Текст книги "Betting on You: A Danvers Novella"
Автор книги: Sydney Landon
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Текущая страница: 2 (всего у книги 7 страниц)
Chapter Three
God, he needed a drink. This day had been nothing but a pain in the ass so far. He had spent the past hour dealing with a customer who swore that the cleaning staff had stolen her wedding ring. The cleaning staff had gotten defensive and plainly pissed off over the accusations and the customer had been rude and obnoxious. After an hour of dealing with it from both sides, the customer’s husband had returned from his round of golf and reminded his wife that she hadn’t brought her ring; it was at home with the jeweler having one the settings repaired. She hadn’t even bothered to apologize. It was as if the whole thing had been an inconvenience to her. Seth intended to ensure that they had no vacancies in the future to accommodate them. He would not subject himself or his staff to that type of treatment again.
Margie wasn’t at her desk so he assumed she had gone on to lunch. She didn’t like to deviate from her schedule. She was usually on some crazy diet and making her wait to eat could damn near get everyone in the vicinity killed. He had just sat down at his desk when he noticed the light on in the attached communications office. Margie was probably in there using the cameras to snoop on Joe again. He got back up and went toward the office with the intention of pulling her out. He came to an abrupt halt when someone very un-Margie-like almost backed her ass up into his crotch. When she continued to shimmy and kept singing, “I’m sexy, and I know it,” he thought he had possibly died and gone to heaven. He settled back against the doorframe to enjoy the show. When she flipped around, he saw her nametag with the words Danvers International and Mia Gentry below it. Well, fuck. Couldn’t Jason Danvers employ someone homely for once? Sadly, the dance moves had stopped and a pair of stunning blue-green eyes looked up at him in question. “So you’re from Danvers?” Brilliant, Seth, way to state the obvious. Follow it up by asking her sign.
Her full pouty lips settled into a mischievous smile as she said, “Yep, and since I’ve already met Margie, then would you be Mr. Jackson?”
Sticking his hand out, he said, “It’s Seth and you must be Mia. I take it Margie showed you around. Did you have any other questions?”
“Nope, I think Margie gave me the 411 on everything. I’m just going over your equipment now. Do you want to keep your hard drive? I can dispose of it, but some people are funny about that.”
Seth couldn’t believe that the words equipment and hard drive had his cock stirring to attention. What in the hell was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly incapable of thinking of anything other than bending her over the control desk and fucking her senseless? He had to get out of this room before she noticed the tent in the front of his trousers. “Um, yeah, you can just keep it. I’m sure my hard drive will be safe with you.” Holy shit, did I actually just say that to her? So not cool. Just get out now before this gets worse. “I’ve got to get back to my office. Just let Margie know if you need anything.”
Mia looked at him in confusion and then to the space beyond him. “Isn’t that your office?”
“Oh, sure, yes. I meant to say, I was heading to lunch. You might be gone when I get back.” God, he really hoped so.
She looked down at her watch, seeming surprised by the time. Almost as if by some cruel twist of fate, her stomach growled at the same moment. “Where are you going for lunch?”
Before thinking better of it, he said, “I usually grab something from the restaurant downstairs. They have an excellent lunch buffet.”
Mia moaned and Seth started sweating harder. “Oh, they so totally do. It’s been ages since I’ve eaten there. Do you mind if I tag along? I hate to eat alone and I’m starving.”
“Er . . . sure. Just give me five minutes to finish a few things and I’ll be ready.” He could only imagine what she thought he had to “finish up” when he headed straight for his private restroom on the other side of his office. He just needed a few minutes to collect himself before what would undoubtedly be a long lunch hour. At this point, even having Beth do the system installation would have been preferable. At least he wasn’t likely to walk around with a raging hard-on the entire time. This girl though was getting to him. She wasn’t even his type. She was petite, but her heels made her appear much taller, with wild brown hair that looked like it had just left someone’s sheets. He preferred women with neater hair and more classic taste in clothing. Mia had neither of those things. And yet he would probably never get the fantasy of fucking her while she wore nothing but those damn pink shoes out of his head. Shit, he had to stop thinking about that!
He splashed some cold water on his face and mentally counted to one hundred. He could get through a simple lunch. He worked at a resort that catered to scantily clad females daily. This wasn’t a big deal. She wasn’t wearing a bikini like most of the people he dealt with. Mmmm, Mia in a bikini. Fuck! Enough already!
When he stepped out of the restroom, Mia was leaning against his desk waiting for him. He felt his cheeks color at the look of amusement on her face. Yeah, she thought he had problems. If she only knew. It was better that she labor under the illusion that he had stomach issues rather than the truth. He was dealing with an unruly cock.
“I’m ready if you are,” she said.
