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“And why exactly am I wearing these…things?” she asks, her face flushed.
I laugh and squeeze her hand. “My amusement. Your pleasure.”
I don’t tell her that the reason I asked her to wear them was to see whether or not she would. Her doing as I ask means a lot to me and will help me understand whether I’ve chosen the right person for what I need. She has no idea what I want from her, but with any luck, she’ll prove herself capable enough to handle my proposition.
If not, then I’m back to square one and no closer to finishing what I started a long time ago.
As we enter the ballroom, I hear Charlotte gasp next to me. I smirk. We go all out for our events because for our industry, appearance is everything. If she’s impressed by this, wait until she experiences one of our charity events. Now, they were extravagant. The irony was we’d probably raise more money if we simply donated the cost of throwing the events.
Taking her hand, I stalk through the crowd of people, expecting them to get out of my way. They do, stepping back in their flashy suits and designer dresses as I pretend not to notice the looks of surprise registering on nearly every single face we pass. Yes, it’s that unusual for me to attend these kinds of events.
I scan the room, looking for Ryan, and immediately spot him over by the bar. His wife is nowhere in sight, but I can see he isn’t really missing her. My eyes narrow as he leans in and whispers something into the ear of the young brunette sitting next to him. She throws her head back and laughs. The bastard will never change. God knows how many times he’s cheated on his poor wife.
Charlotte shifts next to me and I glance at her. I’d forgotten she was there.
“Would you like a drink?” I ask.
“A wine would be nice. Dry white.”
“I’ll be right back.” I leave her standing by the entrance and make my way over to the bar, purposely choosing the end where I know Ryan isn’t. I don’t want to make my presence known just yet.
“A dry white and a whiskey, straight up.”
“Jaxon?”
I turn around and see one of our biggest clients, Andrew Stailes. He takes my hand and shakes it enthusiastically. “I don’t often see you at these types of things.”
“That’s because I usually avoid them like the plague,” I quip. Only I’m not kidding. I hate parties or gatherings of any kind. Any situation where I’m forced to pretend I give a shit about the weather, or what so-and-so’s kids have been up to, I’d rather avoid. I’ve never been big on small talk. Even before my parents were killed, I was a quiet, introverted child.
I chat with Andrew until I can escape without being overly rude. On the way back to Charlotte I encounter at least a half dozen other associates who insist on stopping me to talk.
“You look annoyed,” Charlotte comments, taking her drink.
“I’m not big on crowds,” I respond, my voice dry.
“Then why are we here?” she says with a smirk.
I open my mouth to reply, but then I see Kasey. My eyes narrow as I take her in. She’s weaving through the crowd, heading toward us. Her eyes catch mine and she winks, nodding to the back of the room.
“See the girl in the red off-the-shoulder dress?”
She cranes her neck in the direction of Kasey. “Who is she?”
“Remember the other day in my office I said you would have to do something for me?”
She nods, confusion clouding her eyes.
“She is who you’re going to be doing.”
Charlotte’s mouth drops open. “Are you serious? You promised nothing i
llegal.”
I yank on her arm to quiet her.
“Lower your voice and look at me,” I order calmly. “She’s eighteen and the daughter of a business associate who needs to be taught a lesson. Relax—I’m not planning on hurting the girl. All I need is a couple of photos of her and you in a compromising position.”
“That’s it?” she says, unconvinced.
