Zander chuckles and shrugs. “Why not? Women like cowboys, don’t they?”
“I wouldn’t know what women like. I’m a woman. I only know what I like.”
It’s annoying how ridiculously handsome he looks standing there so casually in his suit in the middle of the club with the lights pouring down on him, spotlighting him like he’s the main attraction.
He’s absolutely magnetizing. It’s like the whole club revolves around as he just does nothing but stare at me. I should still be angry with this man, so why do I feel this unexplainable pull between us?
“Which is clearly me,” he remarks in the most obnoxious way possible.
“Oh, clearly,” I reply with as much sarcasm as I can muster. “Speaking of which, where’s your model girlfriend?”
“Oh, her?” he smirks.
“Yeah her.”
“I wasn’t that into her.” Zander shrugs. “Just needed her as arm candy for a business dinner. You know, the one you refused to make reservations for me for?”
“Excuse me,” Josh chimes in. “Do you mind, pal? This is actually my date.”
“Josh, it’s okay—” I start to say, but Zander leans right in and snatches my hands away from him.
“Actually, yes. I do mind,” he says as he pulls me away. “I’m not sure how you ended up here with her tonight, buddy, but it was clearly a mistake. This girl’s taken.”
I almost feel bad leaving Josh as Zander leads me across the dance floor, past the bar, and toward a back door, but it’s like I just can’t help myself. It’s like my body is on autopilot, and all I can do is put one foot in front of the other and follow my new boss through a padded red velvet door and into a dimly lit back hall.
“What were you doing with that guy?” he asks as he leads me three doors down to what looks like either a private office or a small VIP lounge and closes the door behind us. “He looked like he was about fourteen years old, Ali.”
“I…my friend Mel set me up with him.”
My voice is quivering as I stand beside him.
I feel like I have whiplash. First he puts me downstairs at the front desk to get me away from him, then he shows up with a model on his arm the next day at the office, and then the next time I see him, he’s dragging me away from my date to the back office like he owns me.
“And you let her?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” I counter. “It’s not like I have any reason not to.”
He’s so sexy.
And he smells incredible too. As I take a deep, nervous breath, it’s like my lungs fill with his pheromones. But I have to resist. Not only do I have my pride at stake, but I also made a bet—a bet that there’s one million dollars riding on too.
“Oh, so now you’re going to pretend like you’re not attracted to me?”
But then, like a big jerk face, Zander moves right in and puts his strong hands on my waist and pulls me right in.
As if seeing him here tonight wasn’t surprise enough, feeling the thick, firm bulge beneath his pants is an added surprise that instantly warms my body another few degrees. I can feel the prickles in my cheeks as they begin to blush. I try to look away, but Zander catches me by the chin and forces my eyes to his.
“We both know who you’re supposed to be with tonight, Ali.”
And before I can react, he’s kissing me.
And I’m letting him.