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“It’s impressive, Gregory.” I feel her look up at me, but I keep my face forward and my eyes up on those damn numbers. I will not lose my fucking composure in this elevator. “You’re really fucking good at what you do. Keep doing what you’re doing, and maybe you’ll fill my shoes one day.”
“Not a fan of heels,” I quip.
Her head dips back in laughter, and I chance a look down at the smooth column of her throat. Thank god the doors finally open, and fresh air swarms in.
“I’m serious,” she continues as we walk out of the lobby. “You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
“I am.”
She gives me a look.
“I am!” I insist, a smile playing across my lips. “I’ve worked my ass off to get here.”
“Same.” Her voice suddenly sounds a little tired, like she’s lost some of her spark. “I’m tired of it.”
Just when I’m about to ask her what she means, she speaks to the doorman to get a car brought around, and the words die on my tongue. It’s none of my business. We aren’t together. We’re just friends going to get a drink together. I watch her as she laughs and jokes with the man while we wait for the car.
“Ready?” she asks, turning to face me when the car comes around. The wind makes her hair blow across her face, and I can’t stop myself. It’s a reflex to touch her. My hand reaches out and brushes it away, tucking it behind her ear.
I don’t even notice that the driver has gotten out of the car to open the back door for us until he clears his throat. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why can’t I just keep my goddamn dick in my pants for one night?
I can’t even stop myself from ogling her ass as she climbs in, those jeans of hers cupping the curve of her hips perfectly. I know both of the men next to me are staring, too. Who wouldn’t? But it sends a wave of jealousy through me, so I follow her in, effectively ending their free show.
The door shuts behind us, and I’m left alone with her and her sweet scent all over again. She pushes up closer to me, our thighs touching and the heat of her warming my own body. And then her hand—her fucking hand—goes to my leg and gives the muscles there a tight squeeze. She may as well have just grabbed my cock.
I groan, and a confident laugh falls from her lips.
I’m not going to survive this fucking night.
CHAPTERTHREE
We get dropped off a few blocks away from Broadway, not wanting the car to have to fight its way through the people and the absurd amount of traffic they still allow down through the main drag. You’d think with the growing number of people visiting that they would shut it down at night.
The lights are bright, and the air is cool coming off the river. There are metal barricades that can barely contain the number of people on the sidewalks. They filter into the street, racing between the cars and laughing when they barely make it to the other side alive.
There’s music pouring out of every single bar—all country, of course. This isn’t really my scene. Our club back home caters to a completely different vibe. But Ivy’s eyes light up as she takes in the raucous crowd. And I’m all about doing whatever she wants on her birthday.
“There’s going to be a line no matter which one we try to fight our way into,” I tell her, leaning close so that she can hear me over the people and the music. “Take your pick.”
She decides on one that is lit up on the outside with pink neon with a live band on the inside. There’s a bachelorette party in front of us, everyone color coordinated and wearing sashes. A group of guys in front of them tries to talk to them, but they’re clearly drunk, and the girls just laugh and turn their backs on them.
Ivy crosses her arms and turns her back to the wind. It causes the sweet scent of her to surround me, and I finally stop resisting. I reach out and pull her close to me, spinning her around so that her back is to my chest. Wrapping my arms around her, I try to give her as much of my warmth as I can.
God, it feels good to have her in my arms again.
“You been doing okay?” I ask her. “You said you were tired earlier.”
She sighs and lets her head drop back to my shoulder.
“There’s a lot I’ve sacrificed to get to where I am.” The group of guys gets let in as a large group comes out, and we move up, our bodies not separating. “I gave up relationships, getting married, having kids…having a life in general, honestly. I feel like I’ve given my entire life to this company, and in return, all I have is money to show for it.”
“You regret it?”
She gives me a humorless laugh.
“Some days, I do. Some days, I look around my empty house when I come home, cook myself dinner, open a bottle of wine just to pour one glass, and think about how fucking quiet it is.”
We move forward again as the girls in front of us file inside, the bride leading the way with a crown and her arms in the air in celebration.
