скачать книгу бесплатно
“You can so. Your dress is appropriately adjusted. You’re over the age of eighteen and not married.”
That was the trifecta of scandal potentials and the three he always checked off the list automatically within the first half a second in a woman’s company. After his uncle had lost his Senate nomination over some risqué pictures starring a woman who was not his wife, Phillip had vowed to stay on the straight and narrow.
His career wasn’t just about the election but about making a difference. Changing the world. He refused to allow his star to be snuffed out early for any reason, least of all a woman. His life was privileged, no doubt, but with that privilege came great responsibility.
“This dress doesn’t have magical powers, Phillip. I’m clumsy with words and feet.”
“You don’t seem to realize that you’re a successful executive who cofounded a million-dollar company. You should be out on the dance floor, intimidating the hell out of all the people here because you are Alexandra Meer and you don’t care what they think.”
He held out his hand. There was no way he would let her spend the night in the corner. They were going to honor her spontaneous impulse to attend this party. Of course, that was just an excuse. He couldn’t help but steal a few more minutes of her company.
* * *
Alex hesitated, staring at Phillip’s outstretched hand.
She’d been hiding behind the statue for a reason. Other women must have some kind of special sticky skin that allowed them to wear strapless dresses without falling out of them. Alex didn’t. Dancing would make everyone else aware of it, too.
“Come on,” he pleaded in his deep voice that made her shiver tonight as much as it had the first time she’d heard it. “I can’t leave you back here, and if you don’t dance with me, I’ll be an absentee host at my own party. This is my house. It would seem weird.”
Alex glanced at the very large, very ugly statue she’d taken refuge behind. “You weren’t supposed to see me.”
No one was; that was the point. The statue was a great place to hide but still allowed her to sort of be in the midst of things. Parties always reminded her of why she didn’t attend them. Social niceties were a confusing, complex set of rules that she could never seem to follow. Alex liked rules. But only when they made sense, like in finance. Numbers were the same yesterday and today as they would be tomorrow.
Normally, she followed her own number one rule to the letter—stay out of the spotlight. But she’d developed a fierce attraction to Phillip and, well...parties seemed to be his natural habitat. Thus she had to attend one to see if things might heat up between them outside of Fyra. Because there were sparks between them, but he’d yet to make a move. She wanted to find out if his glacial pace had to do with lack of interest or something else.
Cass had bullied her into a makeover and pried Alex’s credit card out of her fingers to purchase this dress. It all felt very surreal and a little like trying too hard. Alex didn’t have a glamorous bone in her body, but the resulting image in her mirror had turned out pretty good, if she did say so herself.
And here she and Phillip were, flirting and having fun, and he’d just asked her to dance. This dress did have magical powers.
Maybe she could dance with him. Just once. Then she’d slink back to her hiding spot before someone else tried to talk to her. Someone who wasn’t as understanding as Phillip about her permanent foot-in-mouth syndrome.
Slowly, she reached out. It was almost harder to do that than it had been to walk through Phillip’s palatial double front doors, knowing he was on the other side, divinely, devastatingly handsome. Actually, just about everything she’d done in the name of advancing her relationship with Phillip had taken a huge amount of bravery.
Maybe the stars had finally aligned to alleviate the loneliness Alex had been feeling lately—a by-product of both social awkwardness and a firm belief that romance was a myth perpetuated by the retail market. She dated here and there. Not often, for obvious reasons. But she liked companionship as much as the next girl, and Phillip was the first man in a long time that she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Tonight was about seeing where things might go between them.
Except, this hundred-year-old house was overwhelming—with a grand foyer the size of a public library, flanked by two curved staircases reaching toward the second floor. It was a visual reminder of his elite status and that men like him lived a whole different kind of existence, one that was ill-suited for a quiet wallflower like Alex.
But when her flesh connected with Phillip’s, it was a shock to her system. Need lanced through her. Hello. Been a long time since those muscles had a workout, yes sirree.
Their gazes collided and his hot blue eyes spoke to her, saying without words that he wanted her, too. Well, how about that?
