Tempted

He is a Greek god amongst men.

I have never seen a man this beautiful.

He’s rendered me useless.

I watch him push his sleeves farther up on his arms, showcasing toned forearms, and I notice the way he seems to be clenching his jaw. He looks almost irritated as he looks out into the crowd, surveying the people. This man makes Carter look ordinary. It’s ridiculous.

Carter starts to speak, but I can hardly hear him. I’m lost in a trance. Completely riveted by this man. “Who is that?” I sound breathless because I am.

“That, my dear, sweet Bailey, is what the girls like to refer to as our resident hottie,” he says while pulling out a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue and pouring it into a tumbler beside me. His irritated tone gives him away. He clearly does not like sharing the spotlight. I can’t help but tease him.

“And here I thought that title went to you.” I bite back a laugh, and from my peripheral, I can see Carter smile.

“Oh, it does. He’s just the bonus,” he says, and I return my focus back to the dashing stranger. He practically glides down the stairs. I’m mesmerized.

“But who is he?” My eyes narrow, and I can feel a line forming on my forehead as I try to figure out who this man is. Everything Carter has said is completely lost on my one-track mind.

“Sweetie, by the way you’re looking at men tonight, yours truly included, I’d say you really need to get laid.” He chuckles. If only he knew what kind of a dry spell I was in, he wouldn’t be so flippant with those comments. It’s a travesty.

“Oh, shut up and just tell me who he is.” I need to know.

“Turn your head to me ’cause I don’t want to miss your reaction to this bit of news.”

I roll my eyes blatantly at him as our gaze meets.

“That, my love, is Mr. Drew Lawson. Doesn’t it just suck that you’ll have to look at that every night?”

Fuck. That bit of news just made this job a bit more interesting. But, Lord, will he be a distraction at the same time. I finally pull my gaze away long enough to wipe down the bar. My rag comes across more pieces of glass from Carter’s attempts at juggling bottles. I toss the shards into the trash when the hair on my neck rises. It feels like someone is staring at me. It’s not a creepy feeling, just my body’s realization that I’m being watched. Raising my head slowly, I’m trying to find the person responsible for eliciting such a reaction, and my gaze collides with Drew Lawson’s from across the room.

I know I should avert my eyes, but I can’t. It’s like some force is holding my head hostage. The draw to him is innate. I can feel it in my bones. Maybe it’s just his incredible looks, but my body is telling me to pay attention. He’s looking at me with the same quizzical expression that implies he’s more than aware of me.

It’s startling.

3

Drew

As much as I love this club, the last thing I want to do is socialize with the patrons, so I take my sweet-ass time making my way downstairs.

Silver is an upscale club. Only the elite and best looking in New York City are allowed entry, and with that comes a whole different set of problems.

They can all afford the real party. I’ve banned the use of drugs in my club, but enforcing that rule isn’t always so easy.

This clientele rarely enjoys a night out without your standard line of cocaine. I despise it, and I despise them.

It wasn’t always like that. I used to be the life of the party scene. Hell, that’s how I ended up a club owner. But things change, and shit happens. One of my biggest regrets came at the hand of one line too many.

I shake my head, not allowing the memories to take root in my brain right now. No, instead, I ready myself to deal with the mayhem. My office is my sanctuary, but down here is my hell. People think I have the life they’d kill for. I’d kill for it all to go away.

Rolling my sleeves up to my elbows, I survey the scene. It’s a packed house. Nothing new there.

I need to check in with Carter and get the hell out of here.

Too much work to do and a meeting in a few days in Napa. I’m sure he’s at the bar chatting it up with the new girl.

Fucking Cal.

Typically, I would have told him to fuck off, but after reading everything I could find about her online, I knew I couldn’t.

Which brings me back to the here and now and a new employee who makes me remember all the shit that haunts me.