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Chapter four

Declan

T he venue is top-notch, just how Claire likes it. It’s one of the many reasons I hired her. I don’t have time to plan events, much less oversee how my secretary spends money. She knows how to set these things up to keep the top spenders happy without going over budget on me, so I let her do her thing. The only instruction I gave her explicitly this year was to seat Noel beside me.

Guests have started to arrive. I order a whiskey on the rocks and make my way around the room, speaking to my clients and meeting their wives or associates. Aside from needing the tax write-off, most people attend this event for networking. Business deals will be made tonight, including my own if all goes as planned.

A longtime client of mine walks toward me with a man I haven’t met.

“Declan, I’d like you to meet Andrew Humphrey. Andrew, Declan Adams.”

I reach out to shake both of their hands. “Thank you for coming.”

“You’re the man putting this on, then? Velocity Logistics, right?” Andrew asks.

“That’s right,” I answer and take a drink.

“I’d like to talk business after dinner if you’ve got time.”

“I’ll find you. You both look a little empty handed. Should I give you directions to the bar? ”

They both laugh. “Just getting here, man. We’ll talk later,” Andrew says as they walk toward the open bar to order a drink.

I look around the large room watching it fill with people. This event has grown exactly as I hoped. Put on a black tie event with an open bar and make it invitation only; that’s how you draw in the fuckers at the top. I’ve bided my time, waiting for certain players to gain an interest. This year a couple of my bigger targets will be here. I plan to move on at least one of them this evening.

Three men to my left are locked into a pretty heated discussion when one of them notices something across the room. I follow his line of sight to see it isn’t something but someone. Deciding to watch how this plays out, I watch the man excuse himself from the group to approach Noel.

She’s wearing a tight, mermaid-style dress. The front cuts down in a low V showing off her round, perky tits. Her long brown hair is curled and down. My dick twitches at the way her tits bounce as she walks. She was gorgeous in high school, but now she’s a fucking siren.

Danny Price, a trust fund asshole, makes his way to her. I’m far enough away that I can’t overhear the conversation, so I satisfy myself with watching. She smiles at him politely and extends her hand out to shake his. He bends over to kiss the inside of her wrist instead, and now I want to fucking punch him. She pulls her hand away, and her smile falters. The persistent fucker doesn’t take the hint. Instead, he steps into her to whisper something in her ear.

Zander walks up beside me right as I’m about to walk over to them and asks, “What are we watching?”

I take a drink from my glass and nod my head toward Noel, who is standing her ground with Douche Bag.

He looks over and says, “Fuck, man. Is that your new flavor?”

“That’s Noel,” I counter.

Zander has never met her or even seen a picture of her, but he knows who she is.

He lets out a low whistle. “It’s time?”

“It’s time,” I say, taking another swig.

Zander was with me the night she got married. He jumped on a plane with me, no questions asked. It took three nights of drinking and fucking my way through Vegas before I wanted to talk about it. Even then, all I told him was her name and that I’d be there to take her when he fucked it up.

What he doesn’t know is that she should’ve been mine a long time ago. That she would’ve never been touched by anyone but me if her fucking dad wasn’t a greedy cunt. His plans are fucked now. I’ve had all the time I needed to make plans of my own. His pocket ace is actually mine now, and so is she.

A server walks in front of us holding a tray with champagne flutes. Grabbing one, I start walking. Before I make it to Noel, she has managed to say something that has Danny backstepping with his palms up. He turns around to continue walking away just as I’m passing by in her direction.

“Hey, man,” he nods in my direction. He’s clenching his jaw, obviously not pleased with being shot down.

Fucker .

When she sees me approaching, she smiles again, but her eyes give her away. They’re bright green, letting me know she is still pissed about whatever he said to her. I hand her the champagne and watch her take a long sip.

When she takes a break from downing the champagne, she says, “You clean up nice, Dec.”

“You are stunning,” I tell her.

