“I know,” I admitted. “And I almost feel bad I was so horrible to him. Almost.” Not really. But they didn’t need to deal with the brunt of my nasty mood. “But he’s just one of the most uncaring men in the world. He’s so rich, yet he does nothing with his money other than add to his wealth.”
“Do you think it’s possible you’re wrong?” Katy asked with her eyebrows raised.
“Have you heard something I haven’t? He has dozens of enemies because of how he dismantled their companies.”
“Maybe there’s more to him. Besides, why not take some of that wealth off his hands? Think of it this way,” Amelia continued. “You’d be doing the world a favor.”
Boats. Cars. Luxury homes. Vacation homes. The man had it all.
Maybe I was a teensy bit jealous. “I’ll think about it.”
We laughed, the conversation turning to aspects of their lives, which at this point seemed vastly more engaging than mine. What was the phrase about all work and no play?
Why couldn’t I get him off my mind even for ten minutes? Was it about the money or the man? There was no logical answer. Did I find him attractive? Absolutely, but that couldn’t matter in my decision. Money was money, but at what price?
As his image faded from my mind, I sat back, determined to forget about his chiseled jaw. The perfect hint of stubble.
Seconds passed.
Glorious minutes.
We talked.
We laughed.
I started to relax and when we were on our second drink, I was finally able to let it go for the night.
“I’ll be right back. I need to go to the restroom,” I told the girls.
“Pick us up some hot men while you’re gone,” Katy suggested in her purring voice. Something else I wasn’t good at. “Make them hot as sin.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” I headed through the crowd toward the large neon sign indicating the restrooms. Being it was Thursday night, there were hundreds of people in the bar, most laughing and enjoying being with friends while I was still crunching numbers in my head. One million dollars would go a long way. A very long way.
I made it to the ladies’ room without being pawed, a feat when copious volumes of alcohol were involved. After waiting for a couple of minutes, I headed into the stall, images of the powerful man popping into my mind. I’d done a deeper dive into Elliot Enterprises and what I’d found was as disgusting as Christian’s reputation.
His behavior was ruthless, every endeavor shredding the companies purchased. Not a single employee had been left after the purchase, all tossed out on the street with one week of severance pay. What kind of animal did that?
Yes, they were extremely profitable and by all accounts, their sudden surge in profits could be attributed directly to Christian. For some crazy reason, that alone made me hate him that much more. Perhaps because the day I’d left his office defeated, I’d vowed to have an even more successful company than he could dream of.
I washed my hands, reapplying lipstick. If I considered his offer, I’d need to find the right woman. From those on my roster, no one jumped out at me. Some were clearly qualified, yet I’d gathered the distinct feeling he’d be extremely picky. What if he made moves on them? Surely, he didn’t think they should be required to… perform. Ugh. The thought was nauseating. Granted, I could have ironclad additions made to the contract so that sex wasn’t allowed.
The entire situation weighed heavily on my mind.
As I opened the door, two girls pushed their way in. I had to fight to get through the crush of people.
The moment I did, another group of people managed to shove me forward, my heels catching on something on the floor. AndI was pitched against a rock-hard substance made of brick and body heat. “Oh, shit.” My reaction was involuntary and I threw my hands forward, wrapping my fingers around something soft.
“Oh, shit, indeed.”
The deep voice penetrated my eardrums, his scent immediately intoxicating while the crush of heat exploding jetted deep within my core. I lifted my head, realizing I was clinging to the person I’d been knocked into.
While I’d hoped for a stranger, somewhere deep in my brain I’d recognized his voice.
Not just any voice, but that of Christian Elliot.
The devil in disguise.
There was a moment where every noise was driven into a vacuum. In the flickering neon light hanging overhead, I could tell his eyes were twinkling. While he was keeping me steady, he had also pulled me even closer until his body was like a form-fitting glove. I was momentarily locked in shock as I peered into his penetrating eyes. Instantly, I was lost in the fragrance of deep woods and a hint of the ocean, a splash of citrus and a dash of exotic spice.