Why did everything she said sound like some sexy, double entendre when he knew it wasn’t intentional? “Sure, let’s go.” As they passed through the doorway, Margie was walking toward her desk. Seth wanted to pretend that he didn’t see her because he knew what was coming and she didn’t disappoint.
“Well, hey there, you two. Where are you off to?” She shot him a knowing smirk before looking at Mia as if they were new best friends.
“I invited myself to lunch with Seth.”
“Ah, honey, I’m sure he would love to have you.” Seth coughed, knowing damn well he wasn’t imagining the double meaning this time.
Before it could get worse, he walked to the elevator saying, “I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Take your time,” she yelled after them, “your afternoon is clear.” Sometimes, he truly hated that woman.
The elevator ride to the lobby was crowded, saving him from having to make conversation. When they entered the restaurant, he steered Mia toward his reserved table at the wall of windows. He loved looking at the ocean view while he was eating. Mia took the seat opposite from him, ordering a sweet tea from the waiter. Once their drinks were delivered, she jumped up and made her way toward the buffet at a rapid pace. Apparently, she wasn’t lying about being starving. He was barely halfway through filling his plate when she walked by him flashing a sheepish grin. Her plate was completely loaded and he couldn’t imagine where she would even put it all.
“I skipped breakfast this morning,” she said by way of explanation. He couldn’t help but laugh. He found himself putting more on his plate than he usually would so she wouldn’t be embarrassed.
She was eating with gusto when he returned. He had just taken his first bite when a couple approached the table. Mia choked on her piece of chicken when the woman said, “Mia, darling, how wonderful to see you.”
She took a quick sip of tea to wash down her food before saying, “Mom, Dad, wow, what a surprise.” Seth was equally surprised. He hadn’t connected her last name with Jefferson Gentry.
Seth stood extending a hand to Jefferson and his wife, Madeline. “Jefferson, Madeline, how nice to see you again. I didn’t know that Mia was your daughter.”
Madeline dropped her perfectly manicured hand to her side before answering. “Yes, Mia is our only child. How do you two know each other?”
Before he could answer, Mia spoke up. “I’m here to do an install for Danvers.”
“Oh, how nice. Mia just loves that little project of hers.”
“It’s called a job, Mom. They pay me and everything.”
Her mother seemed oblivious to the sarcasm, but judging by the frown on her father’s face, it hadn’t escaped his attention. Her mother turned her attention back to Seth saying, “I wanted to thank you again for donating the use of your ballroom for our charity bachelor auction tonight. I think it’s wonderful that you have decided to participate as well. I know we are going to raise a lot of money tonight for the new children’s hospital.”
Mia looked at Seth in surprise. “You’re going to be auctioned off tonight?”
“Um . . . yeah. It’s for a good cause and it’s only one evening out of my life so it’s really not a big deal.” Luckily, Mia’s parents spotted some friends a few tables away and after bestowing some air kisses on their daughter, they were off. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. They might run in the same social circles, but he had always found them a little too reserved for his taste.
Beside him, Mia also seemed to expel a breath as well. “Sorry about that. My parents aren’t exactly the life of the party. I’m sure you noticed that they don’t think much of my career. If they had their way, I would be with them right now making the rounds.”
“I’ve known them for years. How is it that we’ve never crossed paths?”
“On the occasions that I’ve been with them, I usually spent the evening with friends. They were never the type to bring out the baby pictures and brag about their only child either so it’s easy to see why most people other than very close friends don’t know I exist. So . . . a bachelor auction. I have to admit, I find that surprising. Have you done that before?”
Grimacing, he said, “No, this will be a first for me. How bad could it be, right?”
Mia chuckled. “Oh, it could be bad all right. You will probably be purchased by some old cougar who will feel you up all the way through dinner and then try to bribe you into the sack at the end of the night.”
“Oh, God, I hope you’re wrong. I was picturing some shy, homely girl who would be happy with a good meal and some nice conversation.”
“Good luck with that,” Mia laughed. “I know most of the crowd who will attend tonight and there isn’t a wallflower in the bunch. I may actually enjoy myself at one of these things for once.”
Seth raised a brow. “You’re going to be there tonight?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I have to put in an appearance at a few events just to keep my parents happy. Since this is one of my mother’s favorite charities, she expects me to attend. Madeline Gentry isn’t a woman you want to disappoint on a regular basis.”
He wasn’t sure how he felt about her being in attendance to watch him go on the auction block. She would probably laugh her ass off if no one bid on him or, God forbid, the cougar she described bought him. But, at the same time, the evening seemed a lot more interesting than it had earlier. He was almost looking forward to it.
When they had finished eating, he was surprised to find that he had enjoyed their lunch together. She was intelligent, funny, and the conversation had never waned. Unfortunately, neither had his attraction to her. It would probably be a good idea to plan many of his meetings for offsite in the coming weeks. He wasn’t sure he could handle her being that close to him without losing it. It had been a while since he had felt the need for a lunchtime masturbation session, but today just might be the day.