She looks up at me with open curiosity. Her nerves from yesterday are gone. We stand perfectly still for a moment, neither of us wanting to look away. When she tilts her head to break eye contact, her hair falls in front of her face.

She looks back at me to see I’m still watching her, but this time it’s through the veil of her hair. I let out a growl at the sight that now has me picturing her on her knees looking up at me through messy hair. I reach out to touch the curl just below her jaw. She sucks in a breath but doesn’t pull away. Instead she looks up at me surprised. I run my knuckles from her jaw down the side of her neck.

“So soft but so fierce,” I say, admiring how she handled herself moments ago.

“Declan,” she breathes out my name and closes her eyes.

She tilts her head just enough that I’m no longer touching her. I let my hand drop but stay in her space.

“May I show you to your seat?” I offer.

She swallows and says, “Please.”

She matches my stride as we walk over to our table. When I hold out her chair, she notices my name on the placeholder card next to hers. I give no explanation, and she chooses not to ask.

“Can I get you something else to drink?” I lean down to ask her, noticing she has already finished off the champagne.

“I’d like a martini, please,” she says looking up at me.

“Hey stranger, make that two,” a woman behind me says.

I turn to see a tall blonde in an ice blue silk dress. I’m about to tell her she has mistaken me for someone else, but Noel speaks up from beside me.

“Declan, you remember Kate Hartford? ”

Once Noel says her name, I’m able to place her. She’s had some work done since the last time I saw her, but I remember her. She was buck wild in high school. I’m surprised to see that these two are friends. Opposites attract, I guess.

“Nice to see you, Kate,” I say.

“You too, and thanks for Noel’s plus one. I’ve actually been interested in attending this event. My brothers have been invited every year, but they always bring their wives.”

“Oh? Who are your brothers?” I ask. I don’t remember her having any brothers.

“Zach and Jeremiah Hartford. The Cozy Cup Coffee Franchise? That’s us,” she says proudly.

I nod. I don’t know them personally, but I don’t care to get into it.

“Have a seat, Kate. I’ll go get the drinks,” I excuse myself and walk toward the bar.

Zander, who is standing off to the side by a black door, nods to let me know he is ready for me. I text Claire about the martinis and slip into a dark hallway behind my best friend.

We walk in silence down the long hallway into a mostly empty storage room of sorts with only a few chairs pushed up against the walls. Two of my security guys stand on either side of the door with their legs open and arms crossed. The man sitting in the chair is unharmed but nervous, looking from one man to another.

“Mr. Sanchez, nice of you to join me,” I begin.

“Mr. Adams, I swear I didn’t know,” he says, quickly pleading his case.

“My policy is explicit. The driver checks all cargo before leaving with it. I supply your pistol and training to insure your protection in the event that a final check goes sideways. So, Mr. Sanchez, you are telling me you chose not to do your job as I am paying you to do it. Is that correct?” My voice is steady. I could be discussing the weather with a stranger.

“I did check, sir!”

Zander punches him, and his head flops over to the side, spit flying.

“Fuck!” He yells.

“Funny thing, Mr. Sanchez. I received a tip to check the cargo of your truck. They said your cousin was the one who loaded the extra boxes.”

“It must’ve happened after I checked everything! I swear I didn’t know!” He’s up from his chair to avoid Zander this time.

Both security guys grab him and hold him still.

“Then you failed to lock up after the final check?” I ask.

“Please, Mr. Adams, there’s been a misunderstanding. A mistake.”

I’m done listening to this bullshit. I’ve been in a shitty mood all afternoon after I got the phone call about this. I deliver a gut punch, and he doubles over to the floor. My guys let him fall, so I kick him hard in the side, feeling at least one rib break. Good.

“Mr. Sanchez, you’re fired, obviously. My friends here are going to help you out with delivering a message back to your family: Velocity isn’t interested in transporting your drugs,” I tell him.

He continues to beg for a chance to explain, which we all ignore.

I nod to Zander and leave them to finish without me. Walking back down the dark hall to the banquet room, I’m satisfied that his screams can’t be heard once I’m halfway back to the door.

