The Allure of Dean Harper (The Allure #2)(39)

“Lily!” Zoe yelled, jumping up to greet her.

Lily smiled, but her focus was still on me.

She looked different, like for once she wasn’t shying away from her absolute beauty. She was making a show of it, as if she knew exactly the kind of power she wielded.

Her red-stained lips curled into a smirk and she pressed a piece of paper to my chest. I reached for it, gripping her hand along with the slip of paper.

She shook her head and pulled her hand away.

This was a game and the rules were clear: she wasn’t mine for the night. I didn’t deserve her.

“That sheet of paper has the names and emails of three prominent food bloggers who would like to be invited to our grand opening.”

I smiled.

“Jessica Kepner writes a weekly column for the Times. She’s a tapas fanatic and wants to do an in-depth interview with you and the team. Her info is on the back. She’s expecting you to call her next week.”

I thought I might have fallen in love with Lily in that moment.

She leaned closer so that her lips were a few inches from my face. I focused there as she bit out the last few words. “I might not know as much about this world as you do, but I deserve your best semblance of respect. You don’t get to send me home because I didn’t kiss that chef’s ass. This is my job, and it's time for you to realize that I’m good at it.”

She walked away before I could pick my jaw up off the floor. She wasn’t going to let me win that easily. Hell, she probably wasn’t going to let me win at all. I stood and smiled.

Game on.

…



I found Lily by the bar, waiting on a drink.

“Can we talk for a second?” I whispered against her ear. “Alone?”

She ignored me, bending forward to try to get the bartender’s attention. Fortunately for me, he had a hundred other customers vying for a drink. I reached out and gripped her arm. Her skin was so soft beneath my fingers, I wanted to trace the curve of her arm, up to her neck and beyond.

She flinched and tried to pull her arm back. “Let go of me, Dean.”

“Come talk to me.”

She tilted her head and narrowed her smoky eyes up at me. “You know, I think I’d rather stay here. Maybe another time.”

She twisted around, trying to walk away, but I still had a grip on her arm. She winced and I knew I was hurting her, but I couldn’t let go. My fingers were wrapped around her arm and if I let her go, she’d slip back into the dim lights of the club, free to do whatever she wanted.

“Lily, you good?”

The guy from earlier—the one who’d hated to see her walk away—was back and about to find my last nerve. His too-tight Izod shirt was tucked into his jeans and the bright salmon color confirmed the fact that he wouldn’t know what to do with a woman like Lily if he were ever lucky enough to have her.

“Who’s this? Is he hitting on you?”

She laughed and the hollow sound sliced through me.

“No. This is my boss.”

Her tone was icy and distant. When she turned back to stare at me, I knew I’d lost whatever grip I’d once had on her. My fingers slid from her arm and I stared down at the red imprint I’d caused. It faded almost instantly, her tan overwhelming the redness as she let the guy lead her toward a dark corner of the club. I stood immobile, letting the crowd press into me, jostling and yelling out drink orders I couldn’t hear.





Chapter Thirty-One


Lily





It was painful to walk away from Dean. I’d thought it would feel good to take Jo’s advice and give him a taste of his own medicine, but it left me on edge. What if that was it? I’d wanted to push a little, but what if I’d pushed him away for good? Was I prepared to see him with another woman? Prepared to never share another night with him?

I grabbed a linen paper towel from the club’s bathroom sink and wiped my hands, steering my gaze clear of the mirror. I knew if I looked there it’d be harder to ignore my true desire. The makeup, the dress? It was all for him. I’d told myself it was for the job, that I needed to look my best for the meet and greet, but mostly I’d just wanted Dean to eat his words. I wanted him to see me for the asset that I was and beg for one more night with me.

I shook my head free of those thoughts and pushed through the bathroom door. I could smell Hunter’s cologne before I saw him. It was a heavy, spiced scent that felt the same as secondhand smoke when it hit my nostrils.

“There you are, Lily,” he mumbled, practically licking his lips.

I sneered. He was one of the few people that made my hair stand on end whenever he was near, and I took it as a sign to stay away from him.

“What do you need, Hunter?”

He stepped forward and the top half of his drink slipped out over the edge. That’s when I picked up on his heavy eyelids and half-untucked shirt—the man was three sheets to the wind.

“Lily. Lily. Lily. You’re so beautiful. It’s so painful to work with you every day.”

I swallowed and stepped to the side, toward the end of the hallway. The club was packed, but the small alcove with the bathrooms was annoyingly empty. I didn’t think Hunter had it in him to attack, but even so, I wanted to get away from him and his waterlogged words as soon as possible.