She let it sing through her because men never noticed her. Alex had perfected the art of fading into the background, but Phillip had never overlooked her. Her reaction was powerful and visceral.
“Alex,” he murmured and tightened his grip on her hand. “We have to dance now. Otherwise, something very bad might happen.”
“Like what?” she asked curiously. His gaze was on her lips as if he might lean forward at any moment and take her mouth with his.
That sounded very good to her.
Maybe he’d even back her up farther into the corner and do it properly. His hands were smooth and strong, and she’d fantasized about them as they’d sat through long meetings together.
It wasn’t a crime. Just because she didn’t buy into the fantasy about love and romance didn’t mean she had an aversion to sex.
She’d been dreaming of kissing him for weeks, ever since the first time he’d walked into Fyra. The sparks between them had been instant and deliciously hot. And their connection was more than just physical. He was thoughtful, well-spoken, listened to her ideas and had a wicked sense of humor. She genuinely liked him. The insane gorgeousness attached to his personality was just a big, fat bonus.
“Bad, like I might show every last person at this party to the door,” he said. “And focus on no one but you.”
Heat kicked up in her midsection. Oh, yes, to have all that delicious focus on her. He had this way of making her feel like the only person in the room, even when there were a hundred present.
It was an invitation. And a question. Where did she want this evening to lead?
Where did he want this evening to lead?
Were they on the same page about what their association might look like afterward? They were working together, after all. Not everyone could do that and become personally involved. That was where the romantics messed it all up. Relationships were black-and-white and easy to navigate as long as you didn’t let yourself get bogged down in unquantifiable emotions. Her parents’ divorce had been nasty enough to prove that love was one of the worst illusions ever invented.
She should probably feel him out about their future interaction before letting him do bad things to her. Also, he’d thrown this party for a reason, which would not be accomplished by allowing him to throw everyone out. It would be terrible of her to force him to end it early because she was a giant chicken about dancing in public.
More bravery needed, stat. “Let’s dance.”
“This way, Ms. Meer.”
He led her to the dance floor and pulled her into his arms.
The crowd dynamic shifted instantly as people checked out the woman dancing with the senator. Alex’s back heated with the scrutiny. The only friendly faces in the crowd were her boss, Cassandra, and Cass’s fiancé, Gage, who was Phillip’s cousin.
Self-consciousness turned Alex’s feet into lead.
“Right here, Alex.” Phillip tapped his temple and let his hand drift back to her waist. “Keep your eyes on me. Don’t worry about them. They don’t exist.”
Ha. If only that were true. Of course, she’d had her chance to make that a reality when he’d offered to kick everyone out. She had no doubt that if she’d taken him up on his invitation, the crowd would already be in their chauffeured limousines heading for home.
Why hadn’t she taken him up on it, again?
She did as instructed, locking her gaze to his molten-blue eyes. He swirled her around the hardwood floor to the tempo of the classical music piping through his expensive, invisible sound system. The crowd faded away and she became so very aware of his hands on her body, exactly as she’d envisioned them. Well, not exactly. In the majority of her fantasies, they were both naked.
Heat flushed her skin, arrowing straight to her core as he watched her closely.
“See?” he murmured. “Better.”
Yes. This night, this man holding her in his arms. All better. It wasn’t the dress, but Phillip who held the magical powers. She was someone else when she was with him, someone who didn’t have to fade into the woodwork to avoid making a fool of herself. Someone who could be with a man like Phillip and it made sense, even though they were social opposites.
And she very much wanted to take advantage of the magic while it lasted. Maybe she could, just for tonight.
Two (#u88ba6195-cdac-5779-8e99-fb62f93bea29)
Phillip didn’t leave Alex’s side all night.
It was both sweet and intoxicating. She lost all track of time and place, forgetting about the judgmental audience as Phillip had entreated her to do. He was an amazing man who made her feel special. Her starving soul ate up the attention and begged for more.
