The Unblocked Collection (11 page)

“They did an amazing job,” I said as I looked up to appreciate the women. They smiled back at me. “But…I feel naked.” There had been some changes made to the dress after Brea and I had stopped by the designer’s studio for a fitting the night before, and they were changes I hadn’t asked for. The V that cut in between my chest plunged down even farther, the fabric that hugged the sides of my breasts was pushing them closer together, and the bottom hem had been taken up a few inches. The result was much more cleavage and thighs.

Brea was always trying to get me to show more of my body. I had a feeling she had requested these alterations especially for that purpose.

I worked hard for my lean frame and wasn’t opposed to revealing some skin. But I was leery of how much I showed, where and when. Work monopolized my mind; my father’s conservative approach echoed inside it. I would be attending what was, for all intents and purposes, a business event, so was displaying this much cleavage and leg really appropriate for tonight?

“Stop it,” Brea said, standing behind me, staring at the same reflection. “I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not too much. I promise.”

“I don’t know.”

She rested her hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face her. We were usually the same height, our five-seven frames always equal in our heels. But tonight I towered over her as she wore flats. “You have reservations, and I know why, but you need to let those go tonight. I want you to show Reed how badly he fucked up and what he lost because…” She stopped to take a breath, her chin quivering, pain flickering across her eyes. There was often a hint of it in there, though most times it wasn’t as obvious as it was now. “…because I’m not able to do that to Cody.”

She didn’t have to say another word. “I’ll wear it for you.”

The wine was bringing back the memories. Last year had been difficult on both of us. We’d both been hit with tragedies, and though they weren’t at all similar, the hurt and devastation caused by each was just as deep. She had only been my assistant for a few weeks at that point, promoted from one of my part-time interns after graduating with her marketing degree. I was there when she received the phone call. A few weeks later, she was the first person I had called when I’d stumbled out of Reed’s condo. Both incidents had changed our lives forever.

She lifted a length of hair off my shoulder and twirled it around her finger. “You really do look gorgeous.”

“I look—”

“More exposed than usual…and that’s okay.”

I glanced at the mirror again. Exposed, yes—and sexy. Sexier than I had felt in a really long time, maybe even as long ago as the beginning of my relationship with Reed. I knew this dress would make me feel seductive, but I hadn’t expected the feelings to be this strong. Still, that didn’t change my fears about going to the party, it just eased my nerves about what I would be wearing.

My phone chimed from inside my purse. Brea retrieved it from the table and handed it to me. It was a text from Anna:

Try to have fun tonight, baby girl. I’ll be thinking about you. xoxo

There was a knock at the door, which startled us both. Brea took my jacket off the couch and wrapped it around my shoulders, pulling my hair out from underneath. “Are you ready?”

I paused for a second and nodded.

“Promise to call me in the morning to tell me all the gossip?”

“I promise.”

She turned my head and did a last minute check of my makeup. “Reed is going to
diiiie
when he sees you.”

“I doubt that,” I said, letting her take my hand and walk me to the door. “Let’s just hope he leaves me alone tonight.” He’d been calling and texting frequently over the last few months, none of which I had returned. I had a feeling he’d try and make contact in person next.

Brea opened the door for Zack. She was right…he was extremely attractive. He was also well-groomed and stylish, dressed in a sharp black suit, a starched white shirt and light blue tie. Silver cufflinks peeked out the sleeves of his jacket.

“Frankie, hi…
wow
,” he said.

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. “Hello, Zack.”

“Are you ready, or should we—”

“She’s ready,” Brea said, gently guiding me into the hallway. “You two have fun tonight. I’m just going to help the girls clean up, and then we’re out of here.” She winked and shut the door. I pushed the button for the private elevator that I shared with the penthouse on the other side of the building. I felt Zack’s dark eyes on me, even when I stepped inside and hit the button for the lobby. I also felt his nervous energy…or maybe it was just my own. Was he fixing something on his jacket or just fidgeting? I couldn’t tell. But I knew one of us needed to break the silence. “Thanks for coming tonight,” I said.

“No, thank you. I never imagined I would be attending the ball within my first year.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Or getting to see one of the penthouses in this building, even though I didn’t make it past the foyer.” Aside from Brea and a few previous assistants, I didn’t bring any of our agents to my condo. He was somewhere not many people in my professional life would ever be. I wanted my life beyond work to stay private. “What drew you to this building?” he asked.

“My first large sale was in here. I fell in love with the building and knew I would live here one day.” My fingers slid over my Rolex. The commission from that sale had paid for the watch. “As soon as the penthouse was listed, I jumped on it.”

“Good move.” He paused, our eyes locking. For the briefest of seconds, I took him all in. I felt nothing. “I have one more year before I break any sales records, if I follow your path.”

“You’ll get there.”

He grinned. “You’re saying there’s hope?”

“My first job at the agency was in the mail room. Then I moved on to inventorying the office supplies, cleaning the bathrooms, and making photocopies for the agents, among many other shitty tasks. As long as you work hard, there’s always hope.”

The way his grin turned into a full smile told me he appreciated hearing my history, although I suspected he already knew it. If he was anything like me, he checked his facts before coming. “I’ll have to remember that when I’m dealing with an impossible seller.” When we arrived at the lobby, he held the elevator door open. “Please, after you.”

My driver was parked outside, standing next to the backseat of the company’s SUV. “Good evening, Ms. Jordan.”

I gently squeezed Norm’s shoulder. “Thanks for working the night shift tonight.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

I climbed into the back. Zack slid in after me, the movement sending me a whiff of his cologne. It was a rich blend of mint and ginger, a strong and mature scent that tied along nicely with his short buzz cut and wool peacoat. I thought about how Reed’s outfits coordinated even when he went to the gym, and he never left his condo unless he was shaved. Something told me he and Zack had that in common.

