Chosen for Power (Women of Power, #1) (3 page)

CHAPTER THREE

Drake wasn't used to losing his cool, but as he looked down at the fiery redhead in front of him, he felt a primal urge like he’d never felt before. His hand closed tighter around hers, not wanting to lose the magic between them.

Beautiful green eyes shone through her mask, and he felt himself grow hot with desire. The pink dress clung to full breasts and rounded hips. A slit off to the side of her dress exposed a smooth leg all the way to her thigh. He found himself staring at it, willing it to fall open just a little more.

“I believe this is mine,” she told him a little breathlessly. Apparently he wasn’t the only one affected.

“Maybe we could share,” Drake said with a suggestive smile. His voice was husky with the heady feeling of meeting someone he was instantly attracted to.  He let go of the drink, thinking he suddenly didn’t need it to survive the night. Instead his heart pounded as he took a step closer to the woman.

“Share? I don’t think so. I’m not into sharing . . . anything.” He felt a rush when she devoured him with her eyes. Oh, he was definitely intrigued now.

Elle took a sip of the champagne but couldn’t feel the sweet bubbles tickling her mouth. Instead she only felt her body responding to the man standing in front of her.

“It looks like we have something in common. Once something is mine, I never share either.” His deep voice lilted with a slight southern drawl that enveloped her. Suddenly she felt like a woman again. The way his eyes explored her body gave her a new sense of power. This is what she’d been seeking.

“I doubt you have a problem keeping what is yours. I wonder how you do it? You must teach me.” Elle was shocked at the way her voice purred. She had no idea who she was, but she knew who she wasn’t tonight. She decided to go for it.

He leaned his head back and laughed. “It would be my pleasure to teach you a great many things, my dear.”

Elle felt her face flush and then moved closer to him as she saw a group of women eyeing the man she was talking to. The orchestra started a new song and she turned, brushing his shoulder as she looked at the dancers. Would he ask her to dance? Would he hold her tight against him as they glided along the floor?

“Are you here with anyone tonight?” he asked in the barest of whispers.

“No. There’s no one special in my life right now.” Suddenly she grew nervous. There hadn’t been a ring but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a girlfriend or a fiancée. “Are you here with someone?”

“Yes. You.” He grinned like a flirty teenager. “So, why did you come tonight?”

“My mother volunteers at the hospital. My family gets together every week for dinner and she always talks about the children she sees. I feel as if we’re all a part of the place now. We all support it in any way we can.”

Her mother had started volunteering after her father had passed away. It had given her a purpose again. She read to the children at the hospital, helped the nurses and the families, and always brought chocolate for the kids who could have it.

“That’s nice of your family. Is your mother your date tonight?”

“No. She’s getting the house ready for Christmas. Tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, my brother, two sisters, and I will report to the house bright and early to make cookies and decorate the tree. Then we stay in our old rooms until after Christmas.” Elle smiled as she was filled with happy Christmas memories.

“That sounds lovely. My parents come to my house since I’ve . . . become older. There’s nothing better than Mom’s Christmas dinner, is there?”

Elle looked up into his eyes and saw the warmth in them as he talked about his family. There was something deeper to him than just a hot body and a sexy voice. It was that something that turned her on more than the flat stomach and mesmerizing eyes.

Drake looked down at the woman now by his side. Their shoulders touched occasionally as they watched the dance floor. He saw the men blatantly checking her out and moved closer to her to ward them off. It was strange, though; for all her talk, she didn’t seem to notice the attention. It surprised him and pleased him greatly. She was no Missy Jenner.

He noticed a man nearby grab two glasses of champagne and head their way. It was time to stake his claim. The thought of anyone else touching this woman was unbearable.

He gently took her drink and set it on the table. “Shall we dance?” She smiled and nodded her head slowly.

Drake rested his hand on the small of her back and navigated her through the crowd and onto the dance floor. He held up his hand and she softly placed hers in it. Desire shot through him, knowing she was feeling what he was: nervous, enchanted, and determined all at once.

He enclosed her hand in his and wrapped his other around her back, resting it slightly lower than normal. Drake felt the curve of her bottom and pressed her closer to him. He knew she could feel his arousal by the way her cheeks flushed below her mask and her eyes darkened.

