I took note of the glare that Garrett gave him.
“Do you mind if I steal him away for a moment?” Garrett asked.
“No. Go right ahead. I’m just going to mix and mingle for a bit.” I smiled as I got up from the barstool and walked away.
****
Jack
“What the hell, Garrett?” I asked in irritation.
“We have a problem, Jack.”
“What is it?”
“Lindsey, Bradley’s secretary, told me that he has been embezzling money from the company. She found some documents he left on his desk. When she tried to ask him about it, she said he became nervous. So I started to do some digging. Sutton Magazine is in real trouble. Bills haven’t been paid in months and creditors are threatening to sue.”
“Does my mother know about this?”
“No. I came to you first. He’s already embezzled over eight million dollars. Do you know what will happen if this gets out to the press?”
“Where the fuck is he?” I asked in anger.
“That’s the problem. Nobody knows. Lindsey said he hasn’t been in the past couple of days and he hasn’t called. When she tried to reach him, his cellphone was disconnected.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Get in touch with our private investigator and call Finn, Muir, & Abernathy. We’re going to need a lawyer to calm these creditors down. Don’t mention any more of this tonight. I don’t want to ruin Coco’s birthday. We’ll discuss this Monday morning when we’re all back in the office.”
“Will do. I’ll go make a few phone calls now.”
An anger started to roar throughout my body like a wild beast. I flagged down the bartender and ordered a double scotch. As soon as he set it down, I threw it back as fast as I could.
“Everything okay?” Lorelei asked as she walked up to me.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes, I am. It’s a great party.”
Feeling the way I was, I couldn’t stand not touching her. It became an obsession and not only did I desperately want her, I needed her. I grabbed her hand without saying a word and led her to a private room down a hallway.
“Where are we going?” she asked as I pulled her behind me.
“You’ll see.”
I opened the door and we stepped inside.
“Why are we in here?” she asked nervously.
“I just needed to get away from everyone for a while. I thought maybe we could talk in here in private.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know. Whatever you want to.” I sighed as I paced around the room. “Listen, Lorelei, I’m going to be completely honest with you. I hate games and I don’t play them. I am extremely attracted to you and you have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.”
“Oh,” she said.
“Oh? Is that all you’re going to say?”
Chapter Sixteen
Lorelei
As I stood there nervously, I didn’t know what to think. Okay, I lied. I was beyond happy that Jack was interested in me. I was attracted to him just as much as he was attracted to me. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, it was a losing battle. Every day I saw him, the attraction grew stronger. I kept hearing my mother’s voice inside my head. “Tonight, you’re not a mother. Go be that young girl who always liked to have a good time.”
I walked over to where he was standing. His eyes were pleading and had a look of distress. It was a look I hadn’t seen since I’d met him. Courage found its way to me as I wrapped my arms around his neck and softly brushed my lips against his, a move that would ultimately lead to a bad ending.
He placed his hand on my cheek as our eyes locked intently on each other. Tilting his head and lowering it, his lips gently met mine. He was unsure. I could tell. But I started it and he was going to damn well finish it. Our soft and gentle kiss turned into a passionate one before too long. His hand wrapped around the nape of my neck as he pulled me closer. His lips were soft and warm, the type that sent the most exhilarating sensation between my legs. It was done. The line had been crossed and there was no going back.
****
Jack
Kissing her was everything I dreamed it would be. The way our lips moved together in sync and the way our tongues tangled against each other overwhelmed me. I’d kissed a million women in my lifetime, but kissing Lorelei was different. My cock immediately rose to the occasion without hesitation. I needed to be inside her. I needed to feel her naked body against mine. I was willing to forsake everything for this one night. One night with her was all I needed. But not yet. Not now. Not here.
I broke our kiss and placed my palm on her cheek. With a smile, I spoke, “We better get back out there before someone notices we’re missing.”#p#分页标题#e#