Truth, honesty…those are the things that matter to me, and they are by far some of the hardest to come by when you have a bank account that makes the Forbes list every year.
“Hey.” Andre puts a hand on my shoulder, trying to get my attention, but I’m still scanning the spot where I last saw that dark-haired angel. “When you were in college, did you ever imagine you’d be here? Surrounded by all this? You are a self-made man, right?”
Michael’s irritating, condescending laugh rings from over my shoulder. “Yeah, didn’t you have a scholarship to play football?”
“Linebacker. Clemson recruited me,” I mutter, ignoring their disapproval as I turn to face them. He nods.
“Right. Out of Detroit wasn’t it?”
“Yep. Had a scholarship to Detroit Country Day. A private prep-school. My parents both worked the line at Ford.” I meet his eyes, daring him to say something, but he falls silent.
I need to get away. I need to find her. From that first second our eyes connected, I swear I knew I would have her. Something deep down came to life in a split second and all this other bullshit is irrelevant.
Something else came to life too though.
Jealousy.
That fucking dress is cut way too low and I saw the way other fucks were staring at her. Her dress hung on her like a waif and the smooth skin of her long arms made me want to mark it with my teeth.
I’ve never been so turned on before. I’ve been surrounded by beautiful women since high school but none of them ever had this effect on me with a single glance.
Around her neck was a little gold heart. Simple, not like the audacious jewelry worn by most of the women here. Everyone trying to outplay everyone else. As lush as my bank account is, most people would be surprised how little I get out of having money. Don’t get me wrong, I use it, just not to lavish attention on myself.
My head is spinning as I listen to Michael and Andre start a conversation that immediately has me on edge.
“We have some fresh fish coming to Europe with us this tour.” Michael chuckles and Andre nods.
“One especially will bring us some nice offers. Private modeling, if you get what I mean.”
“Oh yeah, man.” Michael’s grin spreads wider. “Fresh face, fresh—”
“Oh, she’s fucking fresh as they come.”
They both chuckle and I grunt as Laney catches my eye. “Everything okay? You want another beer? I can get you one—”
“No.” I snap, feeling twitchy like I’ve drunk too much coffee. “I’m fine. Just have some business stuff on my mind…”
“Maybe I can help.” She smiles, licking her bottom lip as Michael and Andre make another lewd comment about the new young model they are bringing on board, and I can’t stand here a second longer.
“If you’ll excuse me. I have to go make a call.”
The thought of her moving around alone through this maze of debauchery has me losing my mind. Michael and Andre aren’t the only sharks here, plenty of fucks come to parties like this to get their cocks wet and I know what money can buy, even when one of the participants is less than willing.
Or underage.
It’s been so long since I felt anything, maybe my reaction to this girl is some mental break, but I don’t care. I want to follow it, embrace it and let it never stop. And I’ve never even spoken a word to her.
One look around the room and I know she’s not here. I can feel it. She was moving in the direction of the roped off hallway and I wonder if she had the moxy to ignore the red velvet ropes and head down that way.
My instinct pulls me in that direction and as soon as I’m ten steps down the hall the sound of piano keys being expertly played comes to my ears, and I know I’m right.
I own this building, along with dozens of others like it around the city and around the world. I use these upper floors in this particular building as entertainment space only and this hallway and the rooms off of it are in the planning stages of reconstruction.
There’s a flicker of low light from where I hear the soft piano music, along with the magic of a song bird’s voice, drifting out into the dark hallway.
She’s singing ‘Love will Keep Us Together’ to be exact, and the beauty of her voice has my dick aching, blinding jealousy coursing through me as I wonder who she’s thinking about while she sings the song.
Slipping into the darkened room, I move silently against the wall. She’s facing me, but she won’t see me, there isn’t enough light and I’m dressed all in black. I fall into the music as my cock again reminds me that something in my usually calm, composed world is amiss.