Hardwired (The Hardwired Series 1)(14)

I sighed, willing to agree if it brought me closer to a nap.

“I’ll be the perfect gentleman,” he promised, but a dangerous flash of hunger clouded his eyes.

“You have a habit of offending me indiscriminately. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

The bell dinged and the doors opened. I retreated to the empty elevator, and miraculously, Blake didn’t follow me.

    Just before the doors closed, he said, “I’ll pick you up at eight.”





* * *

I nursed a glass of wine and Alli started on her second espresso martini at one of the award-winning Italian restaurants in the casino. I filled her in on the details of the morning, including the highs of connecting with a handful of high-powered executives in the industry, and the subsequent lows of potentially discrediting myself by being caught in Blake’s arms, on camera, only moments later. I took a healthy gulp of my Pinot Noir at the remembrance.

“He’s persistent. But that doesn’t really surprise me,” Alli said.

“I can’t help but feel like I’m losing the war with him.” I picked at my pasta fra diavolo, torn by the way I felt around Blake. One minute I was cursing him out, and the next I had to harness every ounce of self-control not to give in to him.

“Erica, I know you’re hyper-focused on the business right now, but if you’re attracted to him, and he’s obviously super attracted to you, why not just go for it?”

“I’ve been through hell and back, Alli. You know this. The business is the first thing I’ve cared about in a long time. It’s kept me grounded, and if I screw this up because I can’t get a handle on my hormones, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

While getting a more traditional job was a remote possibility, I refused to accept failure as an option. Sure, I periodically experienced the-sky-is-falling moments, but I always pulled through stronger, giving more of myself and pushing us further than we ever expected to be. Under normal circumstances, I could juggle casual sex and work or school, but this wasn’t one of those moments. I needed to stay focused or risk losing everything.

“You’ve already proven yourself to him professionally. Do you really think he won’t respect you if you sleep with him?”

“Maybe. It’s not a chance I’m willing to take.”

Blake was unpredictable. He had been both devastating and extremely helpful to the cause, so I had no idea what to expect from him, especially if we complicated the relationship with sex.

“When you play by those rules, Erica, you give them credence. Guys f*ck around all the time, and no one thinks twice about it. Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to a night of hot sex.”

“Says the girl who rolled in at eight o’clock this morning.” I pointed my fork at her. “Seriously though, the business is more important to me than any fling right now.”

Alli paused for moment. “Maybe Blake isn’t fling-material.”

“I highly doubt that.”

“Blake isn’t some * frat boy. Maybe you should give him a chance.”

“You’re right, he’s an * billionaire. I’m not sure what’s worse.”

Alli rolled her eyes. I knew what was worse, but I hated that she was dredging up the past at a time like this.

“So have you heard from Heath since…you know?” I asked, hoping to steer the subject away from Blake.

“Yeah, he texted me this morning.” A slow smile spread across her face.

She was already smitten. Heaven help us all.

“Thanks for the memories?” I joked, and we both laughed. “Do you think it’ll go anywhere?”

“I’m not sure. He lives in New York, so who knows? We’re going to grab dinner tonight.” She looked up. “I mean, if you don’t mind. We can hang out if you really want to ditch Blake.”

I knew she was lying, like any decent friend would.





CHAPTER FIVE





Not surprisingly, Alli and I battled over my attire. We settled on a peach strapless high low dress, which we agreed was date appropriate but didn’t scream, “Let’s skip dessert.” I repurposed my nude pumps and fluffed my hair nervously in the mirror.

Blake knocked on the door at eight o’clock on the dot. He wore a simple white collared shirt rolled up at the sleeves and dark blue jeans. His normally wayward hair was smoothed carefully to the side, though it rebelled here and there in a way that was still sexy and fashionable. I’d spent the past several hours trying to predict what the night would bring, and now I couldn’t keep my thoughts remotely clean.

After a few moments of shameless ogling, I found his gaze trained on me, a mirrored reflection of raw appreciation. A rush of emotion hit me—butterflies, carnal desire, and an unsettling premonition that I could be getting in way over my head with Blake Landon. The man was sexy, rich, and confident, and my hormones had absolutely no willpower in his presence.

“Hi.” I held onto my clutch like a life preserver.

“Erica.” A hint of a smirk curved his lips.

“Blake!” Alli joined me at the door, giving Blake the once-over. “You guys look so cute!”

“We’re not going to the prom, Alli,” I mumbled, though it felt that way a little bit. Except the hottest boy in school was at my doorstep, and that didn’t seem quite right. Sure, I cleaned up nice and attracted my fair share of hot guys, but I’d taken myself off the market months ago to focus on work. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be physically appreciated like this. In fact, I wasn’t sure if anyone had ever really made me feel like this, and all Blake and I had done was kiss.