Sinful Desires

by Scarlett Avery

  “You’re such a sweet talker.”

  As much as I wanted to believe Nikolaj could be standing next to me tonight, it became obvious from his phone call this morning he was stuck in Copenhagen indefinitely. It was a harsh reality to accept, but I know in my heart if there was a way for him to be here, he wouldn’t have hesitated. What he’s dealing with back home sounds serious.

  “Shall we mingle?”

  “I’m ready.”

  “Champagne?” a voice asks as we walk into the ballroom. A waiter is tempting us with the nectar of the gods and I can’t resist.

  “Absolutely.” A drink is exactly what I need. “Thank you so much,” I say, clinking my glass with my gorgeous brother-in-law.

  “Wow, you were right, Ciara. New York’s most powerful businessmen have all gathered here tonight.”

  “From what Walter has explained, this club is a serious place for deals.”

  “It sounds like this could turn out to be a great night for both of us.”

  I love the way Bryce is already contemplating how much business he might be able to pull from this room. No wonder he’s so successful.

  “Let’s first go say hello to Walter and his wife. I have to thank him again for saving me yesterday.”

  “I’d love to meet him and thank him on behalf of your sister.”

  “Are you joking?”

  “Partially. Sofia was very worried about you. When you left, she couldn’t sleep. What happened to you shook her hard. I’ve never seen her so agitated about anything.”

  “Yeah, she’s called me eight or ten times today. I don’t know who’s more shaken by this—her or me.”

  “Well, she loves you and she cares deeply about you and so do I,” he says, hugging me.

  “I’m a lucky girl to have both of you in my life.”

  When we walk into the main reception room, Walter is surrounded by a group of high-powered executives. Although this is a gentlemen’s-only club, Walter bent the rules and allowed New York’s wealthiest businessmen to come accompanied by their better halves tonight. Leave it to this city to have so many well-dressed people in one room. There’s so much expensive couture everywhere you look, you’d think we were still in the middle of Fashion Week.

  “Ciara!” Walter calls my name so loudly it startles both Bryce and I. He parts the sea of businesspeople standing in front of him and grabs his wife’s hand and they both march in our direction. “Look at you. You look almost as stunning as my wife.” He chuckles as he winks at me.

  “Oh, Walt, stop it.” Abigail Caldwell playfully hits her husband’s arm in protest. “You promised to behave tonight.”

  “Walter, your wife is gorgeous,” I say, as I lean down to kiss the petite woman standing in front of me.

  “And who might this very lucky gentleman be? I thought you said your boyfriend was out of town for business.”

  “Walter and Abigail, this is Bryce Van Der Linden, my brother-in-law. My sister is away on a business trip and she sent her husband to pose as my bodyguard for the night.”

  We all laugh.

  “Bryce, it makes me feel so much better to know you’re here to protect Ciara from Luke, the scumbag.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell.”

  “Please, don’t make us feel older than we already are. It’s Walter and Abigail.”

  “I’m sorry.” Bryce looks at me apologetically as if he’s screwed up. “I’ll do my best to keep my eyes on Ciara all night or her sister will kill me,” he says, laughing.

  I smile at him as I slip my arm through his. “Walter, Bryce runs one of the most important Internet security companies in the world. He can track anyone anywhere and he uses big tech words I can barely pronounce. He’s my James Bond.” I laugh.

  “You don’t say? Son, I can barely turn on the computer. Pardon my ignorance, but why would anyone hire your services?”

  “Walter, if you have a minute, I can explain how we save companies millions of dollars every single year with our cyber-intelligence.”

  Bryce launches into his salesman mode and suddenly my phone rings. I open my clutch and pull out my iPhone to check the number.

  “I’m sorry. It’s my sister. She wants to check up on me. I’ll only be a minute,” I say as I walk away from the trio.

  I take the call as I walk towards a quiet area of the room.