Chapter Four
Mia pulled on the strapless red cocktail dress and spent several moments struggling with the zipper before finally managing to get it zipped. There were times when it was a real pain in the ass not having a man around. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror and knew that even though her mother would hate the short, mid-thigh length, she absolutely loved it. The dress had a pleated bodice and the narrow skirt contained side pockets. She settled on a large pair of gold hoop earrings and a matching cuff bracelet. Impossibly high-heeled strappy sandals completed the look.
She had to wonder if she was putting just a little extra care into her appearance because she knew Seth would be there. He intrigued her. He seemed so reserved at first, but she had caught him checking her out more than once. She didn’t think she was imagining the chemistry between them. She had always been a sucker for a man with blue eyes. The cologne that he wore also made her want to rip the clothes off his tall, rangy body and answer one of her burning questions: boxers or briefs? He definitely looked like a boxers kind of guy, and she found those so damn sexy. Briefs were too revealing, too fast. Boxers were like unwrapping a present. You never knew what was under them. If the outline at the front of his trousers was to be believed, she wouldn’t be disappointed in Seth’s . . . package. Okay, so she had been checking him out today as well. Nothing could happen between them while she was working there, but after the job was completed . . . all bets were off.
She had been too busy with work and travel the last few years to maintain any type of relationship. She had never been shy about going after something she wanted and right now, that was Seth Jackson. She didn’t want to marry the man, but she damn sure wanted to sleep with him. If things went well, she could see things going longer than just one night. Of course, this all depended on Seth being a willing participant and from the vibes she was getting earlier, she felt that he was. Thanks to the wonder of Google, she knew that he was single and appeared to be unattached. She was also surprised to find that he and his family owned the chain of Oceanix Resorts. He wasn’t just an employee there as she first thought. That didn’t really mean anything to her, but it explained why her parents knew him well enough for casual conversation. She would have preferred someone outside of their social circle, but at least they didn’t appear to be golf buddies or anything close. It was doable and so was he.
The cab that she had called was waiting at the entrance to her condominium. She usually preferred to have her own car, but she wanted to be able to enjoy a drink if she felt like it so she opted for safety. When she arrived, the ballroom was already packed. Her parents were standing at the door greeting the new arrivals. Her mother shot a quick look at her short dress before giving her a fake, public smile. “Mia, darling, don’t you look . . . cute tonight.” Her father was deep in conversation with another couple and gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek before turning away again.
“Hi, Mom, it looks like you’ve done it again. It’s standing room only in here.”
Her mother beamed, pleased by her remark. “I think some of the credit goes to Seth for donating the venue. Everyone loves the Oceanix Resort and couldn’t resist an evening here. You two seemed quite comfortable today.”
Oh, yuck, is my mother trying to match-make again? I have to give her credit; her taste has improved a lot since the last disaster. Mia tried to seem uninterested. She didn’t need her mother getting involved and scaring the man away.
“He’s just a client, Mom, nothing more.” She was grateful that a group of people behind her provided just enough distraction for her to make a quick escape. She loved her parents, but they didn’t have much in common. Plus, it could be draining when you were the center of their focus. It was much easier just being the usual afterthought. She took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and scanned the room. She was disappointed that Seth was nowhere to be found. Maybe he had decided against being auctioned off tonight.
When a hand landed on her shoulder, she turned to find Margie, Seth’s assistant, behind her. “Well, hey there, girl, don’t you look hot.” Margie was wearing a form-fitting black dress, which displayed a body that most would envy, including her.
“Wow, so do you. I love that dress and those shoes are amazing!” She had instantly bonded with Margie that morning and she was happy to see a friendly face in the crowd.
“Ah, thank you, dear. They are killing my feet already, but it’s the price you have to pay, right? I hear your parents are throwing this shindig. I didn’t peg you for one of those Gentrys.”
Mia winced. “Yeah, well, someone had to be their token child and my number was called so here I am.”
Margie laughed, throwing an arm around her. “I like you. It’s about time we had someone interesting around here. So, are you buying yourself a man tonight? I know you probably think I’m saying this because he pays me, but you can’t go wrong with Seth. The boy cleans up real well and the way the women around the hotel chase him, he must be pretty good at his game, if you get my drift.”
She smiled, more than getting her drift. “I hate to disappoint you, but the auction is out of my price range. Is Seth still planning to do it? I haven’t seen him around.”
“He had to take a late conference call. He should be down in time for his moment on the stage. I tried to get him to wear something sexy, but he insisted on sticking with his suit.”
“That’s too bad,” Mia murmured before she could stop herself.
