“Are you sure this looks okay?” I pulled the hem down on my midnight blue dress as I stepped from the limo, my hand in Link’s.

He smiled down at me, his perfect white teeth gleaming in the low lights along the front of the swank New York hotel. “You outshine everyone else here. Trust me.” His black tux gave him the look of Hollywood glamor, every smooth line of his body perfectly wrapped in the fabric.

I squeezed his hand as he led me up the stairs. “You haven’t seen everyone else yet.”

“Don’t have to. I already know you’ll put them to shame.” He wrapped his arm around my waist as the doorman ushered us into the hotel lobby.

I welcomed the blast of warm air that dispersed the early winter chill.

“May I?” An attendant offered to help with my coat.

“I’ll handle it.” Link smiled and slid his hands into my collar and down my arms, peeling the wool coat from me. He passed it to the attendant and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “I might just take you back to my apartment and ditch this party altogether.”

I craned my neck to look at him. “I don’t think that would be a wise move for Lindstrom’s newest VP of marketing.”

His dark blond hair tickled along his forehead as he leaned down and nipped at my neck. “Maybe it would be nice to make a bad decision for once.”

“Link!” A rotund man strode up, his eyes already glassy from too much wine.

Link released me and led me over to him where the men shook hands.

“Is this the Camille I’ve heard so much about?” He took my palm and placed a messy kiss on the back of my hand.

I wanted to wipe it on something. Link grabbed my hand in his and pressed it against his pants leg, scrubbing the saliva without making it obvious.

“Camille, this is Hal Baxter, VP of finance at Lindstrom. Hal, this is the one and only Camille.” The pride in Link’s voice sent heat rushing to my face.

Hal nodded, his chubby face widening into a grin. “Well, she’s a beauty. Teacher, right?”

“Yes.” Link spoke before I could. “She’s at Trenton Prep—about two hours outside the city. The best biology and life sciences teacher they have.”

“Trenton, eh?” Hal took a large gulp of champagne. “One of my nephews goes to school there. Minton Baxter. Do you know him?”

I cringed inwardly. Minton “Mint” Baxter had turned into one of my worst students—he spent more time trying to undermine me than he did learning. I forced a smile. “Yes, he’s in my senior biology class.”

“Go easy on him.” Hal finished the drink in his chubby paw then swiped another from a passing tray. “If he’s anything like his uncle”—he pointed a thumb at himself—“he may need a little after hours instruction. Though they didn’t make teachers like you when I was in school.” He gave me an elevator look as our conversation veered from awkward to unbearable. I wished I was still wearing my coat over the strapless dress.

Link’s grip tightened. “Good to see you, Hal. Enjoy the party.”

We walked away, weaving through the crowd of people drinking and talking. My heels clicked on the marble floor, and I counted my steps to avoid thinking about my mortification. Women pranced by, their designer dresses and breakneck heels reminding me that this wasn’t my scene. But when Link asked me to be his date, I couldn’t turn him down. He’d recently been promoted to VP and wanted to impress his coworkers at the annual Lindstrom gala.

He pulled me into a small alcove in between the lobby and the ballroom. “I’m sorry about that. Are you all right?” He ran a hand down my cheek.

“I’m fine.” I pulled at my hem again, wishing it fell to my knees instead of mid-thigh. “He was drunk.”

“He was an ass.” He swept my light brown hair off my shoulder. “I’ll have a word with him at the office on Monday.”

I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

He smiled and kissed my forehead. “It’s my job to worry about you. Because I lo—”

“Link.” A cold voice cut between us.

Link stepped back and straightened. “Mr. Lindstrom.”

I stared up into dark green eyes flecked with hazel. This had to be the younger Lindstrom. Sebastian. His father owned the company, and Sebastian served as the CEO. Based on what little Link had told me about him, I’d expected a man in his forties, but Sebastian looked early thirties. Tall and dark, he had an air of command. I wanted to drop my gaze, but something in his eyes held me.

His nostrils flared for a moment, his dark eyebrows lifting, but then he gave a polite smile and shook Link’s hand. “Link, glad you could make it. And this is?”

“Camille Briarlane.” Link beamed. “My girlfriend.”

“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lindstrom.” I held out my hand to shake.

“Please call me Sebastian.” He took my hand and dropped a kiss on my knuckles, though he kept his eyes on mine. His touch was soft, intimate, and my skin warmed where his lips grazed against me. Unlike Hal’s kiss, I was fine with leaving this one right where he’d placed it.

“Looks like it’s going to be a great party.” Link gave his all-American smile and pulled me to his side.

Sebastian kept his eyes on me and did nothing to return Link’s small talk. The sound of the party faded as his cold eyes kept me captive. Link’s fingers dug into my waist, and the hackles rose on the back of my neck as Sebastian’s stare veered into awkward territory. It was too direct, as if he was trying to see my thoughts.

Link cleared his throat. “So, are you going to give some sort of speech, Mr. Lindstrom?”

He blinked. “Not a chance.”

