Tess #2
“I don’t know. I might be.” God, he was good. He didn’t even have to talk to be that good. It was in his countenance, in the way his entire body angled toward me. In the way he devoured me with his eyes. “You look... You’re breathtaking, Tessa Turani.”
My own breath shuddered. “Unfortunately, I feel the same about you.”
He laughed, and I was both impressed and irritated that he could see the humor in it. “It is a bit unfortunate, isn’t it?”
“A bit.” I snagged the champagne from his hand and threw back an unrefined gulp.
My lack of elegance did nothing to dim the intensity of his gaze. “You know what I can’t believe?” he asked, taking a step closer, as if we weren’t already standing intimately close.
“What?”
“That I let you leave my office today without knowing the color of your panties.”
“Scott!” Heat rushed up my face.
“You could end the mystery. Slip them off, and give them to me now.”
Now heat rushed between my legs as well. The thought of taking my panties off for him, of him realizing how wet he’d made me, of him keeping them as yet another souvenir…
I took another swallow of the champagne and forced myself to remember that our relationship had to be professional only. “You said the next move was mine,” I reminded him.
“Is this you making a move?”
“No. And you insinuated that you wouldn’t make any more moves unless I did.”
“I did insinuate that.” His expression grew serious. “I’m going to try real hard to mean it too. Can I start tomorrow?”
I turned my head back toward the bathroom so he wouldn’t see my smile.
Tey had made headway in the line and was no longer outside where I could see her anymore.
Though her support for me had been both angel and devil, I felt a sudden surge of panic without her watching over me.
As if the tiny amount of time that she disappeared to pee would be enough for Scott to sweep me into a dark corner and have his filthy way with me.
Was it enough time?
I stopped myself from looking for a dark corner. And wasn’t he with someone? “Tey said there’s no way you can be here alone.”
“Tey? Is that your friend?”
“Yeah.” But all I could think about was how it was just my luck that he could do that sexy one-brow-raised thing that made many women weak in the knees. Many women meaning specifically me.
“She’s right. I’m not here alone,” he admitted, and my stomach dropped. “I’m here with you at the moment.”
“I am not with you.”
He put both hands on his chest in feigned pain. “My heart.”
“Be serious.”
“Okay. My blue balls.”
I was less successful at hiding this grin. But it wasn’t enough to distract me from the question of his unseen companion. My curiosity was stupid, and I said I wasn’t doing stupid anymore, but apparently I still was. “Does your date know that you’re over here flirting with another woman?”
I was so disappointed in myself, I finished off his champagne.
He put his hands in his pockets, both of them, which made him so sexy my knees went weak, and considered. “I don’t think it would surprise her. My mother knows who I am.”
“You’re here with your mother.” It was a bitter relief. Bitter because I hated that it made me relieved at all.
“My father had ‘something come up,’ and she refuses to go to these things alone. Last minute, of course. He called today and ordered that I take his place. Or convinced me that it was in my best interest to accompany her. I try to ignore those threats as much as possible, but the reality is that he has more influence over me than I’d like to admit. ”
Out of the corner, I caught Tey coming out of the bathroom, which was my cue to leave, but I also wanted to keep talking to Scott for the rest of the night. Which was another cue that I should leave.
Before I could even attempt a goodbye, he said, “Never thought I’d be so grateful for Dad’s mistress.”
My full attention was back on him. “Your dad told you to come to the opera with your mother so he could go out with his mistress? He told you that?”
“Not in so many words. But it’s a not very well-kept secret. Even my mother knows.”
“And she doesn’t mind?” I shouldn’t have been surprised that the player gene ran in the family, nor that there were many women who endured a wandering husband, but even with how susceptible I was to a man with charm, I knew I’d never stand by a philanderer.
“I don’t think it bothers her too much as long as she isn’t openly humiliated.” To his credit, Scott sounded mournful about the situation.
I was about to say something about how much it must suck to be put in that position, but a sudden commotion outside the bathroom interrupted the thought. As soon as I glanced over and saw a circle of women around a figure lying on the floor, I knew what had happened.
I shoved the empty champagne flute back toward Scott, then ran over to the crowd. “She’s with me,” I said, pushing my way through. “She’s okay. I got this.”
Teyana was still passed out, but I knew she’d be embarrassed when she came to, so I tried to break up the scene as much as possible before she did.
“Should we call 911?” someone asked.
“No, she’s okay. This happens sometimes.”
Happy to be let off the hook, half the crowd dispersed. The other half took off when the lobby lights flashed, indicating intermission was almost over.
I knelt on the ground and bent over Tey. “Hey, are you awake, honey?”
“Does she need some water?”
I looked over my shoulder to see Scott squatting down behind me. The champagne glass had disappeared, and the expression on his face, while calm, said he was eager to help.
I felt unexplainably grateful that he was there. Even though this had happened dozens of times when I was around. Even though I knew exactly how to handle it when it did. It still was nice to not be alone in it for once.
“I got it.” I dug in her bag and pulled out the contraband water. “She’s always fine once she’s on the ground. It’s standing that’s the worst for her. She should be awake soon.” Sure enough, Teyana opened her eyes.
“Tess? Am I on the floor?” She blinked, trying to push away her daze.
I helped her sit up. “You know you are.”
She took the water bottle from me and sipped it slowly. I could tell she was feeling better when her focus left me, and she narrowed her eyes in on Scott. “Does he really look that much hotter close up, or am I still in a brain fog?”
“I refuse to incriminate myself with a comment.” I could feel him smirking behind me, and I knew I should shoo him away as I’d shooed everyone else. The second act had started, and he was missing it. His mother would likely not be happy about his absence.
Yet I couldn’t get myself to do it.