Three
My trip to the lobby would have been embarrassing if I’d been sober enough to recognize it. Walking was impossible without holding on to Blue Eyes’ arm, which I clutched onto for dear life. Truth be told, I would have clutched it anyway. It would have been a shame to ignore it once he’d offered it. Even with the material of his tux between my hand and his bicep, I could tell it was a very nicely shaped bicep.
I’m pretty sure I told him so in the elevator because Blue Eyes turned to the elderly couple who was riding with us. “She has a thing for toned biceps.”
“I actually do,” I said with a smile.
The returning smile from the couple wasn’t quite as polite.
When we were out of the elevator, one glance at the distance to the outside doors, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it, even with the help of toned biceps. “Hold on,” I said. Pressing a palm to his chest for support, I bent over and worked off one of the sky-high sandals, then the other. “Much better,” I sighed when my bare feet met the marble floor.
“I’m pretty sure there’s a no shoes, no entrance policy.” But from his tone of voice and the glint in his eyes, I gathered he was more amused than concerned.
“Better get me outside then quick.”
He didn’t waste a single second ushering me out of the building. When we got to the curb, he only had to nod to the doorman, and his car pulled up, as if it had been waiting for him. Blue Eyes was smoother than I’d realized—I hadn’t even seen him pull out his phone, and he must have called or texted ahead for such quick service.
I would have remarked on the fact if I hadn’t been so distracted by the car itself. “A limo?”
“The Maybach’s in the shop.”
I assumed it was a joke, but it might not have been. Considering he’d actually been invited to the froufrou party upstairs, he might very well have owned a high-class Mercedes. More likely, he’d rented the limo and was simply trying to impress.
I was impressed. I was also stubborn enough not to let on. “I suppose it will do.” I handed my shoes to Blue Eyes then slid across the back bench. “Comfy.”
“Glad you approve.” He was smirking when he joined me. And despite all the ample room in the vehicle, he sat pretty darn close.
I had to catch my breath. “Well, hello.”
“Hello yourself.”
This close, in the confines of such a small place, I could smell his rosewood cologne. Or maybe it was sandalwood. I wasn’t experienced enough with male fragrances to be able to correctly identify more than the fact that it was woody, and it smelled nice. And that it was the kind of scent that made me heady and outside myself.
That could also have been the copious amounts of liquor.
Whatever the cause, I knew then that I was in real trouble with this boy.
A well-mannered voice boomed through a speaker near my head. “Destination, sir?”
Blue Eyes reached past me to hit an intercom button, then he looked to me, as though waiting for me to say something.
Oh, fuck. He wanted my address.
It was appropriate, I supposed. Allowing me to direct where this would go next instead of making assumptions. Even drunk I recognized it as admirable.
I was a little annoyed at the same time. I resented having to be the one to make the decision and almost wished he would have just given the order to go to his place, and then I could have feigned shock and dismay while secretly being thrilled and relieved.
So it was my job to say the words. Take me to your place. It was on the tip of my tongue.
But I was headstrong and wanted a little more of the chase. “Could we just drive around awhile?”
“You heard the lady.” His grin said he didn’t mind more of the chase himself.
The car jolted into motion, the swerve out of the drive into traffic throwing me in his direction. He caught me in his arms, and my heartbeat stuttered. There was so much wild energy between us, I could barely handle being held by him like this. And we still had all our clothes on. Doomed, I say.
“Doomed?”
Shit. Hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
Needing to take hold of my dignity, I pulled out of his arms. “Wasn’t ready for the car to start. Aren’t there seatbelts in these things?”
There was a seatbelt, it turned out, but as soon as I started examining the vehicle’s interior, I found many other features to appreciate. “You have a printer? In your car?” I shut the cabinet that had revealed the computer and charging station and opened another to find a television. This was not like the party limo from my trip to Vegas. “What’s on your side?”
“The fridge. The bar. Can I get you something to eat? Some water?” He was studying me like he wanted to devour me. It was his restraint that made me squirm the most.
I wondered how Eden had borne it as well as she had. She’d come away from their encounter with a bit of smudged makeup, but she was at least able to hold her head up. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to leave this car at anything but a crawl.
The encounter with Eden back in my head had me suddenly wary. “Was she your girlfriend?”
“Who?”
It was amazing how patient he was with my subject jumps, as though he was ready to follow anywhere I led.
“Eden.”
“Oh. No. No.” He dragged the last no out like the idea was ludicrous.
I believed his answer, but I’d known manipulative men before. The kind who rely heavily on the questions worded. You asked if she was my girlfriend, not if I was married. “Your wife?”
“Nope.” He guessed my next question before I asked. “No one else is either.”
I had already checked out his hand and found neither a band nor a tan line. Even just a one-night encounter, I refused to be party to infidelity.
I pivoted so I was facing him. “So nobody has reason to later say you cheated by being in this car with me?”
His hand found its way to rest on my knee. Lightly, above my skirt. Nothing scandalous, and yet I felt thoroughly scandalized. “That kind of accusation would require something to happen between us. Right now, all I’ve done is offer a beautiful woman a ride home.”
“I’m not going to be distracted by the charm, you charm...whore.”
He laughed. “Charm-whore?”
“I know, it didn’t even make sense in my head. And you avoided the question.”
His eyes moved from mine to the hand on my knee that was now toying with the tulle, as though he were inspecting the fabric instead of casually planning his voyage underneath. “I am not currently obligated to anyone in any way.”
“Okay.” I relaxed a little. Let myself start to accept that I was really going to do this. I was really going to let this filthy hot rich man have his filthy hot way with me.
I never let my guard down easily, though, and I was curious by nature. “Then how did that hookup even transpire? You weren’t into her, you weren’t obliged to her...why would you even…?”
“Do you really want to spend this time talking about Eden?”
I shivered as his palm met the bare flesh of my lower thigh even though the touch itself was searing. “I just…” What had I been saying? What had I been thinking? “I mean, if you’re that nice to a girl you aren’t interested in, how nice are you to a girl you like?”