Elle glided along the floor with him leading the way. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off hers. “You’re a wonderful dancer,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Thanks. My mom again. She made all of us take dance classes. What can I say?” Elle shrugged as she kept her eyes on his.

He felt her fingers gently tease the nape of his neck. The action emboldened him as he ran his fingers slowly down her spine.

“My family is kinda quirky," she stated with a smile.

“They sound delightful. What about your father?” Drake felt her momentarily stiffen and then relax.

“He passed away from a heart attack eight years ago. That’s when my mother decided we, as a family, needed to do a weekly activity together. We did a new one every year. First it was dance lessons and then it was art classes. Let me tell you, drawing a naked man while sitting next to your mother is rather uncomfortable.”

Drake laughed at the expression on her face.

“And then there was knitting, which was when my brother drew the line and moved back to Europe. But not before naming basketball as the next year’s activity. Sadly, my mother at sixty-one can outshoot my youngest sister. Then there were photography, pottery, and cooking classes.”

Drake chuckled. It sounded wonderful. He was close to his parents, too, but they were happily enjoying retirement in Key West. Although they were visiting more and more often. “That’s seven. What are you doing this year?”

Elle hesitated. It didn’t seem like he was making fun of her. Her mother may be a pain in the butt, but she was her pain in the butt. In fact, no one knew about their weekly classes followed by a family dinner. She was strangely protective of it, yet she was so comfortable talking to him that she hadn’t even realized she’d told him about her family’s most treasured time together.

“Fencing.”

“With swords?” His lips quirked, but his eyes shone with good humor.

Elle couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, with swords. After the embarrassment with basketball, my sister wanted to redeem herself. She loves historical romance novels and finds it romantic when a man duels to defend his lady’s honor. So when it was her turn to choose the activity, she chose fencing.”

“Can she beat your mother?”

“It’s a draw. Luckily they’re good sports about it and it’s actually funny.”

“Which activities did you pick?”

“Art and photography.”

“Why’d you choose those?”

Elle paused as she considered her answer. Talking to him was so easy, but tonight was about freedom and she wanted to protect her identity. “I wanted to be able to do something artistic because it’s so different from my day-to-day life.”

“I just met you, but I can picture you painting or walking the streets looking for new angles to photograph.” He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, “It’s very sexy.”

Elle felt a shiver go down her spine as her body heated up. She also felt relief that he didn’t press further. But then the music ended and they came to a stop. She gazed into his eyes waiting to see if he would suggest getting another drink or if he was going to say his good-byes. He glanced down at her but made no move to leave the dance floor with the other couples. Instead he kept her pressed against him as he waited for the next dance to begin.

Whoever this man was, he had given her enough memories to last at least one more year. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. It was a Christmas miracle and she couldn’t help wanting more.

CHAPTER FOUR

The music started again and the masked man swept Elle around the dance floor. Elle felt his fingers softly flex into her hip as he led her through another dance. His muscular thighs brushed purposely against her as they swayed across the floor, not allowing her a moment’s reprieve from his presence. Not that she wanted it.

“Food?” he asked.

“Italian,” they both said at the same time and laughed. So far they enjoyed the same movies, the same sports, and now the same foods. The only thing they differed on was books. He liked nonfiction and she enjoyed fiction.

“Childhood nickname?” he asked with a smile on his lips. Elle tried to keep up the smile, but she felt it slip at the memory. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

“No. It’s okay. I don’t have a childhood nickname, but my father called all of us his Lyra, as in the five-star constellation in the shape of the harp.” Elle laughed at his confused look and then felt the sad memory turn to a happy one. It was a story her father loved to tell. “In the mythical story, Orpheus carried a harp and traveled to the underworld to rescue his true love. My father found comfort in it as he was forced to leave us for years in order to provide for the family. He always said that he'd find the brightest star in the harp and think of my mother back home singing to his four kids.

“Every night we’d look up into the sky to try to find Lyra, hoping our father was looking at it, too. It kept us all connected. When my father finally came home, my mother had a harp pin made and gave it to him. He wore it every day for the rest of his life.” Elle smiled at the memory. In fact, the logo for Simpson Global had a harp on it as well, but it was so subtle that most people didn’t notice it.

“That’s so much better than mine. Mine was just embarrassing.” He sighed and Elle snickered. What could it be? “It was Huggy Bear.”

