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“I’ll go see what she needs,” I told him. “Then I’m going to do the rounds. I have a list of about twenty people I need to talk to.”
“Go ahead. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later.”
The event was every bit what I had expected. Three hours into it, I was almost used to the constant chatter as background noise. I’d already spoken to quite a few of the celebrities I’d wanted to approach for a campaign I was putting together for the spring releases.
After a particularly productive conversation with a young, rising pop star I wanted to feature in our spring campaign, I looked around for a bench or a chair. If I could just sit for five minutes, I was sure the balls of my feet wouldn’t feel raw anymore. I had no problems walking in heels, even though I didn’t have Hailey’s stamina. But standing rooted to one spot was problematic.
I didn’t see any empty chairs, and just when I was about to head to one of the smaller rooms to check if the couches there were full, a mountain of a man cornered me.
“Hey, you,” he said.
“Hi, Gus!”
We’d spoken earlier in the evening. He was one of the models I was courting for a marketing campaign. He’d gained in popularity over the last year, and he could be going places. I wanted to snatch him before he became too expensive.
“Want to grab a drink?” he asked.
“Thanks, but I have yet to finish my rounds.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be a spoilsport.”
He seemed to have already had a few drinks. His footing wasn’t too certain. He was looking at me as if I was something to eat, and I didn’t appreciate it. I usually got out of this type of sticky situation by flashing what Hailey liked to call my scary face, but this one wasn’t budging.
“Not being a spoilsport, but duty is still calling.”
The guy cocked an eyebrow, and instead of backing off, came even closer. Oh, hell, no. I didn’t want to cause a scene, but if this guy didn’t take a hint, I’d have no choice.
It was then that a movement behind the guy’s shoulder caught my attention. Carter was standing a few feet away, looking at us. When I caught his eye, he mouthed, is he bothering you? I nodded imperceptibly, and Carter strode right to us. I thought he’d simply say he needed to talk to me, but before he even opened his mouth, he curled an arm around my waist. He pulled me so close that the side of my breast was squished against his chest.
“There you are. Thought I’d lost you.” He stuck out his other hand to Gus. “Carter Sloane.”
Gus shook it reluctantly. Carter pressed me even closer. My nose was almost touching his jaw. The smooth skin on his cheek and the faint smell of aftershave indicated that he’d shaved just before coming here.
Gus looked between us, then left without another word. Even so, Carter didn’t let go. My body buzzed along the contact points—the length of his arm against my back, the side of my boob against his chest—as if the contact was skin on skin. The way he was holding my waist was almost possessive. And I loved it.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes. I was just debating how to get rid of him before you showed up. Lucky you saw me.”
“I haven’t been able to keep my eyes off you all evening.” As if just now realizing there was no reason to hold me anymore, he let go. I wished he hadn’t.
“Still need to make the rounds?” he asked.
“Yeah. Still have to talk to a few people. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Already made some contacts. It’s a great event.” He kept his gaze firmly on my face. In fact, so firmly that it made me wonder if he was making an extra effort not to look down. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. “Find you later?”
I nodded, and after we parted ways, I mingled again. I breezed through the remaining people on my list. Two of the conversations were a waste of time, two were semiproductive.
I was looking forward to the fun part of the evening. What exactly did Carter have in mind?
Once I was done, I headed to the bar, ready for my first alcoholic drink this evening. A glass of Chardonnay would do me good. I’d only had some water until now, wanting to keep my mind focused.
The bar had been set up in one of the rooms that opened up directly onto the back terrace. It was crowded, and I wedged myself between two guys, waiting my turn. The back of the bar was mirrored, and I watched the movement in the room. My body was starting to relax now that I’d already spoken to everyone I needed to.
But then I noticed a familiar face in the crowd, and every inch of my body went on alert again. Carter was heading toward me. Our gazes met in the mirror.
