A slow, sinful smile eased up the corners of his kissable mouth as he slid a big, warm hand over the one resting on his forearm to hold it there—as if she’d even consider letting him go. “Trust me, beautiful girl, before this evening is over, I have a feeling the pleasure is going to be all mine.”
The dark, forbidden promises glinting in his eyes stole her breath and sent a delicious, decadent heat cascading through her veins. Oh, Lord. Elle sincerely hoped so.
CHAPTER THREE
Hunter rolled his shoulders beneath the fitted tuxedo jacket, trying to ease the tension gathering there as he strolled through the throng of guests attending the Wilder Way charity ball. He hated formal events, and the last place on earth he wanted to be tonight was at a whimsical fairy-tale-themed party. But considering he was one of the hosts for the evening’s gala and his sister, Tempest, would literally kick his ass if he didn’t meet and greet their wealthy, influential donors and make his presence known, Hunter dutifully made the rounds.
Sipping on his second glass of bourbon, he acknowledged Manhattan’s elite with a forced smile and stopped to converse with many of the businessmen who used MadX-Tech’s security systems and services. As he listened politely as the men discussed recent economic events, he glanced just beyond where they were gathered and met the gaze of a pretty, and very spoiled, socialite he’d met at a trendy Manhattan bar a few weeks back—and subsequently fucked and forgotten about until this moment. She was standing with a group of women all dressed in their designer gowns and finery, and she gave him a flirtatious finger wave and a come-hither smile, one that told him she could easily be persuaded to spread her legs for him again.
He broke eye contact so as not to encourage her. Des
pite her signals, he wasn’t interested. She hadn’t been that good or that memorable and not nearly as adventurous as he liked. She’d been a standard lackluster fuck who’d insisted on the lights being off and had faked an orgasm like a porn star. Impressive, really, but he found it much hotter and sexier when a woman was open and honest about what she needed from him to come—whether it was with his fingers, mouth, or dick, or a combination thereof—rather than put on an elaborate act that had come close to deflating his erection. So, no, he wasn’t even remotely enticed by her silent offer.
Once pleasantries were over with the men he was talking to, Hunter quickly moved on, because despite the various distractions around him, his mind was on more crucial matters—like the fact that his elder brother, Maddux, had every intention of finally delivering a shocking dose of revenge to the man who’d killed their parents fourteen years ago.
And it was happening here. Tonight. At the ball. Not publicly, of course, but in a private room located up a cordoned-off flight of stairs leading to a second level that was off-limits for the evening. Except to Maddux, who would be conducting “business” there.
Hunter felt a female arm slide through his bent one and stiffened, hoping that his one-night stand hadn’t latched on to him. Cautiously, he glanced to his right to find his sister, Tempest, now strolling beside him, thank God. Despite the smile she gave him, he could tell that she was nervous about how the evening was going to play out with Maddux, too. There was a lot at stake, and all the three of them wanted was to ruin Theodore Cole professionally and financially, which was the closest thing to vengeance they’d be able to obtain.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked, looking incredibly beautiful in a scarlet dress that Maddux had scowled at earlier for being too sexy on their sister, who was plenty old enough to wear whatever the hell she wanted, even if there was a lot of bare skin showing.
“I’d be a whole lot better if I could get rid of this fucking bow tie,” he groused as he tugged on the offending object, because Tempest knew how much he abhorred black-tie affairs and stuffy formal attire.
She playfully smacked at his hand to make him stop pulling on the bow. “I loosened it for you earlier, in Maddux’s office,” she reminded him. “So stop being such a drama queen and deal with it.”
He huffed out a laugh, but the mention of their meeting in Maddux’s office before the start of the ball had Hunter quickly sobering again. “I can’t believe, after all these years, Theodore is finally going to get his due.”
Tempest exhaled a soft breath as they continued to walk side by side through the elaborately decorated ballroom, keeping to themselves for the moment. “I know. But he ruined our lives, and it’s time he paid.”
