But once again he caught her arm, though his grasp was gentle. Gentle, but no less confining. His thumb stroked gently over her upper arm, softly caressing the bare skin under the short sleeve of her T-shirt, and it did funny, ridiculous things to her pulse. She tried to yank away, but his grip only tightened, again, not a bruising manhandling-type grip, but one that prevented her from freeing herself, nonetheless.
She glared at him in silence and then looked pointedly down at her arm. He either didn’t get that particular message or refused to acknowledge it.
“Gracie’s opening is tonight. I trust you’ll be there.”
It wasn’t a question. In no way was it a question or even a polite request. It was an order and Eliza did not take orders very well at all. Even Dane didn’t order her around and he was her partner and boss of sorts.
“As a matter of fact, I have other plans,” she said sweetly. “Important plans that I can’t cancel. Job related. I’m sure Gracie will understand.”
Sterling’s presence would be enough to make her cry off the exhibit but throw in the fact that Gracie could read her mind? No way in hell she’d be caught dead in attendance.
Sterling’s face suddenly became rock hard, his eyes turning glacial, all hint of amusement and laughter gone, as was his smile. “Let there be no mistake, Eliza. You will be there tonight even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you cursing and making threats against humanity the entire way. This means everything to Gracie and all she wants is the support of the people she cares about and thinks care about her. Whatever your issue with Gracie is I suggest you do your best to ensure she knows nothing about it. It will hurt her if you refuse to come and I won’t allow Gracie to ever be hurt by anyone again. Are we understood?”
Eliza looked at him in shock. “I don’t have anything against Gracie! I love her dearly. Where on earth would you get the idea that I have a problem with her? Just because I can’t make it to her opening doesn’t mean I don’t like her. I’m not going because I can’t. I have something important to do tonight. Something I can’t postpone.”
Sterling shrugged. “I suggest you find a way to do just that. You can’t hide from me, Eliza. And if you think I was making an idle threat, one I have no intention of following through on, you should know me better than that by now. I will find you and I will bring you to the exhibit no matter how you’re dressed. My advice? Dress appropriately and be there promptly when it begins and paste a smile on that pretty face of yours and at least act like you’re enjoying yourself and that you’re supporting the woman who calls you her friend.”
“What gives you the right to rearrange my life to suit your wants?” she snapped. “I’m not one of your little bimbos who flutters her eyelashes and gives in to your every whim and allows you all the control.”
He barked out a laugh. “As if. A man would be a fool to ever think you’d be a simpering, timid, submissive woman without a mind and will of her own. But, Eliza, do not test me on this,” he said, his voice growing somber and gravely serious. His eyes bore intently into hers and the unsettled feeling in her stomach grew until all her insides were knotted with panic.
“Good God, you mean it,” she whispered, horrified.
“Bet your pretty little ass I do,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Have I ever bluffed, Eliza? Have I ever stood down from any promise I’ve made? Veered from the course I’ve sworn to follow? Not followed through on any action I’ve decided on?”
“No,” she said faintly, a sinking feeling of doom clenching her stomach.
She just wanted to run and hide in her apartment, and she was not someone who ever hid from anything. She confronted her problems, her fears, and she never backed down. But Wade Sterling was a problem unlike any she’d ever encountered and if she knew one thing at all about this infuriating, pain-in-the-ass man, was that he wouldn’t simply go away. No wasn’t an answer he was accustomed to nor was it a word in his vocabulary unless he was the one using it.
Which meant that if she didn’t want a very ugly, very embarrassing, humiliating scene tonight, she was going to have to find a dress and appropriate shoes, neither of which she owned. Fast.
Further proof that the man was a mind reader in his own right, either that or extremely intuitive, he suddenly did that half smirk, half grin thing she was far more accustomed to than the full on, teeth-baring smile she’d witnessed earlier.
“I took the liberty of having an appropriate dress, shoes and all of the accessories delivered to your apartment. Expect them within the hour. And may I say, Eliza, you are going to look stunning in what I picked out.”
FOUR
ONLY because she didn’t want more speculation among her coworkers that something was definitely up with her, something she wasn’t sharing—and planned to keep it that way—did Eliza grudgingly put on the dress, shoes and accessories Sterling had delivered to her apartment as she got ready for what she already considered a night in hell. Or so she told herself, knowing that her feminine ego had been just a little stroked by the fact Sterling had told her with none of his typical, arrogant smugness that she would look fantastic in what he’d picked out for her. No, his gaze had smoldered, and he’d been completely serious and worse, he’d also looked as though he was interested in and couldn’t wait to see the results of his handiwork. And so, like a damn girl, even though she despised the man, she’d seen definite male appreciation in his sexy gaze, and it appealed to her feminine ego to further tempt the beast with what he’d never have a shot at, so she’d not only worn the gorgeous, ridiculously expensive dress—sans bra because she was in a particularly wicked mood—but she’d also taken extra effort with her hair and makeup, which disgusted her because she didn’t want it to be blatantly obvious she wanted to look good. For him. Because she did not give one fuck when it came to her looks nor did she have a clue what looked good on her, something apparently Sterling felt he knew. And since he’d taken the liberty of choosing her wardrobe, he would hardly be able to find fault with her appearance tonight. She just hoped to hell she could avoid him and Gracie, make an appearance and then exit as gracefully and as unnoticed as possible.
Jesus, but she was the worst sort of idiot for even contemplating knocking Wade Sterling down a few notches and making him swallow his sharp tongue. She didn’t have time for making cute, being a tease with no intention of following through on the promise this damn dress offered not only to Sterling, but to any man. Gah! She hadn’t even considered the “other men” in the equation. Not that she had to worry about the guys she worked for. To them, she was one of them. But whoever else was in attendance wouldn’t be able to look at her sexy vamp look and remotely think, oh yeah, she’s one of the guys.