  “Hey, are you at the reception and did Bryce make it on time?” Sofia sounds so concerned.

  “You’re sounding like such a big sister right now.”

  “Newsflash. I’m the firstborn. Seriously, Ci, if I could smack Luke myself I would, but I’m certain Bryce can do a much better job than I ever could.”

  “He’s here and he’s talking Walter’s ear off about cyber stuff.”

  “Good. Have you seen the asshole yet?”

  “No. Not yet. He might be in the kitchen supervising his team, but so far so good.” I’m not looking forward to bumping into Luke again, but at least I can lean on my brother-in-law for support.

  “I don’t want to keep you any longer since I already called you ten times today. I’m worried because Luke’s caused you so much pain. He destroyed a part of you and it took you years to mend.”

  “Yeah, but as I told you last night, I was able to finally let go of the fairytale I created to help me believe the only man worth loving belonged to someone else. Yesterday, I was able to see the bastard for who he is and he couldn’t have given me a better gift.”

  “So you’re okay?”

  “I love you so much for caring, but I am more than okay.”

  “All right, I’ll let you get back to the party. Kiss my husband for me. Tell him I’ll call him later.”

  “I’ll pass along the message.”

  I place my phone in my clutch and turn around, ready to go back and join Bryce, Walter and Abigail, when I see him. I immediately freeze. Fuck, can’t Luke leave me alone?

  “You’ve always been able to make an entrance like no other woman,” Luke says. “Your dress is simply stunning. I mean, my jaw dropped when I saw you.”

  “Thank you. If you’ll excuse me,” I say as I try to walk past him.

  I knew this moment was unavoidable, but I hate finding myself in this uncomfortable situation.

  “You’re dating an older man now? I saw your date when you came in. He’s not our age, hun.”

  I slowly turn around to tell him exactly what he can do with his pathetic opinion when a voice from behind interrupts me.

  “Ciara, he’s not worth it. Come on. Let it go. Walter sent me over to make sure you were okay.”

  I turn around and Bryce is shooting Luke such a menacing look it gives me chills. He extends his arm towards me and I run to him. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll avoid any future contact with her. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Are you threatening me, asshole?”

  Bryce takes a step towards Luke, forcing the idiot to stumble backwards. “No. I never waste time making promises I don’t intend on keeping. Talk to her again and you and I will have to step outside.”

  Bryce doesn’t wait for Luke to answer. He pulls me towards the center of the room with urgency and stops near the bar.

  “Are you okay? Did he say anything disrespectful? Did he make another pass at you? Because I’m not afraid of taking him outside right now.” Bryce is speaking quickly and I can tell from the way he’s holding my shoulders tightly he’s upset with Luke.

  “No, no, Bryce. Your timing couldn’t have been better.”

  “Walter became extremely worried when he saw Luke approach you from behind while you were on the phone. Since I’d never met the idiot, I didn’t react immediately, but the way Walter was looking in your direction, I figured he was the imbecile who had hurt you so badly and I came to your rescue.”

  “I still can’t believe I was such a bad judge of character,” I say, rolling my eyes before hiding my face in my hands. How could I have not seen such an ugly side t
o Luke?

  I guess I did. I wasn’t willing to admit it to myself before, but it was written all over the cowardly way he broke off our engagement. I chose to blame myself all those years when his lack of character was the real problem.

  “Honey, you weren’t. We’ve all screwed up when it comes to love. Don’t forget how young you were when you were seeing him.”

  “Yeah, but I feel foolish for holding on for so long.”

  “Why don’t we get a drink or two and I can share my sad stories of past fucked-up relationships,” he says, smiling. “Come on. Let me give you a big hug, we’ll grab our drinks and I want you to work your magic in this room. Do we have a deal?”

  I agree, smiling back at him. I’m so grateful I didn’t show up alone tonight.

  Bryce wraps me in his strong arms and I allow myself to close my eyes for a few seconds to blank out my memory of this latest run-in with Luke.

