t going to be another chance for her to say her mind. She spun around and glared up at him, only then realizing how close she was to him, how she could feel his breath on her cheeks. “I don’t have anything else to say to you.”
He frowned and then widened his eyes. “You’re Allison Shepard, aren’t you? You’re the girl who was on the account back when they were suffering at Vision. That explains a lot of why you’re pissed. Sounds like sour grapes to me, Goldilocks.”
She should have pulled away then or resisted his grasp more, but he was so near her and it was almost like the force of gravity. “It’s not. You’re not old school or new school. You’re just a hack.”
“I have six hundred employees and a multi-billion dollar portfolio that says I know how clients think.”
“Fine, then congratulations on everything,” she huffed. “I guess your next approach will be adding foxy boxing links to twitter bursts or commercials with stripper poles. Again, revolutionary.”
“You don’t strike me as the kind of chick who doesn’t shave her legs. You’re cute enough, so I don’t get why you have an ax to grind against what I do. I mean, besides being boring and second-rate compared to me. It’s not like I’m Hugh Hefner.”
She narrowed her eyes further. “Might as well be.”
“Oh, Goldilocks, stop being so jealous.”
“My name is Allison, and I will be getting the account back.”
“I doubt it,” he said, and then he shocked her completely by kissing her.
She stood stock still for a moment, frozen with confusion and indecision. It was the last thing she expected from him, didn’t seem to complete the gloating party he was having all on his own. Then his tongue eased into her mouth and, despite everything, she relaxed, feeling the caress of his tongue against hers, the passion brimming between them. He reached lower with one hand and stroked the small of her back, and she reached up to rub his cheek, somewhat amused that for the first time in a long time that glasses weren’t getting in her way.
Heat flared in her stomach and suddenly she was feeling passion she’d never felt before.
He moaned a little and the resonance of it, the pitch, reminded her that he wasn’t her actual fiancé. Allison pulled away then, even if a large part of her was begging her not to stop, reminding her that this was something she’d been missing in her life a long time. The rest of her, the part that felt the weight of her engagement ring on her finger, told her to stop it. Shaking her head, she just glared back at him.
“This is not happening. I’m not just another conquest for you or a story for the water cooler.”
He reached down and stroked her hair. It was surprisingly gentle and that confused her. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
She licked her lips and gathered control over herself. Pulling away, she gave him a quick slap to the cheek, well aware everyone else was gathered around and watching both of them. “I’m not something for you to take, Arrow, so have a nice night.”
CHAPTER NINE
“Wow, man, you were shot down,” Oliver chimed in as Robert ordered a second Scotch from the bartender.
He was hunched over, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone and hoping all the guests had gotten the complete and accurate impression that he had no interest in being talked to right now. In fact, he had no interest in even talking to his best friend and usual wingman. Robert had never been rebuffed like that in his life, and the fact it had been from someone on such a high horse graded more.
But she seemed so shocked too; it wasn’t like she wasn’t receptive…
And then, oddly, he felt worse about that.
He’d noticed the glimmer of a diamond on her finger as she’d fled. He barely knew of Allison Shepard and by reputation only. It had been more than a joy to steal a contract away from Old McDonough at Vision. He had a score to settle there after all and taking things away from him piece by piece so far had been a joy. However, now that he saw her here in person and so wounded, well, some of the games weren’t as fun anymore.
Robert sipped his Scotch and shook his head at his friend. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“Every eye in the room was on you, your cheek’s a little pink, and you’re brooding---”
“Thinking, it’s different,” he objected.
Oliver rolled his eyes and drained his Jaeger. “Same thing. She did a number on you. Who the Hell was she? Former one-night stand?”
“No, she’s from a rival firm.”
“Oh, so someone’s jealous about how capitalism works? Man, let her go. We’ll head out to the Hard Rock first and hit the scene later.”
“I…not tonight,” he said, standing up from the table. “I think I need to apologize to Ms. Shepard. I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Looks like you did buddy. Besides, she seemed to enjoy it, probably why she acted like such a prude. We’re in the home of strippers, prostitutes, and gorgeous showgirls and you’re upset what one uptight chick who’s too short thinks of you? Man, you need to vacation for real and STAT.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it? You never were bothered by taking anything you wanted before.”
“Then it’s different, that’s all, and I have an apology to issue,” he said, heading off to the concierge to figure out where Ms. Shepard was staying within the hotel.
CHAPTER TEN
Allison frowned at her phone. It was already eleven p.m. in New York, and her fiancé should have been home right now. Maybe he was slammed back at the Columbia library working on his latest research project. Hell, he’d been talking about going back to Baltimore for the weekend to research more about Poe. Maybe he’d decided to actually do it. Either way, there was nothing she needed to hear more right then than Tom’s voice.
I kissed him. What the Hell was I thinking?
Okay so Robert had started it, but she could have broken away faster, should never have felt so drawn to it as she was. What was wrong with her? After, okay and maybe Cassidy wasn’t wrong about this part, after months of lobbying Tom to set a wedding date, she was kissing another man and actually feeling things.
Things Tom hadn’t made her feel in years.
“God, I’m the worst person ever,” she said, standing and about to go to the bathroom to get a hot shower. No, scratch that. She needed a cold shower. It was then that there was a knock at the door. She hoped like Hell it wasn’t someone from the hotel staff upset that she’d been a little aggressive with Franklin this morning getting into the keynote.
God, like that had gone well.
Stalking over to the door, she flung it open and prepared to give her biggest smile and best lies to the staff, assure them she wouldn’t pull anything like that again. Her face fell when she realized it was Robert. “Weren’t you done making me feel crappy?”