I dropped my gaze and tried to play off my discomfort by accepting a flute of champagne from a passing server. I sipped it and examined my shoes.

“Sebastian.” An older man walked up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Did I just hear something about you giving a speech?” His hair was a steely gray, and he was almost as tall as Sebastian, though his eyes were a light blue instead of emerald.

“Absolutely not.” Sebastian crossed his arms over his broad chest, his fitted tux no match to his will.

The older man turned to us. “Link, good to see you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lindstrom. This is my girlfriend, Camille.”

He smiled warmly and took my hand in both of his. “So good to meet you. I think some of the VPs were beginning to take bets on whether Link here was just making you up.”

His smile appeared genuine, and he seemed far more friendly than his son.

“Teaching takes up so much of my time, especially now that the fall semester is in full swing. I haven’t been able to get to the city as much as I’d like.” I preferred the quiet life at the prep school to the constant sound and fury of New York City, though I’d never tell Link that. He wanted me to look for a job at one of the schools in town and move into his penthouse apartment.

“You teach?” Sebastian’s cool voice cut through the friendly conversation.

Link answered for me again. “Yes, she teaches biology at Trenton Prep.”

Sebastian’s gaze flickered, and a slight frown pulled at the corner of his lips, as if irritated that Link had spoken instead of me. “So you don’t live in town?”

“No.” I responded before Link could.

“Not yet.” Link squeezed my upper arm, pressing me into his side. “I hope I can convince her to move after fall term is over.”

I clenched my teeth shut. Link knew I wanted to go on a research trip during the holidays. Moving to the city wasn’t included in those plans. Besides, I couldn’t leave my students in the middle of the year. I thought I’d made all that clear, but he was still trying to get his way. One of his most endearing traits could sometimes be the most annoying.

“Are you going to move, then?” Sebastian asked the question with a sharpness in his tone that almost made me wince.

“I, um…” I was on the spot, both men looking at me for an answer. “Well, I intend to do some traveling over the Christmas break. Maybe I can decide while I’m up to my elbows in research. Sort of clear my head.”

“Research?” Sebastian leaned closer.

“A science teacher who actually does research?” Mr. Lindstrom smiled. “Now that’s something to be proud of.” He waved at a small group of older men standing in the open foyer. “Looks like business never ends around here. I have elbow rubbing to do. Nice to meet you, young lady. And good job, Link.” He gave a conciliatory wink before striding toward the power circle.

“What sort of research?” Sebastian pressed.

He’d asked the one question Link couldn’t answer for me. “I’d like to visit the Amazon. One of my former professors is there right now conducting a study on a certain type of deciduous fern that he thinks may have a role in explaining why a particular species of frog is able to switch sexes and impregnate itself.” My passion spilled into my voice as I talked faster than usual. “He doesn’t have any spots available for me, but there are a few other expeditions going on that I could possibly join. One investigating a rogue species of belladonna and another focusing on the upper canopy, harvesting the various plants that grow there to determine any pharmacological uses.”

Link laughed. “She’s my little explorer.”

Sebastian cut his gaze to Link, his frown deepening before his expression returned to neutral. “What was your professor’s name?”

“Stephen Weisman. Do you know him?”

“No. I’m afraid I studied business. It’s more of an art than a science.” He smiled, though his eyes never warmed. “We should go in.” The dismissal in his tone was unmistakable.

He showed interest one moment, and became taciturn the next—I couldn’t figure him out. Link had told me Sebastian could be “off-putting,” and he wasn’t kidding.

“Right. I suppose we’ll see you inside.” Link led me away from the alcove and toward the ballroom. Music swirled through the air as a live band played, drawing the partygoers forward.

A chill raced down my spine, and I looked over my shoulder. Sebastian hadn’t moved, his arms still crossed, his stern expression focused on me. I shivered, though the ballroom was even warmer than the lobby.

Link pressed his palm to my back and led me forward, sweeping me onto the dance floor.

“What a fucking weirdo.” He pulled me close and swayed me to the beat.

“He seemed nice.” The word stuck on my tongue, as if unwilling to describe Sebastian Lindstrom. My gaze strayed toward the alcove, though I couldn’t see beyond the other couples dancing to the slow song.

“He’s an asshole.” He gripped me tighter. “And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”

“I think he’s just sort of, I don’t know, maybe awkward? I’m sure he means well.”

He leaned back and caught my gaze. “Why do you always think the best of people?”

“Why not?”

His stare dropped to my mouth, then lower to the neckline of my dress. He wetted his lips. “Because I’m having some particularly bad thoughts right now.”

“At a company function?” I opened my eyes wide with mock surprise. “How very impertinent of you.”

“I can’t help it. I’m hot for teacher.”

I rolled my eyes as he spun me, then pulled me close again. “Never heard that one.”

“Do you have any idea how hard all those teenage boys wank to you every night?”

I slapped his arm. “Eww!”

“It’s true. You are a wet dream for them.” He leaned in closer and nipped at my ear. “For me, too.”

“Would you mind if I cut in for a moment?” The cool voice sliced through our flirting and stopped us mid-sway.