She could get used to being the center of Phillip’s world. Used to how the focused glint in his blue eyes pulled on strings deep inside. Used to how her heart seemed lighter when he—
A tap on her shoulder startled her. She glanced backward. Cass. Alex had nearly forgotten her friend was at the party.
“Ms. Claremont.” Phillip nodded to Cass without missing a beat. “My apologies for failing to tell you how stunning you look this evening. Gage is a lucky man.”
“Yeah, you’ve been way too busy to notice me,” Cass said, tongue in cheek. “I’ll be sure to let Gage make it up to me later.”
Alex thought about smacking her but that would mean removing her hands from Phillip’s shoulders.
“I need to borrow Alex for a minute,” Cass explained, and Alex nearly sobbed as Phillip’s arms dropped from around her.
Cass dragged Alex to the powder room, nodding and making nice to a couple of Hollywood types who were leaving as they walked up. The glitterati lived in a world she wasn’t a part of and Alex had no idea who the glamorous women were. Cass not only knew them by name, she belonged in a roomful of beautiful people who never said the wrong thing.
Not that Alex was jealous. It was just fact. She loved the CEO of Fyra like a sister. After all, Cass had insisted on Alex taking over the financial joystick of Fyra despite full knowledge of the teenage rebellion that had landed Alex in a courtroom, staring down the barrel of jail time.
That ledger in her head would never balance. She owed Cass for taking a chance on her and she’d gladly bury herself in Fyra’s numbers until the day she died, if necessary.
But that didn’t mean Alex forgave the interruption.
“What was so important?” she muttered as soon as the door to the powder room closed, affording them a measure of privacy. “I was dancing.”
Cass raised her perfectly penciled eyebrows. “Yes, you were. But Gage and I are ready to go.”
“Already?” Alex had caught a ride with them since Gage had insisted there was plenty of room in his chauffeured town car. On the drive over, she’d been contemplating how she would get home when she sneaked out early from the party. She’d been sure attending Phillip’s shindig would go down as the worst idea she’d ever had. Funny how that had turned out.
“It’s midnight.” Cassandra pointed at the ornate wall clock for emphasis. “We have a son who can’t tell time and will be up at 6:00 a.m.”
Dismayed, Alex stared at the clock, willing it to be a few hours earlier. The hands didn’t change position. Why did it have to be midnight? This night should never end because in the morning, she’d go back to being invisible.
“You just hired a nanny,” Alex reminded Cass with a touch of desperate logic. “Can’t she get up with Robbie?”
This was a bizarre conversation. Robbie was Gage Branson’s son from a previous relationship and never would Alex have taken Cass for the type to willingly enter a relationship with a single father. But she and Gage were deliriously happy. It was so optimistic of them to fall in love despite all the complications. Alex hoped they’d defy the odds and have a long, happy life together.
Cass shook her head with a laugh. “I like to get up with him when I can, since Gage and I still live in different cities for the time being. If you want to stay, just say so and catch a cab later.”
That was Cassandra. A problem solver. “I can’t stay.”
Fyra’s newest shade of lipstick appeared from the depths of Cass’s sparkly bag. She slicked it over her lips and puckered before asking, “Why not?”
Because the thought of staying without the safety net of her friend induced a swirly feeling in Alex’s stomach that could easily turn into full-blown panic. This was a party. The place where Alex was the least comfortable.
And while she’d danced with Phillip, she still had no idea how he intended the evening to end. What if she’d misread his signals? It wasn’t like she had a lot of practice.
Then there was the soft gush inside every time he laughed at one of her jokes or did something gallant. Those were things she could never get enough of. The fact that she liked them so much was probably the best reason of all to disentangle herself before things progressed. When a man got that far under her skin so quickly, it could only lead to trouble.
“Phillip and I have no business getting involved,” Alex explained lamely.
“Honey, you and Phillip are already involved.” Cass accompanied the word with exaggerated air quotes, an impressive feat considering she still had the tube of lipstick in her hand. “Whether you like it or not. He is the whole reason you came. You like Phillip and want to see where it goes. Right? Otherwise, why did I spend all that time coaxing you into that dress?”