He sighed and surprised her all over again by looking down at his feet. “Look, I feel like I need to apologize.”
“You’re not sorry that you won over Schmidt’s.”
“About the kiss,” he said, gesturing down to her ring. “I didn’t know you were engaged before I kissed you, and I’m really sorry.”
Allison was about to slam the door in his face, but there was something so sincere and humble about his tone that she couldn’t push him away. Sighing, she opened the door wider and let him pass into her room. She sat down on the sofa and was shocked a third time in quick succession when he sat down next to her. She should have asked him to stay standing or take a chair.
Of course, you shouldn’t even have let him in. What do you think is going to happen here?
“I’m listening,” she said, holding her hands out, palms up.
“Look,” he said, taking her hand in his. She noted he chose to do it with her right. “Maybe I am an ass.”
“Oh, you definitely are. I think it’s a big part of your brand.”
“Okay, so I’m an ass.”
“Well you said it,” she said, smirking back at him.
He obliged her by laughing. “Maybe, I just shouldn’t have taken advantage that way. I’m still not sorry about Schmidt’s.”
Allison pulled her hand back. “I figured.”
He chuckled again. “Look, you’re not without talent. I dig that honest creative attitude of yours. Unfortunately, it’s naïve to try and sell people stuff in a way they don’t want.”
“Excuse me.”
“I didn’t make the rules, Goldilocks. Sex sells and that’s what I have to do. It’s made me an empire and I don’t regret that. I’m just saying if you could abandon your high horse, you’d be a Hell of an ad exec.”
She stood up and stomped over to the sink by the kitchen. “I am an ad exec. I know we’re not as big as you guys.”
“You’re in trouble and just bending a little would help.”
She slammed the glass down as she started pouring water into it. “Maybe I don’t bend.”
Robert’s eyes blazed at a statement like that and he was rushing to her then, taking long, deliberate strides her way. She stilled there, curious to where all this was going, feeling that fire again in her belly and flaring through her just like when he’d kissed her before. He reached to her hand first and took the water from her, setting it away on the counter.
“You’re a stubborn thing aren’t you?”
“You’re just getting that now, ‘Arrow,’” she said. Since when did her voice ever come out so breathy and desperate?
He nodded and cupped her cheek, and despite everything, especially logic, she relaxed in the embrace. “I think I like that about you, Goldilocks.”
“So your brilliant apologizing plan was just based around what? Getting more make outs?”
He grinned and started to kiss the side of her throat, his lips and tongue working gentle ministrations of her skin and the dip of her clavicle. She moaned and drew closer against him, feeling his hardness already pressed against her hips. “I think I want more than that. And,” he added, reaching low and running his fingers over the wetness already collected on her panties. “I think you do too.”
He was grazing his teeth over the curve of her neck and her pulse was already pounding and her clit throbbing with desire. It felt so amazing, like being outside on the first day of summer after being snowed in all winter. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel this way in such a long time, hadn’t even realized how long she had been hibernating.
“I…” she started, her voice low and throaty. “This is wrong. I’m engaged.”
“You can throw me out,” he purred, his brown eyes boring into hers, and she could lose herself in them forever, even if the man behind them did nothing most of the time but irritate her.
“I should make you go,” she replied and then she bucked her hips a bit as his fingers traced over the delicate patterns of her folds through the thin cotton of her panties. Every nerve ending was suddenly on fire, and no part of her wanted to end it now.
Or ever.
“You should,” he said, as he started to unbutton her blouse. He did it slowly, deliberately, with suave motions. One button, two, a third and her bra was unveiled before him. Robert licked his lips. “Are you going to, Goldilocks?”
“No, don’t you dare leave,” she said, reaching down to trail her fingernails over his abdomen. “Not now.”
“Good,” he said, reaching over and under the fabric of her shirt in order to undo the clasps of her bra. He did it with aplomb, and she shouldn’t be surprised. Allison knew his reputation well, knew that he had had a cavalcade of lovers. It was no shock he was able to help her ease out of her bra almost seamlessly.
Her shirt too.
She was exposed to him, slightly nervous because who knew if she measured up to any of the models or actresses he’d had over the years.
Robert frowned back at her even as his left hand moved to cup her breast. His right was still working up a ferocious rhythm, rubbing her through her panties, and he hadn’t even done much and she was so close to the edge of coming.
God, when was the last time she’d done more than fake it on Sunday nights with Tom?
“What?” she asked, still grinding against him, desperate to give his fingers the access they needed to her, to help fulfill her. “You stopped.”
“You’re beautiful,” he gasped, gazing thoughtfully at the pointed peaks of her already hardened nipples. “God, you don’t even know how much.”
“Now you’re just laying it on thick.”
He shook his head and brought his tongue to the tip of her left nipple even as his hand cupped that mound. He flicked his tongue up and down, his rhythm there quickly matching the ferocity with which his hand stroked her. Robert continued like that, his tongue a whirling dervish of activity, tracing all over her breast and teasing at her areola. She moaned even as her wetness flooded her.
Robert maneuvered his fingers under the fabric of her panties, and she gasped as two thick fingers entered her channel even as his thumb found her clit. She moaned loudly as he worked her over quickly then, his fingers slamming into her, his thumb applying fantastic pressure that made her clit throb even harder, sending electricity running up and down every nerve of her body. His mouth was on her nipple and when he gave it just the tiniest bit of pressure with his teeth…
She came.
It was like a massive wave crashing over her, pleasure consuming every pore, and Allison wondered how she’d ever lived without this feeling for so long, without this pleasure and completion.
Stoned: A Billionaire Stepbrother With Benefits Romance (My Brother's Keeper Book 1) Page 3