Running shipments has its risks. I take all precautions to prevent hijackings and freeloaders, but it still happens occasionally. I usually stay with Zander until we’re done with the scum who try me, but I can’t have bloody knuckles tonight. If I play my cards right over the next few hours, I could check two items off my to do list.

Claire is waiting for me when I step out of the hall. I stand beside her for a moment to tuck the beast back down deep inside, taking some deep breaths as she checks my suit. Hosting an event requires me to be in a decent mood, which Sanchez was on the verge of ruining. Thankfully, Zander found him early enough to salvage the evening. When I’m ready, I nod to Claire, giving her the OK to adjust my tie and jacket.

“She’s exploring the silent auction area with her friend, sir,” she reports and hands me a whiskey on ice.

“Thank you, Claire,” I say and walk toward the silent auction to find the woman in the red dress.

On my way, I see Danny Price walking toward the restroom. Fucking perfect. No one else is around, so I follow in behind him and wait for him to pull his dick out before I slam his head into the wall.

“What the FUCK!” He hollers.

“Noel is mine,” I say through gritted teeth.

He turns around to see who is behind him, but I punch him in the nose just as his eyes widen in recognition.

“Fuck, man! I didn’t know! She turned me down anyway,” he rambles while wiping the blood off his face.

“You know now. Get the fuck out of here,” I warn.

He tucks himself back into his pants and leaves in a hurry.

Looking in the mirror, I smooth out my hair and suit again.

When I finally make it into the auction area, Noel and Kate are bidding on a set of skincare products. They seem to be enjoying themselves, so I keep my distance. I speak to a few of my clients while the girls walk around placing bids.

Fifteen minutes or so pass before the DJ makes an announcement letting everyone know to make their way back to the tables for dinner to be served. Noel and Kate wander through the rest of the auction tables in the direction of our table while a client continues to discuss contract details with me.

I return to the table just as servers come into view holding trays of appetizers. Noel’s back is to me, which is exposed in her dress. She’s breathtaking from any angle.

Taking the seat beside her, I dip my head so that my lips hover over her ear. “Enjoying yourself?”

A secretive smile spreads across her face. “I am, actually. If you put in a good word with the auctioneer to help me win that Hermes bag, I’d really enjoy that too.”

She turns to look at me, our lips only inches apart. The smile on her beautiful face fades, and her breath catches when she realizes I’m not going to back away. That’s right, sunshine. You won’t get away this time.

I give her a crooked smile before glancing down at her parted lips. She’s close enough that I could take them, but taking from her is the last thing I want. She’s going to give everything to me because she is going to need everything from me. She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth as though that could stop me if I didn’t already have other plans for her.

“You can hide it…for now,” I tell her, thumbing the sliver I can still see.

The flash in her eyes from my words, from my touch, is like a flare sent into the night sky beckoning me to do it anyway. To give us both what we wanted so many years ago.

Reminding myself where we are, I pull away from her. I have to adjust my hard cock under the tablecloth, so it isn’t pressed into the zipper of my pants. From the corner of my eye, I see her wiggle in her seat at the same time. Before I can stop myself, I give the tiny hand she has resting on the table a squeeze. My silent promise to make it better, and soon.

Across the table, Roman Hyde raises his glass to me. So it begins. The woman next to him initiates the conversation between us all.

“Mr. Adams, my husband has told me a good bit about you; however, he failed to mention how handsome you are.” She looks over at Noel to say, “Bravo, my dear, he is quite delectable.”

Noel sits up straighter and clears her throat but doesn’t deny the assumption.

Internally, I frown. Still playing whatever part someone else casts her in. I'll fix that soon, too.

Turning the table’s attention back to me, I give Mrs. Hyde an innocent smile and say, “Thank you. If only I could be so lucky.”

I look over to Noel to see her silently begging me to change the subject. Her face is composed, but she can’t hide the embarrassment in the coloring of her cheeks, so I oblige.