Zack was all polished and stylishly dressed, safe and probably even a little predictable. So why did I feel nothing when I looked at him? And yet, when Derek’s untended face crossed my thoughts and my dreams—his appearance the polar opposite of any man I had ever desired—I woke up with my fingers inside of my sex, moaning his name into my pillow?

“I hear this party is a little intense,” Zack said.

I laughed. It was a much-needed release that lightened the feeling that plagued my chest. “Anyone who is anyone will be there so it can be. Just enjoy yourself and try to meet as many people as you can.”

“I’ve been trying to partner with someone in the mortgage industry, but I haven’t had any luck. Maybe there’s someone you can introduce me to?”

I pulled the straps of my jacket, binding them even tighter, and tilted my face toward the window. We were only a few blocks from the party. I closed my eyes and visualized the glass of wine I’d order when I got there.

Of course I could introduce him to someone. There was an abundance of people in that industry, and many of them would be there tonight. Out of everyone, Reed was the best. He wouldn’t work with Zack, though; his sales weren’t large enough for Reed’s portfolio. But I was sure there was a broker in his office who would. “I know just the person for you to meet,” I said. I’d make the introduction, and then hopefully I’d be able to avoid Reed for the rest of the night.

***

Norm parked outside the hall. Zack was the first to climb out, helping me onto the sidewalk. Once inside, he gave me his drink order and waited in line to check our coats while I went straight to the bar. Attendance had doubled, so the venue had been changed from last year’s location. Even in the bigger space, it was still packed. The ballroom was even busier than the lobby; the music could barely be heard over all the chatter, and they’d probably drained the city of flowers considering the hundreds of vases scattered everywhere. At least ten bars were set up around the room. I chose the closest one.

“What can I get you?” the bartender asked. His eyes dipped briefly to my chest.

“Pinot noir, please, and a vodka tonic.”

“With a lime?”

“Yes, thank you.”

He placed a wine glass on the bar and began filling it. I wrapped my fingers around the stemless bottom and took a sip. Zack’s drink followed, and I handed the bartender a tip. Doing a quick scan of the room, I hadn’t even made the halfway mark before I paused on a face…a familiar one. One that peered back at me. In one hand, he held a short tumbler; the other ran through his milk chocolate curls.

Derek?

He nodded, seeming to read the question in my mind. His eyes narrowed and it felt like he was looking directly through my dress, seducing my skin with the warmth of his gaze. People passed me, one tapping my shoulder, another saying something as she walked by. I didn’t pay attention to them. Only one person in the room mattered at that moment…he was causing my face to flush. The heat spread down my chest, all the way to the valley between my breasts. I was back in my dream, only this time he was in the room with me. I broke from the intensity of his stare, dropping my eyes from his face. Even though this party had specified formal business attire, he was still so casually dressed—simple dark slacks, black matte leather shoes and a white button-down. No tie, and no jacket. He hadn’t even shaved, but at least his hair was gelled back and off his forehead.

His style did nothing for me; it was an eyesore, actually. So why did his coarse appearance have the same effect on me as his gaze? Why did I crave the feel of that scruff, of that messy beard scratching against the inside of my thighs? He was doing something to my body. He was making me feel a raw, passionate hunger that I’d never felt with Reed.

I needed to be closer to him.

My feet started moving, my desire building with each step, but my wariness was just as strong. He was my client; these feelings shouldn’t have existed within me. I knew the wine wasn’t making me any stronger, but I carried it anyway, walking toward him until a flash of blonde crossed my vision and brought me to a standstill. It was Julia. Her long golden hair whipped over Derek’s shoulder as her hands wrapped around his arm. The way she touched him made my stomach churn. If he were a ticket holder, I would have seen his name on the list…which meant he’d come here with her. The thought made me feel even sicker. It was just like Julia to invite a prospective client, try to get him naked and earn his business with whatever part of her body he wanted her to open. That must have meant she had no idea I’d landed the contract.

In some regard, she had outsmarted me; inviting him here was something I should have thought of. What surprised me was that he had accepted her invitation. Derek wasn’t stupid. He had to have known it came with a certain expectation. Maybe that’s what he wanted from her—not a contract, just to get her into bed.

Knowing how women like Julia operated, I was sure she wanted me to seethe in jealousy at seeing her on the arm of Boston’s newest and currently most desirable developer. I wouldn’t give her that satisfaction. I would, however, walk over and acknowledge my client. That was the right thing to do.

Just as my feet started moving again, Zack joined me. He took his drink from my hand, clinked his glass against mine, and thanked me for ordering it for him. Smiling, I turned toward Derek and immediately felt the air change. His eyes darkened, and his upper lip curled ever so slightly.

Maybe I wasn’t the only one who was jealous.

DEREK

I SAW FRANKIE
the second she walked up to the bar. I could smell her in the air…the sweetness that drifted from her body, the tropical scent that came from her hair. I saw how my gaze affected her when our eyes connected. She was surprised to see me. Excited. Her cheeks turned a deep pink, the color traveling all the way to her tits. She was aroused.

I had her.

And then I lost her.

Julia had touched me on purpose to mark me in front of her enemy. Had Frankie not been watching, I would have laughed at her attempt and made sure she never did it again. Instead, I allowed her to cling, giving her enough satisfaction so she wouldn’t cause a scene. Then I put several feet of distance between us. Frankie didn’t see that part. She was too occupied, too busy with a man who clinked his glass against hers in a toast. A man who got that gorgeous woman to smile.