  When I reopen my eyes my heart stops. I blink a few times, unable to believe what I’m seeing.

  His electric-blue eyes have turned dark grey and he’s standing behind Bryce staring at me with a stony face.

  “Nikolaj,” I whisper.

  My heart drops to the pit of my stomach.

  He’s here?

  “Ciara, what are you talking about?” Bryce gently pushes me away and searches my eyes. He looks puzzled and I’m so shocked I can only point to the man who’s turned on his heel and who’s rushing out of the room. “I thought he couldn’t make it.”

  “Me too. I’m as surprised as you are. I have to go after him. He doesn’t know who you are and he must be wondering why I was embracing another man.”

  “Do you want me to come and explain the situation?”

  “No, let me take care of it. Thank you.”

  I grab the tail of my long dress and I run after the man I’ve desperately wanted to see for the past seven days.

  Damn, he’s walking so fast. These strappy high-heeled sandals weren’t made for running.

  Nikolaj pushes the doors to the ballroom open with such violence I fear they’ll fly away. I finally catch up with him right as he’s about to walk out of the building.

  “Wait. Nikolaj, where are you going? You just got here,” I shout in a feeble attempt to force him to slow down before he walks into the night. He doesn’t respond. He simply reaches out and grabs the handle of the door as he takes a step forward.

  He can’t do this to me.

  “Please talk to me. Why are you leaving?” I can hear the desperation in my voice. He’s got it all wrong and he’s not even willing to allow me to explain.

  He’s staring outside with such fascination.

  “We spoke this morning and we texted many times throughout the day and you never told me you were coming.” Fuck. “Nikolaj, turn around and look at me. Please. You can’t walk away from me like this.”

  Slowly he shoves both of his hands in his pockets before turning to face me.

  My God, I’ve missed him so much.

  Nikolaj looks dangerously dashing in his impeccably cut black suit. The white pocket square only enhances the tailoring of his custom-made shirt and when he brings his right hand up to brush back the lock of hair teasing his eyelashes, I catch a glimpse of his silver-colored cufflinks.

  He looks so delicious, I’d strip right here and allow him to take me in front of all of these guests.

  His stare is so heavy I have to look away. Although I’ve done nothing wrong, everything about this moment makes me feel riddled with guilt.

  “I knew how important this night was for you and I wanted to surprise you. I asked my assistant to do a little digging based on the details you shared about this event and she found a way to get me on the guest list.”

  “You did this for me?” I’m stunned.

  “If you knew what I had to pull to get back to the U.S. given the shit I left back home,” he says, shaking his head. “I didn’t expect you’d replace me with someone else so quickly.”

  I conveniently omitted to mention the Luke incident. I didn’t want to worry him since he already has so much on his mind.

  Wow. He’s actually here to celebrate this evening with me.

  “How can you say such hurtful things? Do you actually believe I’d turn around and replace you?”

  “What else am I supposed to think? I walk in the room searching for you and after scouring the room I see this goddess in purple. You take my breath away and then I see this stranger embracing you. I had to think twice because I was about to pounce on the guy holding you and knock him out cold. How can you do this to me?”

  “You’ve got it all wrong.”

  “Is this your way of letting me know things are moving too fast between us? You go out and find the first available guy? Were you planning on fucking him as well?”

  What? “You’re being so unreasonable right now it’s not even funny. You’re dead wrong about everything.”

  “What are you talking about, Ciara? I know what I saw and you looked quite comfortable in his arms.”

  “Nikolaj, the guy you were going to deck is my brother-in-law—the man who married my sister,” I spit out before grabbing the tail of my dress and running away from him. I turn to my left and notice from the corner of my eyes a women’s bathroom. I run inside so he doesn’t see how upset I am right now.

  How can he think I’d play him like a violin? Does he not realize how I feel about him?

