Vanessa Booke - Bound to You

“Congratulations, I don’t know what to say, other than I know it’ll be amazing. You work is amazing.”

“Thanks, Nick, you know that means a lot to me.”

“If I didn’t have enough trouble with Emily as a sister, I would claim you as my adoptive brother.”

Tristan tenses slightly at the mention of my sister’s name.

“How is Em?” he asks hesitantly. Something tells me that there’s been something going on between my sister and my best friend lately. While it grinds my gears to know that any guy is looking at my twenty-two-year-old sister in that way. Who better to take care of her than Tristan Knight? At least for now, that’s all he better be doing.

“She’s fine. She should be back any day now. She was vacationing in Florida with a few friends.”

The awkwardness between them started this past summer when we vacationed in Southampton for Emily’s birthday. She stormed off the beach when she saw Tristan and me speaking with some models vacationing a few houses down. At first, I thought she was mad because we were ignoring her. Now, I’m starting to get the feeling that she was mad because Tristan was ignoring her. Funny enough, Tristan didn’t take either of the two models back to his room, but I did.

“Right, well, I’m going to make a call and grab another drink from the bar,” he says, walking away. Yeah, something is definitely going on with him. I’ll have to squeeze it out of Emily when I see her tomorrow.

My leg vibrates, telling me I must be receiving a call. When I pull it out, a single name flashes across the screen that sends my mood plummeting. Alison Price. I debate on whether to pick it up, but a tiny voice inside me reminds me that I have specific obligations now. Whether I want to or not, I’m stuck with her. So it’s probably in my best interest if I make an effort to try and have a functional relationship with her. Then again, this is my night to relax. I pocket the phone and take another swig of my brandy. I need to avoid Alison as long as possible.

When Tristan returns with an extra drink, he has a sour look of irritation on his face. I don’t often see him upset. He has the wonderful gift of always being able to muster a friendly smile. Whereas, I’ve been often told that I scowl.

“Is everything all right?” I ask.

“Yes, fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Good. When did this PR specialist say she would be here?”

“I’m sure she’ll be here soon.”

“Nicholas!” I recognize the voice before I even turn. Alison Price walks toward me wearing a short nude dress. Her hair looks different from the way she usually wears it. Now, instead of limp strands of blonde, her hair curls in tight ringlets. The look on her face is predatory. Most people wouldn’t notice it, but I do. It’s the same look I have when I see something I want. It’s animalistic, I know, but it’s also a natural part of me. She wants me. It should turn me on, but when it comes to Alison, I’m just the shiny new toy, for now.

“Sweetheart, I tried calling you. Your father said you were down here, so I thought I would join you.”

The translation of that is my father called her father and struck a deal. No doubt my father told Alison I would be down here. He doesn’t want to give me time to acclimate to the idea of being forced to marry someone. He just wants me to do what I’m told.

“I’m sorry, it’s hard to hear anything in here,” I say, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

“Tristan, it’s wonderful to see you again,” Alison says, turning to give Tristan a once over as she extends her hand.

“Thank you, Alison. I’m glad you could make it out.”

“Would you like a drink?” I need to get away from this woman.

“I would love one. A Long Island Iced Tea would be great.” Alison slips her hand over my arm, squeezing it possessively.

“I’ll be back.”

The bar is overcrowded with groups of people waiting to order drinks, but I manage to find an all too willing waitress to take my order. She slips me her number, along with my receipt. I turn back to where Tristan and Alison are standing and spot a tall, slender brunette extending her hand to Tristan. This must be the PR woman he wants to hire. She looks sharp in her short, grey dress with black sequins. From her body language I can tell she’s an astute woman. She must know her stuff if she was able to pull off this party.

A flash of red catches my attention as a curvy young woman walks up to her and Tristan. The girl standing in front of them is young, and in her early twenties. I watch as Tristan greets her with a handshake. His eyes quickly trail over her with interest. Among the sea of bodies, she sticks out like a sore thumb in her black dress and red heels. I watch, mesmerized by her hair, long legs, and sun-kissed skin. She’s doesn’t look like your average New Yorker visiting a club, but there’s something familiar about her. My breath hitches as she turns toward my direction. Her green eyes crowned by long black eyelashes widen at me. The expression on her angelic face reminds me of the porcelain dolls my sister used to collect when she was little. It’s a mixed look of wonder and amazement. Her lips part just enough to send a streak of desire through me. Fuck, I know her. She’s the young woman from the airplane.

