Page 7 of The Bourbon Bride

“This floor of the building is my apartment. It’s smaller than the other floors because the greenhouse takes up nearly all the space, but it works. I spend most of my time in Atlanta for business, so I don’t need much.”

“What exactly is your business? I heard The Abyss is owned by a subsidiary company that can’t be tracked to its holding corporation.”

Now I’m being nosy, but I can’t stop myself from asking. Daddy sent me to business school so I could take over our family hotel business, the Xenios Group, at some point in the future, so it’s both nature and nurture for me to be curious about how others do business.

“Have you heard of Olympus International?”

My eyes widen. “Of course. They own half of the South and have businesses all over the world. Is that you?”

If it is, he’s far more powerful and influential than I imagined. Olympus is known for swallowing up failing businesses and turning them around with a Midas touch or picking them down to bare bones and selling them off as crushed remnants. They’re business juggernauts, to put it nicely, and rich as sin because of ruthless deals that greatly benefit them.

“Me and my brothers, yes. We took a family endeavor and combined it with other assets into a conglomerate of sorts years ago. It’s been profitable,” he finishes carefully, but I know exactly what he means.

I turn my body and tuck my legs under myself, crumpling my dress terribly, but I don’t care. “I knew there was something that had to have brought you here to Savannah. This building was for sale for years, and real estate development and nightclubs are not usual for Olympus, so there must be something in town you have your eye on. Tell me who’s failing,” I demand.

He looks at me curiously. “Why are you so interested? Will it help you find a proper husband if you know your prospects will have a fortune intact in a few months?”

I smack his knee with the gloves I’m still clutching in my hand. “I’m not marrying anyone in this godforsaken town, and if I were, it wouldn’t be for money.”

I have plenty of my own, but I keep that thought to myself. He tips his head at me in acknowledgment. Now I feel like I have to explain myself.

“I’m just curious. I mean, if my favorite ice cream shop were to suddenly be bought out and changed into something unrecognizable, I might have a problem. That’s probably thinking too small for you, though.” I look at him as I contemplate the possibilities while he gives me nothing but a look to go on.

“Definitely think bigger,” he offers with a hint of a grin, like I’m entertaining him. Glad he’s finally enjoying himself.

“There are a few types of industries in Savannah. Maybe shipping, agriculture, or manufacturing? The Daniels and the Baileys seem to be doing just fine.” I absently name the two families who control much of those industries in the area and wonder if he would consider something in the tourism sector. Maybe the hotels on the way to Tybee Island or a bed and breakfast? There are plenty of national chains that wouldn’t necessarily interest him, but there are a few one-offs here and there that may be worth his time.

“That big brain of yours working away on a puzzle is much sexier than the silly debutante you assume yourself to be,” he murmurs.

I catch his dark gaze when I look up. I can feel it like a caress on my skin, despite the dress I wear. A hot blush spreads up my face until it’s flaming.

“There’s not much about me that’s sexy.” I look away and twist the gloves in my hands.

I’ve made sure of that because of my history with the awful rumors that ruined my high school years. I’ve gone above and beyond to be unassuming and plain to avoid enticing Liliana and her friends to come up with more. I stay off social media because it’s nothing but a cesspool for mean people to bully and demean others. Keeping a low profile— unsexy, for all intents— has become a habit for me. Now I wish I were one of those girls who can take a compliment for what it is, but I trip all over myself to insist they must be wrong because I don’t want the attention. Except, I don’t feel the least bit of the creeps when the attention is from Hayes. I actually like his gaze on me, just like I enjoy knowing he’s thinking about me and even calling me both beautiful and sexy in the same conversation.

“You underestimate yourself, darlin’.” He angles himself toward me, his thick finger warm against my skin as he tips my chin up until I meet his eyes. “Don’t shy away from who you are and what that means. You’re powerful. Embrace it. I think it will suit you far better than this debutante thing you let your mama talk you into.” His thumb softly brushes just below my bottom lip, and I feel it quiver in response to his proximity and touch.

It’s impossible to look away from him when he speaks with an authority that zings down my spine and raises goose bumps on my bare arms. A strange urge to lunge across the sofa and kiss him grips me nearly as tight as the gloves I hold in my white-knuckled fist. There’s no way he would want to kiss me back, though, so I find the tiniest sliver of restraint to keep me planted firmly in place. What’s worse than impulsivity? The abject misery of rejection.

He drops his hand from my chin and rubs it across his face. Seeing him touch his own face after mine sends a shiver of longing through me. There is something so appealing about that thought that I lean toward him like I’m drawn to a magnet.

“I think it’s time I got you back to your ball. If I’m going by her screech in the greenhouse earlier, your mama will murder me if I keep you any longer. Come on.” He takes my hand in his and pulls me to my feet. My heart sinks into my stomach, but I stand with him.

“Please let me stay a little longer, I really don’t want to go back.” Ew. I sound like a petulant child. “I’m so over that crowd and the expectations that come with it.” That’s not quite mature enough to save the refined image I’d like him to see, but it was worth a shot.

Hayes turns and takes both of my hands in his, and I grip his fingers tightly like the lifeline they could be if he lets me stay.

“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like so we can get the outcome we want. Like it or not, your responsibility tonight is to be the center of attention and make important connections with influential people. You never know what opportunities may present themselves if you’re in the right place at the right time.”

“Like meeting you.” My eyelashes flutter of their own accord and I hope he doesn’t think I’m flirting. I probably am, but I couldn’t help myself. He’s just so smooth, and he smells delightful, and he’s in the right place at the right time for me to fall over myself to keep him with me.

“I’m sure I’m the least exciting part of your evening, but you certainly made it more enjoyable for me. Thank you for the pleasure of your company, Miss Fairchild.” His low voice is smooth and satisfying, pacifying my urge to fight the impending exit. He pulls my hands up to his lips and presses a lingering kiss against my knuckles that I feel deep in my body.

Warmth creeps through my belly and works its way lower until my thighs are clenching together at the unfamiliar feeling. I want to rub against him like a cat, cover myself in his manly scent, and mark him with the floral of my perfume so he’ll remember me long after I’ve gone. How am I supposed to leave him speechless and enamored with me when I don’t even know how to flirt properly?

When he releases my hands, I go with my instincts to wrap my arms around his waist and flatten myself against him. I bury my nose against the crisp, white dress shirt covering his hard chest and hope my red lipstick has faded enough to not leave a mark as I breathe in deeply and fortify my spirit. I may never see him again, so I might as well draw this out and get my fill right now.

His arms tentatively circle my bare shoulders and hold me close. A bulge below his belt presses against my lower belly and I inhale sharply. Could he want me? I’m certain at least a part of him does. His fingers slide up my back and thread through the hair at my nape, massaging my scalp until I purr out a contented sigh directly into his chest and feel him grow harder against my belly.

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