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I didn’t want Albin to join their ranks.
And if the butterflies in my stomach were any indication, the same fire still existed between us. It pulsed and crackled as we stood facing each other while music rose and fell, and people moved past us, but we remained unaware of the world.
Oblivious in our own little bubble.
Until Albin reached out and touched my arm.
His hand on my skin sent sparks of desire racing up and down my spine.
Albin’s hand on my skin felt far better than I remembered and much more potent than anything I could’ve imagined. It made me want to close the gap between us, pull him to me and press his lips to mine. I wondered if he still felt as strong and solid and if the scent of his cologne could still drive me to my knees.
Once he inched closer and I caught a whiff, I knew I was done for.
Then Albin’s phone rang, slicing through the thick tension between us. He released my arm, gave me an apologetic look, and stepped away. Once he did, it felt like I could breathe again, and I sank back into my seat, placing an arm on my chest. A shadow fell over me, and my heart skipped a beat. When I glanced up and saw the angry vein pulsing in Mr. Banks’ neck, I knew I was in trouble.
“What was that?”
I rose to my feet and smoothed out the front of my dress. “Mr. Banks, was there something you wanted, sir?”
“I don’t like being made into a fool,” Banks hissed, his eyes tightening around the edges. “And I don’t like people laughing at me.”
I clasped my hands behind my back and stood up straighter. “Sir?”
Banks closed the distance between us, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. “I know something is going on between you and Albin.”
“There is nothing going on between us, sir. I hardly even know him.”
No matter how much I wished, it wasn’t true.
Mr. Banks studied me, a myriad of emotions dancing across his face. “You expect me to believe that he asked to speak to you alone because you’re old acquaintances?”
I grew very still. “Yes, sir.”
“What about now? When he touched your arm, and the two of you couldn’t look away from each other?”
“Nothing happened between us, sir,” I maintained, ignoring the hammering of my heart and the uneasy feeling that had settled into the center of my stomach. “You can ask Mr. Arkwright yourself.”
Banks made a low noise in the back of his throat. “No need.”
A heartbeat later, Mr. Banks came to stand next to me and placed his hand on the small of my back. Even through the fabric of my dress, I could feel him, and it made me want to crawl out of my skin. He leaned in so his mouth was pressed to my ear, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to move a muscle.
“We have an agreement, Ms. Auden. Do not forget that,” he whispered, his hot breath making nausea roll around my stomach. “And in case it wasn’t obvious, I am not a man who likes to share. Is that understood?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir,” I forced out through gritted teeth. His hand moved from the small of my back and stopped at my shoulders. He kneaded the muscles there, and I dug my nails into my palms. Then he pulled me down onto the couch and stepped in front of me. I glanced up at him, and my heart raced, threatening to jump out of my chest altogether. Mr. Banks placed a hand over my chest and squeezed.
A single tear slid down my cheeks. “No.”
“Just relax.” He squeezed my breasts again and sat down next to me. His other hand snaked underneath my dress and stroked the bare skin of my thighs. “This doesn’t need to be complicated. There are a lot of perks to being with a man like me.”
I twisted to face him, saw the glimmer in his eyes, and shivered. “I don’t want to do this.”
Mr. Banks inched closer, and the smell of him sent another wave of nausea washing over me. “I can treat you real nice, Martha. Much better than Albin can. You just have to give me a chance.”
I squirmed and scorched away from him. “Please, Mr. Banks. Not like this.”
