Chapter Ten
Theweekleadingup to the awards gala was a blur, but the night to start my assignment had finally arrived. Beautiful soft notes filled the ballroom, courtesy of the string quartet set up in the corner. They were currently playing a Shawn Mendes classic, as elegantly dressed men and women laughed, spoke, and danced at tonight’s function. It was funny how, thanks to Bridgerton, modern pop songs being played on cellos, violins, and sometimes a harp had become popular and made classical instruments seem less stuffy.
Over the last week, Alex had been researching information about our new objective. None of the information, thankfully, made our skin crawl. On paper, Jacob was an above-board kind of guy; donated over two million dollars to different charities and hospitals in the last financial year, contributed to several animal shelters, along with Lucky Paws, and had often been pictured at various food banks. There was little wonder how he had been named one of this year’s finalists and was tipped to win Philanthropist of the Year.
Though, it was a little nauseating reading all his good deeds. Maybe I was a pessimist or maybe I had spent far too long surrounded by assholes, but no one was that decent, and even if they were, surely, they wouldn’t need their ego stroked by winning some glass award to prove how much of a do-gooder they were.
Tonight’s event, however, would play out in the same manner as all the other expensive parties I’d attended in the past. Far too many pretentious hors d’oeuvres would be shoved under the noses of even more pretentious guests; guests who were only in attendance for the free alcohol and the social status. There would be small talk that would never step into the realm of a real conversation, because as long as they could brag about how much money they had, or how big their new yacht was, they didn’t care about anything deeper.
Will would have loved this shit. Thank fuck his wife had forbidden him from attending as my chaperon in the guise of my plus one. I loved Missy. She was perfect for Will and had him wrapped around her manicured little finger. It was a shame we didn’t spend more time together. Will was a different person, and vastly more tolerable when he was around his wife.
I stood watching Jacob from the balcony overlooking the dancefloor in the Newport Hotel, observing him like a lioness observed her prey. Countless single ladies all donning expensive gowns in varying shades of the colour spectrum tried their best to fight for his attention. Anyone with eyes could see he drew in women like a moth to a flame, with his flirtatious winks or cocky smiles. Yet he never seemed to take it further, displaying little interest in the girls who could very well be supermodels and were so brazenly throwing themselves at him.
Shawn Mendestransitioned into Maroon 5, and I found myself humming along with the music as my hips swayed in time to the lively beat. Jacob moved away from the edge of the dance floor, leaving his entourage of ladies disappointed, and meandered through the crowd, nodding at different businessmen in flashy suits whilst exchanging pleasantries with their dates until he arrived at the bar.
A bartender in a black suit and dickie bow handed Jacob a glass of champagne without request, and he took it, turning to lean his back against the bar. He scanned the sea of well-dressed individuals, deep in different conversations, almost as if he were looking for someone.
With this unobstructed view, I allowed myself to take a good look at Jacob Weston from my vantage point above. His dark brown hair had been styled in that way how guys run their hands through it a few times with gel and end up looking effortless.
The sleeves of the dark navy-blue tailored Dolce & Gabbana suit clung to his biceps, and the seams looked like they were struggling to contain his muscles. The designer was something I could spot a mile away, having an eye for labels in a non-snobby way. I liked clothes as much as the next girl, and well-dressed men in beautiful suits were enough to make any hot-blooded female take notice.
A gorgeous blonde sashayed up to the bar and slid her hand down Jacob’s tie, settling it on his waist. He looked down at her and purposely shoved the hand not holding his champagne glass in his trouser pocket. The same feeling of heat from the café returned. It wasn’t like the anticipation from the thrill of a job or the flutter that adrenaline created. It was warmer and made my heart beat faster. It was jealousy, and that was not an emotion I had time for in my life and certainly not while I was working, but watching her hand stroke down his tie made me want to cut a bitch.
She leant up on her toes, whispered something into his ear, and pulled back with eyes full of fervour as she bit her bottom lip. My teeth clenched as his eyes dropped down her thin frame. His hand came out from his pocket and moved to the small of her back as he leaned down to her ear, small puffs of air making wisps of her hair flutter as he spoke.
With a snap, a pair of piercing blue eyes focused on me. His lips quirked up at the edges as he dropped his gaze down what he could see of my body. That was a look that would make me want to throw my panties at him as if he was a rockstar. That was only if this dress lent itself to allow for underwear and not show a visible panty line, and also if I was stupid enough to want to do something like that.
Which I wasn’t. I was a professional, and in no certain terms would I want to do that for a target.
And I was a big fat liar.
