Page 11 of Beyond Expectations

He interrupted my thoughts, and I snapped back into the present.

“Yeah, I’m here celebrating my best friend’s birthday. She, however, seems to have abandoned us in favor of your brother. What a small world.”

I tried to hide my annoyance at the thought of his brother, but I wasn’t sure if I’d done a decent job of it. I wasn’t an idiot for not thinking there could be a significant chance of bumping into his brother after spotting Julian.

“Well, I hope he buys the birthday lady a drink and acts like a gentleman.”

There was something in the tone and the way he spoke about his brother that made me wonder if he, too, thought he was a jackass. Hmm, the jury was still out on that one.

“So, can I get you a drink?” he offered.

“Sure, I’ll have an Amaretto Cranberry Kiss.”

Out of nowhere, a waiter appeared and took our order.

“Would you like me to bring the drinks here or onto the terrace, Mr. Chambers?” the waiter asked.

Huh? The staff knew his name. He was the epitome of a Manhattan bachelor.

“Would you like to join me on the terrace so we can hear one another, or are you needed back to your table?”

The look in his eyes made it clear which of the two options he’d prefer me to take. My brain was telling me to stay there, knowing it was not a clever idea to spend time alone with the arrogant guy, but my body had other ideas.

“I didn’t know there was a terrace here.”

“Then, why don’t I show you? Shall we?”

He moved aside, and we started crossing the dance floor. With the speakers pumping out a deep, sexy beat, I felt myself moving to it unintentionally.

“But first, would you like to dance?”

Before he let me answer his question, I felt his hands glide smoothly down my dress and rest by my hips.

Despite the warning signs in my head, I let myself move to the music and the feeling of his tall, muscular body against my back. His hips rolled into me as I grind back against him. I was sure I could feel his erection hard against my ass. I hated to admit it, but the guy was hot, could dance, and was turning me on. We weren’t dancing long before he leaned forward and whispered in my ear.

“We need some fresh air, and our drinks should be ready now.”

Then he took my hand and walked us through the crowd of bodies dancing and gyrating with one another around us. He managed to get us to a discreet door opposite our VIP table. The entry was hardly visible, but the large security guy standing before it had made it impossible for anyone who didn’t know of its existence to notice it.

“Your drinks are on the terrace, Mr. Chambers,” the burly man said as he stepped aside and opened the door for us.

Rhett gave his thanks and handed the guy a hundred-dollar bill. Through the door, there was a dimly lit narrow corridor that led to another entrance, which led to a flight of stairs. He turned around and glanced at my feet.

“Will you be all right with these stairs in your heels?”

Ugh, men were clueless sometimes.

“Yes, thank you, I’ll be fine,” I assured him.

Finally, we got to what I hoped would be the final door. He opened it, and as I stepped outside, I was blown away.

Utterly Speechless.

The Terrace felt more like a rooftop haven than the little terrace I had pictured it to be. I could see all the high rises on one side and, on the other, the Hudson. The night was clear with hundreds of stars, and the moon was so bright it looked like a spotlight.

Looking around, I saw the rooftop had been decorated with beautiful exotic flowers and plants that filled the air with sweet scents. In the middle, there was what looked like a cabana you’d find on a beach in the Caribbean.

We made our way over to it, and I sat on the large red sofa that took up most of the space. In front of it was a glass table with my cocktail and what looked like a glass of either whiskey or bourbon, which must be for him. Rhett unbuttoned his royal blue jacket, and underneath, he wore a crisp white shirt that set off his crystal blue eyes and blonde hair. He is so goddamn sexy. Taking a seat next to me, I quickly grabbed my drink and hastily sipped the delicious fruity concoction that I needed to steady my nerves, and moistened my mouth as it felt as dry as the Sahara.

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