by Cole, Mila
Slick looked over his shoulder when he realized what they were doing to me and snickered. “Hope that hurts.”
“Fucker,” I said under my breath.
I kept my eyes focused on him as he sifted through the rack of dresses. I couldn’t fathom what his thought process was for picking one he liked. Would he favor a color or a length? Who knew.
“Ouch!” Waxing sucked, and watching him wasn’t helping to keep my mind off the pain. Every time the lady ripped off a piece of cloth, I wanted to punch her in the face. It was like having the top layer of your skin pulled off. It hurt like nobody’s business.
I was tempted to leave it half-finished and pull out my razor. Wouldn’t that be cute?
“This one,” Slick said, catching my attention. He pulled the dress from the rack and held it up.
My heart raced at the sight of it. It was the black-and-gold Elie Saab. Gah! It had the long see-through sleeves, and the skirt was sheer too. It was beautiful. The other ladies in the room gushed over it. “It’s perfect. Thank you,” I told him.
It surprised me that he chose the most lavish dress on the rack. It was the most expensive too, but luckily my mom had the best connections. I could gush about the dress all night and wear it for free since it was on loan. I had the perfect black strappy heels to match it.
After what felt like hours in front of the mirror, I was finally ready. The style team did amazing work. They left my hair down in loose waves and placed a gold headband in. My makeup was dark but not over-the-top, and the dress fit me like a glove. I felt like it was made for me. Elie was a genius. Truly. The material felt flawless against my skin, and aside from the heels, I felt like I was going to be comfortable all night. A little drafty, but I could live with that. After all, I did just sit through a vigorous round of waxing. There wasn’t a single hair on my legs—not much skin either.
Slick said he’d meet me in the foyer. He was using my father’s office to get dressed.
I stepped into the hallway. My heels clicked against the marble floor as I made my way to the foyer with my clutch in my hand.
Slick’s back was toward me as he stood perched against the doorframe of the kitchen. When he heard me enter the room, he turned around slowly. His eyes raked over my body, like they had so many times before. Only this time, I could feel the heat of his gaze. There was no denying the way he felt this time. He couldn’t hide behind a scowl, because his jaw was somewhere on the floor.
His eyes met mine, and I never felt more beautiful than I did in that moment. Time could’ve stopped. I wouldn’t have noticed.
When he stepped closer to me, I could see the day-old stubble on his jaw. My fingers itched to reach out and touch it. I loved when he didn’t shave. That dark shadow against along his jawline was so sexy. He looked like a million bucks.
“Damn I’m good,” he admitted, taking my hand in his. He twirled me around before pulling me in close. Thank goodness no one was around because the moment was far too intimate to share with anyone else. “You look gorgeous.”
Heat filled my cheeks. “You look great too. Can I straighten your tie?”
He nodded, so I handed him my bag to hold while I adjusted the black tie around his neck. My fingers lingered around the silky fabric. I didn’t want to move. When I shifted my eyes up to him, he was staring at me. Those beautiful eyes of his looked darker somehow. Like the heat of the moment had purposely made them change color. It was intense. I could feel my pulse pick up as if he were about to kiss me. Our lips were only inches apart, so close that I could feel the heat of his breath against my lips.
“We should get going, Princess. You don’t want to be late.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Was I that naïve to think that there were really sparks between us?
I stomped off to the elevator, wishing for a bit of distance between us. I could’ve used some sulking time.
He stepped inside next to me, and the moment the elevator door closed, his deep voice said, “Too many cameras out there.”
Then he turned so that he was standing directly in front of me.
My breath stopped.
My heart stopped.
And with a push of a button…
The elevator stopped.
Twenty-One
Slick
When my hand tapped that red emergency stop button, her eyes grew wide. It wasn’t fear. I’d seen that look before. Those pale blue eyes almost looked red under the soft glow of the elevator lights.
I had to kiss her just once. No one was around. No one could see us. There was no way we’d get caught. And I had to know what was really going on between us. If it was nothing, then we could pretend that this never happened. If it was something more, then I needed to know before the thought alone killed me.
My hands wrapped around the back of her small neck, feeling the goose bumps rise under my fingertips. With a small tug, she was pressed against the front of me. My thumb traced the delicate skin, and I could feel her rapid heartbeat underneath it. It was like a locked and loaded gun just waiting for someone to pull the trigger.
“This what you want, Princess?”
Breathe, little girl.
I waited a beat, but it seemed she couldn’t speak. Her hand reached for my coat, and I could feel it pull as her fingertips gripped it tightly.
I moved my hand down the front of her dress slowly until I reached her hip. My dick was standing tall and proud, like it’d been waiting for me to touch this girl for far too long. I couldn’t agree more. So I went for it. I tilted my head down to meet her and touched my lips to hers. The buildup in my mind couldn’t even compare to the way her lips felt against mine. So warm. So sweet. She was like forbidden fruit, and I was a starving man.
My tongue slipped eagerly inside hers, finding exactly what it wanted. It was like my body had a mind of its own.
