Ouch, did she need to bring that up? But she’s always been direct like this, so I’m not surprised. “Likewise. I’m sure this partnership will be beneficial to both of us.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she agrees and gives me another once-over before she and Kelly walk away.
“That was… interesting,” Brady concludes once we leave the fountain behind and head for the nearest drinks stand. It looks like both of us are on the same page—this calls for more alcohol, even though all the hard stuff will have to wait until the afterparty. “I didn’t see this one coming. Christy and Angel are perfect for each other.” He pats my back. “Dude, you need to watch out. In case she has her eyes set on you again.”
I groan. I hope that’s not the case and my hunch was wrong. I mean, we’ve both moved on and I like to believe she’s changed at least a little.
“It’s fine.” Itwillbe fine, because even if she tries something, I’m long over her. I’ll just need to be careful about reminding her if itdidhappen, so Devon Holidays doesn’t suffer because of the history between us.
Suddenly, exhaustion catches up to me. Dad hasn’t even made the announcement yet, but I’m so ready to go home. I check the time. There’s another twenty minutes before I need to be on the stage, which means I have to stick around at least for another hour in total so that our VIP guests can congratulate me even if they don’t mean it.
“I’ll go mingle. Are you gonna be okay on your own?” Brady asks me.
I wave him on. Now that I’ve tackled Christine and probably at least a third of the bigshots that came tonight,I feel like I can skip the rest and hide in a corner. If anyone is super eager to chat, they can come to me. “Go for it.”
With Brady on a mission to charm some influencers, I march over to the rose garden spot where my friend Jack and his sister Emily are chatting while letting their PR person handle all the swarms of enthusiasts trying to make an impression. Their company, JE Pharmaceuticals, has been gaining a lot of traction, but both of them have managed to stay outside of the spotlights thanks to Emily’s decision to use someone else as the public face.
“Hey, you two!” I greet them, giving Jack a firm hug. I would give Emily one too, but her wheelchair makes it a little awkward to do it, so we shake hands and exchange air kisses instead. “Thanks for coming.”
“There’s no way we would miss this pretentious poshness,” she shoots back, grinning.
I fake being offended, but she sees right through me, so we both just end up laughing.
“How are things with the thesis coming along?” I ask her brother.
“I’m hopeful,” he says but doesn’t elaborate.
Jack is probably one of the smartest people I know. Like, genius levels of smart. The company he and Emily founded is now worth billions of dollars despite him still studying for his MD PhD. The two siblings are my closest friends after Brady, and even though we don’t get to hang out nearly as much as we used to because of work, I’ll make it my mission to amend that once I’m settled into my new CEO position.
I chat for a bit more with Jack and Emily. When they are called over to discuss something with a bigshot, I scan the room without realizing that I am looking for Josh until I find him raiding a dessert buffet. He’s holding a fruitskewer in one hand and one of those chocolate balls in the other, and he looks like he’s having the time of his life as he bites into the gooey goodness.
It’s entertaining to watch, kind of borderline obscene, too. I blame not having sex since our hookup for it. It’s not that I haven’t had the chance, it’s just that nothing has interested me since getting a taste of him.
Once he’s done with the chocolate, he dabs the corners of his lips, which, frankly, I think is a bit of a waste when I could’ve just licked the leftovers off them for him.
Or maybe you should get your head out of the gutter, Alistair. How about that?
Maybe. But where’s the fun in that, when the alternative is this enticing?
I pause with the glass halfway to my mouth. He does have nice lips. I noticed that when we kissed. They are naturally a little pouty but not too much, soft too, like something I’d enjoy kissing again if I had the chance…
And I kind of want that chance. Even if we are technically enemies.
Josh catches me staring as I muse over the nature of our relationship. I expect him to glare, but that’s not what the brat does. No, no. He angles his head slightly to the side, folds his arms over his chest and just watches me like a dog ready to attack the moment I move. It’s hypnotizing, being the sole focus of those green eyes, and I can’t look away. He doesn’t either, challenging me with his gaze. In no time, he has me entranced, stunned where I’m standing. But the urge to be close to him mounts inside me, and like a sailor under the spell of a siren, I eventually break our stalemate.
I don’t know what I am doing. He’s dangerous, a forbidden temptation. I shouldn’t give into him, I shouldfight the pull that’s dragging me deeper and deeper with every moment I spend basking in the hauntingly beautiful focus of those eyes. But I can’t, it’s too late. I’m already making my way over to him.
Because even if I know that I shouldn’t, I no longer can stop myself from wanting him.
9
Josh
I’minbigtrouble.This was a bad idea—I should’ve never come here. Alistair Devon is too much, too sexy. Being on the receiving end of his attention has my heart in a chokehold, and I don’t know how to fix it.
I peek at the tray of chocolate balls as I lose him in the crowd. Why did he smile at me like that? He was talking to Christine. And why the hell did I smile back? In a seductive, ‘come and get me if you dare’ way?
I blame the chocolate balls. They are amazing, and that cherry compote center… It’s their fault that I got distracted and forgot for a tiny second that Alistair and I are enemies. I’m not here to smile at him or faun over how handsome he is. But also… maybe I can use this. Our ‘history’. It could be advantageous if I am willing to play the riskier kind of games.