I drew a sharp breath and stepped away from the railing. My heart was pounding in my chest and my mouth was dry. What the fuck was happening? I shook my head and laughed at the unsettling thoughts of jealousy now coupled with need, deciding there was no time like the present to start my assignment, especially if it meant I got to be a cockblock.
Slowly, I began gliding down the grand staircase towards the throng of guests, counting every stair as I descended and tried to calm my erratic heartbeat with each breath. Several pairs of eyes followed me as I crossed the floor in the direction of the bar and took my place next to Jacob and his blonde friend. I could feel his gaze burn down my red silk dress, trailing a river of heat down my spine, which created a delicious swirl in my stomach.
I clutched my small sequin purse tight as tiny little horny butterflies started to wake up from the cryogenically frozen state they had been forced into for years as I tried to get the attention of the bartender.
Tonight’s dress, unlike my other dresses, had no easy access for my gun so it was discreetly contained in my bag, the hard outline a comfort under my fingers and completely unknown to anyone but myself.
“Someone is in a mood this evening.” I heard the blonde whine with a pout on her thin pink lips. She moved her body closer to Jacob’s and pushed her breasts against his arm. “Perhaps I need to rectify that.”
I glanced down just as she slipped her foot out of her extremely high stiletto and began running her toes up his calf over the material of his trousers. The desperate act of seduction made me pity her. Almost.
“Can I get you anything to drink, miss?” the same bartender I had been watching asked, pulling my attention away from blondie’s toes to the man ready to take my order.
“The twenty-year-old Michter’s bourbon. Two cubes please,” I replied politely. I’d have rather asked for Four Roses, cheap and cheerful, but when in Rome?
“I beg your pardon, miss, but that bottle is reserved and...”
“Give this beautiful lady what she wants, Todd,” Jacob interjected, “and I’ll have the same.”
“Yes, sir,” Todd replied, scrambling around the bar to fulfil the drink order. Jacob angled his body to face mine, a coy smile lining his lips while the blonde woman moved to snake her arm around his, clearly trying to mark her territory. I kept my face blank at her attempt to claim Jacob. She’d have had a better chance if she pissed on him as, despite her best efforts, Jacob gently removed her arm and completely turned his back on her.
“Good choice,” he commented as Todd placed two diamond cut glasses containing the amber liquid with the two cubes of ice I’d requested in front of Jacob. Taking both, he held one of the glasses in my direction and took a sip of his own, never breaking eye contact. I watched as he traced his tongue along his bottom lip and licked away a single drop of bourbon. I couldn’t stop my eyes from following his movements, and my mouth was suddenly dry for the second time this evening. I wrapped my hand around his offering and swirled the glass once before taking a large sip. The warm liquid burned a path towards my stomach, giving me the gentle reminder I was working.
“Thanks,” I said softly, glancing away to watch the crowd as I ran my finger along the grooves of the glass, then took a second sip, which went down a lot smoother. The bourbon was roughly one thousand five-hundred dollars a bottle and worth every penny; rich, smooth dark chocolate truffle flavour coated my throat in a pleasant warmth you’d never find when drinking Four Roses neat.
“Isn’t that one of Versace’s summer collections from like two seasons ago?” Jacob’s wannabe date asked in a saccharine sweet voice, reappearing once again by his side, and gestured towards my outfit. She gave me a pitiful grimace, looking at me like there was no way on Earth I should be in the same room as Carlin Valley’s rich and elite wearing last season’s clothing.
I looked down at my dress, the red silk hugging my body like it had been designed specifically for me in mind. When Alex said Will had sent a dress, I had been sceptical of what he had chosen. This had been my mother’s from before she had left, and I’d found it buried in the back of her closet. I’d given it to Alex to keep at his house when I was a teenager, hoping I’d have the opportunity to wear it somewhere fancy one day.
My fingers ghosted the length of the fabric lying across my stomach as I looked at the blonde bitch who tried to belittle me. I smiled wide.
“This? Oh no, it’s much older than two seasons ago. At least fifteen, so I’d say vintage Versace?” I purred, yet instantly felt like a stuck-up cow and hated myself for lowering to her level. “I don’t see anything wrong with wearing pre-owned dresses to events. Especially ones that are in celebration of generosity to those less fortunate than others.”
Jacob hid a smirk behind his glass as the blonde scowled at me. The music changed to a slow tempo, and the blonde gasped in excitement, clutching at Jacob’s arm, her apparent huff forgotten. She tugged and tried to pull him towards the dance floor, which was rapidly filling with couples.