Alex could hear herself being ridiculous. “I do like Phillip, but—”
“Is this about your mom again? Because, honey, she’s not you. Just because your dad was a weasel doesn’t mean all men are.”
Alex closed her mouth. Yeah, her parents’ divorce had a lot to do with her caution, but Cass never seemed to understand how deeply it had hurt Alex. How it had driven so many of her decisions, then and now. After all, Alex had a juvenile arrest record thanks to a pathetic attempt to get back at her parents for splitting up. Later, after her mom had patiently straightened Alex out, she’d realized things weren’t as black-and-white as she’d assumed. That was why it never paid to get emotional over a relationship. Love was too messy and complicated.
It was much better to fade into the woodwork and focus on the numbers parading across Fyra’s balance sheet.
A wave of sensation sloshed through her stomach. Definitely panic.
“Do you want to stay?” Cass asked point-blank. There was no mistaking what she was really asking.
Staying meant she was giving Phillip the green light. He’d been eyeing her all night like a gentleman, never pushing her, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the senator wanted more than a dance. Alex was being silly even questioning that.
If it had been anyone other than Cass, she’d lie. “I do. But I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” Firmly, Cass took Alex by the shoulders. In heels, she and Cass were almost the same height. “You’re making this too hard. No one is asking you to marry him. This is about right now, that man and what you want. Go after him.”
Alex’s insides settled a bit.
It sounded so simple. Don’t worry about things she couldn’t control and just enjoy the attention of a man she’d been salivating over for weeks. Don’t assume he cared about anything other than sex—better yet, make it hot enough that he lost all interest in anything other than how good they could make each other feel. What would be the harm in a brief fling with a man she had a not-so-secret crush on? The magic didn’t have to end at midnight.
A shiver rocked her shoulders. It had been a long time since she’d had sex that didn’t require batteries, and Phillip would do just fine as reintroduction to the pleasures of a flesh-and-blood man. After all, he was a prime member of the species.
“Tell Gage I said good-night,” Alex said decisively. “I have a senator to seduce.”
* * *
Alex had been gone for five minutes and already a line of people had formed with Important, Pressing Matters to discuss with Phillip. One of those people was his father, whom he hadn’t seen outside of Washington in over a week. Rarely did their paths cross anyway since his dad was a member of the House. They’d been discussing a secret energy project, but frankly, he couldn’t concentrate on anything Congressman Robert Edgewood was saying as Phillip strained for a glimpse of the woman whose company he wasn’t nearly finished enjoying.
That shimmering dress appeared in his peripheral vision. About time. A humming sense of anticipation kicked up, the same sense he’d had all evening as he immersed himself in Alexandra Meer. What had started out as a way to get to know her better had grown into something more. Something with teeth, which had clamped onto him.
He extracted himself from his dad with a very polite “Excuse me.”
He drew up beside Alex, far too close. All of the other guests vanished. He tilted his head toward her ear and the scent of sweet pears made him hungry. Would it be awful if he tasted her?
He resisted. Barely. This woman had been in his arms all night, exactly what he’d needed to quit dwelling on Gina, and now he wanted Alex back against him, even if all they did was more socially approved dancing. He liked being around her, liked the way she made him feel. Of course, he’d be okay with whatever she dictated for the night’s conclusion, but the sharp ache in his midsection reminded him that this woman could ease it, quite well.
“You’re right,” he murmured and eyed a spot he’d like to nuzzle, right along her jaw. “The mayor is a bore.”
“I tried to tell you.” She laughed softly, leaning into his space.
“Come with me,” he said. “I have something I want to show you.”
Suddenly eager to have some privacy, he led her upstairs to a balcony that overlooked the living room. His grandfather had given him the Edgewood ancestral home in Old Preston Hollow as an engagement present with many of the original furnishings intact. An antique love seat hugged the back wall, far enough away from the wrought iron banister to hide them from prying eyes below.
Phillip had never appreciated the decor as much as he did at that moment. Hand to her back, he settled in next to her on the cushion. “You can see the whole bottom floor from here. But they can’t see us.”
