The small crowd applauded my accomplishments.
“With so much undeniable success, many have been asking when I would tackle the American market,” I went on. “It wasn’t something I’d really planned on. I enjoyed taking my place in the European market, but… Well, the time to make the move has finally come.”
“Yay!” the drunken starlet cheered, though I’m certain she had no idea what I was talking about.
“We’ve finally decided to come to America and to set up our new operation right here in the Greater Los Angeles area.”
“Where?” the drunken starlet let out. “Where can I find you, you little cutie?”
I pressed a wry smile. “We’re still in the process of shopping around for the perfect location. The real estate market out here is tight and finding the suitable building is proving to be difficult. We just may have to find a sizeable piece of property and start construction of our own facility.”
“Bravo,” the reporter from The Record called out.
“Good for you,” another one added.
“Welcome to California,” Tyrina Lopez said. “Can we expect to be kept up to date with your progress? Will you let us know once you’ve found a location?”
“I’ll be sure to keep in touch with all of you and let you know how things are moving along,” I said. “I hope to have a long relationship with everyone from the press.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Barbara Heinz said.
“Well, that’s all I had to say,” I said in closing. “Please, enjoy the champagne, enjoy the magnificent food brought to us by Mademoiselle and please do enjoy your evening.”
After a splattering of polite applause, I walked through the crowd nodding and thinking them for their kind words of encouragement.
But then I noticed a familiar face looking at me from across the room. Her gaze was sultry and inviting as she took a sip of champagne and looked at me over the rim of her glass.
She was stunning. Her long hair was pulled straight and fell to her waist and her makeup was dramatic without being over the top.
Her dark green sparkling mini dress did well to cover her skin… the long sleeves and high neckline… but it was skintight and showed off her curves in the best possible way. Only her luscious legs were visible and wearing those three inch emerald stilettos, she outshined everyone at the party
I shot a quick glimpse around her. Where was the boyfriend? Where was the lover? The suitor?
Nowhere in sight.
No one was around her.
Off to get a drink? An hors d’oeuvre?
She already had a drink in her hand, and she didn’t seem interested in the food that was being served.
No. Instead, she was looking at me with hunger. With the hunger of a woman who’d not been satisfied by a man in a long, long time.
“Tell me I’m not dreaming,” I whispered to myself.
I looked around for Ace. He’d tell me whether I was dreaming or not. He’d tell me if this was just another mirage. But he was nowhere in sight.
I took a step toward her. The mirage remained, and the hungry look in her eyes intensified. She licked her pouty lips.
Summer.
Argh. I wanted her so bad.
I took another step toward her, but the drunken starlet came to me, blocking me way.
“Thank you so much for inviting me to your party,” she said with a seductive grin. “I love this sort of thing. Once the champagne gets going, people really get wild.”
“Well,” I said as pleasantly as I could. “I’m happy to have you.”
“Oh, sweetie,” she said as she leaned seductively into me. “You haven’t had me until… well, you’ve had me. You know what I mean.” She winked in a very awkward fashion.
“I think I do,” I said. “In any case, I’m pleased to see that you’re enjoying yourself.” I tried to gently nudge her out of my way. “Now if you don’t mind… I do have other guests to tend to.”
“You know,” she said, completely oblivious to my desire to get away from her. “I just love this house. It’s spectacular. That kitchen is wild. Did you know that you have a coffee machine built right into the wall? I mean, that’s just crazy. Isn’t it? Oh, you know. There’s just something special about a Malibu beach house. There really is. The crash of the waves. Those romantic sunsets. How would you like to go for a walk on the beach and watch the sunset?”
“Well, first of all, ah…um,” I said as I glanced up to see Summer looking on with interest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Tabitha.”
“Tabitha, yes. Well, first of all, Tabitha. This isn’t a beach house, and we are nowhere near the beach. We’re up in the mountains. Secondly, the sun has been down for quite some time now.”
“Oh,” she said with a silly giggle and a slap at my chest. “Aren’t you the smart one?” Her hand remained on me and she ran it slowly over my chest. “And aren’t you a bundle of muscular joy. So hot and so rich. Wow. It’s been a long time since I’ve…”
“I’m sorry,” I said, taking a firmer hold of her. “I really do have to see about my guests.”
I kindly but firmly moved her out of my way and walked on to where Summer stood, an amused smile on her face.
Chapter 14
Dante Black/Parker James
“You seem to be a very popular man,” Summer said when I finally reached her.
“It comes with the territory,” I said flippantly. “Some people are enamored with the idea of power.”
“And money, I suppose,” she added with a pleasant and welcoming smile.
I nodded. “I suppose that has something to do with it as well.” I looked at her, taking her in and noting the small changes in her since the last time I’d seen her a few years earlier.
She’d lost that girlish appearance and her high cheekbones were now more apparent. Her voice had also dropped to a lower and very mature and seductive register.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I said, way too aware of the nervous tension that was building up between us.
Clearly, she had no idea of the past that we’d shared, but I wanted to do everything I could to poke at that memory and reawaken that part of her.
“Mr. James,” Abigail Christian said as she came up to us, oblivious to the intrusion that she was.
She was a flashy redhead with way too much make up, and way too much Botox. Wearing a bright pink cocktail dress that was covered with tiny shimmering beads, she stuck out from the crowd which, I had to assume was the intention. With a snide glance at Summer, she turned to me. “Mr. James… Parker… May I call you Parker?”
“Sure,” I said, putting on my professional grin. “I insist that you do.”
“Parker,” she went on, taking on a slightly haughty air. “My many followers are going to be incredibly interested in you and everything about you, particularly your marital status. I’m sure that once my followers see your gorgeous face, they’re going to want to know a lot more about you. What do you have to say to them?”