“He’s late,” a voice to his right said.
Brock turned and came face to face with the CEO of Titus Enterprises. She and his grandfather were rarely in the same room together.
They couldn’t stand one another.
Their fights alone had made national news, when in a fury she’d thrown a pencil at his head during a charity board meeting.
If the Wellingtons were the Kennedys of the south, then the Titus family was the Vanderbilts of the Pacific Northwest. Both companies had set out with the mindset of world domination, and both companies had had their share of scandal.
Then again, with a woman like Nadine at the helm of Titus, it was no shock at all. Her dangerously low-cut silk ball gown had a bright red bow wrapped around her neck and matched her lipstick perfectly. With heavy eyelashes and bright blond hair, she looked to be somewhere around her mid-sixties rather than pushing eighty-nine.
“Well?” Her penciled brows drew together in a furrow. “Where’s that damn grandfather of yours?” She rolled her eyes. “Charles never did understand the point of being punctual. Why, last time we went to dinner and—”
Brock’s eyes narrowed. “Dinner? You shared a meal? Broke bread?”
“Yes, and I only managed to stab him twice.” She adjusted her short black velvet gloves and shrugged one shoulder. “He took all of my silverware before I had the chance to inflict more violence. The bastard just kept pouring me more wine.”
“How horrible for you.”
“Dreadful man, getting a woman drunk for his own pleasure!”
Brock coughed into his hand. “This isn’t awkward, this conversation.”
“Boy, ain’t nothing awkward about a man and a woman engaging in a nice meal and having the consensual three S’s.”
Brock stared at her, then toward the door. “I’m almost scared to ask this, but why three S’s?”
“Oh.” She touched his arm lightly. “How sad. Do you not understand how to woo a woman properly? No wonder you needed my help.” She grinned brightly. “You know, I have some incredible lithographs of the Kama Sutra and—”
“No thanks.” He took a step away while she pouted.
“Oh, I see.” Her eyes suddenly widened. “You haven’t conquered young Jane yet. Are you a virgin?”
She yelled the last part. She clearly wanted to embarrass him and create a scene because that’s what she did best.
He groaned as he noticed the curious stares from people around them.
“Hilarious,” he murmured while she laughed to herself. “Keep your voice down.” The last part was said on a hiss.
“Scared of breasts.” She nodded knowingly. “Well, boy, they aren’t gonna smother you if that’s what you’re afraid of. Worse comes to worst, hold your breath.”
“Great advice. I’ll be sure to pass it along to someone who actually needs it.”
“Asphyxiation during coitus used to be a thing, you know, back in the seventies.”
Why was the woman still talking about sex? God. She was almost more trouble than she was worth. He took a gulp of champagne.
“When I wore the knit tops with no bra.”
Brock spit out his champagne in shock then wiped his mouth, while Nadine kept talking about breasts. Then, thankfully, his grandfather appeared.
This was it.
“Such a wicked handsome man.” Nadine sighed next to him. “Too bad he has the manners of a bastard son of a whore.”
She said it so politely one would think she was almost complimenting him.
Brock glared as his grandfather slowly and very casually made his way toward them. “I trust everything’s in order?”
Nadine let out a snort. “Good to see you, Charles.” She drew out the ‘s’ in his name and leaned forward, her somehow still perky breasts parted like the Red Sea as her dress nearly came off her chest.
“Nadine.” His grandfather said through gritted teeth. “New dress?”
“Yes.” She beamed.
“Did you steal it from a teenager?”
“Yes.” Nadine scowled. “That’s exactly what I did, right after cheer practice, where I performed splits in the air and made love with Johnny in the locker room.”
“Bring him up again and I’ll strangle you.” His grin was still in place but his face was red.
“Johnny?” Brock repeated.
“Your grandfather certainly didn’t peak until…after high school.” Nadine giggled behind her hand.
His grandfather took a menacing step toward Nadine but Brock stopped him. “Are we ready to begin?” And then his breath caught in his throat as the love of his life waltzed into the room. “Jane.”
She moved through the crowd with so much grace it hurt to watch her.
And Brock’s heart nearly stopped.
“Holy shit.” He sucked in and choked on the same breath while Jane looked down at her feet then up at him.
The glass slippers. Well, his version of them, anyway. She’d worn them.
“She’s absolutely lovely, Brock, and my my, what an entrance!”
Blood roared in Brock’s ears as the entire room fell silent. Jane was looking at him, walking toward him. She was his.