Chapter Six
Emerson
“I can’t believe you roped me into this,” Clover muttered, checking over her make-up a final time. The last four times hadn’t been enough. “And Atlas thinks I’m the one with the terrible ideas.”
I shot her a laughing glance. “How is this a bad idea? We’re just modeling some of Ari’s dresses.” Clover tended to have a flare for the dramatics, but it was part of her charm. Though this was hardly my idea of fun so if I was doing it, Clover was doing it.
She deadpanned in my direction. “Because I’ll trip, fall, and be more humiliated than I was that time you dragged me skinny dipping in Miami, and we got busted by the cops.”
My lips curled at the memory. I would never forget the horrified look on Clover’s face as she demanded the police officers close their eyes before attempting to Usain Bolt style it down the sandy strip of South Beach. I’d been far too drunk to offer any form of assistance, but I did do my best cheerleader impression as she made a break for it while one of the officers kindly passed me my clothes.
I sliced my arm through the air, dismissing her. “Oh, please. Everyone skinny dips in Miami.”
“We were the only ones there. ”
“It was an off night.”
“You’ve got to stop believing everything you read on TMZ .”
“You could have said no.”
“No, I couldn’t have, because if I did you would’ve given me those damn puppy eyes that are impossible to resist.”
My bottom lip hid behind my teeth as I stifled a grin. Clover and Arianna were the only ones who fell for that look, Atlas had far too many wits about him. I linked my arm through hers as we neared the door that separated Arianna’s workspace from the storefront. “We’ll walk out together, that way if you fall, you can take me down with you.”
Though I really hoped she didn’t.
That seemed to satiate her, and we edged closer to the door. Clover looked like she just walked straight out of a Disney movie with her golden hair styled in loose waves and wearing a strapless, satin navy dress with a sheath cowl neck, corset bodice, and a draping satin train. I half expected her to lift her palms and swirl ice along the floor like Elsa from Frozen .
I was wearing a black, velvet gown with a sweetheart neckline and a corset that cinched in my waist before falling into a sweep train. Unlike Clover’s dress, my gown had detachable sheer, embellished sleeves that sparkled when the light hit.
The music reverberated off the walls, the floor vibrating with the base. The woman who was before us returned. I side-glanced Clover, offering her a reassuring look before essentially dragging her through the doorway and out onto the makeshift runway.
But it seemed Clover’s worries were contagious because her words suddenly started blaring in my ears like a broken vinyl when we took our first step into the spotlight.
Trip. Fall. Humiliated. Anxiety rippled down my spine, and I could feel my hands clamming as I clung to her.
Damn it, Clover.
Deep breaths.
One step at a time.
Lights were strategically placed above us, creating a shadow over the rows of guests who watched on as we made our way down the track with measured and confident steps. Adrenaline rushed through me, and any contagious nerves of Clover’s subdued. A mix of excited whispers and murmurs of the crowd reached my ears, mingling with Arianna’s playlist playing overhead.
The eyes of the audience followed our every move, their expressions a mix of admiration and curiosity. We reached the end of the runway, pausing for a brief second so the cameras could capture the moment before turning smoothly and re-looping my arm back through Clover’s, heading backstage.
“See?” I nudged her, shuffling out of the way for the next model. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Clover’s face paled a ghostly shade of white. “ I think I might throw up.”
Right.
An hour later, Clover’s skin returned to her normal shade of tan, and we were mingling with the guests. All kinds of people were here—magazine journalists, fashion students, investors, socialites, even Aaron made an appearance. My heart was swollen with pride; Arianna truly had done an amazing job.
“I’m never doing that again,” Clover warned, bringing her glass of champagne to her lips and earning a chuckle from Arianna. “Stick me on cleaning duty or something instead.”
“Why do you think Aaron’s here?” she joked, though I didn’t doubt Aaron really would be getting his hands dirty later. “Maybe that’s what should be on the cover of all those online tabloids.”
“You’re evil,” I laughed, turning my gaze to the raven-haired flirt in the corner distracted by some of the professional models. “And I completely support it.”
“Why, thank you.” Arianna mimicked a curtsy. “My dad invited a few of his business associates tonight, though I can’t see any of them buying a dress.”
I shrugged, taking a sip of my drink. “They have wives.”
“And mistresses,” Clover added.
“I think they’re more interested in the women.” Arianna nodded her head towards the flock of sharply dressed men no younger than their early forties crowding the women.
“I think that one’s more interested in our Emmy,” Clover added, her eyes focused behind me as she was all but drooling. “And damn, what a fine one that is. ”
I turned, my heart stopping as I did. What was he doing here?
My eyes looked up, immediately gazing straight into a pair of hazel-gray eyes. Eyes that stared back at me in a way that had pinpricks stabbing at my skin and the strength in my legs weakening. Of course, he looked gorgeous in his pristine, black Prada-clad suit. He always does. Even with the scar and tattoos, he was always so perfectly put together like he was a Ken doll who’d just been taken out of his packaging. I was half tempted to ruffle his hair, mess it up a little just to see if it would make any difference. It wouldn’t , but the thought was still there.
Orion quirked his brow, and my heart jumped. It wasn’t like a backflip or anything, more like a hop, really, but it was enough to work me into a fluster. Heat seared my cheeks the longer he surveyed me, the longer his eyes slowly cascaded down my body as though they were taking note of every dip and curve before the ghost of a smirk tainted his lips.
