Man in Charge

Chapter 10

CHAPTER

TEN

TESS

T eyana peered out over the audience below, a little too close to the railing as far as I was concerned. “Kendra has had these box seats all this time and has never bothered to share?”

She hadn’t bothered to share this time either. I’d come across the season tickets in a stack of old mail that I’d been sorting through and decided it was insane to let tickets to the Met Opera go to waste.

“She hasn’t had them forever. They were a Christmas present from her parents, I think.” I knew, rather, according to the message in the envelope I’d found them in. I just didn’t know if they’d been a brand-new subscription or a renewal.

Tey gave me one of her and-your-point-is glares. “It’s September. How many times do you think she’s used them in the past nine months?”

Best-guess estimate? None. “Good point.”

I didn’t know why I was trying to defend Kendra, anyway. Habit, maybe. Loyalty. But that loyalty was beginning to wane. I was more loyal to Tey, and I could understand her frustration at such an extravagant gift being left unused. Especially one related to the performing arts, something that Tey lived for, despite, as she claimed, not having a creative bone in her body. Her previous full-time job had been managing a program that brought various art forms to inner-city kids. The organization had existed before she came on board, but she’d truly shaped it with her innovation and passion.

Then she got sick.

She still worked for them now, mostly as a consultant and on a very part-time, self-directed basis so she could shift her schedule around when she was having a bad day.

I studied her now as she continued to stare in awe around the theater. Her excitement was evident in her smile, but her eyes looked tired. Just getting from the subway to Lincoln Center when the temperature was above ninety was enough to wear her out on a good day, and I hadn’t yet been able to ascertain whether today was one of those good days. She’d likely hide the truth considering how badly she wanted to be here.

“Are you sure you feel up to this?” I asked, hoping the gentle reminder about her health wouldn’t piss her off too much.

“Do I feel up to sitting in an air-conditioned theater for three hours? Yes, Tess. I think I can manage. You know I wouldn’t miss this performance for the world.” She turned away from the railing, leaned her cane against the wall, and sat in the red-upholstered chair at my side. “Besides. I need to hear more about this kiss.”

I shook my head with a laugh. Just thinking about the moment with Scott in his office earlier had my pulse picking up. “I’ve already told you everything. What more could I possibly tell you?”

“He was pressed up against you, right?”

“Yes…” There was some innuendo I was missing.

“Then you need to be telling me details about what the guy is packing. Specifically, length and girth.”

“Teyana, oh my God!” I gestured to the box next to us where I’d spotted a handful of old ladies as we’d come in. There were walls between our seats and theirs, but since I could clearly hear their discussion about “Esther’s grandson’s first term at West Point,” it was likely they could also clearly hear us.

“They probably want to know too. They’re just not brave enough to ask.”

I rolled my eyes. But I went ahead and answered her question—with a lowered voice, of course—because I was as eager to talk about Scott as she was to hear about him. “It felt...significant,” I said.

She laughed. “ Significant .”

“But I really can’t make a proper assessment considering I only got to feel it against my belly and not with my hands.” The improper assessment I’d made, however, was that Scott Sebastian had much to be proud of.

Tey looked disappointed that I didn’t have more intel. “From how heated it sounds like things got, I’m honestly surprised you didn’t take the opportunity to explore.”

“Hey. You said I absolutely couldn’t fool around with him, remember? Now you seem to be encouraging it.”

“I said that because it’s the smart course of action. It doesn’t mean I don’t want all the details when you do stupid.” She uncapped the water bottle that she’d smuggled in via her oversize bag and took a swig. Staying hydrated was key to managing her symptoms, and I was glad she was taking care of herself.

“You’ll always be the first one I tell,” I promised. “But there won’t be any more stupid. Kissing him was a mistake, and I’m resolved not to let it happen again.”

“Mmhmm.” She seemed to have as much faith in my commitment as I did, which didn’t bode well for my future working relationship with SIC.

As it was, I already couldn’t stop thinking about him. Memories of his mouth against mine, of the way his touch had lit up my skin ran in the background the entire afternoon. When I’d chosen the blush slip dress from Kendra’s closet, I’d pretended I was choosing it for him. When I’d done my hair up in a messy bun, I’d daydreamed it was so his lips could easily get to my neck. I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. Even sitting there waiting for the opera to start, I could swear I saw him in the box across from us.

Wait a minute...

