Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ORION
My eyes followed her every move. I lost my breath at how beautiful she looked in the red dress. It elongated her body, enhanced the dips and curves in all the right places, making me wonder what mesmerizing landscape lay beneath the dress. I’d never been this enthralled by any woman. For a moment it felt like it was just me and her in the room.
Was this the date she was talking about? I scanned the room for any man that resembled an Octavius Rollins. It was hard to tell who the guy was because most men had their eyes trained on her.
“She looks beautiful in that dress,” Sabrina whispered to Chantel.
“It’s the dress.” Chantel retorted. “The color and cut would make anyone stand out. I should get it for myself.”
“You should!” Sabrina cheered. “You’d look fabulous in it.”
“Elena is beautiful.” I said, realizing these women must know each other.
Chantel whipped her attention to me. “If I were you, I’d stay away from her. She’s not your type.”
“She’s trouble with a capital T,” Sabrina added.
I didn’t disagree with that comment because Elena had been nothing but trouble for my mind and body. Was there more than just jealousy between these women?
“You don’t know my type,” I replied.
“You’re a man with wealth.” Chantel gestured with her hand, and the diamond bracelet glistened from the chandelier above us. “So it makes sense for you to align yourself with wealthy women.” She sipped her champagne and placed it down on the table. “Elena isn’t that kind of woman.”
What Chantel didn’t know was that I defined wealth differently than her. I preferred those who didn’t walk in my circle. These people showed me a different perspective in life. Too much glitz and glamor blurred the truth. I had to step away, otherwise I might not see myself anymore.
“A bank account doesn’t determine someone’s worth,” I said.
Chantel chewed on her bottom lip, probably weighing my words. “You’re absolutely right. I like how you look at things.” She smiled.
“I think Elena looks gorgeous too,” Ralph said. “And so does the audience. That dress already has a bid of five hundred thousand.”
“What?” Sabrina huffed and glanced at the tablet.
I didn’t like the way Sam looked at Elena. He said something to her, and her uncomfortable expression told me she wanted to be nowhere near him. How did they know each other?
I didn’t like where this was going. Unease settled in me. Did she know what he did to those girls? Sam reached for her, but she shifted away.
That’s my girl.
The fucker had better keep his hands to himself, otherwise I’d have to break his limbs. All the self-defense lessons from my past had been ingrained in me. Right now, my hands itched to use them.
Chantel said something to me, but I didn’t hear her. My attention focused on Elena and the intense conversation she was having with Sam. What were they talking about? She looked angry when she left his table.
He kept his gaze on her even after she wandered off. I came here tonight to see who his acquaintances were, but his connection to Elena intrigued me more. Sam Donatello wasn’t a good man, and I had to make sure he stayed away from her.
Elena turned to an older woman who admired her dress. Though Elena smiled, the unease—or was it fear—splashed on her face. My fingers curled into a fist. What did Sam say to her?
What was wrong with me? The calm and collected mask I often wore disappeared, replaced by this overwhelming need to protect her. This desire to be with her and make the world know that she was mine coursed through me. Anyone who dared touch her would pay dearly.
I’d never felt this inexplicable surge of protectiveness and possessiveness before. Who was I? Where was Orion?
“Here she comes,” Sabrina whispered to Chantel. “You’ll look better in that dress. You should get it. By the way, is she returning to work after her vacation? Is it even a vacation? Did you say it’s an excuse for her to distance herself from the issues at work?”
“If I were her, I would give my notice and move on. But who knows?” Chantel lifted her shoulder. “She thinks differently. But I don’t think she’ll return, especially not after what she’s been accused of.”
What was Elena accused of? A wave of protectiveness billowed in me. “You know Elena?”
Chantel turned and placed a gentle hand on my arm. “She’s not your type, Orion.”
“You need someone more stylish and with connections.” Sabrina smiled at Chantel.
“I have eclectic tastes.” My eyes met Elena’s as she approached.
I took in her perfect face, the updo that revealed her elegant neck, the low neckline that enticed me, and the lovely figure that had men from other tables fixated on her.
Jealousy spiked in me. “Hello, Elena.”
“Hi.” Her eyes disconnected from mine and traveled to the hand on my arm.
Something flashed in her eyes, and the event in the Cosmic Lounge sprang to mind. I nudged Chantel’s hand off my arm by shifting toward Elena.
She looked at Chantel, Sabrina, and finally at Ralph, where her expression softened. She walked over to him. “It’s good seeing you at this event.”
“Likewise. You should buy the dress for yourself. It’s perfect for you.”
