Page 26 of Dangerously Yours

I was truly worried about my ex-husband because after my attorney was able to get alimony from him, he had become even more verbally abusive than he had been in the past. Cade was the type who would destroy the mother of his children, and not even bat an eye when doing so. He had warned me of what would happen if I went through with this divorce, and so far he had been right. I was truly worried about losing the Carter account, but Estelle liked me a lot, so she kept me on. Misty Carrigan had not been the same. She had called me the day after the blog posted, and fired me before I could even get started on her upcoming party.

“We can’t have our daughter’s sweet sixteenth party planned by a woman with questionable virtue,”she had told me.

“Questionable virtue? That blog was wrong about things. I—”I had tried to explain, but it had fallen on deaf ears.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. We’re going in another direction. We will pay the consultation fee, but that is it.”

His slander had cost me a job I had been very excited about doing. While my previous works had been mainly centered around Titans, retirements, and charitable causes, this was my chance to show my range. It was also for their daughter who was friends with Amanda. After I was fired, even my daughter was uninvited to the event.

“But why, Mom. How could they do this to me?”She had asked me after receiving a message from her friend.“They said it was all your fault.”

Of course, they did. I wanted to tell her that it was her father’s doing, but I would take the high road unlike him. His children loved him, and I would let him show his true colors to them because he would eventually do it himself sometime soon. It wasn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ and all I could do was prepare myself to comfort them afterward.

“I don’t know why they let me go, but I suppose they thought it might be awkward to have you there after that. I’m so sorry, baby.”

“If they don’t want you there, that’s their loss. I’m glad I’m not going after all.”

She had put on a brave face, and I started seeing so much of myself in her. She hadn’t brought it up since, nor did she hold it against me. Jobs after also seemed to dry up, and it was all Cade’s doing. It was another reason why tonight was so important to me. If I could show my professionalism, others might be willing to overlook the gossip rags.

I smoothed down my long hair, then grabbed my things. On the way out of the penthouse, I looked ahead at the city that once offered me so much promise. It was so familiar, yet suffocating as well. If I had lived in Asheville, things would be so much different. There would be far less skyscrapers and pollution, and more fresh mountain air to enjoy. I wouldn’t have a bustling skyline view, but that of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My children and I would live in a single family home instead of an industrialized penthouse, and there would be grass and greenspace for them to enjoy.

I wouldn’t unwind with a glass of wine and never-ending traffic in my sight, but possibly our own private pool and woods. It would be a slowed-down life, and one I desperately needed. I couldn’t leave this city, though. It was home for my children, and had become that to me. No matter how much I might wish for something different, it wasn’t realistic, or anything I could seriously entertain.

I flicked the light on so that my place wouldn’t be dark when I got home later, then locked up behind me. In the divorce, I had been left a vehicle, but I loathed Chicago traffic and chose to take an Uber to the event tonight. Because I would be there at least an hour before everyone was set to arrive, no one would even notice.

When I did get back to the Ritz Carlton, everything had gotten set up according to plan. If I could get steady work, I would have to eventually hire an assistant, but I was not quite there yet in my career which meant I had to meticulously go through every detail myself to make sure it was all done as requested. Occasionally, a plant or flower would be out of place, or a name card would be on the wrong table, but those were things I could quickly fix without anyone knowing.

And booking a hotel instead of empty warehouse space, I didn’t have to worry about issues like the Waters party and their roof conundrum. Noah and Gabriel had saved my ass with that, and as I thought of my most recent lover, a tingle rushed through me. He would be here tonight in a full tuxedo. The man was devastatingly handsome enough in jeans and a T-shirt, but sharply dressed, he would be a temptation I needed to try my hardest to resist.

“Mrs. Davis,” the caterer said, cutting into my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said absently, turning around to face him. “Is there something wrong?”

Lately, my luck had been terrible, and when he smiled, I remembered to breathe. “No, I had brought an extra Charlotte aux Fraise for you to sample. Would you like me to bring it to you?”

“Yes, that would be great,” I told him, then slowly turned to look at the room. This party was going to be a great one, and when Nigel returned with a small cake, he handed it off to me, then left me alone to enjoy it.

I plucked one of the strawberries off of the top, then popped it into my mouth. It was sweet, but had a citrus bite to it. It was so good, but I didn’t dare to eat any more of it. Until this party started and I got a feel of it, I wouldn’t be able to stomach anything. I brought it to the back, then left it in a place where I could come back to it later. Voices started to filter in and I knew the first of the guests were now arriving.

NOAH

Everyone that was anyone was in attendance at this party, but I didn’t care about any of them. I only cared about the one woman I had been unable to stop thinking about. I knew Gabriel and Callum had their reservations. If Romeo and Daxon were paying attention, they would likely feel the same, but I didn’t need their permission or their approval. I was a grown man, and I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into. If this night went the way I hoped it would, I would be getting into something warm, wet, and so damn tight.

Knowing what I had intended, it was the reason I couldn’t take my eyes off of Lulu since I had arrived. Once or twice, I would catch her looking over at me as she mingled with the other guests, and the guilt would set in. We hadn’t done anything wrong, and certainly not even as much as Cade had done with others. Tonight, I think he wanted to stick it to his ex even more because he showed up with not only one woman on his arm, but two. The pain I could feel radiating off of Lulu was palpable, and knowing how intentional it was on the Titan’s part, I wanted to pummel him.

I finally forced myself to focus solely on the one who deserved my attention, and I knew she had to feel what I did. There was a pull between us... a chemistry I couldn’t describe, or understand. It was there, though. She was like a drug crawling under my skin, and I needed to have her again. Last time, I had tried to tell myself that it was only sex, but the thoughts that wouldn’t leave my head proved otherwise. Another night or two would be all I needed to show her what I now knew. Our attraction was real, and there was nothing salacious about it.

Maybe that knowledge was what kept her on edge. She often seemed a bit nervous at events until they got underway, and tonight, this party was in full swing yet she was still scattered. Lulu needed an outlet that I was more than happy to provide. I kept my eyes on her, and when she moved toward the coat room, I slipped into action. Slowly giving chase, I followed her while trying to keep my intentions hidden from others. I saw Daxon, but shook my head when he looked at me. I kept on my way, eventually reaching the small room Lulu had disappeared into. I entered, then closed the door behind me.

Lulu was standing there with her palms placed against the wall. I could tell that she was slightly shaking, so I cleared my throat. “Are you okay?”

Lulu turned to me, and for the first time, I could see the tears in her eyes. “I’m fine,” she lied, causing me to growl.

“I don’t believe you,” I told her.

She narrowed her eyes, then swiped at her cheek. Luckily for her, the tears had been unshed ones, but she still felt the need to check. “I don’t care what you believe,” she finally said.

She also made a move to step past me, but I grabbed my woman and hauled her into my arms. The way I had just considered her mine matched the possessiveness flaring up inside of me. “Calm down, Lulu.”

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