The breath in my body whooshes out when I spot her. She’s wearing a modest gown that somehow shows me more skin than I’ve ever seen from her, and even from the distance across the room, she’s as stunning as ever.
I ache to be the man standing by her side, but that douchebag I recognize as William is there instead. She turns as if she can feel me gazing at her, and when our eyes lock, I get the strongest sense that she would rather be attending this event with me than with him.
It’s her choice. I came without a date tonight. I came for her.
I feel a light push at my back.
“You just gonna stand in the door all night or are you actually going to enter the room?” my brother asks.
I blow out a breath and we enter, we being the group I’m attending this event with: my brother and his wife, along with my cousin and his wife. Both women are pregnant and glowing, and both men look like they could use some sleep. In the two years since my brother and my cousin got married, I’ve gotten close with their wives, too. Even though we’re separated by the span of an entire country, I’ve made my way back to San Diego often enough to get to know them.
I texted Carter last night after my dinner date—I mean business meeting—with Sylvie. I asked if he knew anything about a Lindor-Hodge event, and he immediately replied that it’s a charity event and they were all planning to go. He said he could probably score me a ticket. I jumped at the chance, and when he asked me why I wanted to go, I couldn’t bring myself to admit the truth. I told him it’s for networking purposes. I said I wanted to get to know the top executives at the companies that matter in San Diego, and while I probably should add that to my list of things to do, there’s actually only one top executive I want to get to know, and she’s also on my list of things to do—or women to do.
She also just happens to currently be the only name on that list.
I still don’t know when I went from the guy who slept with a different woman every night to this idiot who flies across the country and follows one woman to charity events, but the day Sylvie stormed into my boardroom, my life changed. I changed. I’m not sure if it’s for better or worse just yet, but I can’t honestly believe I’m worse off now than I was a couple of weeks ago.
I wonder whether that old man from Denny’s would approve. Those are two good boys you’ve got there. Well-behaved. You keep doing whatever you’re doing.
Would he think I was doing the right thing pursuing a woman who’s in a relationship? Or would he see it the way I see it—that there’s this intense connection between us that I can’t ignore, and I’m going after her because I have to go after her?
The hosts greet us. We arrived a little late because Courtney had a bit of an emotional breakdown and then Emme started crying, too; they both blamed it on pregnancy hormones and then we were able to finally leave. Dinner is about to start, and just as I’m set free to work the room—in other words, to make my way over to Sylvie—some guy takes the stage and starts talking. The room quiets to listen.
“Welcome to the annual Lindor-Hodge Ball! I’m Phillip Hodge, and I’ll be your master of ceremonies this evening. Dinner will be served in ten minutes, so please take your seats and enjoy the meal.”
He steps down and it’s like the volume turns back up in the room. People resume talking, glasses clink, and silverware is moved as people sit and pull napkins onto laps.
I can’t help but track Sylvie. Even though I’m present in whatever conversation I’m having, I’m also always aware of her proximity.
I want to go to her, to take her in my arms and kiss her. I want to tell her how lovely and exquisite she is tonight. Once again, though, I’m hit with the reality that I can’t. I just hope William has done justice to his current title of her boyfriend, though the fake smile Sylvie’s been sporting each time I’ve looked over at her tells me he isn’t.
Our eyes meet more than once. Nearly every time I’ve looked in her direction, she’s looking back in mine. My eyes automatically go to her. I watch as William pulls out a chair for her and she sits. I note her father is two seats away from her, and I wonder how he’ll react to seeing me here tonight. She’s facing the stage near the front of the room, and Carter chose a table near the back. I pick a seat that offers the best view of Sylvie as we eat.
I wish I could see her face, but the back of her neck will do. My mouth waters and my body hungers for her as I watch her long, lean lines as she bends forward to pick up her glass.
“Why are you so distracted?” Carter’s voice breaks into my trance.
I tear my gaze from the lines in Sylvie’s neck and glance over at my brother. “Just got a lot on my mind.”