Elle tried not to laugh, but she couldn’t stifle it. It bubbled up from her toes and she tossed her head back and laughed before she could stop herself. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t laugh.” She buried her head on his shoulder and laughed even more.

“I’m used to it. My mom still breaks out that gem every now and then. I was a very chubby baby, and women couldn't help but hug me when they saw me. What do you think? Do you find it impossible not to hug me?”

Elle stopped laughing as she realized she was wrapped around him. She looked up and the laughter started all over again. “Apparently your nickname still suits you. Okay, my turn. Stupidest thing you did as a kid?” Elle asked.

“When I was seven, I jumped off the roof of our small house with a bed sheet wrapped around my shoulders, thinking I could fly. I sadly realized I did not possess superpowers later that day as I sat in the hospital with a broken leg.” He smiled and Elle licked her lips. She’d been staring into his eyes and watching his mouth move while he talked. And now all she wanted was to lean forward and kiss him. Even though she was being free tonight, she didn’t think she could make the first move. Deep down she was just too nervous.

“What about you? I bet you didn’t do anything stupid. You seem like you would have been the perfect well-behaved child,” he said, bringing her eyes back to his.

“That was not the case,” she said shaking her head. “As I told you, I have an older brother. Now, my older brother was always doing something stupid. He was probably the kid next to you in the hospital. But, he had taken up skateboarding and had been bragging to me about how there were no girls at the skateboard park because girls couldn’t do it. It was a boy thing. Even at nine, I didn’t like being told that. I still don’t. So I locked him in his room, stole his skateboard, and ran to the park.

“My brother, being a complete bad boy, knew how to unlock the door and was chasing close behind me. I made it to the big ramp before he could shout for me to stop. I looked at him, stuck out my tongue, and hopped on,” Elle said as she gave her head a little shake. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, she still did that today.  If they told her a woman couldn’t run a company like Simpson Global, then she'd jump in with her tongue sticking out until the company was a huge success. She didn’t like being told she couldn’t do anything simply because she was a woman.

“And how did you do?”

“I hung on for dear life but refused to scream. I nailed it. My brother was eating crow, but then as I was skating home with him I hit a rock and face-planted. That’s what this little scar on my chin is from.” Elle lifted her chin to show the scar and felt a jolt as he leaned forward and placed his warm lips on it.

“It’s adorable.”

“What’s your take on women skateboarders?” Elle asked a little breathlessly.

“They’re hot. I like women who aren’t confined by the norms. They’re so much more exciting.”

Elle breathed in sharply when he pulled her tightly against him, letting her feel just how excited he truly was.  Her pulse quickened and she closed her eyes when he leaned forward to place a feather-light kiss on her cheek.

“I like women who are smart, compassionate, and have no problem asserting themselves.” He kissed his way up to her ear and Elle tightened her hold on his shoulder.

“And sexy, of course," Elle said with a wink.

"If she’s those things, then she’s already sexy. You can be a knockout in that dress. But if you only wanted to talk jobs, money, and social standing, then you wouldn’t be sexy. Now, the girl who refuses to back down—that is sexy.”

Elle leaned closer to him as they danced. His hand moved back to the top of her bottom and his lips pressed sweet kisses to her neck. She was just about to fall under his spell when the music stopped and a man approached them.

Drake saw his assistant approaching and narrowed his eyes. But Phillip was too busy saying hello to the people he was passing to notice the cold stare Drake was giving him. Phillip couldn’t meet this woman or he’d blow the insane connection they shared.

“Excuse me one second, my dear. I see someone I must talk to. Will you be here when I get back?”

“I guess you’ll have to find out.” He heard the laughter in her voice, but he also saw the men eyeing her with interest.

“I promise—you won’t be sorry if you wait for me. It will only take a second.” He swiftly leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. When she leaned forward to complete the kiss, he stepped back and gave her a wink. Hopefully, that would keep her waiting. God knows it was enough to have him rushing through the crowd and grabbing his assistant.

“Drake,” Phillip said, surprised.

“Shh. I don’t want anyone knowing it’s me.”

Phillip rolled his eyes. “I don’t understand your aversion to crowds. This is a great party.”

