Chapter Eleven

Mason

The image of Ella sitting on the bed, her hands smoothing up her leg as she drew the thigh high into place stopped me still in my tracks. I felt my mouth water and hoped that she couldn’t see my cock harden in my pants. I wanted to close the door and lay her down on the bed right then, but I knew that I couldn’t. There were already guests gathering in the living room and I knew that more would be coming any minute. I had to be there to greet them and do my duty by smiling and pretending to be having a wonderful time with all of them. In that moment I knew that I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on any of the conversations or even remember all of the names of the people who Aidan had invited. All night all I was going to be able to think about was Ella sitting there on the bed, plenty of delicious skin showing, but just enough concealed to give me something to explore and discover.

I need to get out of here now.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I just wanted to check on you and make sure that you found a dress. Um.” I looked over my shoulder toward the sound of raucous laughter that had just swelled up from the living room. “Whenever you’re ready, just come on out. I’ll be in the living room.”

Ella nodded, and I noticed that the entrancing flush across her cheeks extended down to her chest, highlighting the swells of her breasts. I drew in a breath to bring myself under control and backed out of the room, closing the door behind me. I took a moment to put myself together and put a smile on my face, and then headed toward the living room and the growing group that was in there.

Aidan was standing in the middle of the room when I got there and the panicked look in his eyes told me that he had gotten overwhelmed. He looked at me and rushed across the room.

Good thing for him he’s a genius in publicity and organization because he’s shit at people-ing.

“Mason,” Aidan hissed. “Where have you been? They’ve been asking for you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, brushing a piece of lint from the sleeve of my jacket. “I had to tend to my date.”

“Your date?” he asked, still in the high-pitched hiss of a whisper. “What do you mean your date?”

“Certainly you are familiar with a date,” I said. “A person you are attracted to who you bring to an event or an activity so that you can spend time together?”

Aidan glared at me.

“I am familiar with the concept.”

News to me.

“Then why the surprise? I am hosting a party in my home this evening. It would seem to be expected that I would invite a date to accompany me.”

“I just hadn’t heard you mention that you were inviting a guest.”

“It was a fairly recent development.”

“Well, where is she?”

He looked behind me as though he thought that I might be hiding her. His mouth opened like he was going to say something else, but I saw his eyes lock on something behind me and he stayed silent. I turned to see what he was looking at and saw Ella at the entrance to the room. She looked even more incredible than she had in the red dress, the green gown she had chosen was a perfect accentuation of her curvy body and lush, sultry beauty. I glanced back at Aidan just long enough to flash him a smile and then crossed the room toward Ella. I could hear guests whispering to each other as I went, questioning who this mysterious, gorgeous woman was, postulating which wealthy and powerful family she was from, and had to smile to myself.

She’s a potentially criminal event coordinator with a crazy sister and probably not a cent to her name. Yet I want her more than anything.

I reached out my hand toward Ella and she rested her fingers onto it. Guiding her hand toward my face, I kissed the back of it softly, then turned it and kissed the inside of her wrist where I smelled the faint hint of a lingering fragrance oil. Something musky with just enough sweetness flowing through it.

“You look spectacular,” I murmured to her and then guided her down the three steps and into the sunken living room.

“Thank you,” she said.

She looked around at the guests milling around the space. I could see uncertainty in her eyes and I drew her closer to my side, looping an arm around her waist so that my hand rested on her hip.

“Don’t be nervous,” I told her.

“People are looking at me,” she whispered back.

“Of course, they are,” I said. “You are the most desirable woman in the room right now. The women are furious that they didn’t spend more time getting themselves ready and the men want to know where I found you and if there are any extras around so that they can get their hands on one.”

Ella gave a short laugh and I felt her relax slightly against me. I guided her toward Aidan, figuring that he was an easy person to start with for introductions.

“Aidan,” I said, stopping in front of him. “This is Ella, my date for this evening.”

As I said it I realized that I didn’t even know her last name and a flicker of guilt went through me.

Well, this is bad form. Why didn’t I pay better attention to the name on the contact information for her sister? Suddenly I realized I did.

“Ella Cowen, this is Aidan Smith, my personal assistant.”

“Stanton,” Ella corrected.

Shit. Is she married? Did I invite someone’s wife to be my date?

Wouldn’t be the first time.

But this felt different.

“I’m sorry. Ella Stanton, this is Aidan Smith, my personal assistant. Aidan, this is Ella Stanton, my date for this evening.”

I realized that I had clarified that she was my date several times. It felt strange wanting to say it so many times, as if I just really wanted everyone around me to know that she was there with me. I was accustomed to having the sexiest and most beautiful women available on my arm anywhere I went, so accustomed to it that I could readily and without hesitation toss them away like I did my visitor and her bra that morning, but somehow this gave me a different feeling.

“Hello, Mason.”

A booming voice caused me to turn around and I saw Bankston walking toward me, his sour-faced girlfriend draped over his arm.

Should I tell her about the miraculous recovery of her dress?

“Hi, Bankston,” I said. “Mariah.”

She looked at me and her lips gave a barely perceptible lift that I suppose qualified as a smile.

“Who do we have here?” Bankston asked.

The way that he was looking at Ella I wondered if he had seen her when she came to the building to decorate my apartment.

I don’t give a fuck what he thinks.

“This is Ella Stanton,” I said. “I met her recently through a friend.”

Well, shit. Do I care?

I noticed Ella give me a bit of a sideways glare, but then she offered Bankston a wide smile and held out her hand to shake his.

“Hello,” she said.

“Ella, this is Bankston. He lives here at The Avalon and has been trying to outdo me at parties since the day I moved in. And this is his lovely girlfriend Mariah.”

Bankston smiled, and Mariah gave a small nod in Ella’s direction before I gave Ella a subtle turn, guiding her further into the room. I had learned over the years that one of the best ways to ensure the success of a party was to keep it moving. No matter how well I knew the guests, I spent no more than a few moments with them at a time. It helped to prevent the awkward silences and big fake laughs that were so grating about these events.

“You met me through a friend?” she asked quietly as we headed toward the player this party was supposed to honor.

“It’s not really a lie,” I said. “I met you through your sister, who I hired through a friend. Besides, nobody needs to know our business.”