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He lifted his glass a second time only I couldn’t read his expression as he stared at me. “To a stunning, formidable woman. It’s rare that I meet someone of such perfection.” When his phone rang, his expression turned to one of annoyance.
I looked away as he answered it, noticing all four of my friends were watching us intently. My mystery man spoke in Russian, the language unable to hide his anger at being interrupted. I was surprised I continued to tingle. Maybe it was the effects of the wine or the difficulty of the day.
“I do apologize, Stephanie, but I have business that requires my attention. Please enjoy the wine knowing I’d planned on sharing every drop with you.” When he moved to his feet, I kept my hand wrapped around my glass, studying him in the dim light. I had a feeling I’d never see him again, which bothered me more than it should.
He leaned over, catching me off guard by pressing his lips against my cheek. That very second, I was stunned by a powerful jolt of electricity swelling from the deepest parts of me. My breath was caught in my throat, my pulse quickening. I closed my eyes for only a few seconds and when I opened them again, he was already gone.
Exhaling, I almost knocked my glass of wine over. When the girls rushed toward the table, I finally took another sip, my hand shaking.
“Who was that?” Amelia asked. There was something different about her question, more mischievous than I was used to.
“I have no idea. Obviously, a friend of Gregory’s.”
“I noticed him at the wedding,” Maggie said, giggling afterward.
“It’s funny. I didn’t.” That was a complete lie. I’d noticed a lone man sitting in the very last pew, leaving just after I’d made the announcement.
Jessica sighed. “He was the kind of man I wouldn’t mind spending a night or five with.”
“You’d spend the night with any man,” Suzi teased. “However, he was one hot man, Stephanie. Just like I told you before.” Her last sentence was a direct push to follow her suggestion. Damn if her eyes weren’t twinkling, as if planning something nefarious.
“Yes, he was.” I took another sip then rose to my feet. “However, this is a party and that’s exactly what I intend on doing.” I backed away, beckoning for the girls to follow. I’d paid for the reception. I might as well enjoy it until the wee hours of the morning. What did I have to lose?
* * *
I backed against the elevator wall, clutching my heels in my hand as I stared at the panel of numbers. Exhaustion had finally taken over my senses where alcohol should have by now. I was wired, more on edge than normal. At least I had two weeks of vacation, which should be enough time to figure out what I was going to do about my job.
I certainly couldn’t stand to work side by side Gregory any longer. My thoughts drifted to the gorgeous stranger, trying to imagine what role he played in Gregory’s life. I’d considered myself to be extremely observant, able to detect the criminal element from across a room, but the mysterious man was unreadable. Perhaps he was a criminal who’d snuck into the reception.
A drug dealer.
No, an assassin. He was certainly dressed for the part.
Perhaps an art thief.
It was a game I’d played as a child. That it had suddenly manifested itself tonight meant I was completely exhausted. I hugged my stilettos against my chest, still able to detect a slight whiff of the brutal hunk’s scent. As I closed my eyes, the elevator music was close enough to the last song that I was able to fall into a beautiful fantasy, imagining the way he looked without his clothes. And the way his muscles would feel underneath the tips of my fingers, the red-hot heat he’d radiated likely to sear my fingertips.
Shame on you, Stephanie.
Shame on me indeed. When I heard the slight ping, I was yanked out of the delicious fantasy. I shifted my fingers into my clutch, still fumbling to find the card key even though there were only three items other items located inside. My lipstick. My driver’s license. And a small bottle of perfume. I also laughed at the ridiculousness of it. If that’s all I thought I’d need after the wedding, I’d been out of my mind.
Or just snowed by a master of hype and bullshit.
Another wave of anger rushed into me. I should be upset with Gregory. No, I should remain enraged, making certain every single colleague, politician, and everyone on the streets of New York knew what a disgusting, arrogant prick Gregory Hampton truly was. That would certainly go a long way in allowing the level of humiliation to fade.
I sashayed down the corridor, humming the last tune the band had been playing before I’d slipped out of the party. If I remembered correctly, they’d done a throwback to the eighties. ‘It’s Raining Men.’
If only that were true.
When I slipped the card inside the slot, I shook my head. “Good riddance.”
After walking inside, I didn’t bother turning on a light. There was no need. The drapes and blinds were wide open, allowing the twinkling lights of the beautiful city to cascade into the room. I tossed my things onto the floor, hoping the mini fridge had a split of champagne or two.
Then I felt a presence a split second before a hand was wrapped around my throat, long fingers squeezing. Then I heard a voice so deep, the words so brutal that I froze.
“Don’t try and scream or youwillbe punished.”
CHAPTER3
