Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 112701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112701 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“She’s the owner’s girl?”
His eyebrow rises. “They’re all his girls. Off-limits.”
We sit in companionable silence for several minutes, each sipping on our drinks. The bass from the music pumps through the room as the night begins to pick up. Outside this room, the party rages like it does every night at Club Silver.
“The party is here, boys.” Alex steps through the curtain with Mandy curled into his side.
The son of a bitch was right.
Pax leans toward me. “Told you. And it didn’t even take an hour.”
I grin, nodding my head in admiration. “I believe I owe you now.”
He slaps my leg, smiling. “Let’s go. There are plenty more ladies to charm, and I need you as my broody wingman.” He turns back to the room. “Boys, enjoy yourself. Drinks are on me.”
He stands, and I follow him through the chiffon curtain that hides each VIP table. The scene is just as I suspected. Scantily clad women move their bodies in time to the music while men watch on in ravenous delight, eager to score.
My eyes sweep through the throngs of people gyrating on the dance floor. No part of me wants to be in the middle of that chaos. I’ve never been one for the clubs. I’ve always found it to be the worst sort of place to decompress, but every now and then, I step outside my comfort zone for the sake of Pax.
He’s been a good friend since I’ve made this city my home for the last three years. And where he goes, I go, if and when I decide to venture outside my office.
Pax enjoys Silver more than the average person, so it’s become my stomping grounds by proxy. It’s more than the discount his friend provides. He lives for the loud music and over-eager women. I prefer the chase.
I’m about to tell my friend I’m calling it a night when my eyes land on a woman directly across from me, sitting at the bar with two others.
She shines like a beacon in the crowd, drawing my attention without effort. Golden hair falls down her back in waves, stopping midway to her arse. Her bright smile literally lights up the room as she laughs with her companions. I wonder what the man beside her said to draw such an authentic delight from the woman. They seem well acquainted but not a couple. He leans into her as though that’s exactly what he’s angling for, but her body language doesn’t scream lust when she looks at him.
The glow about her is alluring and utterly hypnotic, but it’s not for him.
She’s so unlike every other girl in Silver tonight. Understated, but still the most beautiful girl in the room. Her red sundress flares at her thighs, accentuating her hips and showcasing her lean legs. She’s breathtaking.
As if I’ve willed her eyes toward me, she looks up, and our gazes connect. My blood flows uncomfortably to my cock, and I have to force myself not to adjust my growing hard-on. Damn. She’s ethereal in a way very few others are.
A ray of fucking sunshine.
I’m so enchanted by the woman that I don’t sense Mandy at my back until her hand lands on my shoulder, and her lips are pressed against my ear.
“It could’ve been you tonight, but I can tell when a man is not interested.”
Thank fuck.
I turn to look at her, not wanting to come off as intentionally rude, given she’s acquainted with Pax. “It’s not you. It’s me.”
“The age-old excuse.” She offers me a tight-lipped smile, nodding briskly. She doesn’t buy my words, but I can’t be bothered to care. I’ve done my part in offering a reason that’s not as harsh as reality.
“It was nice to meet you, Charles.”
“Likewise, Mandy.” I grab her hand and raise it to my lips. “Enjoy your night.”
She steps back into the enclosed VIP room, and I sigh in relief at her retreat.
“Let’s go before she changes her mind,” Paxton quips, motioning toward the crowd. “There are fish aplenty, and they won’t murder you with a pickax in your sleep.”
“You don’t say,” I grunt, picturing the whole scene that Pax has laid out.
Mandy would play the perfect psycho.
“Don’t you worry. I’ll find you a good one.” He smirks.
I turn my head in the direction of the blonde, but her eyes are no longer pointed toward me. She’s back to talking with her friends as though our moment never happened.
It’s for the best, based on the ridiculous reaction I had by simply looking at her.
Women like her are bad news for men like me.
Strings. Attachments. Promises.
The things I cannot offer.
Tonight, I’m looking for Mandy 2.0, minus the madness.
2
Raven
“Cheers to my friend, conquering the world!” Lily hands me a glass of champagne.
With a shake of my head, I look at the effervescing liquid and let out a chuckle. “What happened to our usual martinis?” My brow rises in question. “Since when do we drink champagne?”