“Not now, Tiffany,” he said, shrugging out of her hold again and instead asked me, “Would you like to dance?”
I successfully managed to keep the surprise off my face. The thought of dancing at this event hadn’t even entered my mind when I arrived. Although I did love dancing, the last time I’d been somewhere where I had to do it with a partner was when I attended as Alex’s date to his high school formal, and even then, we bumbled our way around the floor until Mac took over.
I tossed back my bourbon, not wanting any to go to waste, and placed the empty glass on the bar, slipping my hand into Jacob’s open palm. His warm hand enclosed mine and his thumb ran faintly across my knuckles so naturally that I was almost certain he wasn’t aware he was even doing it.
The sea of people seemed to part as Jacob led us to the middle of the marble ballroom floor, positioning us right under a huge chandelier, but I hardly noticed a thing as he spun me around into his arms and began dancing in time to the piano.
“I am sorry about Tiffany. She was rude and can be a bit of a brat,” he said, his hand pressed firmly to the middle of my back, and his touch was instantly scalding. If I didn’t know the human hand couldn’t burn on contact, I would have been sure he’d have left a mark.
I shook my head, dismissing his apology, and finally tore my eyes from the knot of his thin black tie to the brilliant depth of his blue eyes.
“I wasn’t offended. No need to apologise on her behalf.”
The smile he gave at my response floored me. That smile was everything. His deep cerulean eyes were only on me while every eye of single, and perhaps not-so-single, women were on him. I tried not to let him affect me, battling to keep my face indifferent to our closeness, but between the heat of his body and the scent of his aftershave, I was on sensory overload. I didn’t know if it was the way he glided us around the dancefloor with such grandeur, or the way he dramatically dipped me backwards for his audience, but I couldn’t stop the smile that cracked through.
“Finally, she smiles.” He beamed down at me as my head hung upside down, nearly touching the floor. I laughed.
“Beautiful,” he whispered as he brought me right-side-up, and my body’s response to only one word was downright embarrassing. I wanted to be pressed against him as he whispered dirty things in my ear with that husky voice of his. Jacob’s hand slipped lower on my back and his fingers started to tap out a soundless melody, like he was playing the keys of the piano. I fought with every fibre in me not to close my eyes and sink into his touch.
“What kind of charity work do you do to be one of the finalists for tonight’s award?” I asked quickly, needing to take back some control as I feigned ignorance of knowing anything about my dance partner.
“Donations mostly,” he answered, spinning me under his arm, my hair fanning out wide before he caught me by the hip, bringing me closer to his body than before. “Mainly to various animal shelters, some homeless charities, and ones for research. I wish I could invest some of my actual time, but since my brother died, and I took over my father’s company, time is limited.”
I nodded, soaking in every word.
“But I was nominated for the work I’ve done over the past eighteen months for drug and alcohol abuse,” he continued, sadness shining in his eyes. “I wasn’t there for my brother when I should have been, and Brad’s Care is my way of ensuring what happened to him doesn’t happen to others.”
A pang of guilt hit my stomach. Like me, Jacob harboured the heartache of letting a sibling down in the most awful of ways. At least mine was still alive, but I should have been there for her, should have seen the signs and should have protected her. I didn’t need to imagine how Jacob must have felt.
“Anyway, the charity is doing amazing things. I’m really proud of it.” He perked up, but his smile had lost some of its shine. Tiny fissures tore into the piece of my heart that was dedicated to Chris, the only part that she had helped remain soft enough to keep me human. I so hoped his story wasn’t some kind of sick bullshit.
A distrustful mind; a necessary side effect in my line of work. One I sometimes wished I didn’t have.
“I think it’s wonderful you’ve managed to help others after something so terrible,” I said truthfully. God knows I wouldn’t be doing what I do myself if it wasn’t for what Ronan had done.
“Thank you,” he replied, running his thumb over my knuckles once again. “Enough about me, tell me about yourself...erm...”
“Stevie,” I finished. But then I froze.
Fuck.
I stepped back, breaking the invisible pull his strong arms seemed to create and my more than willing body seemed to give in far too easily. My eyes were wide and my lips parted as I scrambled to think of a way to salvage my massive fuck up.
Nope, nothing. Fucking idiot, Stevie!
“Excuse me.” I turned, and as calmly as I could, I walked away, removing myself from the room where the air had gotten too thick to breathe, too thick to think straight, and dashed out to the patio. Passing a waiter who held a tray of champagne, I grabbed two, downing one straight away and holding the other so tight in my fist I could have snapped the stem.
And the whole time I knew, Jacob Weston’s eyes were following me as I left.