“Lance is being a tool,” she said.
“As usual, I might add. And I own shoes that are smarter than Killian’s date.”
Keri laughed and nodded in the direction of a tall, silver-haired man nearby. “Max Martin. CEO of the charity. You ready to meet him?”
I nodded. “I certainly am. A distraction from the personal stuff would be more than welcome right now.”
Hopefully I could dodge Lance until it was time for dinner. He was acting like an insecure idiot and seeing Killian had only reinforced how right I was to have broken up with him. I’d never really felt a strong, definitive spark with Lance and his antics tonight killed any feelings I might have had for him. But with Killian, I felt a bolt of lightning that was almost too powerful to resist.
Killian
Sidney had a way with people. I didn’t even have to hear what she was saying to the circle of people clustered around her to know why they were all smiling. She was engaging them in conversation, asking them questions, and then laughing and nodding as she listened to their responses.
Celia, on the other hand, was chattering about the great new spray tan place she’d found.
“No tan lines,” she’d proclaimed, waggling her brows up and down.
“Cool,” I said, sipping from my bottle of beer.
“I’m so glad you called me,” she continued. “I was starting to think you never would. I gave you my number like three weeks ago.”
“Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy recently.”
“You want to come and look at the silent auction stuff with me? I saw a gift certificate for a manicure place I want to bid on.”
I nodded toward Liam. “Why don’t you go check it out and I’ll catch up with you? I’ve gotta talk to Liam for a minute.”
“’Kay,” she said, as she walked carefully away in her sky-high heels.
I was relieved to have a break from her, which brought on a stab of guilt. I hadn’t planned on bringing a date tonight until I’d asked Sid to come with me. And when she told me she already had a date, I’d immediately decided to come up with one, too.
It was a shitty and immature move. And now I was stuck with Celia for the night.
My gaze went to Sidney and our eyes met. An invisible string seemed to draw us close together. She grabbed two glasses of champagne from a server’s tray and walked over to me, handing me one.
“Do I get you to myself for a little bit?” I asked.
She smiled and sipped the champagne. “I wish it could be longer.”
“Well, it could’ve been if you’d let me bring you here tonight,” I reminded her.
“Trust me, you wouldn’t have wanted to bring me as your date. I’m not your type.”
I gave her an amused glance. “You too rich for me, boss?”
“Too stuffy,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m Gucci, and you like hoochie.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Hoochie, huh? Is that what you think of me?”
She shrugged, a hint of sadness crossing her face. “I can tell you for certain that Celia and I are as different as night and day. For one thing, she seems rather agreeable to everything.”
I couldn’t keep from grinning as I tipped my glass up and drained it.
“What’s so bad about that?” I said in a low tone. “Only one person can be in control, and when I’m with a woman, it’s me.”
“Hmm.” She glanced around the room, looking at everything but me. “I suppose she’s perfect for you, then. I didn’t peg you for a man who just likes a woman to lay on her back and moan.”
My cock shifted to attention. Sid’s passive-aggressive, sexually charged words made me want to wrap my hand around her long, sleek ponytail and pull. I wanted to devour the milky-white skin on her neck.
I slid closer to her, about to murmur a response in her ear, when Lance appeared and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Sweetheart, Tom Ellsworth is here. Let’s go say hello.”
“You go ahead,” she said. “I’ll be over in a bit.”
Lance glanced my way and I caught a hint of aggravation. “I’ll wait for you,” he said.
“That’s okay. Please go ahead. I just have to talk business with Killian for a minute.”
An uncomfortable note of silence hung in the air before he walked away.
“Sweetheart?” I said, watching her expression. “What was that about? You let him call you that, but he’s not your boyfriend?”
She sighed deeply. “He’s in denial.”
“Maybe you should tell him to fuck off instead of being so nice to him.”
“After tonight, trust me, I’ll be telling him something very close to that.”
“Good,” I said. “You have fun with that.”
“Yeah. And you enjoy your mediocre romp in the sheets with what’s her name.”
“Who said I’m sleeping with her tonight?”
“Please, Killian. Why else would you endure her company for an entire evening?”
“I’m definitely in the mood to fuck, but I’ll be dropping Celia off on my way home. What about you? You sure you’re not gonna let Lance spread your legs tonight? If so, I hope he brought his Viagra.”
Sid smiled and rolled her eyes. “He’s forty-five, Killian. That doesn’t mean he’s impotent.”
“Answer the question, Sid.”
“No.” She sipped her champagne, looking nervous but not meeting my eyes. “I’m not sleeping with Lance.”
“Is this an on again, off again thing? You sure he’s not your boyfriend?”
“Very sure.”
“But you’ve fucked him before.”
“I said I’m not sleeping with him, alright?”
“You better not let that motherfucker eat your pussy.”
“Jesus, Killian. Who do you think you’re talking to?” she muttered.
“If you give me your number, I’ll text you later to make sure you’re going to bed alone,” I said, sighing as I saw Celia making her way toward us.
“There you are!” she squealed. “I’ve been looking all over for you! I thought you were going to come and look at the silent auction stuff.”
“You ready?” Sidney asked.
“For . . . ?” My attention was being pulled in two directions.
“My number.”
I pulled my phone out, entering her number as she gave it to me.
“Later, then,” she said, her eyes meeting mine.
“Later. I’m keeping my promise. You better keep yours.”
Her smile was full of unspoken words. But she didn’t have to say anything for me to know she wouldn’t be letting Lance fuck her tonight. I wondered if, like me, she was more turned on by what she and I weren’t going to share tonight, than by what would come easily with anyone else.
Sidney
I could hold up my end of an argument any day of the week, but when I was truly pissed I said absolutely nothing. Lance knew this, and during the entire drive back to my apartment he begged me to talk to him.
“We need to work this out, Sidney. I know I haven’t been the man you deserve, but I’m ready to try again. You know we make a great team.”