“Mr. Hyde, however, is a lucky man, I see,” I compliment Mrs. Hyde while giving her my most charming smile.

She beams at the compliment and leans into her husband, who also smiles.

“Please, call me Roman,” he interjects.

I nod and tell him, “Declan.”

“Declan, I’m in the market for a logistics company, and I’m told you’re the man to see. Now that I’ve seen you can handle my wife, I believe what I’ve heard may be true.”

Fucking right! “Roman, I’ll leave handling your wife to you. But I am open to hearing about your company’s needs.”

The table laughs, including Roman and his wife.

The courses are continuously placed in front of us. Everyone enjoys each one while chatting. I’m not one for idle conversation, but I play the part when I have to. As soon as dessert is served, I’m pulled into a discussion about how the weather affects my business. I find a way to turn the conversation to be more about the weather and less about me so the others can do more of the talking. While nodding in polite participation, I eavesdrop as Noel and Kate discuss mass production with the man to Kate’s left. Neither conversation is very enlightening, so I check my phone as soon as it vibrates in my pocket.

It's done.

This is Zander’s way of letting me know he was able to handle our business with Mr. Sanchez without any issues. I send back a response quickly.

I'll meet you at the warehouse at midnight.

When I slip my phone back into my pocket, I notice Noel is watching me.

“So, no date for the playboy?” She asks. Her face is flushed from the martinis, but she turns a slightly darker shade under my stare.

I raise an eyebrow at her boldness. “And what do you think you’re doing here?”

A tiny choking sound escapes as her lips part in surprise.

“And you brought a friend?” I decide to fuck with her a little.

“You said to bring a plus one,” she tries to back her way out.

So cute.

“I’m not at all disappointed either,” I praise. “A smoke show and an ice queen. Will that do for a ‘ playboy’?”

My dick throbs at the flash of anger running across her face. Her bright green eyes bore into me, and she sets her jaw.

I tap my knuckles on the table, and change the subject. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you, sunshine. What do you like to do for fun?” I lean back to see how she handles herself now that I’ve gotten under her skin.

Her head tilts a little, and she bites down on both lips before saying, “I still paint some.” She takes a long sip from her martini to finish it off. “Do you have any hobbies?”

Telling her my idea of fun would be seeing how hard I can make her come feels a little ill timed after giving her shit for the playboy comment, so I ask, “Would you like to join me?”

“Join you where?” She looks down to watch my hand as I unbutton my jacket.

“Where doesn’t matter much. The ‘what’ does require consent, though,” I watch her eyes widen before I clarify, “Come to the race track with me?”

“Oh,” she says and blushes, taking a sip of her water and shifting in her seat again.

“Next weekend, then?” I press while I have her confused.

“What? Oh. Maybe,” she says as she bites her bottom lip. “Just to watch, though,” she adds.

“No. To ride.” I decide to see how far I can push her.

She reaches for her water again, using the time to find a way out of the corner she’s backed into. The only way out is through.

“I don’t know,” she says looking down.

I lift her chin with a finger, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “I’ll keep you safe.”

She searches my face before she breathes out, “Okay. ”

“There she is.” I smile down at her.

She swallows as I hold her chin and stare into that beautiful soul she keeps hidden from the world. The free-spirited side of her just needs a little push. She’s been kept in an ivory tower for far too long, and I’m just the monster to rescue her.

Behind Noel’s shoulder Kate freezes mid-sentence in her attempt to get Noel’s attention. She smiles at me and clears her throat, effectively pulling Noel out of her trance. I take the opportunity to shift my attention back to Roman Hyde as the servers clear the tables of dessert plates.

“Care to join me for a cigar?” I ask.

“Absolutely,” he says and leans over to his wife to say something in her ear.

I excuse myself from the table, deciding not to interrupt Noel’s conversation she has now rejoined with Kate. Walking toward the billiard room to land one of the biggest contracts in my company’s history, I find myself preoccupied by the vanilla scent of my sunshine still lingering in a cloud around me.