“I know. It’s not that.” Drake cast a glance to where she stood talking to one of the men who had wasted no time filling his spot. “It’s that woman. She’s amazing and she has no idea who I am. We’re talking and sharing. There’s something there, I tell you.”

“Really?” Drake had known Phillip since he was a kid. They had grown up on the same block and went to the same schools. Drake started his own company and realized he couldn’t do everything himself. Phillip had told him he’d lost his job as a mechanic. He talked too much to the clients. Drake had hired him on the spot. He needed someone like that to make up for his own social awkwardness. Drake's inability to schmooze was his one big weakness.

“Really. I can’t make that speech. You have to do it.” Drake squeezed Phillip’s shoulder in encouragement.

“What? It’s your foundation. Who is she? Is she worth it?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t told me her name either. But yes, she’s worth it.”

“I’ve never seen you lovesick before," he joked. "I’ll do it. But you totally owe me.”

“Yes, I do. Dr. Voss is too caught up in appearances and won’t be wearing his hearing aids or his glasses. Just be me. They’ll never know. Then get lost in the crowd and become Phillip again.” Phillip nodded and headed for the stairs. Drake should feel bad, but, sadly, his assistant and friend had done this for him a number of times when Drake had locked himself in their research lab for weeks at a time finalizing new products.

Drake grabbed two glasses of champagne and hurried back to the woman’s side. As he approached her from behind, he got a good look at the perfectly round butt he had been feeling the top of earlier. Just as he thought—no panties. This knowledge had him trying to control his arousal. It was a battle he was losing.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” he said possessively as he handed her a drink and stepped closer to wrap his arm around her. He’d never been this way with a woman before, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her all to himself.

“Thank you.” She smiled up at him with amusement. He was making a fool of himself, but he didn’t care. “This is Bob Michaels, president of International Media Group. He was just telling me how his media conglomerate made their first billion this year.” She turned her head so only Drake could see her and rolled her eyes.

“Wow. Congratulations, Bob. The first billion is special. By the time you get to the fourth or fifth, it just gets repetitive. So enjoy it now. Excuse us, I owe this beautiful woman a tour of the Renoir exhibit.”

She smiled and gave her head a slight nod as he escorted her past Bob. Bob was a smart man, but Drake knew he also had a habit of settling out-of-court for sexual harassment charges made by various secretaries.

“You’re so bad. But I loved it. I couldn’t think of anything to say. My mother raised me with manners. Bank accounts, religion, and politics were never talked about with guests. Now, get the family together and we can solve all of the world’s problems.”

He loved the light lilt to her voice as she laughed. Drake led her toward the back of the room, away from those gathering up close for what was supposed to be his speech. Their champagne glasses were now empty as they handed them to a waiter. He was about to slip out of the room when Dr. Voss stepped up to the microphone.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Dr. Josiah Voss, the president of Children’s Hospital, and I can’t thank you enough for your generosity tonight.”

“Oh, maybe we’ll get to see the mysterious Drake Charles,” she whispered to him as she stopped to look at the stage.

“Why are you interested in him?” Drake held his breath, hoping to avoid disappointment.

“Nothing of importance.” He looked down at her and saw her nibble at her lip. She was lying.

“No reason? Come on, that can’t be true.”

“My brother thinks very highly of him and gave me an idea. It’s just a business thing, and if there’s one thing I don’t want to do tonight, it’s talk business.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve heard he’s very rich.”

“Well, I’d hope so or he wouldn’t be a very good businessman to have blown all that money he got from his Smartphone technology. Oh, there he is. Too bad I can’t really see what he looks like from way back here.” He looked down and saw her straining to get a view of the fake Drake Charles.

“Good evening,” Phillip called out to the crowd. Drake’s speech for tonight would take twenty seconds to give. He hoped Phillip stuck to it. “Tonight we’ve raised six million dollars for Children’s Hospital.” He paused for the applause. “I appreciate your kindness and your generosity. Now drink all the champagne. You’ve definitely earned it.” As the crowd laughed, Phillip stepped down from the stage and was promptly swamped by people.

Drake was relieved Phillip had stuck to his notes. When the music started, he slipped his arm around the woman and, once again, silently thanked Phillip. He owed him big time. There was something magical in the air tonight and he wanted to see where it took him. He knew when the night ended, he might not be able to give her up.