“Hey handsome,” I said, giving him a small smile.
“Hey sexy.”
He looked incredible in a dark jacket and a snowy white shirt. His hair was slicked back, giving him a dangerous look that was completely irresistible. His eyes gleamed darkly in the brightly lit corridor.
He reached for me and touched my hair, tenderly smoothing a runaway strand. “Amy said you were here.”
“Oh.” I smiled, my breath catching at the gentleness in his touch. “She thinks you have a girlfriend.
He raised an eyebrow and started to say something before thinking better of it. “Colin is on his way,” he told me. “I thought we might stay for a while then we could all get dinner someplace quieter.”
“That sounds nice.”
He nodded. We were both quiet. “Want to go back to join the party?” he asked.
I was still wondering what he had been about to say. I studied his face, smiling. “Do you have other plans for me?”
“Maybe.” We walked silently back toward the gallery, but just before we reached it, he opened a door that led out to a small balcony. It was about three floors above ground level, so not that high, but it overlooked a well-kept park, which made it a beautiful location, especially at night.
“I’m not really in the mood for popular music,” he confessed. There was a serious note in his voice, and I found myself wondering again what he had stopped himself from saying.
“Me neither,” I replied. I walked out onto the balcony and leaned on the railings, looking out into the night, then turned around to face him. “It’s nice up here.”
“It is,” he agreed. “I’m selling my stake in the club to Rico,” he told me. “He’s doing a great job running the place, and I have a lot of other things on my plate.”
I knew he did. He ran his investment company and also ran the Wild Card Foundation, where he dedicated some of his time and resources to teaching entrepreneurial youth from diverse backgrounds how to position their budding dreams to get
funding and sponsorship.
He wasn’t just a sexy body, that was for sure. He was an intensely attractive man who was impressive and intriguing in every way.
I thought of the lines of people always waiting to get into the club. “He is doing a great job. You picked the right person to back.”
Jason smiled. “I always do.”
I chuckled, agreeing. “Like in there”—I inclined my head toward the interior of the club—“you mentored that guy through your foundation.”
“Desi?” he said, naming the young CEO, and nodded. “Yeah, and his ideas and presentation turned out so good, I had to compete with other VCs to invest in his company.”
“Well, I’m glad he picked you.” I walked my fingers over his sleeve then frowned and stopped. “What will happen to the name of the club?” I liked it. Wild Things—it made me think of him and me, and how when I was with him, all my inhibitions fell away.
“I own it.” He grinned. “So long as Rico uses it, I’ll get paid.”
“Good for you.” I knew he used his money and considerable advantages conscientiously, which was something else I loved about him.
Loved.
I sighed. I couldn’t run from the realization any longer. I had feelings for him, and they weren’t going to go away, no matter how long I pretended sex was enough.
Once, he’d wanted to be there for me and make sure I was never alone again. I wondered if he still felt that way.
I took his hand. “What were you going to say before?”
His expression was guarded. He shrugged and ran a finger along the length of my lower lip. “When?”
“When I said Amy thinks you have a girlfriend.”
He chuckled and took a step back. “Nothing. I don’t have a girlfriend.” His eyes drifted lazily over me. “What I have is a very sexy, very distracting booty call, which works perfectly for the both of us.”