“Teyana, that’s him,” I whispered, even though he was too far away to hear me. “That’s Scott Sebastian.”

He was standing and alone, perhaps waiting for someone to join him, and oh my God, was that really him? I squinted to bring him more into focus. It was definitely him, looking hotter than ever in a tux tailored so well he looked sewn in.

Tey sat up, alert. “Where? Over there?” She followed the nod of my head. I was grateful she didn’t point, but then she did something even more embarrassing. She took out her opera glasses and directed them toward him. “Oh, he’s as fine as you said he was.”

“Tey, stop!” I hurriedly pushed her hand and the glasses down, but it was too late. He’d seen me. His mouth curved into a smirk, and he lifted his palm up to wave.

Instinctually, I waved in return.

Then the lights went down, and the opera’s overture began.

Knowing Scott was there changed my entire night. I couldn’t concentrate on the performance in the slightest. I felt jittery and restless, and for the life of me I couldn’t get comfortable in my chair. I refused to look at him, though I could feel his presence like I was a magnet, and he was true north. I would not give him my attention. I. Would. Not.

Somehow I made it to intermission.

“I need to pee,” Tey said, grabbing for her cane.

“And I need a drink. Let’s hurry and see if we can beat the lines.” Mostly I just wanted to be away from the temptation to glance over at the man who I was beginning to think would be the death of me.

Rush as we did, there was still a long line outside the ladies’ restroom when we got there. “Figures,” Tey said with a curse. “You don’t have to wait with me.”

“No, we’re staying together.” It was the only way I could assure myself that I wouldn’t go out seeking the very man I needed to avoid.

Turned out, standing in line for the bathroom was not a very good place to hide.

“Your man has found us.” She nodded with her chin toward the lobby behind us. “Seriously, Tess. He is divine. I can barely look at him, he’s so spectacular.”

The pull was stronger now, that tug, tug, tug for my attention. Still, I didn’t turn around. “Then don’t look at him. And he is not my man.”

The line moved forward. I took a step sideways so I wouldn’t happen to see him in my periphery. I knew if I caught sight of him at all, I’d be a goner. As long as I kept my eyes away, I pretended I had a chance of keeping myself together.

Tey laughed. “Oh my, you have it bad.”

“Shut up.”

“He can’t be here alone, you know. No one goes to the opera alone. Definitely not men like him.”

I hated that I’d already been thinking that. “Which is why I’m not giving him the time of day. And you shouldn’t either.”

“Okay, but he’s staring you down like you’re a fish he’s not gonna throw back. You should go talk to him before he prowls over here.” She added the magic words she knew I could never deny. “For me?”

I groaned. Cautiously, I turned so I could take a peek. As soon as my eyes landed on Scott, they were caught. He stood out like an island in a sea of well-dressed men, a champagne flute in his hand. Sexy, refined, and captivating. I could barely move the air through my lungs.

He raised his glass, his grin triumphant, as though he’d won some game I hadn’t been aware we’d been playing, except of course I knew what game we were playing, and of course he won because I always lost the stay-away-from-the-hot-guy game.

“Will you be okay?” I asked my friend, my attention still latched on the blue eyes a handful of yards away.

“Yes. Now stop worrying about me, and get over there.”

I’d known the second I spotted him tonight that going to him would eventually be inevitable. Still, I pretended it had been my choice when I left Teyana and crossed toward him. He watched me take every step, as though I were the only woman in the room. As though he wasn’t here for anyone but me.

“I never met you before that party on the roof,” he said when I was next to him, “and now you’re everywhere.”

Since I’d infiltrated his world purposefully, I automatically felt the need to defend myself. “We got the tickets from a friend.”

“From Kendra, right? That’s the Montgomerys’ box.”

“Oh. Yes. I forgot you know her.” Actively trying to forget, anyway. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. Coincidence. Swear to God.”

“I wasn’t complaining.”

The rawness in his tone made my thighs buzz. “Oh.”

“Some people say coincidences are meaningful. That it’s the universe trying to tell you something.”

Serendipity, right. It was pure poetry, the language of the best players, and every single time it made my stomach flutter.

It’s all smooth talk, I reminded myself. “You’re not one of those people who believes that.”

“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.

I concentrated on reprimanding Tey instead. “Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling POTSie?” It was a term she used for when she was having a bad day, made up from the acronym that described her condition. She rarely fainted out of nowhere. There were usually signs leading up to it, and she’d apparently ignored them.

