Wyatt knew he was reading too much into it, fast-forwarding Kade and Kelsey’s life like some epilogue in a romantic comedy, but he couldn’t help it. Oh, remember how me met, sweetie? We were at that island party and I was with . . . what was his name? That guy with the glasses who paid me to pose as his girlfriend? I wonder what ever happened to him.
Wyatt moved closer to Kelsey and grasped her hand, while she and Kade talked about how impressive the appetizer spread was tonight. But he barely heard the conversation, his heart thumping loud enough to drown out the words and the steel drums in the background. Wyatt had no idea what was going on with him. Never before had he ever had an issue keeping things business-like and casual with a woman. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion he entertained. Not since Mia. And even with her, it’d been a fleeting state. He hadn’t fought for her when she’d used those other men to get his attention. He’d simply cut her off, removed the unproductive emotion. She’d wanted him to fight and challenge, and instead, he’d walked away and left a vulnerable woman feeling worthless.
Regardless, right now he had an overwhelming urge to stake his claim on Kelsey, to be the kind of guy who was offering her so much that no other man could possibly compete. But he had no idea if he was even capable of being that guy. Sure, in fantasyland he could picture coming home to find her humming to herself in his kitchen while she created some new dish for them to eat. He could imagine her curled up on the couch in the media room while he introduced her to movies she’d never seen. Waking up next to her in the mornings. The images dug deep, cavernous holes in his chest.
But he hadn’t been lying to her when he’d told her he didn’t have room in his life for a relationship. The business took so many hours, so much energy. Kelsey would wither from neglect. And that would kill him . . .
Kelsey nudged him, cutting off her conversation with Kade mid-sentence. “Hey, is that the guy throwing this whole clambake?”
“Huh?” Wyatt asked, taking a second to shake off the morose reel of thoughts in his head, then looked in the direction Kelsey was nodding toward. A man had entered the party and already had a cluster of people gathering around him. Ah, fucking perfect. Just what he needed right now. “Yeah, that’s Carmichael.”
“You know him?” Kade asked.
“Yeah, don’t you?”
“Nah, have never met him in person,” Kade said, sipping his champagne. “I only got an invite because he’s interested in putting a few of my restaurant concepts in one of his hotel chains.”
“Nice,” Kelsey said.
Kade shrugged. “We’ll see. I’ve heard he can be a little difficult to work with.”
“He’s a prick,” Wyatt said in too foul of a mood to fake it.
Kade laughed good-naturedly. “Yeah, but when it comes to business, aren’t we all?”
Wyatt frowned, the statement hitting a little too close to the mark. “Being hard-nosed and being a dick are two different things.”
Kade raised his glass. “True enough. But if you dislike the guy so much, why are you here?”
Wyatt started to answer. The truth was as simple as could be. The company needed accounts like Andrew Carmichael. His dad wanted accounts like those. For the bottom line, for bragging rights, for a big fuck you to their competitors. But watching all the other partygoers fawn all over Carmichael like he was the second coming made Wyatt want to spit. It was all so fake, bullshit piled on top of bullshit wrapped up in sugary compliments and ass-kissing. And he knew, right then, that this was going to be the first time in his life he wasn’t going to follow his father’s directive.
“You know what, Kade? That’s a good fucking question.”
Kelsey’s head snapped his way, her eyebrows scrunched. “Wyatt.”
“Excuse us, Kade,” he said, tugging on Kelsey’s hand. “I think it’s time for a dance with my girl while everybody else verbally jerks off Carmichael.”
Kade grinned and gave a little head tip. “Enjoy yourselves. I’m sure we’ll see each other around this week.”
Kelsey sent Wyatt a questioning look as they gave the knot of people around Carmichael wide berth and headed toward the now abandoned dance floor. Once they reached it, he pulled her against him, finding calm in the feel of her warmth and the sweet scent of her shampoo.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she easily fell into step with his lead. “Isn’t that guy the main reason we’re here? Ignoring him is going to look rude.”
“Change of plans.” He spun her out from him, then guided her back. The steel drum band played an up-tempo beat.
She blew out a breath, clearly exasperated. “Meaning?”
“I thought maybe I could get past my dislike for the guy to do what’s best for the company, but I can’t even look at him without wanting to punch that smarmy smile off his face. I don’t want his money. He’s a bad human being. I don’t want to build more fortune for him.”
“But your father—”
“Is going to fucking deal with it,” Wyatt said, his words resolute. “And if he doesn’t, let him fire me.”
Kelsey’s eyes went wide. “Shit. Can he do that?”
“Technically, yes. But he won’t. He’s smarter than that.”
“Wyatt, I don’t know . . .”