Margie gave her a wicked grin, saying, “Use your imagination, honey. Mine sure keeps me entertained. Now, do you think you can score us some good seats to the action?”
Linking their arms, Mia said, “I’ve got this covered, follow me.”
* * *
Seth cursed under his breath when he looked at his watch. The conference call had run later than he had anticipated and he had missed the start of the auction. If he didn’t hurry, he would miss the whole damn thing and Madeline Gentry would have his head. He wondered again why he had agreed to this in the first place. He had no desire to take some stranger out to dinner and make polite conversation. Worse yet, if Mia was correct, he might be fending off some older lady with roving hands. Maybe he should just stay in his office and pretend that he couldn’t get away. If you do, you’ll miss seeing Mia again.
Shit, why did he care about that? He would see her tomorrow. But, you’ll miss seeing how she’s dressed tonight. What if she’s showing more skin? That was a thought he couldn’t resist. He had to see her. If that meant embarrassing himself in front of a roomful of people, then so be it. How bad could it be?
The spotlights were glaring down on him, causing a fine sheen of sweat on his neckline, and the women in the room had turned into a bunch of horny piranhas. Mia, who was dressed in a fire-engine red dress that was indecently short, was seated in the front row next to Margie. Both of them were openly laughing as the room went crazy. Bids were being screamed from everywhere—and the amounts were in the thousands now. These women had more money than sense. Who would pay that much to go out with a stranger? They did know that this didn’t include sex, right?
There was one bidder sitting quietly at the end of the front row who kept discreetly raising her hand to outbid the last bid. Whereas the other women seem to have lost their composure and were now acting more like a bridal party at a male strip club, this woman was calm and collected. She appeared to be in her thirties with long, blonde hair and a blue cocktail dress. He admired her calm approach to the auction, but strangely enough, worried about what an evening with her would be like. She seemed too businesslike to be bidding on a date. She barely even looked at him. She seemed to be listening to each bid and automatically raising her hand. The other women might try to grab his crotch during the date, but this one just might try to emasculate him. Was he actually hoping that someone else would win? Why in the hell hadn’t he instructed Margie to buy him? He could have given her the money. The thought had never crossed his mind.
The bidding finally ended at $18,000 with him being sold to the eerily calm blonde in the front row. The amount of money boggled his mind. He had contributed more to various charities than that last year, but he would have never paid that much for a date. Of course, looking into Mia’s twinkling eyes and seeing the way her dress had crept up to expose a mile of tanned thigh, he had to wonder if he was wrong. How much would he give for one date with her? He averted his gaze and tried to shake her from his thoughts. Maybe the mystery blonde who had paid so much for a date would be a good distraction. Hell, she was attractive and he needed to get his mind off Mia. She was a complication that he didn’t need right now.
* * *
Mia couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed something more. Watching Seth shift uncomfortably on stage while the women in the audience went crazy was hilarious! Beside her, Margie added to the noise level with some encouraging wolf whistles of her own. She had to admit, he did look amazingly hot in his tailored suit. The fact that he wasn’t even trying to work the crowd like his predecessors made him that much more desirable. Women tended to want the men who didn’t seem interested and he was definitely giving off that vibe. When the bidding started, women were screaming amounts. As the action continued though a blonde at the end of their row clearly became the front runner. No matter the top bid, she would immediately counter it. She smiled at Seth, but found herself becoming strangely annoyed at this woman’s determination to have him. She wasn’t surrounded by a group of friends egging her on as many of the others were. No, she worked it almost like a job. Mia had no doubt: this woman was going to win the date with Seth. Why that bothered her, she had no idea, but it did.
When the bidding ended, Margie leaned in saying, “I can’t believe he sold for that much. I’m never going to be able to live with him. He’ll probably demand I call him Mr. Jackson now and spend half the day staring at himself in the mirror.” Nodding to where the winner was acknowledging everyone’s congratulations with polite nods, she added, “Boy, Blondie sure is hot for him, isn’t she? He might get more than he bargained for out of that one.”
Mia had to admit that she was curious. She knew most of the people here tonight and she was certain she had never seen the woman before. Looking back at Margie she asked, “Do you know who she is?”
Margie shook her head. “Nope, I sure don’t. She seems a little calm though to be buying a date. What do you think? Maybe she went off her meds recently?”
Mia giggled at Margie’s joke. She really did like Seth’s assistant. It made her wish that she had this kind of relationship with her own mother. What would it be like to actually joke and have fun with her rather than the distant relationship that they had? Oh, well, if that hadn’t happened by now, it wasn’t likely to.
“Even uptight women get horny, ya know,” Mia deadpanned, which sent Margie into a fit of laughter loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
When she had calmed down, Margie said with a wink, “Honey, we all get the urge, but if I’m gonna buy it, it’s not going to be in public.”