Tey gave me her guilty look. “Because you would have made me go home.”

“I’m making you go home now.”

“I know.”

“And we’re splurging for a cab.” I hooked my hand under her shoulder to help her stand up. Instantly, Scott was on her other side, helping as well.

“Scott,” he said in introduction. “And you’re Tey?”

“Teyana, and I know who you are.”

I felt my cheeks burn. He did not need to know that I’d been talking about him. He was already too aware of his effect on me.

He was nice enough not to gloat. “Let me have my driver take you,” he offered when we were standing upright.

Instinct told me that the offer was too much, that I shouldn’t accept. We’d be fine in a cab.

But with Tey not feeling well, and no idea how long it would take to hail a taxi, refusing didn’t seem like an option. “Fine,” I grumbled. Then, more gratefully, “Thank you.”

While Scott texted for his car, I retrieved Teyana’s cane for her. I didn’t let her use it walking outside, though. I made her take both my arm and Scott’s. If he was going to help, he might as well really help.

By the time we made it from the theater to the road, the car was already pulling up. We’d never have been able to get a cab that fast.

Also, it appeared that Scott hadn’t been joking about his other car being a Maybach. In a lot of ways, it was more impressive than the limo.

“Holy fuck, this is a car,” Tey said as she slid across the backseat. I started to get in beside her when she stopped me. “You can’t just leave without a proper goodbye,” she whisper-hissed.

I paused, debating. The car had emergency lights blinking; no one had honked yet. We probably had a minute. “Fine,” I mouthed back.

“Take your time.” She winked.

I turned back to him, letting the door loosely shut behind me. Now that I was looking at him again, I didn’t know what I should say. Thank you , obviously. Maybe, you didn’t have to do this. Kiss me , were the words that seemed to be at the tip of my tongue.

Thankfully, he spoke before I did. “What address should I give the driver?”

Oh, yes. Practicalities.

And now I had to think about this answer. “Uh…”

He gave me that drop-dead sexy eyebrow raise. “Is this a hard question?”

I’d wanted to keep him from knowing who I was before, which meant keeping him from knowing where I lived or where I was staying. Now that he knew I worked for Conscience Connect and the fact that I was sure he’d find out my whole scheme eventually, it seemed less important.

“I’m staying at my boss’s,” I admitted. “Tey should probably stay the night with me.”

“At Kendra’s?”

“House-sitting. It’s part of the job.”

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Quite the loyal employee. How close are the two of you?”

I shot back with a suspicious look of my own. “How close are the two of you ?”

His eye twinkled with the light of a passing car. A beat passed before he answered. “Has she ever mentioned me?”

“Very tangentially.” When she’d said the Sebastians were family friends.

“There you go,” he said, as if that told me everything.

And maybe it did as far as he was concerned. An employee loyal enough to both run the business pitches and house-sit would surely be an employee who knew the men in her boss’s life.

Of course, that wasn’t the real situation, but if he thought it was, it probably meant he really hadn’t been more than a blip on Kendra’s long list of lovers.

I wished that confirmation made me feel better than it did. I would have preferred to discover that he hadn’t been on that list at all.

“Well, then,” I said, having nothing else to say. Then our eyes locked, and all the earlier restlessness returned. I remembered his lips on me. I remembered the hard shape of his cock pressed against my stomach.

His expression said he was thinking dirty things too. He stepped in closer. “I could come with you.”

Could he? “You’re here with your mother,” I reminded him.

“I could come by later.”

The fantasy played out in my head. Tey wouldn’t mind if I snuck out. Or if he snuck in. She could have Kendra’s bedroom, and we could…

I couldn’t be stupid. “I can’t.” They were the hardest words I’d ever said. “ We can’t.”

“But you want to.”

“But I won’t.”

He let another beat pass. It was hard to think he was wrestling with his desire. I couldn’t imagine that he was the kind of guy who ever resisted something that he really wanted.

As though to confirm it, he leaned in, and I was sure he was going to kiss me. Instead, he just opened the door again to help me in. “Just give Rodolpho the address. He’ll get you there okay.”

Not being kissed left a disappointing ache between my ribs. I wanted to linger. A car honked behind the Maybach.

“Good night, Scott Sebastian,” I said reluctantly.

“Good night, Tessa Turani.”

I climbed in the car and gave the address to Rodolpho. When the car pulled into traffic, I wondered if Scott watched us drive away. I didn’t turn around to look.