I ran out the front door toward my car, laughing when I got in, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. Shit, I really should start hanging out with him more. Even if his catwastrying to kill me.
¦ ¦ ¦
Every summer, Stella’s parents and Richard threw an annual soiree for their employees. This year it was being held in a museum downtown. They’d rented the whole place out for the night and paid some of the docents to work overtime, providing tours for the company’s employees.
I was running behind schedule thanks to a shit show of a day, and had asked Stella to meet me there. Everything always went wrong in the week leading up to game night, which was part of why I never sent out invites until an hour before showtime.
I’d spent most of this morning trying to problem-solve with my electrician, who was worried about how much power we planned to pull, and then the afternoon dealing with the plumber, who was having a hard time rerouting a water pipe. On top of that, my usual security team wasn’t available, so I’d had to call Junior and ask who he recommended. He gave me the name of a merc unit, and told me to tell them he’d sent me.
All this made me later than I’d planned, and by the time I arrived at the museum, the party was in full swing.
Here,I texted Stella as I climbed out of my car.
I’m waiting by the entrance,she texted back.
I figured she meant just inside it, but I found her pacing outside instead. She looked incredible. Tonight was more formal than all the other events we’d attended, the dress code calling for ball gowns and tuxedos. Her back was to me as she walked, bare like the night we’d—
Don’t think about it or you’ll end up greeting her dick-first,I warned myself.
The skirt of the gown flowed out behind her, layers of black chiffon overlaying a lighter gray beneath, almost like she was a ghost emerging from fog, which sounded like it should be more spooky than hot, but Stella managed to pull it off.
She turned and paced in the other direction, and I drank in the sight of her. The front of the dress rose right to her neck, the chiffon so thin that it looked transparent, but since I couldn’t see her nipples (sadly), I assumed it was some sort of optical illusion—backed by fabric the color of her skin or something.
When I got closer, I noticed she’d switched out her usual silver piercings for matte black hardware to match the dress. Her makeup was more subtle tonight than usual, foundation thin enough that I glimpsed a smattering of freckles over her nose, lips coated in a simple gloss that made them look wet and ready.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, because it was clear from the look on her face and the way she clutched her stomach that something was off.
Her head snapped up, like she’d been so lost in her own little world that she hadn’t noticed me until I was standing right in front of her. “Maddie’s here.”
“What?” I bit out.
A look of betrayal swept over her face. “You told me I wouldn’t have to see her again.”
“And I meant it.” I turned and strode toward the door, furious. That stupid little bitch.
Stella grabbed my arm and tried to tug me away. “Theo, come on. I want to leave.”
I dragged her forward a few feet. “No. I warned her what would happen if she showed up at another event.”
Stella tugged harder. “Calm down. You’re starting to freak me out.”
“I am calm.”
“No, you’re the one with shark eyes now,” she said. “And you wearing your I’m-about-to-to-ruin-someone’s-life smile.”
I stopped and spun toward her, my voice cajoling as I cupped my hands around her face. “Come on, let me ruin her for you.”
Her eyes dropped to my lips and stayed there for a moment while she considered it.
“Say yes, Stella,” I crooned, stepping into her, tilting her face toward mine. “You know you want it.”
Was I even talking about Maddie anymore? Or was I was talking about the unfinished business between us, willing Stella to finally make up her mind about whether or not she was going to let me fuck her?
Her eyelids fluttered, lips parted, and she swayed toward me the slightest bit.
A horn blared from the street.
Stella pulled out of my grip, the lust clearing from her eyes. “We should go. Not just because of Maddie, but because there aren’t many people inside who you’d consider high rollers. Most are just regular folks. Accountants, marketing analysts, Realtors.”
