by Vi Keeland
Noah frowned at her. “I thought you were my date.”
“We’re not on a date. I work for you.”
“Because I’m stuck with you,” he shot back, but the grin that appeared took away any negative connotation.
She gasped and hit his arm.
And the two went back to their pseudo-flirting/bickering again.
Amanda shook her head as she watched them. She caught my gaze and pretended to roll her eyes upwards in annoyance. We both knew better. She only wanted Theresa to be happy. I did too, but it was more for Amanda. She’d been brought in from the cold. Theresa and Amanda would be attached at the hip from now on. I wasn’t worried because no one understood how cold it was on the outside like I did. I’d been there, right alongside her.
My chest lifted as I took a deep breath.
Things were better.
They were going to stay that way.
There was no reason to think of the past. It wasn’t going to happen again.
“You okay?” Carter asked, touching my arm.
I nodded. “Yeah.” Managing a tentative grin, I meant to reassure him. It didn’t work. His eyes sharpened and he knew something was wrong. “I mean it. I’m fine. Just thinking of past demons.”
An hour later, the karaoke was in full effect. So was the drinking. Even Noah seemed a little friendlier than normal. And because of that, the rest of the coworkers sensed it and grew brave. A few approached the table. We moved to a back corner and Carter was positioned at one end. Noah was on the other end so the coworkers approached his side, but they couldn’t stop from glancing at Carter.
They all noticed the hand he held over mine on the table. None spoke to him. I didn’t think they dared, not yet, but they were curious. Correction, they were fascinated. After the seventh person, this time she was openly staring at Carter, I grew restless. Nudging him in the leg, I gestured to the aisle. “I’m going to refill the pitcher.”
His eyes narrowed. He knew what was going on but folded out from the table. The girl squeaked and scrambled away. She must’ve not have been expecting that he would move.
He’s not a statue, you moron. My inner bitch was raring to go, but as I started to move past him, he took my arm. Holding me close, he murmured in my ear, “It’s okay. You don’t have to protect me.”
I bristled, “I know, but you’re not a goddamn animal from a zoo that got loose.”
He chuckled, the sound brushing against me. It warmed me and a surge of desire flooded inside. Just like that, one laugh and I wanted him.
“If that’s the case, they should be running in the other direction.”
I snorted. “Yeah, well, I’m worried a few will go into heat and start throwing themselves at you.”
He laughed again. “And you have nothing to worry about in that case either.”
I sighed. I knew he was right, but at that moment some of the girls I used to consider casual friends came over. The interest was in their eyes, along with their own desire. I bit back a growl.
Grabbing the empty pitcher, I gestured to the bar and slipped from his hold. As I did, I glanced back once I got to the bar. A sneer came over me. Carter was watching me, amused as he folded back into the seat. My eyes darted to the two girls that stood next to Noah. They were talking to their boss, laughing with him and even Theresa, who thought everything was hilarious by then, but their gazes never left Carter for long.
“Hey.”
I turned. The bartender was gazing at me with frank approval. He lingered on my cleavage before catching my eye. Gesturing to the pitcher I had placed on the counter, he asked, “Refill?”
“Yeah,” I murmured, distracted as I looked back to the table again.
“Here you go.”
I reached for my wallet and handed a ten dollar bill to him, but it wasn’t until his hand covered mine that all my attention snapped into focus. The bartender ran a finger over my wrist and palm before he closed my hand over the money. He winked. “It’s on me.”
He was hitting on me.
I couldn’t believe it.
Mistaking my shock for interest, he continued to run his hand over my arm. He went up and down before I jerked it away.
“Do you need anything else?” His eyes were saying something else. Do you want anything else?
I sucked in my breath before a calm settled over me. Leaning close, I gave him a sultry grin and saw him light up. He leaned closer as well and I whispered, “You see the guy behind me?”
His grin grew. “There are lots of guys behind you. Is one of them your boyfriend?”
