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I’m not sure when he started to infiltrate my defenses. It seems like he hated me at first, and there was no love lost on my end either. But slowly—or maybe quickly, when I wasn’t looking—he started to seep into my senses. I began to see the man beneath the image, and I liked what I saw. There’s so much more to him than I originally thought.
Why couldn’t he have stayed the bad guy? Then, my stomach wouldn’t be in knots, and I wouldn’t be in turmoil now, hiding in the corner.
Sam has always been an Adonis on and off the ice. But he was also always untouchable to me somehow. Someone I was content to admire and appreciate from afar, but a man I had no desire to really know. I was happy to buy into the notions about him being selfish and shallow and to let everyone else fight over him. It was easier to keep him at arm’s length that way. Less dangerous.
If I never care too much, I can never get hurt.
My first mistake was taking this job because it eliminated the space. The second was when I started noticing all his small, unexpected acts of kindness. The ones that shattered my preconceived notions. Breakfast that morning in Seattle. Our late-night picnic by the pool that night in Cali that I enjoyed more than I’d expected to. The spa treatments the day after. My art room …
And suddenly, piece by piece, my illusions about Sam were broken apart until I started to see him. Really see him.
“How’s that gin and tonic?” His familiar voice rumbles from behind, bringing a soft smile to my face and chills across my skin.
I was hiding, but I wanted him to find me. I don’t turn around.
“It’s good. You want some?”
He brushes my arm as he moves, only stopping when he’s standing in front of me, looking devastatingly handsome. He runs a hand through his mussed locks, messing them up further. I grasp my glass harder to resist touching him.
“I don’t want a drink.” He shakes his head, his eyes hooded as he looks at me. “What I want is for you to dance with me.”
There was a time when Sam would be the last person I’d want to dance with. But now …
Oh, how the righteous fall.
There’s a slow song playing overhead, and dozens of couples are on the floor in front of the stage.
He removes the glass from my hand, setting it on an empty table next to me. He takes my hand and leads me to the center. I go willingly. Sam watches me as he pulls me into his arms. I drag my hands along his lapels and lace them around his neck. My breasts are pressed against his chest as he tugs me even closer. If I look up, our lips will be mere inches away. I’m hyperaware of every inhale and every exhale we both make.
Sam starts swaying, but barely. He mostly just holds me. I can sense other eyes on us, but for once, I’m more focused on him. Everyone else in the room fades away, along with my doubts.
“Where have you been hiding all night?” he murmurs.
“I’ve been right here,” I counter, although we both know that’s not true. I disappeared into the crowd after the auction, allowing my insecurities to lead me away.
“Hiding in plain sight, huh?”
“Something like that.”
He brushes a piece of hair from my face. His eyes drop to my lips. “I’ve been looking for you.”
“You’ve had a lot going on tonight,” I say softly. “A lot of people vying for your attention.”
“Yes,” he agrees. “But I’ve been fighting for yours.”
“You’ve got it,” I admit freely, liking his confession a little too much.
“Do I?” His brow rises. He glances around. “I think I have some competition. I don’t seem to be the only one here wanting your attention.”
I tilt my head. “What do you mean?”
“Have you not noticed all the men watching you tonight? Eyeing that ridiculously high slit in your dress.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re just saying that to make me feel good. No one’s paying any attention to me.”
“Look around,” he challenges.
So, I do. A couple of men glance away when I meet their stares. One holds steady, forcing me to look in another direction. My attention goes back to the man holding me.
