Chapter 10
Ledgar
Her body screams for me to consume her, but she steels it together.
“I need to go check on my friend,” she says, gathering her belongings and walking away.
She walks with composure and grace, her hips swaying deliciously from side to side.
Watching her tonight has become my favorite game, and I never lose.
I’m attracted to her in ways I can’t decipher myself yet, but I know she felt whatever this is between us.
Her body gave her away no matter how hard she tried to fight against it.
She’s good at the game, I admit. But I’m better.
It took everything in me not to drag her to the nearest room the moment she held my stare.
No one has ever dared to look into my eyes.
Let alone held them. Jarrell stops her near the exit, and that’s when I see it.
The way she stands, like she doesn’t have the same last name he does.
Like, she doesn’t deserve to be in the same vicinity as him.
She steels herself the minute he starts speaking, the same way she did with me.
That’s when the ache to know more of her hits me.
“Congratulations, Mr. Hartley,” a voice says, coming up to me, offering me his hand. I’m not sure who he is, but I saw Jarrell speaking with him earlier. Thanking him, he continues on his way, as I make my way over to my brother. He returned moments ago, looking as if someone had betrayed him.
“Want to talk about it?” I ask, casually.
“No,” he replies, firm and flat. Turning to me, before changing his posture completely.
“Do you?”
“No.” He reluctantly huffs a laugh.
“You’re a grown man,” he pauses, tipping his glass toward me. “But if you fuck this up, you will have me to deal with.”
He knows I’m not afraid of him. We both carry a demeanor that makes others think twice before responding to our demands.
That’s how we get what we want. But this time, we’ve met our match with Jarrell Reith.
He wasn’t as easy to break as some. He stood his ground and told us what we were going to do.
I admire that. Hell, I even respect it. That’s why we became friends years ago.
He wasn’t afraid to stand up to me and see me as an equal.
Griffith needed a bit more convincing for this partnership, but over the years, I managed to persuade him to join.
To my surprise, he pushed himself deeper into the deal, demanding more and taking it.
I scan the room again, finding her standing at the edge of the room, talking with Jarrell’s assistant.
She looks as if she is about to break away at any moment.
She wants to leave but hesitates. Something isn’t sitting right about her.
Most are intimidated by my mere presence.
Though when I flirted, she shot it down.
When I moved in closer, she never faltered.
And that’s dangerous. I’m used to getting my way, and something tells me being around her will be anything but easy.
She glances my way, and if I blinked, I would’ve missed it.
The faintest smile on her lips. It almost seems like she liked that she caught me watching her.
That’s the unshakable thought I’m left with as I watch her leave.
She’s not going to be someone I can just fuck and forget. No, she’s the ultimate distraction.