She blushed, looking more attractive than I’d ever seen her. The genuine smile and the gleam in her eyes brought the dress to life.
More models in pretty dresses walked by, but my attention was glued to her. Though I loved Ralph like he was family, jealousy still stung me. I envied the ease they shared.
I wanted that with her.
But you ruined it when you pushed her away.
“So this is your part-time job?” Chantel asked Elena.
“I can’t say no to charity,” Elena said. “Maybe you should buy a few pieces to support this cause.”
“I should.” She smiled. “I can afford it.”
Elena looked away from Chantel, but not before she rolled her eyes, a gesture I loved seeing on her.
The men from a nearby table eyed Elena, waiting for her to come over to their table. Possessiveness overcame me, and I pulled her onto my lap.
People from the nearby tables gasped.
“What are you doing?” she yelped.
I loved the way her ass pressed into my thigh, fitting perfectly on my lap. People stared at us, even Ralph. Chantel and Sabrina exchanged glances.
I slipped an arm around Elena’s waist. “Testing to see how stretchy this dress is before I place a bid on it.” With my other hand, I brushed the silky fabric on her thigh. Then I leaned into her ear. “I want you to remember this moment and think of me before going to bed.” I inhaled her scent. “You smell nice.”
Embarrassment flickered on her face.
Then she pushed herself off my lap and whirled around to face me. God, she was so beautiful, even when she was pissed.
“The dress has plenty of movement.” She scoffed, yanking gently at the dress. “Whoever you buy this for would be very comfortable in it.” Then she stalked over to another table, dismissing me.
Satisfied that the entire room knew she was mine, I sat back against the chair and watched her exchange conversation with an older woman at a table full of women. She twirled and posed for them.
Ralph leaned into me. “What was that all about?”
I flicked him a gaze, and disapproval splashed onto his face. His reaction surprised me more than I expected. Ralph had never reacted this way with any woman I’d been with. But then again, he never cared for them either. How had Elena won him over?
“I’m bidding on the dress,” I said.
“Who are you buying it for?” Chantel pursed her lips.
“Can’t I buy it just because it’s a beautiful dress? I’m a collector of beautiful things.”
Ralph snorted, grabbed a fork, and ate his entrée, which the waitress had just placed in front of him.
“You have a lot of luxury apparel at your home?” Chantel arched an inquisitive eyebrow.
“You must have a beautiful collection of things,” Sabrina commented, not knowing how accurate she was.
“I’m very proud of my collection.”
“Is your collection open for visitors?” Chantel asked.
I submitted my bid and placed the tablet on the table. “Sorry, it’s private.”
What the fuck got into me tonight?
I looked over at Sam, and our eyes connected.
Stay away from her. She’s mine.
Seeing Elena with another man had unhinged me. I was unmoored from everything. At that moment an epiphany struck, and I knew exactly what I had to do. Consequences didn’t matter.
The only thing that mattered was Elena. I wanted her.
I oversaw several businesses in finance, communication, technology, and in the science arenas, but failed at relationships. Anxiety had crippled me, but Elena was the cure.
When the auction ended, Ralph went to retrieve the gown while I walked around the room, trying to scan the faces near Sam. I recognized a judge with silver hair. He was probably the one who had approved Sam’s bail. Did the city send the police to examine his fucking house? What exactly had they done?
The judge walked off with the young girl, and Sam strode over to a group of people in the lounge.
I texted Ralph to follow the judge in case something inappropriate occurred. Ralph would know what to do.
More people filled the room as I searched for Elena. Then Sam yanked her arm from the crowd and dragged her into the corner. She had changed back into the dress she’d worn to the office this morning.
Fear splashed on her face, and rage boiled in me. Someone called my name, but I didn’t hear him or her. With fury coursing through me, I stalked over to Elena.
“Let me go!” She sneered at him, trying to get away from him.
“You do as I say or?—”
“Let. Her. Go.” My words fell like heavy boulders.
“Who the fuck are you?” Sam glared at me.
“Her boyfriend.” I seethed. “Touch her again and you’ll die a painful death.”
He released her and she rushed over to me.
“Are you okay?” I studied her, and she nodded.
My fist itched to pound his face, to break his arms and legs, but there was a bigger fish to lure out. A dead body was useless to me. Who was watching us? I had to consider all the options and play it safe. Playing the part of a jealous man would suffice in this situation. Though I wasn’t pretending at all.
Rage coiled in me, but I contained it.
I wrapped an arm around Elena’s waist, pulling her to my side. “It’s best that you keep your hands away from my woman. Understand me?”
A muscle twitched in his face as he looked at Elena. “You should’ve said you were dating someone.”
