The schmoozing got to him though, especially when he was tired. Tonight was no exception. He’d planned on making a quick appearance and then bailing as fast as possible. Guilt would make him add more to his already generous donation but that was okay.
He’d rather give his money to a good cause that was close to his heart.
Then he’d spotted her. Like a vision right out of a dream. Hell, he’d even shaken his head thinking he was seeing things.
But no, Stephanie had still been there, walking in with some blond jackass as if she might be on a date with the guy. Anger had made him see red, quickly followed by a surge of jealousy which tinged everything a nice shade of green.
You have no claim on her and you never said the two of you were exclusive. So chill the hell out.
No matter how many times he repeated those words inside his head it didn’t matter. He was pissed, furious she showed up somewhere with another man by her side looking like she did.
Looking like some sort of fucking vision in a gorgeous blue and white printed halter-style dress. The dress dipped dramatically in the front, giving everyone a nice shot of her delectable cleavage. Ties wrapped around her neck, the ends flowing down her back. Some sort of gauzy fabric the entire dress was made and she looked like she was floating with every step she took.
Justin watched her, mesmerized, trying to figure out how to make his way over so he could talk to her. Confront her.
No. Not confront her. Just talk. Tell her somehow, someway, that she was his and he didn’t appreciate her seeing anyone else.
Goddamn, he did not have the right to think this way. He was being ridiculous.
But he couldn’t help it.
She didn’t seem that into the guy she was with. She’d even sat at a different table. All of which gave Justin some sort of glimmer of hope that he had a chance after all.
Never before had he been jealous over another asshole being with a woman he was interested in. Correction. Being with a woman he’d had sex with. Rarely was he interested in a certain woman. They were always the ones chasing him.
Not this one. She threw him for a loop. He couldn’t predict her next move no matter how hard he tried. It drove him fucking crazy.
It made him want more.
She was talking to a woman in a bright gold dress when she stood, her gaze scanning the entire room before it finally, finally lit upon him. The shock clearly shone on her face, her eyes going wide, those pretty lush lips of hers parting in shock.
He’d decided then and there fuck it. He was going to approach her, her date be damned. He had to see her up close in that dress, her dark hair swept up to reveal the long column of her neck, the sexy curve of her bare shoulders.
His cock stiffened to the point of pain as he headed toward her and he watched as she excused herself from her friend, nodding her head toward the open double doors that led out onto the balcony. Indicating she wanted to talk to him in private, he could only assume.
Fine, she wanted to avoid her date and her friend, so be it. He was going to give her a piece of his mind the second he got her alone.
Frustration surged through him, his movements stiff since his knee bothered him. He had a slight limp tonight, mostly due to flat out exhaustion after traveling for nearly a week and yet again the looks of sympathy he received from strangers made him want to punch someone in the face.
He was angry. Angry at himself, angry at his fucked up knee, angry at Stephanie thinking he wasn’t worthy of an introduction to the people in her life.
What the hell, was she embarrassed to be seen with the former superstar athlete, now useless gimp? How fucking unbelievable was that?
Justin didn’t want to admit it, barely wanted to think it, but it hurt his feelings. That had never happened in a relationship with a woman before.
Of course, this was the first time he’d considered pursuing a real relationship so there you go.
He walked out onto the balcony, the clear and starry night welcoming him with a cool breeze. It was a salve to his heated skin, his more than hot anger and he breathed deep, told himself to get a grip. Glancing about the balcony, he noticed it was almost empty, probably because the air was so cool.
Good. He preferred not having an audience for what was about to go down.
Finally spotting her, he stalked toward the corner where she stood, hiding behind a giant topiary lit with twinkling white lights. Her arms were crossed in front of her, plumping up her breasts even more and they looked ready to spill out the front of her dress. All he wanted to do was touch them. Cup them in his hands and flick her hard nipples with his thumbs. Push the delicate fabric of her dress aside so he could draw one pretty pink nipple into his mouth.
She smiled in greeting though it faded when she saw the scowling expression on his face. She licked her lips, pushed a stray strand of hair away from her face and took a step toward him.
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
Ha. No shit. “I didn’t know you were going to be here either.”