Side note: I’m going to murder someone tonight.She came with me, assholes.
My partner, Cormac Quinn, the CEO of Merged, which I co-own with him, is glaring at me while he talks to the mayor. His wife and Cora’s friend, Saar, smiles and nods beside him, playing the business game she might hate but indulges for him.
I ignore Corm’s glare and my obligations and twirl Cora around.
At the bar, Declan, the fourth partner, is whispering something to his nanny—I’m not sure what the story is there.
I guess Corm might be the only one working tonight. Normally, I would be too.
“Don’t you usually talk about your business with men?” I tease her, to cover the uncomfortable feeling of being lost. I’m never fucking lost.
“Is that what you talk about with women?” She snorts. At least she is entertained.
She will not unsettle me.Keep lying to yourself, fucker. “Well, I don’t really care much about the conversation part,” I lower my voice.
“Obviously.” She laughs again. “I appreciate you putting in the effort, but you don’t have to. This is not a date.”
“I’m clearly failing in my efforts.”
“I’m guessing that’s not something you encounter often.”
I’m hyper-aware of the curve of her hip swaying under my touch. “You’d be correct, but I appreciate a worthy opponent.”
“I’m not playing your game, Xander. Besides, don’t you need to schmooze?” She licks her lips—not seductively; she just wets them, and my entire body—okay, my cock—reacts.
“I’d rather dance with you.”
“Doesn’t it defy the purpose?”
“Of being here?” I frown.
“Of takingmeto the gala? Why else would you have invited me?”
Yeah, I’m asking the same question. “Aren’t you having fun?”
And can I sound any more desperate? What the fuck is wrong with me?
“I’m having fun, but let’s not pretend you’re here to be with me. I’m here as a friend of your partners’ spouses. To free your time, so you can do whatever networking you men come to these things for. You don’t need to entertain me.”
She got that right. Partially. I usually work at these events. I bring one of my hookups, and it generally ends up with them complaining they were bored while I worked the room.
But if I had wanted to avoid that, I could have brought our office manager, Roxy.
So yeah, Cora is right. Partially. Because I didn’t bring Roxy.
“What if I wanted to spend the evening with you?”
She snorts. “Yeah, right.”
What the actual fuck? It’s like we are each on a different planet. I’m trying and failing miserably to grab her attention. And she? What? She didn’t notice I’m game?
I’ve never worked hard to get something. Thingscome easily to me. Women included. So this is new, but also confusing. I don’t get confused.
“I’m having fun, Cora.” I go with the truth.
She halts and looks at me with a whisper of suspicion. “Please don’t continue in this direction.”
“Why not?”