I nodded. My smile stretched. “You see the head honcho at the back booth?”
Wariness started to filter in. His grin lessened, only a bit. “Yeah?”
“You see the guy across from him? In the black hoodie.”
His grin vanished and he straightened.
“You recognize him?”
His Adam’s apple jerked up and down. Panic came over him. Oh yes, he did.
I patted his arm. “Don’t worry. I don’t think he’ll kill you for hitting on me.”
The bartender moved his hand away and slammed against the counter behind him as if he’d been burned.
I didn’t look over my shoulder, but I knew Carter was watching. He’d been watching the whole time. This guy seemed ready to piss himself as he stuttered out, “Uh-I-I have more customers.” And he hurried to the farthest end of the bar.
“Did you enjoy that?”
Two arms came around me and rested on the bar. Turning in his arms, Carter smirked at me. His eyes full of humor and something more. They were dark, a primal stirring underneath. My body reacted before I comprehended what he said. Then my heart slammed against my chest and I drew in a deep breath. He leaned closer.
I knew so many were watching this. Sliding a hand up his arm and encircling his neck, I ceased to care. I pulled him closer.
His lips lingered over mine, brushing against them. “Are you ready to go home?”
Nodding, I wound my arms tighter and surged upwards. My chest was pressed against his and he wound an arm around my back. Lifting me in the air, he carried me out of the bar. We must’ve looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care. The need for him would never lessen. It grew with each day and as soon as we were outside, Carter placed me into the car. He was right behind. I was barely aware of anything else. His lips covered mine and that was all I needed.
The world melted away.
THIRTY
A week later we were back in that car, but instead of leaving a work event we were heading towards one. It was The Richmond’s Christmas party. Noah had opened three more Richmonds across the nation so each hotel across the nation and a few internationally were sending employees to our corporate headquarters. In short, this party was a big deal.
Carter was dressed in a tuxedo and I wore the white dress Theresa had once forced me to wear. The fabric was sheer and shimmery. It was layered so nothing could see through, and the two lengths were tied around my neck again. The ends were long enough so they were draped over my shoulders and decorated with diamonds. My hair was another matter. I had tackled the dress on my own without difficulty, but Amanda insisted on doing my hair. So we had all been picked up from their apartment. Noah was already at the party, but my friends were dressed to impress.
Their eyes got big when Carter came to the front lobby. Even Amanda seemed to have held her breath for a second.
I couldn’t blame them. He was dashing.
I wasn’t sure if it was the rich lines from the tuxedo that molded over his lean physique or it was his eyes. An extra amount of chill was in them that evening. They seemed ready to tear into anyone, which emphasized the aura of danger that always clung to Carter.
I patted his hand once in the car and asked in soft voice, “Are you okay?”
A soft kiss to my cheek was my reward. He patted my hand back. “I am fine. You look ravishing.”
His answer didn’t appease me, but I sighed. This woul
d have to wait. I knew Carter well enough to know when he was lying to me. No one else would be able to tell, but I also knew that he wasn’t going to confide in me with my friends in the same car. And I couldn’t stop remembering a phone conversation that he had. He’d been in his office at home, but the door was open. I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but when Franco’s name had been said, every alarm went on full alert in me. I hadn’t heard much, but I knew enough to know that Carter was keeping something from me and that it was related to Franco.
After the night when he was supposed to have been killed, I never heard actual confirmation. I didn’t know if I should’ve. Carter pulled most of the guards around me so I assumed everything was fine, but I couldn’t ignore the knot in my stomach. Maybe things hadn’t ended as well as I had assumed?
“Emma, did you hear about Tamra?”
I lifted my head and turned to Theresa. She was even more beautiful than normal. Her dark blonde hair had been swept up into multiple tiny braids. Amanda worked miracles with them as well. The same diamonds that had been added to my dress were also in Theresa’s braids. They matched the shimmery gold dress she wore.