  I’m pacing the luxurious ladies’ bathroom like a caged lion before a Vegas circus show when the door slams open. I turn around, startled by the impact of the door against the wall, and take a step back from the storm standing in front of me. Nikolaj pins me with a deep dark stare and it’s evident he’s raging as much as I am.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” he roars.

  I’ve never seen him like this.

  “The man you think I’m going to sleep with tonight is my brother-in-law, not someone replacing you.” I’m so angry at his accusations I hit the marble countertop with the palm of my hand. I need to let off steam.

  He closes the gap between us and grabs my arm. “Are you serious?” His deep blue eyes are searching mine for an answer and I find myself losing myself in his intense gaze.

  “My sister would kill me if anything ever happened between Bryce and I.”

  He’s holding on so tight it’s impossible for me to move. Then again, do I want to?

  He’s so tense and I can see he’s still trying to make sense of the reality I just dropped on him. He drinks me in from head to toe as his harsh stare softens. He lifts my left wrist and admires the constellation of diamonds. “You’re wearing the bracelet I gave you a few nights ago?” His eyes are questioning mine but he already knows the answer.

  “I am.”

  “The guy who was embracing you is married to your sister?”

  “Yes, Nikolaj. Bryce Van Der Linden and Sofia tied the knot nearly eight months ago.”

  “Shit. He’s not a date?”

  “No.”

  “And his cock wasn’t going to get anywhere near you?”

  “Not if I value my life. My sister loves Bryce with all her heart and she’d fight me to the death for him.”

  “Fuck, I feel like such a fool. I was so bloody angry when I saw you in his arms. I came close to causing a monstrous scene out there.”

  “You should have told me you were coming.”

  “Baby, I’m anything but predictable.” He flashes me a cocky grin that brightens his eyes and turns me into putty. “I would have swum here if I had to. I couldn’t stand one more moment without you. Yeah, text and late-night phone calls will do for a few days, but nothing compares to being here with you, Ciara,” he says with eyes half closed.

  “I’ve wanted nothing more than to see you since you left.”

  “You’ve missed me so much?”

  His devastatingly sultry look is going to set my soul on fire. “More than I’ll ever be willing to admit.”

  “You
don’t even know what those words do to me,” he whispers before brushing my lips.

  His kiss is deep, desperate and heart-stopping. Our tongues swirl and dance around each other.

  I can’t believe I had to live without this for seven whole days.

  The energy has dramatically shifted in the bathroom. The pent-up anger has given way to something new—palpable desire, panty-dropping lust and volcanic passion. It’s the kind of sexual tension sure to make you want to do unspeakable things to each other.

  He lets go of my wrist and cups my face with both hands, forcing me to tilt my head further back as he kisses me ravenously.

  “Oh, baby, I can’t tell you how I’ve missed your lips against mine,” I whisper between his sweet kisses.

  “I want you so much, it hurts,” he grunts.

  “I can skip the party and we can dash off to my house.”

  “I don’t think you understand, Ciara. It’s been seven days of jerking myself off as I imagine how beautiful you look when you come undone in my arms. I can’t wait another sixty minutes for us to get to your place. I want you now.”

  “As in here in this bathroom?” I ask, pointing to the ground.

  “Yes.” His answer is so precise there’s no room for confusion.

  “Someone might come in and catch us.”

  “Precisely, love. Wouldn’t you say the idea of being caught will make this debauchery even kinkier?”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “Hold on, aren’t you the one who’s been pressuring me on exploring the idea of public sex?”

  “Perhaps, but there are a lot of people out there I know—including my brother-in-law.” This wouldn’t be the first time Bryce walks in on me in a compromising position.

  “I’ll block the door with that chair in the corner,” he says, looking around him.

  He doesn’t wait for my answer and marches to the opposite side of the room, where he drags a chair to jam against the door, confining us in this makeshift love chamber. He slowly turns around and the passion in his eyes ignites such a strong sensation down deep between the walls of my pussy it leaves my legs trembling.