7.
ELIZABETH
After shoving away from Daniel’s body, I quickly moved toward a small group of esteemed male guests. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as soon as I appeared. Sensing the uncomfortable air that had obviously followed my presence, I smiled politely and excused myself.
Now was the perfect time to seek out that restroom refuge I so desperately needed. Once inside, I sat on the ledge of the ornate pedestal tub. I focused on my breathing, berating myself for being so attracted to Daniel and enjoying his Neanderthal advances.
Hadn’t I learned my lesson back in college? Over the years, I had convinced myself that Ben was right about men and the kind of women they wanted by their sides, and I wasn’t it.
A loud knock startled me, and I almost fell into the tub I was perched on the edge of.
“Almost done,” I announced with a stutter, cursing under my breath that my safe haven had been discovered.
“Just let me in, Elizabeth.” Daniel’s voice breathed out through the doorframe.
After hesitating for a moment, I pushed off the ledge and clicked the door’s lock. He opened the door and stepped in before locking it again behind him. All the while, he eyed me, his head shaking.
“Why are you hiding in here?” he asked.
I returned to my tub of solitude. “Why are you always following me?”
“Maybe I find you interesting.” He took a step toward me, closing the small space between us.
“Maybe I find you irritating.”
“You don’t.” He knelt in front of me.
His head was still slightly above mine, causing me to look up in order to eye him.
“I most certainly do.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said before placing a hand on my waist and pulling my weight forward, causing me to grip the tub for balance.
His lips crushed against mine before I could protest. And holy shit, I did not want to protest, no matter how many warning bells rang in my ears. My mouth opened, allowing his tongue to enter. His free hand ran up the length of my dress and stopped on my chest before taking a handful of my breast and squeezing. He moaned into my mouth, and I reached out to remove his jacket with my hands before groping his chest and abs.
Jesus. Was it legal to be that smart, successful, and toned?
“How do you have time to work out?” I blurted into his mouth.
He pulled away, wearing a cocky smirk. “Come again?”
“I haven’t yet. But I was asking, how do you have time to work out? I don’t have time to eat dinner, much less anything else.”
I’d spend nearly all my time at the office or doing something for the studio, like attending functions, events, press releases, junctions, and so on. When I did attend a business meal, I would spend the majority of it speaking about our latest project or answering a million questions about the speed of production and the potential cost of delays. Usually, I’d only have one or two bites by the time the meal ended.
“Well, sometimes, I get a chance to run, but that’s about it,” I added.
“I make time, and so should you.”
I leaned back, my body arching away from his touch. “Did you just call me fat?”
He laughed. The deep and throaty sound bewitched me all the way into my girlie parts.
“Do I look fucking stupid?”
Shrugging, I cocked my head to one side and warningly eyed him.
“I wasn’t talking about the working-out part. By all accounts, you don’t need it.”
He licked his lips, and I stopped myself from panting.
“I only meant that you should make time for things like dinner. Food’s important, being fuel and all that.”
“Overrated.”
“Better in bed.”
“You are such a guy.”
“Thanks for noticing.”
Standing up, I adjusted my dress and made one last mirror check before turning toward Daniel. “I really should get going. I have a flight to catch.”
“Stay.” His hand caressed the back of mine as he rose to his feet.
My heart raced inside my chest at his offer that sounded too good to be true. Even if he did mean it, I couldn’t. Men like him were a distraction. Listening to my heart was stupid, and I refused to ever be stupid again, no matter how much my heart pounded in defiance against my chest.
This industry was waiting for me to fall apart, to do something dumb, to lose it all, and I had to reject anything that could possibly help that happen. Daniel Alexander could make me lose sight of everything I’d worked so hard for. While in his presence, I seemed to lose all ability to say no to him.
“I thought you didn’t do this kind of thing?” I asked.
“I’ll make an exception.” He smiled, seeming sincere.
I almost believed him. “I won’t,” I said as I unlatched the lock on the door.
“This isn’t over. I’m not letting you walk away from me that easily.”
“Sure looks like it to me.” I walked out, leaving Daniel to watch me go.