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My lips parted with shock and I turned to speak quietly to Lance, “You did not just say that. I knew I never should have let you come here tonight. You are embarrassing me.”
“Sorry, I forgot—you control all,” he said sarcastically.
Thankfully the waiter appeared again and Celia swept two glasses of champagne from his tray, taking a sip from one and then the other. “Can you believe this stuff is free? It’s not my favorite, but if it’s free and it’ll get me drunk, I’ll take it!”
In a matter of a minute, the evening had gone south and it was hard to decide who was the more embarrassing, Lance or Celia.
Taking charge of the situation as only a seasoned PR person could do, Keri said, “Sid, why don’t I take you to meet the charity’s CEO?” Taking my arm she said, “We’ll be back.”
“That was awkward,” I said softly when we were out of hearing range.
“Lance is being a tool,” she said.
“As usual, I might add. And I own shoes that are smarter than Killian’s date.”
Keri laughed and nodded in the direction of a tall, silver-haired man nearby. “Max Martin. CEO of the charity. You ready to meet him?”
I nodded. “I certainly am. A distraction from the personal stuff would be more than welcome right now.”
Hopefully I could dodge Lance until it was time for dinner. He was acting like an insecure idiot and seeing Killian had only reinforced how right I was to have broken up with him. I’d never really felt a strong, definitive spark with Lance and his antics tonight killed any feelings I might have had for him. But with Killian, I felt a bolt of lightning that was almost too powerful to resist.Killian
Sidney had a way with people. I didn’t even have to hear what she was saying to the circle of people clustered around her to know why they were all smiling. She was engaging them in conversation, asking them questions, and then laughing and nodding as she listened to their responses.
Celia, on the other hand, was chattering about the great new spray tan place she’d found.
“No tan lines,” she’d proclaimed, waggling her brows up and down.
“Cool,” I said, sipping from my bottle of beer.
“I’m so glad you called me,” she continued. “I was starting to think you never would. I gave you my number like three weeks ago.”
“Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy recently.”
“You want to come and look at the silent auction stuff with me? I saw a gift certificate for a manicure place I want to bid on.”
I nodded toward Liam. “Why don’t you go check it out and I’ll catch up with you? I’ve gotta talk to Liam for a minute.”
“’Kay,” she said, as she walked carefully away in her sky-high heels.
I was relieved to have a break from her, which brought on a stab of guilt. I hadn’t planned on bringing a date tonight until I’d asked Sid to come with me. And when she told me she already had a date, I’d immediately decided to come up with one, too.
It was a shitty and immature move. And now I was stuck with Celia for the night.
My gaze went to Sidney and our eyes met. An invisible string seemed to draw us close together. She grabbed two glasses of champagne from a server’s tray and walked over to me, handing me one.
“Do I get you to myself for a little bit?” I asked.
She smiled and sipped the champagne. “I wish it could be longer.”
“Well, it could’ve been if you’d let me bring you here tonight,” I reminded her.
“Trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted to bring me as your date. I’m not your type.”
I gave her an amused glance. “You too rich for me, boss?”
“Too stuffy,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m Gucci, and you like hoochie.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Hoochie, huh? Is that what you think of me?”
She shrugged, a hint of sadness crossing her face. “I can tell you for certain that Celia and I are as different as night and day. For one thing, she seems rather agreeable to everything.”
I couldn’t keep from grinning as I tipped my glass up and drained it.
“What’s so bad about that?” I said in a low tone. “Only one person can be in control, and when I’m with a woman, it’s me.”
“Hmm.” She glanced around the room, looking at everything but me. “I suppose she’s perfect for you, then. I didn’t peg you for a man who just likes a woman to lay on her back and moan.”
My cock shifted to attention. Sid’s passive-aggressive, sexually charged words made me want to wrap my hand around her long, sleek ponytail and pull. I wanted to devour the milky-white skin on her neck.
I slid closer to her, about to murmur a response in her ear, when Lance appeared and wrapped an arm around her waist.