She slipped her arm around me and placed her head on my shoulder, playing along. “You never gave me the chance. When a woman says no, listen to her if she has a man or not.” She rose to her toes and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.
“Apologize,” I told him. “A decent man would apologize to a woman he inadvertently disrespected.”
He hesitated, but people were now staring at us.
“It’s in your best interest. We’re all here to support charity. That should be our only mission, correct?”
He flared his nostrils and faced Elena. “Sorry for any disrespect I may have shown you. It wasn’t my intention.”
Then he stalked off. Sam was probably fuming from the humiliation. A callous man like him would retaliate somehow.
Taking Elena home was all I wanted to focus on tonight.
I sent Ralph a text saying I’d catch up with him later. He replied okay and told me the judge’s wife arrived to find him kissing the girl. Ralph said he made an anonymous call to the wife. He also called in a different news station so they could get the scoop rather than alerting Chantel.
I gripped her hand in mine, leading her out to the car. Though she tried to appear calm, I sensed the nerves in her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked once she settled into my car.
“Yeah. Thanks for helping me.”
“I have a lot of questions for you.”
“I know.” She sighed.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not tonight.” She looked exhausted.
“Okay. I’ll take you home. But I’d like to know what you and Sam Donatello discussed.”
“Why?”
“He’s not a good man, and I didn’t like the way he made you scowl.”
A small smile appeared on her face, making me feel better already.
Her phone rang, and she dug into her purse. “Hi, Elliot. I’m okay. What do you mean?” She paused, listened, and then smiled. “Orion was just trying to protect me. I can’t believe people are already starting rumors about us.” She shifted in her seat. “The guy was an asshole. You were busy. I know you would’ve helped. Don’t worry about it, you goof. I’m fine. Really. Orion’s taking me home. You are?”
I’d be lying if I said I weren’t jealous of her close relationship with Elliot. I didn’t care if he was gay. He was a man, and all men were my enemies now.
Fuck. What was going on with me? At this rate I’d be jealous if I saw her sitting next to a tree. This was getting out of control.
I grunted at this change in me.
Her free hand was on the seat, and I clasped it in mine while I drove to her house. If she didn’t want me to take her hand, she would have yanked it away. Her hand relaxed in mine, followed by her body as she leaned into the seat while speaking to Elliot.
Elliot said something to her, and she smiled. “It’s exciting news! I’m so happy for you. Have fun in Milan, and don’t forget to come back.” She laughed and ended the call.
“How did you meet Elliot?” I squeezed her hand.
She glanced at our joined hands and examined them for a moment. “We grew up together. I met him in elementary school. Being minorities, we stood out and were often picked on. So we became friends.”
As I turned down the residential street, I tried to put myself in her situation. It must’ve been hard for her, trying to fit in with her Latina background. I wished I could’ve been there with her. But I had my own issues growing up. If I had been in the same school as Elena, would I have noticed her? Would we have been friends?
“I bet your life was smooth sailing. Private school all the way? Were there any minority students in your class?”
“Yes, I went to a private school, but there were international kids there. I wouldn’t call it smooth sailing.”
“No? Wanna tell me about it?”
My mother used to say the people we met were like angels placed on our path to help us grow. Some remained with us, while others disappeared because their purpose had been accomplished.
I met Elena’s curious brown eyes. I was at a fork in the road, and she appeared, luring me down this interesting path with an unknown destination.
“How about we exchange curiosities?” I asked. “You tell me what Sam told you, and I’ll share my school years with you.”
She considered my offer, biting her bottom lip. “Is everything a business negotiation with you?”
“If it were a business negotiation, I would have won already. This is just me offering a safe space for two people who are curious about each other to talk.”
She smirked. “You’re good at twisting words around.”
I laughed. “You’re reading too much into it. But I guess that’s something journalists do. Maybe you’re right. I’d twist whatever I had to find out everything about you.” I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed it.
She sucked in a breath. “You’re so confusing.”
“So help me unconfuse myself.”
“That’s not an actual word.”
“It’s real in my head. As long as you understand me, who cares if it’s in the dictionary?”
I pulled into her driveway, parked, and turned off the engine. Today had been a mish-mash of stuff. But somehow everything fell into place as I sat here with her. Despite all that had occurred this morning, starting with us making out in the Cosmic Lounge, to making sure people knew she was mine at the auction, to me wanting to rip Sam to shreds for terrifying her, to finally holding her hand.
She yanked at my hand. “Okay, I’ll unconfuse you.”
I smiled. “Let’s go inside so you can tell me about Sam.”