“Fuck!” I said when I pulled away. My lips were still tingling. “I’m in so much trouble,” I admitted. The kiss was far better than I ever imagined, and it only made me want her more. Screwed. That’s what I was.
She giggled. Her lips were still swollen and puffy.
“This is not funny.” I raked my hands through my hair.
There was no way I could keep my distance now.
This girl would be the death of me.
Simple as that.
I released the emergency stop button, and the elevator began to move again. “Why are you still laughing? Your father is probably going to kill me.” Even just saying those words sounded wrong. Do you know how many years it’d been since I’d been worried about what someone’s father might’ve thought?
I was someone’s father for crying out loud.
“Hey, Slick,” Lighter said before we stepped off the elevator.
“Yeah?”
“For what’s it worth,” she whispered, “it was amazing.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It was.”
* * *
Once we made it to the event, the two of us didn’t have time to think any more about what happened. We were too busy. Funny that I didn’t remember signing up to help, but somehow, I was put to work.
When people started to arrive, Lighter had to go out of the building to meet her dad so that the two of them could be seen together for photographs.
“Hey,” Tony said as he walked next to me. “We have a problem.”
I glanced over my shoulder. “What kind of problem?”
“Derosa’s car was followed. We circled the block around the building, and they wouldn’t let up.”
“Did you see who it was? What were they driving?”
“We couldn’t see them. It was too dark. But the vehicle was a big black Suburban. They didn’t pull away until we pulled up next to the curb here.”
I glanced back at the row of cars lined up against the curb, then back to Derosa and Lighter. They moved arm in arm through the line, while cameras snapped hundreds of pictures of them. She was too damn beautiful to be that
sick man’s daughter.
“I think we should put a man at every entrance. We have enough people here,” I urged.
“Good call. Keep an eye on them, and I’ll step back to let everyone know.” He pointed at the headset in his ear.
My adrenaline was pumping hard. Threats were one thing. Having someone get close enough to carry through was completely different. Whoever it was that was sending Derosa some kind of message wasn’t playing around. I was going to need some names and faces after this. No more guessing who was after them. I had to be prepared. He couldn’t expect me to run an operation blind.
“We need to talk,” I told him just as we were entering the building.
“Later” was all he said.
I nodded. Though what I really wanted to do was slam him down in a seat and force him to talk. Being perceived as powerful didn’t mean that he was invincible. He couldn’t pretend that everything was fine when it wasn’t. Unless he truly didn’t care that he was putting everyone he loved at risk.
Karma, man.
When the party was in full swing, Lighter moved about the room flawlessly. It was like she was tailor-made for these things, which I guess in reality she was.
Never in a million years did I think I’d want to get my rocks off with an eighteen-year-old, spoiled socialite. I remember the day I first met her, when she’d strolled into her father’s office with those sunglasses on her head. My first reaction was that she was hungover and a disrespectful brat. I was ready and willing to put her in her place. Now, I was ready and willing to bend her over one of those tables.
You should’ve seen her when she stepped up to the microphone to announce the date auction. The room stood still while all eyes focused on her. The colored lights from the ceiling made her shine up there. There wasn’t a single man in the room that didn’t want her. Not that I could blame them. What a beautiful sight she was.
Tony walked over to stand next to me so that the two of us could be close to the stage while Lighter was up there. I scanned the crowd, making sure no one was a threat. The only dangerous weapon I could see were those numbered wooden paddles for the auction. I’d never witnessed anything like that.
When all the ladies walked up to the stage, Tony told me under his breath that he wished he was richer and that he had control over one of those paddles. Normally I would’ve agreed, but the only girl I could see on that stage was Lighter. No one else compared.
The crowd clapped as each of the girls was auctioned to the highest bidder. When I say high, I mean more than the cost of a brand-new car. The winners were only promised dinner, though I suspected some of them would be expecting more, considering the price they were paying. One girl, a tall brunette in a red dress, brought in forty-eight thousand dollars. Now mind you, I knew it was for charity, but I couldn’t see spending that much money for a date where you weren’t even guaranteed to get laid. Shit, there were hookers that didn’t make that much in a year, but at least with them it was a sure thing.
Lighter was standing off to the side of the stage closer to us, watching along. You could tell just how overjoyed she was at all the money being raised. She had every right to be proud.
The man standing behind the mic announced that they had one last date to auction off. When he started to list the woman’s attributes, my heart sank. Lighter’s eyes were fixated on the floor beneath her, and she wouldn’t look up. I stepped up next to the stage where I stood directly behind her. The heat of my rage was radiating off me so hard that I was sure she could feel it. I was about to tell her that I’d kill any man who dared to place a bid on her, but I was stopped short as the announcer read off her name and she stepped forward.
I had to stop myself from yanking her off the stage in front of everyone.
Tony placed a hand on my shoulder and told me to keep my shit together. I guess it was obvious that I was pissed. Beyond pissed. Yet there was nothing I could do about it without making a scene.
Lighter stood there at center stage. Everyone had their eyes on her. She looked like a lavender-haired angel.