My heart thundered against my chest as I wondered how long we’d remain in this staring contest, though I didn’t debate for long because soon he was heading directly my way.
One step. Two steps. Three steps. Here.
I swallowed hard when he towered over me, my gaze lingering a second too long on the top two buttons of his shirt undone, exposing his hard chest partially along with that thick, gold Cuban.
It had me wondering about other things that could be considered thick and hard. Jesus, Emmy, focus.
“You’re here,” I said. Way to state the obvious.
There was the tiniest movement in his lips. “I am,” he replied sardonically. “As are you.”
“I am.” As far as conversations went, this one wouldn’t be winning any prizes any time soon. “Why are you here?”
The words came out sharper than I intended, but Orion seemed to have that effect. He had a way of getting under my skin in more ways than one.
If he took my question as rude, he didn’t show it, or maybe he just didn’t care. I didn’t care . “Thomas Campbell is a client of mine,” he replied coolly. “He invited me, I came.”
“So…”
“So.”
This is going well. “What did you think?”
His eyes flared. “About you or the dresses?”
I swallowed. “The dresses, obviously.” Though…
“They were fine.”
Vague as always.
Then again, I expected as much. Orion was a man cloaked in rumors and shadows, and I think he preferred it that way.
“I didn’t have this pinned as your scene.”
“And what exactly did you have pinned as my scene?” He was taunting me. It was my own fault; I had walked right into the lion’s den with that one.
But I couldn’t help it, being around Orion made my head spin with both desire and irritation. The ability to hold a somewhat normal conversation was rendered lost on me the second I noticed his presence.
But that was Orion.
He had an air around him that crackled with intensity. Every movement was purposeful, fluid, and lethal. It was completely mind-numbing, dizzying even. You couldn’t ignore him if you tried, he demanded every splinter of your attention the moment he walked into a room.
Heat scorched my cheeks. “Bars, strip clubs.” The thought of Orion in a strip club, ogling gorgeous women, made my skin itch and my pulse work overtime. Why? I wasn’t sure, but there wasn’t time to figure that out right now. “Speakeasies, secret computer labs.” That was enough. I can stop now. “Psych wards. Hell.” Fuck. Me. Sideways. Did I just say Hell ?
Orion’s lips pressed together, almost as if he was trying to stifle a laugh. “I see. Well, Hell is only on Tuesdays, so I have the night off.”
I blinked. Orion De Luca was making a joke.
Of course, the guy joked. He wouldn’t be friends with Atlas if he was so broody all the damn time. Atlas was the human version of a puppy. Not that broody didn’t suit Orion. It did. In that ‘ am I considering how to kill you and make it look like an accident or am I holding back from ripping your clothes off and dragging you by your hair to my bed?’ kind of way. But in each of our interactions, I knew it was the former. I seemed to infuriate him as much as he antagonized me.
I opened my mouth to respond, though with what I hadn’t entirely decided yet when a man joined Orion’s side. He looks slightly younger with short, light brown hair, thick brows, and a sharp jawline. Light stubble peppers his chin, and his emerald eyes focus on Orion, who in turn is staring the poor guy down with a death glare. “What is it, Cole?”
Cole . Cute name. “How pissed are you gonna be if I head out?”
Orion sighed. “I’m not your keeper, Cole. Do what you want.”
Cole’s feral eyes were set ablaze with excitement, and he hurried out of sight, a giggling brunette following behind him. “Lost your date?” I teased. Oh God, did he bring a date?
“I’ll live,” he grimaced.
He didn’t bring a date .
“At least now I’ll have more time to play fetch with the stick up my ass.” This time I grimaced, and he chuckled, the act almost making me fall to the floor in shock as his laugh morphed into a grin.
A real grin.
From Orion.
The most mouth-watering, heart-stopping sight I ever had the luxury of seeing. Such a simple thing that had my legs weakening beneath me. Is anything about this man fair?
Suddenly, I’m shoved to the side with force when someone barges past, my feet stumbling beneath me and the mannequin to the far right seemingly awfully close. Orion grabbed my arm and pulled me into him, halting my fall. My blood rushed to my ears as his grip on my wrist tightened—it wasn’t enough to hurt me, but it was enough to let me know he could easily break me if he wanted to, and the thought caused a warm pooling in the pit of my stomach.
Our eyes locked, and I noticed a spark flare to life in those sunburst eyes that had my thighs clenching. I swallowed hard, ignoring the hairs now standing on the back of my neck and electricity whispering up my arm.
“You should be more careful, Tesoro,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He leaned forward, ever so slightly, and it was all I could do to stay put. The air around him crackled with coiled energy, the embers of my resolve fading. “That’s the second time I’ve stopped you from falling , I may not catch you next time.”
There was an innuendo in his words, one that had pink blossoming my cheeks and chest. Heat seared my skin where he held me, and I wasn’t sure whether it was the temperature of the room or the impact of standing this close to him that had me breathless. “I’ll bear that in mind.”
Catching himself, he dropped my arm, cleared his throat and sharpened his gaze. I took a cautious step back, my brain foggy with his proximity, and then he slammed me with a smooth, “Stay out of trouble, Emerson.”
I blinked, still dazed from the feeling of his skin on mine, and watched him spin on his heels to rejoin Arianna’s father, not sparing a second glance my way. My lungs ached from the breath I’d been holding and my poor heart was ready to have an aneurysm.
What just happened?