Giving her a smile, I forced those nagging thoughts to the back of my mind. They’d have to be dealt with on another night. “What about Tamra?”
“She got promoted. She’s going to a branch in Minnesota to head it up.” Theresa giggled, her cheeks were flushed from the wine we had in their apartment. “I think she’s pissed. She wanted your old job, under Mr. Hudson, but her supervisor booted her ass. Can you believe that?”
I grinned. It was karma. Tamra had been one of the queen bitches who froze me out awhile ago. I wondered what she had done to piss off her supervisor. A transfer to Minnesota wasn’t really a promotion. Everyone would’ve preferred to work their way up the ladder in our corporate headquarters. That was here, not there.
Amanda frowned. “Weren’t you friends with her, Emma? Didn’t she come out once with us...” And she faded because this was the awkward moment. Tamra had gone bowling with us. Ben, Mallory, and the current boyfriend had been there as well.
Theresa grimaced. “Speaking of the dead…”
“Theresa!”
“What?” She shrugged her shoulder and ignored her roommate. “You guys never talk about her. It’s been long enough. I don’t think Mallory would’ve wanted you to never talk about her. One night of bawling over her doesn’t cut it. It’s good to reminisce about old times. You’re honoring her memory.”
Amanda grew red in the face and she turned towards her window.
Theresa rolled her eyes. “I know what I’m talking about. My parents are dead, remember?”
Carter looked over then. He’d been content to be quiet and stay in the background, as much as possible for him. His eyes narrowed now. “Everyone grieves differently. I doubt you were laughing about your parents five months after they were ground into cement.”
“Carter,” I murmured.
Theresa paled. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“Their friend was gutted. The other was killed by Emma.” His wolf-like eyes grew in hostility. “Sometimes silence is being sensitive.” Then he turned away again. It was obvious the conversation was done.
Frowning, I watched Theresa to see how she would handle that efficient dressing-down. Her head went down and her hands folded together in her lap. Her shoulders drooped as well. I exhaled a soft breath. It wouldn’t help for my one of only two friends to remember her previous disdain for Carter.
But when we got to the party and stepped out, Theresa stopped both of us. She looked from Amanda to me. “I’m sorry, guys. Sometimes I speak before I think.”
Amanda threw her arms around her roommate. “Oh, we know!”
Both laughed and pulled me in for the hug.
“You guys are some hot mamas. Let’s party!”
Biting her lip, Amanda’s cheeks grew rosy again, but I caught the surprise in her gaze. I agreed with Theresa. My oldest friend was a serene vision. She wore a very soft pink dress. It was a strapless A-line, hanging down to her toes. She resembled a Greek goddess.
Remembering the cop who wanted to date her, I kissed her cheek and whispered, “It’s your turn.”
Her eyes held mine and a promise passed between us. It was her turn to be happy. She knew what I meant without another word of explanation. Theresa and Noah would eventually figure it out. They had to. They loved each other and I had Carter. It was Amanda’s time now.
The event was held in the largest banquet hall, but that wasn’t big enough. The lobbies surrounding were filled as well, with liquor and food stations every few feet. The party seemed in full swing when we arrived, but as we stepped inside, I sensed the attention. One by one they turned to us. It wasn’t like at Joe’s. It was more. That’s when I realized that I’d been secluded at work the past week. Theresa wanted me to work with her in a private conference room. She got the coffee for us. She paid for the food and had it delivered to her office. The times we ate out, she suggested a cafe a few blocks away. It was starting to make sense now.
I caught her gaze. “How bad was it at work?”
She grimaced. “It would’ve been too much for you.”
I sensed the avid attention and knew she was right. I wanted to hit myself in the forehead. I should’ve known. Carter was at Joe’s. They all saw and they had a week to comprehend it. The interest had been heavy that night, but it was more tonight.
With his hand in mine, he led us through the crowd until it opened to a group of tables that had been sectioned off from the main crowd.