Courtney leans over Carter. “Is it a girl?”
“Shut up.” I glare petulantly at her.
“Don’t talk to my pregnant wife like that,” Carter says.
“You shut up, too.”
They both laugh. “It’s definitely a girl,” Courtney confirms.
“Carson’s got a girl?” Emme asks beside Courtney.
“Is it the one you brought to The Port last night?” Axel asks. “Where did you two disappear to? Actually, never mind, I don’t want to know.”
“He brought a girl to The Port?” Emme asks.
Axel nods.
“It was a business meeting,” I interject, but four pairs of eyes turn on me in complete skepticism.
“You don’t take women out for business dinners,” Carter says. “You take them out to screw them.”
“Not this one,” I say.
Courtney picks up her water. “Oh? Does that mean this one’s special?”
More special than I can even say, but I refuse to admit that to the family members currently grilling me.
“Oh my God,” Emme says. “She’s here, isn’t she? That’s why you wanted to come tonight!”
I avert my gaze to my plate in the most unsmooth move in the history of unsmooth moves.
“She is! She is!” Emme is practically squealing with excitement. She and Courtney are both always after me to settle down.
The big three-oh and taking over King are both fast approaching, and somehow I’m finding myself becoming less inclined toward the life I’ve always lived. I don’t really want to be defined as a cad anymore, as a man who has a different woman in his bed every night. I’ve had my fun, but Sylvie makes me want different things than I’ve ever wanted before, things she already has with William.
I glance over at them again. His arm is around her shoulder, and he’s stroking her skin through the lace of her gown with his thumb. That should be my thumb there, my arm around her shoulder.
I look away, but it’s too late. Emme followed my gaze. “Is it her?” she asks, nodding her head in Sylvie’s direction. Axel turns around to see who she’s talking about.
“I can’t tell from the back, but that might be the girl from last night,” Axel says.
“I thought you were cutting back hours,” I say, firing a shot to try to change the subject.
“I did. I only bartend twice a week, and you caught me on one of my nights.”
“Lucky me.”
He laughs, and I roll my eyes.
“What’s her name?” Courtney asks. Her eyes are gleaming with excitement and I just want dinner to be served. This was a bad idea. I’m stuck getting the third degree from my family while I have to watch Sylvie across the room with fucking William’s arm around her. What a goddamn prick with his floppy hair and stupid job.
I don’t answer while a server places a salad in front of me.
Carter elbows me in the ribs. “You know she’s not going to give up until you tell her.”
I roll my eyes. “Her name’s Sylvie Baker and she’s the VP of operations at Baker Media.”
Courtney grins, but Carter looks at me in horror. “The Baker Dad pushed you into acquiring?”
I nod and give him a sarcastic smile. “One and the same.”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
“Yeah. This girl walks into the boardroom at King, interrupts a meeting I’m in with Dad and a bunch of our top guys after we just got off a China conference call to confront me, and I can’t stop thinking about her.”
Courtney’s eyes soften and then they mist over. Her and her pregnancy hormones, I swear. “Then go get her.”
“We’re eating dinner.”
“You know what I mean,” she says. “Go get her after dinner.”
“She has a boyfriend.”
Courtney glances over at her. “That guy with all the smarm that’s got his arm around her?”
“What the fuck is smarm?”
“Like, smug and creepy and slimy all rolled into one.” Courtney takes a bite of her salad.
“Yeah. That pretty much sums it up.”
“She doesn’t want to be here with him,” Courtney says matter-of-factly. “Look at the way she’s leaning away from him.”
Everyone turns to look at Sylvie, and she runs her fingertips along her neck as if she can feel eyes on it. Her fingers on her skin pull at something deep inside of me.
“Please stop,” I beg.
Courtney shrugs. “Once we help you get the girl, we’ll stop.”
“Oh God, please tell me you aren’t going to interfere.” I look to my brother for assistance, and he just shrugs. “I’m so fucked, aren’t I?”
“That’s sort of the plan, isn’t it?” Courtney says with a sweet smile.