Hunter nodded in agreement. For the past fourteen years, Maddux’s sole focus had been all about amassing their fortune from nothing for one reason only. His brother had created MadX-Tech with the help of an investor and built it into the billion-dollar corporation it was today, all with the intention of one day destroying the man who’d so callously ripped their family apart.
“I just hate that Maddux insisted on confronting Theodore alone,” Hunter said, glancing down at his sister. “I should be there with him tonight.”
“I understand how you feel,” she said, her expression surprisingly sage. “But Maddy has harbored the most anger and resentment over the years. The past has tormented him, and I believe he needs this moment, on his own, to heal some of his pain. He was the one who was there when our parents died as a result of the fire Theodore set at Mom and Dad’s restaurant, and he’s always felt responsible for what happened, even though it wasn’t his fault.”
Hunter’s jaw clenched as he downed the last of the bourbon in his glass before handing it off to a passing waiter. The fire had been deliberately set because Theodore had been extorting money from small businesses, and their parents hadn’t been able to pay that week. Fucking bastard.
“He’s lived with that memory and guilt for fourteen years,” Tempest went on, her argument a solid one. “That’s a long time for all that burning rage to build up inside of him toward Theodore. We need to let Maddy do this on his own and avenge Mom’s and Dad’s deaths, then maybe, hopefully, he can let it go and move on with his life.”
“You’re right,” he agreed, realizing that it was vital that this retribution belonged to his brother for all the reasons his sister had stated, even if that knowledge was hard for Hunter to accept.
“He promised to text us later and let us know when it was over,” Tempest said, giving Hunter’s arm a squeeze. “So please try and relax and enjoy yourself.”
Hunter didn’t think either was going to happen. Despite deferring the Theodore situation to their brother, it was difficult not to be a little tense knowing what was potentially happening somewhere on the upper level.
They stopped near what appeared to be an enchanted forest within the ballroom, with real trees wrapped in an airy fabric and twinkling lights. The entire room had been transformed into a wonderland, with beautiful crystal chandeliers, dramatic up lighting, candles floating in the huge marble fountain, and dozens of floral arrangements placed throughout the area. While Hunter was a no-frills kind of guy, it was hard not to appreciate all the hard work his sister had put into the décor for the ball.
“You did an amazing job with this year’s charity event. Even if it is a bit fanciful and frivolous,” he teased in an attempt to lighten things after their heavier conversation.
She let her hand slide from his arm and tipped her head as she regarded him with clear, amber-hued eyes. “Do you know why I chose fairy tales for this year’s theme?” she asked, but didn’t wait for Hunter’s reply, which he was grateful for because he had no clue as to what had prompted her decision. “Because everyone deserves a happily ever after. Maddux. Me. Even you, Hunter.”
Her voice softened at the end, but it did nothing to dissolve the bitterness that resided in his heart when it came to love and forever dreams. It was the shards of that deep, jagged pain that now protected his emotions when it came to forming anything more than a purely sexual relationship with a woman. He didn’t want or need love after losing his fiancée so tragically, but he was a man and sex was one of the few pleasures he allowed his body to enjoy. Beyond that, he wasn’t interested.
He gave his sister a sardonic smile. “Just in case you’ve forgotten, I had my chance at a happily ever after, and fate decided that I didn’t deserve it.”
“None of us will ever forget what happened to Natalie,” she said, her tone and expression compassionate, as it always was when the subject of his fiancée was brought up. “And sometimes life isn’t fair, but don’t ignore a second chance if it’s offered, because you do deserve it. What happened to Natalie wasn’t your fault.”
Hunter believed differently but didn’t argue. This wasn’t the first time his sister had given him, and even Maddux, a well-meaning lecture on finding a woman to settle down with because she wanted them to have someone to share their life with. But any kind of second chance wouldn’t ever be on Hunter’s radar, because he wasn’t opening himself up to that kind of devastating casualty again.