“Ah!” Theresa grinned. “VIP. I like it.”
Recognizing a few of the security guards from Carter’s own group, I knew he had planned ahead. Mike even nodded to me with a friendly smile. Progress. Once we stepped past the divide, all bets were off. Older and distinguished-looking men approached Carter in waves. They wanted to shake his hand, talk about the hotel, and that was when I figured it out—they knew him from the board. These were my bosses, or my other bosses. Seeing that he would be busy, Theresa tapped my arm and pointed to a back table. She leaned close. “Let’s grab that one. Noah’s already here, but I’m sure he’ll want to sit with us.”
I nodded. Anything to get away from the prying eyes.
As we settled in, Theresa went to the bar and returned with three drinks. A waiter followed behind her with two bottles of wine. Another came over with a platter of food. We were munching on fancy hor d’oeuvres, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what was in them. It didn’t take many of them before I was full and left the rest on my plate. Theresa snagged them later on and Amanda nibbled at hers. That’s what she always did.
We were able to watch the crowd and they weren’t able to approach us. The other people in the VIP section were the older men and their dates, and those women knew each other. They cast shrewd looks at us, but no one approached. I was grateful. Theresa called them Snobby Social-nators. Again, I was grateful they remained away. After a while, Theresa pointed to a few guys and asked Amanda to rate them. The conversation soon went in that direction. We were busy picking out the Mr. Amanda-To-Be the rest of the time. It was surprisingly fun.
The fun ended an hour later.
Carter had been talking to the board members the whole time when a man went over and whispered something in his ear. I stood up without thinking. The conversation at my table stopped and Amanda asked, frowning, “What’s wrong?”
Theresa turned towards Carter. “Where’s he going?”
I couldn’t answer them, but my gut had dropped out of me. Something was wrong. Something was happening. We watched as he turned for a side door. The man went with him, but gave him one final nod before he turned away and went through a different door.
I started forward.
“Emma!” Amanda hissed at me. Her hand grabbed onto my wrist. “What are you doing?”
“Something’s wrong.”
“So let it go. Carter knows what he’s d
oing.”
I frowned at her. What was she doing? She’d never questioned me before, but I only pulled my wrist away. “Watch my purse.” Then I hurried after him. When I got to the hallway, I couldn’t see him, but I turned to the farthest corner. There was something about that man. He wasn’t dressed like everyone else. He wore a suit, not a tuxedo. His hair hadn’t been slicked back like most of the other men who were dressed to impress that night. There was nothing about the guy that should’ve made him seem out of place, but a lightbulb clicked. That was it. He was nondescript. He looked like he wanted to blend in and because of that, because I’d been around Carter’s security guards enough, I knew he’d been one of his men. He hadn’t been a guard though. If he had, he would’ve returned to his post, but no—the guards were all dressed in black suits. This guy wore a brown one.
He was mob. I knew it.
I turned another corner and stopped short. The guy was there, at the far end. He was looking out the window with his phone pressed to his ear. He was talking into it and as he seemed to be following something outside, he was relaying instructions over his phone.
I started for him. If Carter wasn’t around to give me answers, he would, but I was pulled into an empty conference room.
Gasping, I was pushed against the wall and a hand covered my mouth. A body pressed against mine. All the tension left me. This was Carter. My body reacted before I realized it was him and it softened. My legs parted for him and he bent closer, nuzzling under my neck, before he whispered, “What are you doing?”
My eyes snapped open. This wasn’t my Carter. This was their Carter. I pushed him away. “I was following you.”
He leaned back, but his body kept mine anchored to the wall. His eyes were hard and aggravated.
I didn’t care. I kept my hand on his chest. I needed to feel his heartbeat, to know when if he was lying to me. “Where were you going?”
“To the bathroom.”
His heart didn’t skip a beat. Nothing. It was steady, but I knew he was lying. I saw it in his eyes. “This isn’t the bathroom.”