Not wanting to give Trevor any opportunities to get handsy with her, Jill arranged to meet him at the venue. The ball was being held at a big hotel downtown, and, not wanting to deal with traffic or parking, she hired a driver to drop her off. As she went inside, flashing her invitation at the reception table, she found Trevor leaning against the wall, sipping a glass of champagne. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to keep walking.
“Good evening. You look devastatingly gorgeous, tonight.”
Jill tensed when his eyes lingered over certain parts of her anatomy. “Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.” And he did. His tux improved him so much that even to her eyes, biased as they were by what she knew of him, he was a very attractive man.
“Can I get you a drink?”
“No thanks,” Jill said. “I would enjoy dancing though.”
Trevor smiled and tipped the rest of his champagne down. “Let’s go then.”
For the next hour or so, she felt as though she was dancing with one hand permanently extended to keep Trevor away. He kept trying to put the moves on her in the middle of the dance floor. Kneeing him in the groin would probably ruin any chance she had at getting him to make her a business offer. But when he suggested they go get a drink, she firmly directed him toward the buffet of gourmet delicacies. Maybe if he put something in his stomach, it would keep him from getting too drunk.
After they had each selected a few items to eat and stopped by one of the many bars scattered around the venue, Trevor directed her to a table near the dance floor. It was currently vacant, though the empty plates and glasses left on the table showed they were not the first ones to sit there. Jill, who had gotten a ginger ale, ignored Trevor’s disdain and ate her food. She was grateful for the way it settled her stomach instead of upsetting it further.
She was just considering where she might lure Trevor off to for the private conversation she was determined to have, when a shadow fell over their table. Looking up sharply, she saw Blake, though it was hard to make out his expression since he was silhouetted by the lights over the dance floor.
“Good evening,” he said. His voice was smooth as glass, but she heard the note of displeasure in it.
Groaning inwardly, she prayed he wasn’t going to make a scene. Her trepidation didn’t stop her from noticing how hot Blake looked in a tux. He made Trevor look sloppy, like a senior who’d worn his rented tux through two hours of rowdy dancing. “Hello,” Jill replied to him, hoping he would get the hint in her tone and move along. Of course, she also hoped he would stay right where he was, by her side, for the rest of her life. But then, a woman can be pardoned for fantasizing over a man who looked the way he did.
“Are you enjoying yourselves this evening?”
“Very much.” Jill didn’t wait for Trevor to answer, but noticed he was watching the two of them like they were a tennis game.
“And you, Mr. Walton?” Blake extended a hand to Trevor. Jill knew a thing or two about body language, and there was no doubt who was the dominant player in that exchange. Trevor even tried to stretch his hands unobtrusively on the table as if Blake’s grip had been too much for him.
“How do you think I am with such a hot date?” Trevor ran his eyes over her, lingering on her chest.
Jill’s stomach revolted at his leering, but mostly, she was alarmed to see Blake’s shoulders flex and his jaw tense. She jumped up. “Will you dance with me, Blake?”
Saying his name finally dragged his attention away from decking Trevor, as she was sure he wanted to do. He nodded and led her to the dance floor with his hand in the small of her back. Fortunately, a slow song came on. Jill moved into Blake’s arms, relishing in the feeling of rightness that always swept over her when he was close. She didn’t resist when he pulled her in close, and for a moment, she wished they were anywhere but here. Anywhere that didn’t pull them away from each other.
They didn’t speak, but a current of communication flowed between them. The charge of attraction surging through Jill’s veins couldn’t be denied, only resisted. She did her best, but as the song went on, she found herself softening, melting into him. She knew he could read the yearning in her eyes, but didn’t have the strength to turn them away from his beautiful, brooding face. Finally though, she forced herself to go back into business mode.
“When this song is over, I need to go back to Trevor, and you are not to follow me.”
The song ended then and Blake didn’t say anything else. He just let his arms drop as he took a step back. Glancing back over her shoulder, Jill saw Ivey approach him and move into the next dance with him. Her brain stuttered. He’d brought Ivey?
