"Are you kidding! You look stunning," Lucy had said.
Tarken agreed. At least, the drool dripping from his lower lip implied that he did.
"Wow," was all he said. "How come you never dressed like that for me when we were dating?"
Abbey rolled her eyes at Lucy who flashed her a hundred-watt grin. They hugged and locked up Abbey's apartment. Lucy hopped into her convertible and sped off. Abbey slid into the front seat of Tarken's sleek sports car. She spent the next fifteen minutes dragging his hand off her thigh at every set of red lights.
"Why don't you come back and work for me," said Tarken as he drove slowly around looking for a car park.
"Because you're a rat, and I can get another job. A better one."
"I'll give you ten thousand extra."
Abbey scoffed. "You'd have to do a lot better than that."
He pulled into valet parking at the Crown Complex. "Twenty thousand."
Abbey stifled a gasp. "That's a lot of money. Goldstein wouldn't allow it."
"I can deal with Goldstein."
Yeah sure. Tarken hadn't dealt with Goldstein in the four years she'd been his personal assistant, she saw no reason why he'd start now.
She refused him and he shrugged. "Suit yourself. We'll talk again in two weeks. I doubt you'll have found anything as good as JJC by then."
Abbey swallowed her rising anger.
Switching her attention from Tarken's proposal to the evening at hand, she got out of the car and took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to. She still didn't have a clue what her plan was, but Abbey knew it did involve making Nick Delaware realize what he was missing. That was what the dress and the makeup were for. What happened after he'd realized what he was missing was anyone's guess.
She hadn't decided whether to confront him with what she knew, or whether to let him play out his little game and deny him what he wanted-which she hoped would be her. The denying part was the weakest link in the plan.
Inside, the room was filled with men in dark suits and women in cocktail dresses. At least she wouldn't feel out of place and would blend right in.
Wrong.
Heads turned as she walked passed. She heard a few murmurs, saw a few jaws drop and suddenly she wished she'd worn a dress that wasn't so tight fitting or at least had a back to it.
The only person who seemed to be enjoying the grand entrance was Tarken. His arm tightened around her waist and Abbey was too embarrassed to make him let go. She'd wait until everyone turned around again then she'd order him to lay off.
Tarken nodded to a few people he recognized and Abbey was surprised to see a few faces she knew too. Mostly people from other pharmaceutical companies who must also be considering new software on demonstration at the seminar.
She nodded and smiled and expected Tarken to stop and talk, but he continued on. A waiter handed them a drink of champagne and Abbey took a sip. Tarken ignored him and pushed through the crowd. He glanced around the room, scanning the faces, looking for someone. Delaware.
It was the same face she was looking for. A gorgeous, dark face with eyes that could be black with anger or warm and soft with desire, and a mouth that twitched sexily when he laughed at her jokes.
She drew in a deep breath and ordered her heart to stop beating so fast. It didn't listen.
The crowd parted ahead and Abbey suddenly wanted to turn and run. The man she now knew to be Nick Delaware was chatting with a group of people. He stopped when he spotted her and the look in his eyes told Abbey he liked what he saw.
More than liked-he wanted her. The muscle jumping in his jaw was a dead giveaway.
"Damien," said Tarken. Abbey cringed. He'd turned on his saccharine-sweet tone. "So good to see you again. I believe you've met my girlfriend, Abbey."
"I'm not your girlfriend, Tarken," she said through gritted teeth.
Nick looked like he was trying not to smile. Damn.
"Yes, we've met." Nick's voice was luxurious velvet and his eyes, fringed with black lashes, sparkled at her. He took Abbey's hand and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss it, but he just shook it.
She smiled weakly, suddenly wishing she could sit down. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to seduce him, not the other way round.
Nick's eyes moved from her face and traveled the length of her body all the way to her toes. She heard him suck in a breath before glancing away.
Good. She had him, hook, line and sinker. He wanted her.
Tarken coughed nervously and pulled Abbey into him, his fingers curling possessively around her waist. She unclasped his grip and stepped away. Tarken was not part of her plan. She didn't think Nick would be jealous of the little wimp.
No, if she was going to make Nick jealous then she needed a better target. Someone just as good looking as Nick. Making him jealous was the only way she could make him suffer. Then, when he was insane with jealousy, she'd tell him she knew all about his lie. Then she'd walk away.