AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I feel the hazy, lusty fog evaporate in an instant, my focus laser-sharp once more. "I'm on my way. Have the IT team assembled and prepare a briefing room. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I turn to find Amara watching me with a mixture of concern and profound understanding. For a moment, I'm grateful for her grounding presence, her innate ability to sense the shift in my demeanor. Yet the scarlet gown was so tempting in my hands, as the music continues on, I regret every second that she’s no longer in my arms.
"I apologize," I murmur, offering her my arm in a reflexive gentlemanly gesture. “But business calls. Would you like a ride home?”
“I would love a ride, sir.” She accepts with a small nod, falling into step beside me as we make our way through the crowd of revelry. A charged silence hangs between us, thick with all the unspoken words, the heated tension from mere moments ago. God, the things she could do for my stress.
For now, I must put aside the dizzying, dizzying thoughts of Amara - her beauty, her intoxicating scent, the electrifying feel of her body against mine. There will be time to unpack...whatever that moment was...once the company's future is secured.
As we peel away from the glittering gala, climbing into the waiting town car, I can't resist one last, lingering glance at the smoldering woman beside me. She catches my eye, holding my gaze with an inscrutable expression.
In that moment, I am both enthralled and utterly terrified. The woman has bewitched me, shaken me to my very core in a way no other woman ever has. Yet she is also my bastion, my anchor in the turbulent seas of business I must navigate.
I turn away abruptly, frowning out the tinted window as the city blurs past. There are fires to put out, metaphorical and perhaps literal. I can sort out my conflicted feelings for my stunning assistant later.
For now, I am Grayson Winthrop, captain of industry, and I have a company to steer through these rough raging waters. I have both shareholders and a family to deal with.
Obsession and desire must be squashed, no matter how intoxicating the temptation. My focus, my priorities, must be the empire I've built.
Yet even as I steel my resolve, locking away the heated memories of our dance, I know one thing to be unshakably true.
Amara has awakened something ravenous inside me. And no matter where this night leads, nothing will be the same again.
Ringing interrupts the weighted silence.
I fumble for my phone again, squeezing my eyes shut in vague frustration. "Winthrop."
Amara watches with quiet concern as I listen to the rapid-fire updates from my assistant. A few terse responses punctuate the call before I abruptly end it.
I let out a long exhale, my posture stiffening as I face Amara once more. The red sparkles on her gown illuminate her face with curiosity. "My apologies. That was...a relatively uncontained situation back at the office."
Understanding dawns in those soulful eyes. She gives the smallest of nods. "Very well."
"Please, join me for dinner. Next Saturday." It's a request, not a command from her employer. My tone is soft, almost pleading. "Somewhere more conducive to a private conversation."
A hesitation, then, "Of course."
We ride the remainder of the way in loaded silence, energy crackling between us like a live wire. I steal furtive glances at her profile - those lips I'd nearly tasted, that elegant neck I'd ached to trail with unhurried kisses.
Like a sailor to rocky shoals, I am doomed to follow this enigmatic woman wherever she may lead.
The car slows before an upscale restaurant, one of the city's most exclusive and discreet locales. I exit first, rounding the vehicle to offer Amara my hand. An unnecessary formality, but one my body seems to crave.
She accepts with a tremulous smile, her fingers lacing with mine in a way that sets my pulse thrumming. As I lead her inside, the primal masculine part of me rejoices.
Tonight, one way or another, the stars will finally align. Amara's gravitational pull has become inescapable. And this time, Grayson Winthrop plans to do more than just dance with the flames consuming him.
7
AMARA
Grayson's invitation to a private dinner has caught me off guard, and I can't help but wonder what this evening has in store for us.
The elevator doors open, revealing the stunning rooftop restaurant of the city's most exclusive hotel. I step out, my heart racing with anticipation as I follow the hostess to the table with Grayson.
As we weave through the candlelit tables, I can't help but marvel at the breathtaking view of the city skyline, the twinkling lights below creating a magical atmosphere. The soft strains of a live jazz band fill the air, adding to the romantic ambiance.
As I look at him, I see a smile that makes my knees weak.