The sight of him sends my heart into palpitations. It’s him. I’m not sure how someone can be so good looking without a flock of women surrounding him. I’m pretty sure the gods put men like him on this earth to taunt me. His stormy blue eyes narrow in on the dip of my black dress. Thanks to Carol, my tits are on display like a Christmas light show, and if I knew any better, I would say he’s unwrapping me with his mind. A slow smile slides across his mouth. Part of me wants to go to him and throw myself at his mercy. And by mercy I mean his Greek god-like rock hard body. It’s been several hours since I last saw him, but I can still taste him on my lips.

He slowly moves through the crowd of people brushing up against him. What I wouldn’t give to be the fabric on clothes rubbing against his skin. He’s shaved since I last saw him on the plane. While a 5 o’clock shadow looks good on him, I love the way his bare skin accentuates his strong chin and cheekbones. He’s in front of me before I can turn back to clue Carol in.

“Hello, it’s wonderful to see you again.” His voice is like warm liquid pouring over me. It’s refreshing and yet, it sends my nerves spinning.

“Do you know him?” Carol whispers over her shoulder.

“Nicholas, you’re back. Wonderful. I would like you to meet Ms. Livingston and her friend...”

“Rebecca,” I offer. “Rebecca Gellar.”

A ghost of a smile passes between us. Carol eyes me with curiosity. I know she’ll be asking questions later. There isn’t much to tell, sadly. I met a gorgeous man on an airplane. We kissed, touched, but we never exchanged any kind of contact information, and yet somehow, here he is. I’m not sure if fate is trying to tell me something, or it’s just in my cards to meet gorgeous men who aren’t for me.

The woman standing near Tristan takes a step forward, and wraps her hand through Nicholas’ arm. She tugs on it, drawing his attention to her. His smile immediately vanishes. My heart squeezes as she leans into him. There’s no mistaking it. The woman who I assumed was with Tristan is actually with my beautiful stranger.

“This is my fiancé, Nicholas,” she purrs. I watch him hand her a drink. Anger pulsates through my veins at the realization of what this means. He was engaged when he kissed me on the plane. How stupid can I be? I watch the two stand side by side. Physically they make the ideal couple. Why didn’t I see this coming? Alison is beautiful, but her expression is cold. She stands silently assessing me. Her long legs are effortlessly toned. What I wouldn’t give to have her legs.

Nicholas doesn’t lean into Alison or even look at her as she slides her hand down his back. No, he keeps his eyes directly on me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, but I honestly wish I knew. The situation is more than awkward. I have to pretend like this is our first time meeting. Images of his thumb grazing against my neck sends chills down my back. I shiver. The impression of his lips on mine still hasn’t left me.

“Are you cold?” Carol asks.

“I’m fine,” I squeak.

He’s not yours. His expression tightens as he shakes my hand and then Carol’s. He probably thinks I’m going to rat him out.

“Tristan, why don’t we discuss some of your ideas for opening?” Carol says, piping in. I have no doubt she’ll get this account. She can be very convincing.

“I was thinking of keeping it to a very intimate setting. Nowhere near this many people,” he says, scanning the crowd.

“Perfect, do you have a date in mind?”

“I was actually thinking about having the opening on New Year’s Eve.”

“Oh, that’s very short notice…”

“Can you pull it off?” he asks, as if testing her.

Carol smirks. “Mr. Knight, I pulled together Riptide’s opening in the same amount of time. What do you think?”

I smile at Carol’s sassy but confident attitude. Despite how much I just want to escape, I can’t. God, I hope this night doesn’t turn into a disaster. Carol mentioned that the meeting wouldn’t last too long. Maybe stepping outside for some air might be nice. I excuse myself from the group and head toward the back of the building. I sense Nicholas still watching me as I leave, but I dismiss the thoughts of him that filter through my mind. I can’t stop myself from being attracted to him, but I sure as hell can control the filth in my head.