The waiter returned with his scotch and he accepted it with a smile. He stood there sipping his drink, nodding at acquaintances as they passed by. He didn’t bother to engage in conversation. There was only one person he was interested in talking to.
Catching a glimpse of Olivia, he moved through the garden to intercept her. Her hair was styled differently, falling in soft curls around her shoulders. It was an unusually feminine look for her, but if the hammering in his chest was any indication, it suited her perfectly. He immediately wished she’d wear her hair down more often so he could tangle his hands in those golden waves.
Cole wove through the crowd, his eyes never leaving Olivia. He still couldn’t see her face, but he’d know those legs anywhere. She was wearing the lacy black dress and fuck-me heels, a promise he hoped she’d deliver on later. His imagination teased him with images of Olivia strutting around his bedroom in those heels—those heels and nothing else.
As he got closer, he noticed Olivia was with a group. He recognized her friend Chloe from the office, but he’d never seen the men before. Olivia laughed at something the blond one said and rested her hand on his arm. His blood ran cold. Who the hell was this guy, and why was she touching him? They looked awfully friendly, and the significance wasn’t lost on Cole. He had the sudden, inexplicable urge to punch a man he’d never even met.
He scanned the sea of bodies, searching for a familiar face. He smiled when Gabby appeared in front of him. If anyone would know who Olivia was talking to, it would be Gabby. Pritchard’s assistant had her finger on the gossip pulse of the whole agency.
“Evening, Gabby.” Cole nodded his head politely. “This is some party, huh?”
“If you like this sort of thing.” She smiled and took a sip of her wine. “Which I don’t.”
He laughed quietly. “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” he whispered. “I’m not a big fan either, but don’t tell Pritchard.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” she promised. Even in the low light, he could see she was blushing as a result of his attention. Gabby was rumored to be a gossip, but she seemed like a sweet girl, albeit one who was in way over her head at the office.
Cole glanced around casually. “Do you know who Olivia’s talking to? I don’t think I’ve met him yet,” he said, playing dumb. “I can’t recall seeing him around the office.”
“Oh, you wouldn’t have,” Gabby confirmed, happy to share her knowledge with the boss. “He doesn’t work at PBA. He’s Olivia’s date. Must be serious too, because she’s never brought a date to one of these things.”
A muscle in Cole’s jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together. She’d brought a date? Just a few days ago he was on his knees devouring her and here she was with a date? Flaunting it in his face?
“I guess there’s a first time for everything.” Gabby laughed. “Who knows? Maybe Olivia will finally get laid and loosen up a little.”
Cole leveled her with his eyes. “Excuse me.” Then he turned and stalked toward Olivia, with an emotion he couldn’t name twisting in his gut.
…
Olivia felt a familiar tingle low in her belly as her inner sex kitten roared to life. Cole. She’d hoped to avoid him this evening, keeping Alex at the edge of the crowd, but it seemed her luck had just run out. He was headed right toward them and closing in fast, the look on his face anything but friendly.
She summoned the most sincere smile she could and hoped for the best as Cole reached the edge of their little group.
“Cole, it’s so nice to see you.”
“Olivia. Chloe.” Cole nodded formally, his gaze settling on Alex. The hard set of his jaw was a stark contrast to the soft glow of the garden lights reflected in his dark gray eyes. He wore a black tux that Olivia was sure must have been tailor made. The cut of the jacket emphasized his broad shoulders and trim waist, doing little to distract her from the rock hard abs she knew lay beneath. The man had good genes, and the damn thing fit like a glove. “Lovely as always,” he continued. “And who are these lucky bastards?”
Olivia prayed for lightning, a black hole, or even a good old fashioned fainting spell—anything to escape. Chloe on the other hand, relished the opportunity to introduce their dates, completely oblivious to Olivia’s growing horror and the dangerous edge to Cole’s anything-but-innocent question.
“They are lucky, aren’t they?” Chloe gushed, waving her glass. “This is Kyle,” she poked her date in the ribs with her free hand, “and that Ken doll over there is Alex.”
Olivia searched the heavens. This had to be a friggin’ cosmic joke. Chloe needed to be cut off—STAT. And, really, didn’t she have enough problems already without adding a tipsy BFF to the mix? Before she could come up with anything intelligent to redirect the conversation, Chloe babbled on.