“My last hurrah. I wish she could be here too, but she has to be with your grandmother,” he said before taking it all in himself. My mother was helping her own mother get settled into a nursing home in Pennsylvania. It was a feat as the woman was stubborn as hell and insisted she didn’t need help.
Soon, the three of us were surrounded by New York’s most prominent figures, all coming to give their congratulations to my father on his retirement and their congratulations to Chandler for taking his place. It felt like I was the third wheel, but I held my ground, pretending like it wasn’t eating me up inside.
Of course, Chandler was eating it all up, schmoozing everyone who came up. I was surprised to see he did possess a small ounce of charm. Surprising, as I had never seen one hair of it in the office. He really did know how to work people, laughing at their jokes and listening intently. A real charmer. As if he’d been doing it his whole life.
It took everything in me to not roll my eyes. I excused myself and made my way to the bar for a glass of champagne. As I waited in line, I overheard the conversation of the two women in front of me. They were probably my age, maybe a little older, dressed to the nines in their gowns and dripping in diamonds.
“Did you see the new CEO?” one asked, keeping her voice low.
“How could I miss him?”
“You know he’s the most eligible bachelor in all of New York. Women will be lining up to get their hands on him now that he’s in charge.”
“Sign me up.”
They both giggled to themselves before stepping up to the bar and ordering their drinks. I felt like I was going to vomit. If onlythey knew how he really was. A certified ass. His looks didn’t make up for who he was inside, though they sure tried. If people could see how he really was, they wouldn’t think he was all that great. Sure, he might look like sex on a stick, especially in a tux, but underneath all that, he was the devil. I wanted to expose him, but I knew my father would never forgive me for it. I had to keep my head in the game.
I stepped up to the bar, watching the women cast their glances over at Chandler, who was still shmoozing. I rolled my eyes and ordered a glass of champagne, thanking the bartender before walking back over to where Chandler and my father stood in the crowd. I took a long sip of champagne.Mmm.If I was going to be here, I would need more of this.
“Ahh, there she is,” said my father as I approached.
“My girl. Isn’t she stunning?” he boasted to the people around him. They all nodded in agreement, making me feel uncomfortable. My father pulled me into the crook of his arm as he put his hand on Chandler’s shoulder. He looked between the two of us, and I shifted my feet under the pride that swelled in him.
“My dream team,” he said proudly. “These two will go far.”
I almost spit out my champagne at the bald-faced lie, but instead I just pressed my lips into a smile and nodded.
Chapter 10
Chandler
It was hard to focus on anything else but Gabriella as she stood just inches away from me wearing that gown. All I kept thinking was how good it would look good on the floor of my bedroom. And how good she would look out of it. I wondered if she wore a bra. Or underwear. I willed my cock not to twitch as I thought about her bare, tan skin. Enough of it was on display now for me to feel like I needed to loosen the collar of my button-down to breathe better.
The black satin fabric hugged her breasts, and without straps, it left her neckline bare. Her light brown hair was pulled up atop her head, revealing the long line of her neck and emphasizing the heart shape of her face. My eyes were drawn to her collarbone, imagining my tongue running up it, tasting her sweet skin. Part of me wanted to see if I could rile her up, just to see how far her blush would creep down from her cheeks.
She was being surprisingly civil tonight, from the moment my heart stopped beating when I saw her on the stairs and helped her up. I swore her touch had left a slow burn against my palm. To now, as we talked to the other partygoers. Well, as civil as the Wicked Witch of the Upper West Side could be.
Everyone seemed to love her, though. Everyone knew exactly who she was. She knew how to work a room, too. She obviously saved her witchyness for me. A special privilege I wasn’t sure I liked that I had earned. I tried not to be enthralled by her smile or the ease she had in talking to everyone, but me. Was that jealousy I detected? I swallowed it down with the bourbon I held in my hand.
“How do you feel about your father’s retirement?” someone asked her.
“I miss him, but I know he’s exactly where he’s meant to be now,” said Gabriella with a sly smile.
“And where is that?” they asked curiously.
“On the golf course.”
Everyone seemed to be in stitches over her little joke. I joined in with a small chuckle.
“No, but really. I miss him,” she said, placing her hand on her father’s forearm and giving a gentle squeeze. “We’ve been working side by side for almost ten years now. I’m so proudof everything he’s built, and that will continue to hopefully be built.”
Had it really been that long? She must have started right out of college, learning the business from the inside out from the very best person to teach it to her. Her own father. The CEO. Her disappointment made a small amount of sense now, but what was done was done. I was the CEO. Her father was the one who made that decision. I wasn’t about to second-guess myself.
“Thank you, honey,” said her father, somewhat uncomfortably. He looked across the room and seemed to see someone he knew. He patted Gabriella’s hand. “I see Mr. Rosenthrap. I’ll leave you to it,” he said, looking between the two of us.
I could tell Gabriella was uncomfortable for a split second, as if she couldn’t bear the thought of being left alone with me, even though we were in a crowd of five other people.
“So, Mr. White,” said the woman closest to me, her eyes blinking slowly up at me. She was probably a good twenty years older than me, though you almost couldn’t tell from all the facelifts. They didn’t hide her sagging neck or age-spotted hands though. “What are your plans for Harold Enterprises?” she cooed, as she sidled in closer to me.
