Chapter 4
Laura
Laura put the saddle back on the holder and wiped her brow. She glanced around the barn, seeing a million things that still needed to be done. It seemed as though there were always a million things that needed to be done. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt like she was ahead of her work.
Still, she was enjoying the quiet of the barn. All the billionaires and children where at the main house eating dinner. She could only imagine what the conversations must have looked like between billionaire CEOs and foster kids. It must have been an interesting dinner.
She had stayed away from the party. She told herself it was because she was busy, but she knew the real reason. Ethan was in there. He was the last thing she wanted to think about, yet he seemed to be everywhere. Every time she turned around, he was there.
It didn't help that he looked good enough to eat. It didn't help that her body remembered exactly the way he made her feel. It certainly didn't help that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Why did he have to be here?
She groaned and pressed a hand to her temple. Now she was thinking of him. Now she was remembering.
One year ago...
W Motors Christmas parties were always spectacular. Employees eagerly awaited their invitations each year to the party of the season. W Motors always put on an elaborate party in an amazing location. This year was no different.
This year, the party was held at the California Science Museum. W Motors had rented out the entire building with all the exhibits open for guests. There was a live band with dancing near the dinosaurs, a buffet by the mummies, and an open bar by space exploration exhibit.
Laura had never seen anything like it. She wandered around the museum, admiring the different exhibits and pretending to learn as she went. The museum provided docents at each exhibit to answer questions, and Laura suspected, to make sure that drunk people didn't decide to try and ride the T-Rex.
She reminded herself that she needed to thank Carter again for sending her to the party this year. It was above and beyond what she expected as an employee. Technically, she wasn't an employee of W Motors. She was an employee of its Chief Technical Officer, Carter Williamson. But he decided that she should go, so he'd given her the w
eekend off, a plane ticket, a hotel room, and some money for cabs and food. She didn't know that bosses could be that awesome.
She took a sip and moved on from the exhibit on butterflies in Patagonia toward the music. She wasn't quite ready to dance, but she wanted to see the dinosaur exhibit. She wandered along, looking at displays as she went. She stopped to admire a display on the mating behaviors of dinosaurs. Apparently, the penis of the T-Rex was supposed to have been around twelve feet long.
“Damn,” she murmured, taking a sip of her wine. “I'm not sure if I'm jealous or really, really glad I'm not a female T-Rex.”
She kept walking, reading more on the proposed behaviors of long extinct animals. It amazed her that scientists could figure out that much about them by just looking at bones and how other living animals used similar bones. It was fascinating.
The band announced they were taking a short break. They put on some fun pop music for people to dance while they prepared to perform another set. So far, she had liked their music. Whoever was in charge of this party had done an excellent job of picking entertainment.
“You should be careful where you stand,” a male voice said from behind her.
Laura turned to see a man in a suit holding a wine glass looking at her. He was tall with broad shoulders and closely cropped blonde hair. The first thought that hit her mind was that he was gorgeous. The second thought was to wonder if he was anything like a T-Rex. She blushed at her own dirty mind.
“What? Why?” she asked, looking around. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be in this part of the museum?
The man motioned to something above her head. “You're under the mistletoe.”
Laura looked up quickly to see the small green branch with red berries and a white ribbon. Someone had hung it up directly where a person would stop to read about the mating behaviors of dinosaurs.
Laura blushed and quickly stepped away. “Thanks,” she said to the handsome man.
He smiled and somehow got more attractive. “You got lucky. Creepy-Dave from accounting has been sitting here waiting for a pretty girl to step under that. He just went to get a drink.”
“Creepy-Dave?” she asked, looking around.
“He named himself,” the man replied. “I'm not sure it's the best tactic, but he's trying it.”
Laura chuckled. She doubted there really was a person named Creepy-Dave, but she wasn't about to say so. “Thank you for saving me and not taking advantage of the mistletoe yourself.”
The man put his hand to his chest and bowed slightly. “I'm nothing if not a gentleman.”
She laughed. “Who put mistletoe up at a company party anyway?”
“Creepy-Dave, of course,” the man said with a straight face. He smiled at her. “I don't recognize you. Do you work for W Motors?”