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I replaced her glass of wine, got myself a bourbon on the rocks, and decided to make my play.
“So, it’s hard to imagine a gorgeous woman like yourself being at this soiree alone.”
“Oh, is it?” her eyes flashed at me, a slight smile tugging the corners of her thick, sensuous lips. She was just everything, the total package of sweetness with a nice spicy kick of street smarts. I felt the all too familiar thrill of the hunt. “How do you know I don’t have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t.” I gave her a little shrug. “But I’m interested enough to risk the embarrassing awkwardness to take a shot, anyway.”
“You think you can keep up with me?” She cocked an eyebrow.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that most of you Wall Street types are kind of bland and boring. I mean, my last boyfriend was a theater major who dressed up like Don Quixote and serenaded me with love poetry he wrote himself, so the bar is kind of high.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Ah, but seeing as he’s your ex-boyfriend, it must not have been enough.” I moved in a bit closer and stroked my finger along her arm. She didn’t shy away and offered me a sly smile before taking a sip of champagne. “And as far as us Wall Street types go, let’s just say I’m more adventurous than most.”
“So is that what I am to you? An adventure waiting to happen?”
I couldn’t tell if she was offended or not. I chose my next words tactfully, as if I were on a billion-dollar negotiation.
“I prefer to think of it as if we'd be going on an adventure together.”
She relaxed and looked at me from under lidded eyes. The smoky dark purple shadow she had chosen really made her eyes pop. I again felt as if I were being drawn into them, as inexorably as the sun rises.
“Good answer. Ivy.”
“Stan,” I replied, taking her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”
She gestured toward the balcony terrace. “Want to get out of here? Whenever I hear jazz music it sounds like a bunch of people playing different songs at the same time.”
“Of course.” I chuckled as I led her toward the balcony. “I don’t share your opinions on jazz, but I can respect them. I’m the same way about that music where people scream at the top of their lungs and sound like the cookie monster.”
She cackled and tugged the door open for me, which was a surprise. Was she making a statement, or did she really date such low-class bums that wouldn’t hold a door for a lady?
“So,” I said as we stared out over the city. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“Make money,” she said without hesitation. “Do what you love, right? But a close second would probably involve more adult-oriented activities…”
“I like to make money too,” I said softly, leaning in close. “But I like making love even more…”
I took her lips, then, and they tasted as sweet as ambrosia. My heart thudded in my chest, my body strained to reach her through the fabric of my suit. Every fiber of my being wanted to take her, to make her mine for the rest of that fiery evening.
After that kiss, the rest of the party went a lot better—so I’m told. I’m afraid I missed the rest of it because of Ivy’s company.
Chapter Two
Ivy
I don’t know why they scheduled the big DM acquisition party for a weeknight, but I do know that it turned out to be very inconvenient. I made this realization about seven AM when my alarm went off. I think I’d slept about three hours, tops.
A smile came to my lips even though I was tired. The memory of Stranger Stan and I hooking up in a supply room sprang easily to the surface. I was the last woman to just hook up with some guy I’d never met before at a party, but for some reason it felt right to sneak off with Stan.
I figured I deserved a red hot hookup, given how hard I worked. As a junior accounting analyst at the firm, I had a quota to get through every day. I often exceeded that quota, however, because I had ambitions far beyond my tiny cubicle.
Recently, I’d had one of those career-making moments. I’d detected an accounting error that could have cost the firm millions of dollars. One decimal place to the left, and we’d have wasted both time and money.
My accounting catch hadn’t gone unnoticed. I got called up to the office of the Chief Financial Officer, Chandler. He gave me a pat on the back and promised big things in store for me.