And Ivey looked stunning tonight in a crimson sequin dress with a plunging back and her hair piled up on top of her head to show off her long slender neck. A neck which Jill very much wanted to squeeze just then.
Determined to go home as soon as possible, Jill headed straight for Trevor, who was, by her count, on his fourth glass of champagne. “What do you say we go find somewhere private?”
He jerked to his feet, and while he wasn’t at all unsteady, she noticed that his eyes were overly bright. “Let’s.”
The crowd was so dense, they had to weave through it with Trevor following behind her the best he could. Finally, they broke out of the main ballroom and found a long hall leading toward a glass door. A few people stood talking in clusters, but when Jill and Trevor stepped outside on to a broad balcony, they were the only people there. Probably because it was a hot, humid evening and only fools or lovers would brave it. Jill had no problem categorizing herself as a fool.
She walked over to the metal guard rail and looked out at the sparkling lights of the city. Trevor came up behind her and put his arm around her shoulders, resting his hand on her upper arm. Repulsion shivered up her spine, and she longed to throw it off, but she was so close now. Instead, she turned to face him better. “Have you thought more about our conversation?”
Trevor nodded and moved to lean his elbows against the rail, folding his hands together. “Can I depend on you to give me and Gourmand’s a positive recommendation to McDaniel?”
Choosing her words with precision, Jill answered, “Of course. Gourmands will receive a glowing report and I only need to add your excellent management to my recommendation that Mr. McDaniel not only keep the company, but invest in expanding it.”
Jill could almost see dollar signs flash in his eyes as she said these words. He licked his lips. “Then I will be quite able to show you my appreciation.”
“How much do you appreciate it?” she asked pointedly.
“Ten thousand dollars’ worth.”
“Make it fifteen,” she said, running her finger up his arm, “And I’d say we are well on our way to a prosperous relationship.”
“Twelve and a bonus when McDaniel’s investment hit’s the ledgers.”
“Deal,” she said, holding out her hand to him.
Instead of shaking it, he raised it to his lips. “I always have had a thing for women who knew how to negotiate.”
“And I appreciate a man who takes advantage of opportunities. It’s your chocolate supplier, isn’t it? That’s how you’re laundering money, right?”
Trevor flinched, then looked around a moment. Jill suspected that he’d had just enough to drink to let him feel he was in control but to make him more careless than he otherwise would be. He certainly seemed willing to share more information with her.
“Yeah. In return for giving him our business, Oliver prices his products at the same rates we paid for more premium ingredients, then gives me cash for the majority of the profit he makes. It was simple really.”
“It certainly was. What do you say we go back the way we came and get out of here?”
Trevor’s eyes lit. “I’ll call my driver.”
“You do that,” Jill said, taking her own phone out of her clutch and sending a message to her driver. Precisely as she had counted on, by walking very quickly and slipping through tight spaces between shifting bodies, Jill was able to lose Trevor in the crowds. She glanced back once and saw him looking around with a perplexed expression on his face and nearly laughed. When she got outside, she looked around for her car. To her surprise, Rick appeared out of the shadows.
“Been up to no good again, I’d bet,” Rick said.
Jill winced, but smiled the best she could. “I’ve been up to a great deal of good actually, but I was dealing with a slug, so I feel incredibly gross right now. I’m going home.”
“Well, just be glad Trevor Walton didn’t try anything he shouldn’t have. I was under orders to take him to the ground if he did.”
“You saw us on the balcony?”
“Sure did.”
“Does Blake know?”
“He will,” Rick said, his voice uncompromising.
“Oh dear heavens, I hope I survive this in one piece.” Then seeing her car at last, she hurried over to it. Rick beat her there and opened the door. She nodded at him, reluctantly glad he’d had her back even if she hadn’t known it. Then she sank gratefully into her seat and tried to not to think about how Ivey would be hanging on to Blake the rest of the night.
.