Dangerous Temptations(11)

"I'm sure you do." I smirked, enjoying the attention he was giving me.  He could easily have a dozen other girls in this club, so I didn't know  why he was wasting time talking to me.

"Actually … " He inched his head down lower, almost whispering. "I don't  really go out much. I just flew back to New York. I was actually  supposed to meet a friend and apparently, they blew me off."

That surprised me. He looked like a guy who went out every weekend, at least.

"Is that what you tell all the girls?" I mocked.

He laughed, lightly brushing his hand through his hair. He grabbed the  drinks from the bartender and threw a twenty on the bar. "No, it's the  truth." He smiled. "I saw you earlier standing at the table with your  friends. You were laughing and smiling … you looked so carefree and full  of life. I find that to be a very attractive quality in a woman."

"All right." I lingered, circling my straw in my glass as his words  circled around in my mind. "Well, I haven't been out in months. It's my  friend's bachelorette party, actually."

"Really?" His eyes roamed over my body, admiring the way my dress  squeezed my curves. "You seem like a girl who likes to have fun … often."

"Well, you know what they say about allegations … " I grinned, gripping  the straw between my lips. I leaned in, whispering inches away from his  mouth. "Unfortunate disappointments."

"I'd be willing to bet my right testicle that you would be anything but a  disappointment, sweetheart." His voice stayed deep, firm. His eyes  embedded into mine, letting me know exactly what he was after.

"Well, get ready to lose that bet." I smiled confidently. "I need to get back to my friend before she thinks I ditched her."

"Ahh … the nice blow off … " His eyes held mine, daring me to leave.

"I'm not blowing you off," I insisted. "It's just … it's a girl's night," I explained.

"Oh, girl's night … " He let the words out easily in understanding. "Well,  if you get lonely and decide to make it a fun evening, you'll know  where to find me." He winked, gripping my elbow in his palm. He pulled  me forward and pressed his lips to my cheek. "Enjoy your evening, Mac."  Tingles riveted throughout my entire body-a sensation I hadn't felt in  months. It was uncanny for someone I had just met.         

     



 

"Thanks … you, too," I finally managed to say. I spotted Staci finally and took off with my Vodka Cranberry in my hand.





Alexander Lancaster.

The son of multi-millionaire, William Lancaster. Manhattan's most  influential businessman and voted to win the Tenley Leadership Award ten  years in a row. He didn't use his power for bad, over-the-top things;  rather William was different. He was good. He wanted to be a role model  and continue teaching his employees under him. It's one of the things I  loved most about him. He's entirely selfless.

I finished rubbing the moisturizer all over my body, wondering where  that flashback had come from. I blew him off … so how in the world did I  wake up in his bed the next morning?

I guess the only way to know was to ask Alex.

But would he even tell me the truth? Did I want to know the truth?

I washed my hands off and grabbed my phone to call Staci.

"What's up, girlfriend?" she answered cheerfully, but I knew she'd be freaking out in about two seconds.

"I hate my life," I said flatly. "I'm being punished. Or something. Karma, perhaps."

"Mac … slow down. What's going on?"

"Alex!" I scream-whispered. "Alex-fucking-Lancaster!"

"Wait, who's Alex Lancaster?"

I breathed out, needing to slow my mind down so I could make some sense. "William's son … who just so happens to be … "

"Oh my god!" she screamed as it finally clicked in her head. "One-night stand Alex is Alexander Lancaster?"

I sighed. "Yes … one in the same. And I had to come face-to-face with him tonight at dinner."

"Holy shit," she breathed out. "What did you do?"

"What could I do? I mentally freaked out! I pretended I didn't know him  and sat across from him. To make matters worse, he totally knew he was  making me uncomfortable. I left for the bathroom and he followed me!"

"Jesus … "

"Stace, what am I going to do? He's moving in! Apparently, William wants  him to move back in until he finds a job and is more stable. Do you  know how awkward this is going to be?"

"He has to have his own money to move into his own apartment, right?"  she asked the same question I'd been thinking the entire ride home.

"Well, you'd think, but I also believe it's William's way of  re-connecting with him or whatever. I don't know. William is barely home  enough for us to spend time together, so I'm really not sure what he's  thinking."

"Well, that could be it," she agreed. "I mean, you've been with him for  almost two years, and you're just now meeting his son? I guess they had  some kind of rough patch or something. Before he left for school, he was  always in the papers for getting into trouble. I bet you William sent  him overseas on purpose. And now he's trying to see if he can trust  him."

"Damn, I hadn't thought of that. William rarely talks about it. Anytime I  bring it up, he manages to brush it off or be completely vague."

"Well, now would be a great time to ask!"

"I know, I know!" I started pacing the bathroom, thinking over  everything she'd just said. It made a lot of sense now that we were  talking it out. "That isn't the only problem," I added.

"Okay, what?"

"I keep having these flashbacks and short glimpses of him … of us … it's … " I paused, trying to collect my thoughts.

"Confusing?" she filled it for me.

I sighed, exhaling deeply before answering, "Yes. Very. I feel these  things inside and I just don't understand how, or why, and what I'm  supposed to do with them. I never intended for anything like that to  happen, yet when I get these flashbacks, it's like I didn't feel guilty  at all. Like … it was right."

"Mac, listen to me. I've known you a while now, okay? I know you like  everything in its perfect little place and your schedule all nicely  written out. I even know you organize your underwear drawer by color,"  she said with a laugh. "I also know your lack of experience with men. So  now, you just have to decide … what are you going to do about it? You can  tell William and see if he gives you a second chance, or you can  pretend it didn't happen and ignore everything you feel about that  night."         

     



 

"But how can it be that simple? I don't think Alex is going to make it  that simple. You should've seen the way he looked at me all night."

"I bet it was hot." She laughed lightly and I scowled. "But in all  seriousness, and even though this will sound cliché, do what you feel is  right in your heart. If William is your future, then focus on that."

"That's kind of hard to do when your one-night stand comes to live with  you, Stace!" I whispered sternly. "I'm just going to have to avoid him  as much as I can … it's the only way. Maybe I'll join a book club or do  yoga on the weekends."

"You don't know how to do yoga," she said flatly.

"Well, I'll learn," I spat back. "Or just stay at work really, really late."

"Well, good luck with that," she cracked with amusement in her tone.  "Call me tomorrow," she said just before we said our goodbyes and hung  up.

Staci was my best friend, but we had entirely different lifestyles. We  met when Laura hired her for a temporary design job at the magazine, and  we ended up having lunch together almost every day. Once she was done,  we continued hanging outside of work and she became my first real friend  in years. After awhile, I began to trust and confided in my past. She'd  been the only person who knew before I met William-who still only knew  some parts.

New York was a fresh start for me, but I quickly learned about cliques  and what popularity can do to you. She wasn't from an upper class  upbringing, which was the thing I loved most about her. Most of the  women I met through William were polished, snooty-bitches, and they were  as fake as their nose jobs. Being friends with Staci allowed me to be  me, not the woman engaged to business-extraordinaire, William Lancaster.  I didn't have to plaster on fake smiles during a girl's charity  luncheon or pretend to care about their stupid ‘problems' that were  barely problems at all. I was thankful she was a constant in my  life-something I never had before.

But this … this was something I was going to have to figure out on my own  somehow. I was going to have to do everything in my power to avoid Alex.  I couldn't let him get me alone …