Page 95 of Shark’s Pride

“But ohhh, Ms. Gibson. That’s where you’re so wrong.” He’d leaned in to husk it right into my ear.

I covered my lusty shiver with a light laugh. “About…what?”

“You were all mine from the moment I saw you, baby.”

Another enlightened tremble. Another stupid laugh to cover it. “Never has there been a more true statement, Mr. Shark.”

And before the spiraling heat between our bodies combusted us to dust in front of this crowd, I stepped back. Not by far. Just a perfect distance for combating the heat across my face by shielding my gaze with my hand. It was a good excuse to change the subject too. “So…uhhh…I saw Pia and Vela already. Is everyone else here? Grant? Elijah?”

“I imagine they’re lurking here somewhere.” He joined me in surveying the crowd. “Last time I saw Grant, he was talking with some of the board members over by the bar. Haven’t seen Elijah yet, though. He better not blow this off.”

“I’m sure he won’t. Maybe he’s stuck in traffic?”

Bas made a displeased sound between a grumble and growl, and I chuckled. If anyone could handle Bas’s growly wrath, it would be Elijah. The banter I’d witnessed between the two friends was the kind found only between lifelong pals who’d shared experiences good and bad.

“Let’s head over that way, though,” Sebastian suggested, proffering his elbow to me. “I think you two are seated next to each other for the official presentation.”

Gee. I wondered why.

But I pushed down the snark and let Sebastian steer us through the crowd. Along the way, he greeted most people by first name. He introduced me to many, but also only by first name. I was a little perplexed by the omission, which became increasingly clear as deliberate, as we wove our way to the stage. The journey took a long time, obviously longer than he expected, so by the time we got to Grant, he quickly asked the guy to “look after me” before he nervously looked toward the podium. I gave Grant a quick eye roll. Grant chuckled while turning to my man. Without hesitation, Grant stepped over and yanked Bas into a hearty squeeze of a “dude hug.”

“Knock ’em dead,” I added to the encouragement party. “I’ll be cheering for you from my seat.”

I kissed him again, making sure not to leave lipstick behind, and watched him stride to the front of the crowd. A small platform was elevated above the audience with a sleek stainless-steel podium, a microphone mounted on top.

My heart leapt to my throat. In all the best ways.

Holy hell, I was so proud of this man.

Everyone made their way to the chairs that had been set up for the presentation, and Grant escorted me to the front, where several rows had been reserved for special guests. Just as we entered the row, Elijah joined us.

“You’re not going to believe who I just ran into out front. I tried to have security usher him out, but the bastard had an invitation in his hand. How the fuck did he score an invitation?” He was talking to Grant, with spitting emphasis on the “he” but not trying to shield me from the conversation.

“Shit. Do I even want to know?”

“Probably not. I just hope Bas gets through his speech before he sees him.”

“Sees who?”

I already had a bad feeling I knew the name about to come from Elijah’s lips, but the next second, he confirmed my worst fear.

“Viktor Blake.”

Chapter Twelve

Sebastian

It was showtime. And I was ready. Damn it, I was born ready. Except for one huge difference. The show was better than I ever dreamed it would be.

I took a deep breath and looked out over the horizon of traditional and modern architecture. Then closer in, the streets streamed with sunshine and bustled with color. Then even nearer, to the attentive faces of the crowd in front of me.

For one more extended moment, I savored it all. Told myself to remember it all. Yes, the air was still peppered with the media crews’ constant whizzes and clicks, a promise that every second of the day would be immortalized, but none of that recordkeeping would compare to how my spirit would permanently capture this. How my soul would keep it as a lasting treasure.

I straightened my spine, spread my arms, and gripped the outside edges of the podium—and started giving them exactly what they came for.

“Exciting times are upon us, my friends.” My voice echoed back at me, booming up the heights and into the recesses of the surrounding buildings. “You are about to witness history in this great city of ours. Together, we are going to make Los Angeles even greater, to send it soaring on wings of innovation and vision.”

I took a purposeful pause, letting those words sink into the crowd. It opened up a perfect chance to take in the enormous crowd once again—in particular, the front row. There were the people who mattered the most in my life. No. Who were the center of my existence. Every one of them looked to me with open veneration, adoration, and love.