****
James held the sameglass of wine he started with an hour before.He never drank at a gala, but he had to blend.Holding the damn thing was annoying, but he made sure that didn’t show on his face.He currently stood talking with several businessmen, and usually he could talk mergers and acquisitions all night long, but lately his attention kept wandering.Kleya was on his mind all the damn time.He glanced at the door every time it opened.She was supposed to meet him, but failed to mention when that would be.Thoughts of her inevitably led to the night when she burned like fire in his arms.So responsive.So beautiful.He never thought he’d be eager to marry, but damned if he couldn’t wait until the nuptials happened.
He took a deep breath, willing his dick to stay down.The last thing he wanted was to give the men he talked to ideas he couldn’t control himself.Soon, his distraction was going to be observed, and as the future leader of the Coalition, he had to—
“Hello, James.”
He swiveled his head and Landry fucking Sessions stood in front of him, his bloated face an interesting shade of red, the clear signs of a heavy drinker prominent in the rounded nose and blood-shot eyes.How people could think this man was worthy of leading the Coalition was a mystery.Next to him stood his asshole father.
“Landry.Franklin.”
“I hear congrats are in order.Kleya Dane, eh?You know she associates with street vermin, right?”
James knew he was trying to get a rise out of him.“Kleya is a compassionate woman.”
Landry snorted and took another drink.“She’ll come home and give you lice or something.”
James ground his back teeth together.All he wanted to do was pound his fist in the arrogant asshole’s face.
“Oh, and you can congratulate me as well.I’m engaged to Celeste Rogers.Her father owns Rogers Department Store, you know.Once I become the leader, we’ll bring her father into the Coalition.I think he’ll be a good addition.”
Yes, he knew Glanville Rogers very well.Had done business with him a few times.Luckily, the Rogers family would not face the same fate as the Sessions since they were not part of the Coalition.
“Perhaps, but you know what doesn’t make a good addition to the Coalition?”He stared directly at Franklin.“People who hire hitmen to take out the competition.”
Landry frowned and glanced between the two.“Uh.What?”
“And if that was to happen,” he continued, “what do you think would be the best way to eliminate such a sniveling coward?Killing him or locking him up in a place no one would ever find him?I kinda like that idea.What do you think, Franklin?”
Franklin couldn’t even maintain eye contact and looked away, coughing as he left the little tête-à-tête.James sneered at his retreat.
“What just happened?”Landry asked, looking really confused.
“Your dad is a piece of shit, that’s what happened.”
Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a woman in a white dress and turned, immediately dismissing Landry.Kleya stood poised in the entrance way.Her silky hair was in an elegant updo.A luminescent pearl necklace was her only jewelry.She already looked like his bride, and his breath caught in his throat as he took in how ravishing she looked.
“Darling, I’m so happy to see you.”
Before he registered what was happening, arms enveloped him and big breasts barely contained in a dress pushed up against his chest.A voluptuous red head batted her extremely long fake lashes while a suffocating cloud of perfume stole his breath in a horrible way.
“James, how dare you,” Landry mocked.A smirk creased his mouth.“And in front of your fiancée.”
Fucking hell, he thought.
He broke the woman’s claw-like grip and stepped back.A soft hand enveloped his and he looked down into Kleya’s smiling eyes.
“Hello,” she said.“I’m so sorry I’m late.”
He raised her hand up and kissed her knuckles.“Actually, you’re right on time.”
Kleya looked at the other two, and he saw that Landry’s face reflected sheer annoyance.
“Mr.Sessions,” she greeted graciously.“And ...Mrs.Sessions?”
“What?”the woman screeched.“I’m not married to him.I was greeting my lover.He asked me to come tonight.”
“Did he?”She looked up at him.Deviltry lit up their cerulean depths.“Well, you better go find him before some other woman steals him away.If you don’t mind, James, would you escort me to the bar?”