“Keep your cool, man,” Tony said. “It’s just a date, and it’s for charity.”
If he weren’t there, I probably would’ve already flipped out, ran up there, and hauled her away caveman-style.
“We’ll start the bidding at ten thousand,” the man announced.
I felt sick, and I didn’t want to watch. But I couldn’t just walk away when I was in charge of her safety. My stomach was in knots. I couldn’t have her, but I didn’t want anyone else to have her either. It made me realize the kind of hold she actually had on me. I was jealous; I’d admit it. It felt unnatural and wrong. But I couldn’t help it. She should’ve been mine. I’d tasted those lips—those sweet, plump lips. Not a single man in the room was good enough for her. I didn’t want them anywhere near her.
“Fifty thousand,” someone said from the back of the room. Everyone gasped.
“Fifty-five,” another voice called out.
“Sixty.”
Son of a bitch.
“Who was that?” I asked Tony.
“Don’t know.” He shook his head. “Whoever it was sounded young.”
“Sixty-five,” a voice rang out.
“One hundred thousand dollars.”
“Fuck.” I groaned.
“One hundred grand going once… Twice… Sold! Step forward, young man.”
Wait. I recognized that face. You’ve got to be kidding me. I’ll kill him.
Twenty-Two
Lighter
The ride home last night was eventful. Slick was pissy about the auction. He barely said a word to me. Not that he could say much. I was wedged between him and Trim in the back seat the entire ride back.
I knew that he was mad when he figured out that I was one of the girls being auctioned, but he was even more pissed when he realized it was Landon that had paid the hundred grand.
It was crazy for him to spend that kind of money, but thanks to his donation, we raised over three hundred thousand dollars. It was the most money that the PHS had ever raised with an event. Talk about gloating. I was soaring high despite Slick’s foul mood.
Landon and I talked after the auction and agreed that we’d have our date tonight, since I was supposed to go out of town to visit my mom this weekend and he was already in town. Trim was scheduled to go to Canada with me as he already had a valid passport. I didn’t expect Slick to go since he had a daughter. It would be hard to be away from her that long.
As I was getting ready for my date, I wasn’t worried at all. I was happy that Landon was the one who’d won. It wouldn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. The two of us had been on hundreds of dates in the past. The only awkward part would be having Slick be less than fifty feet away from us. It was his shift to work, and he was going to have to stand guard while Landon and I had dinner and whatever else we decided to do. When I texted him the details first thing this morning, all he said was “Okay.”
I got why he was upset.
I did.
I should’ve mentioned the part about me being auctioned and not let it be a surprise to him and my father. But I was afraid that everyone would try to convince me not to do it, like I was a child or something. It was for a good cause, and thanks to my auction, we raised triple the amount of money than we thought we would. I wasn’t ashamed. And even though Landon’s intentions were probably much different than mine, we were only going to dinner. I wasn’t planning for this to lead to anything more.
There was no way that it could. Not after that kiss with Slick.
Slick… Sheesh… It was pathetic that I couldn’t even tell you his first name, yet in my dreams, we’d crossed every line imaginable. Funny really.
Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I slid my tiny pearls around my neck. My mom and dad had got them for me for my sixteenth birthday. They’d been delivered to my apartment that morning by someone wearing a suit and sunglasses. My parents hadn’t even come to visit me that day, b
ut the pearls were beautiful. They looked perfect with my pale blue, knee-length dress.
My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, and I kept my makeup simple. A light-colored lip, some mascara, and a little shimmery powder. I looked more my age without all the makeup. Kind of sweet actually. It was a nice look. The tabloids would probably have something ridiculous to say about it. Probably call the look a fail in the fashion world. They were cruel sometimes, which was why I never read those stuffy magazines. Aside from my subscription to Decorating Darling, and the New York Times, I never picked up a magazine or a newspaper. I was strictly a novel-reading girl.
With my purse in one hand and my shoes in the other, I padded down the hallway to the formal living room. The room was rarely occupied when my mother wasn’t home. I loved the way it was decorated, and the fireplace, but it was so large and the furniture was so spread out that it didn’t feel comfortable. There was an echo in the room that bounced around on those high ceilings, making it feel more like a cave than a living area. My mother loved it though.
I sat down on the oversized sofa and slipped on my white wedges while I waited for Landon to arrive. The shoes were beautiful, but my feet would probably be aching before the night was up.
The evening was going to go fine, so long as Slick didn’t act like a caveman. We never had a talk after that kiss. It was a passionate kiss that I could still feel in the pit of my stomach. One that I hoped I’d never forget in my lifetime. Also, one that I hoped to repeat many times in the future. He knew where I stood. He had to. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone. I would’ve let him strip off that evening gown and take me right there in the stopped elevator last night, if that was what he wanted. He had more restraint than I did. After the kiss, we never discussed what would happen next. Did he want me? Did he not want me? It seemed to always be a game with him. I just hoped he’d tell me what was going on soon. I couldn’t stand being clueless, especially when it was my life. If this game went on any longer, then someone was going to wind up murdered, with a stiletto, in the library.
