Page 44 of Crash

“Are you crazy or desperate?” she asks. “You told me on two separate occasions that a man would have to be either crazy or desperate to get involved with me. Which one are you?”

I lean against the door and smile, remembering saying those exact words.

“I’m desperately crazy. Or crazily desperate. Whichever one makes more sense.”

She continues to stare at me, and I hold her stare.

“We don’t even like each other.” I can argue with her that’s untrue. The fact that she watches me constantly, finding me in a room full of people, tells me her feelings for me are more than just physical attraction, but that’s not what she needs to hear right now.

“You’re right. We have a truce, but we don’t like each other. But liking and being attracted to each other are two different things. You don’t want a commitment. You want safe. You don’t want to worry about falling for the other person, and I want the same things. This can be perfect. I know you want me, and I want you.” I run my hand along her jaw, lifting the scarf and seeing the faint bite mark I left on her neck. “It’s the perfect solution.” To prove it to her, I kiss her lips. The kiss starts gentle, but the minute my lips start to move along hers, she opens her mouth, devouring me with her tongue. I feel her nipples harden underneath her shirt, and I let out a loud moan.

Knowing that our family is right outside, I reluctantly break the kiss.

“Think about it.” I leave the bathroom, satisfied knowing that I’m leaving her wanting more.

CHAPTER 22

VIVI

How the hell Sandy does this each year is beyond my ability to understand. This is the second Christmas party in as many days. Last night’s party was family only, so Jake and Sandy could announce their good news. Tonight is the Clark Enterprise’s holiday party, and tomorrow they are going to Jake’s uncle’s holiday party. Thankfully, my holiday partying ends after this one.

The Clarks do it big, reserving a ballroom at the Boston Plaza Hotel where the family traditionally stays overnight and have brunch together the next day, so Sandy has reserved a room for me at the hotel.

The rest of us wait in the elegantly decorated ballroom for the Clarks to arrive. According to Juan, they always walk in together, and the party does not officially begin until they arrive. As I chat with Juan and his wife, Colleen and the rest of the mailroom crew joins our table.

As we’re discussing our plans for the holidays, the door to the ballroom opens, and in walks Joshua and Lilian Clark. The rest of the Clark family follows behind them. Everyone stands up as they make their way to the head table. Jake holds Sandy’s hand as she trails behind him in a long, green dress. Next are Troy and Tracy, followed by Luke.

I take a sip of my cranberry martini as I look at the long line of Clarks until my eyes land on him, and Luke does not disappoint. He’s in a dark blue suit and a white shirt with the top two buttons left undone. I can see the tanned skin on his upper chest from here. When I look up, our eyes are like two magnets.

The family sits, Mr. Clark makes a speech, thanking us for all our hard work and dedication. I turn my head away from Luke and do my best to listen to the speech, but I feel his eyes on me the entire time. I quickly turn my head towards him, and he’s watching me, his bottom lip between his teeth. When Tracy leans over and says something in his ear, he responds, but his eyes never leave mine.

Feeling completely exposed, I force a conversation with Juan and his wife, my voice quivering and foreign in my own ears. Thankfully, Juan doesn’t seem to notice. Instead, he pulls out his phone and shows me pictures of his son.

“Juan, stop embarrassing the girl,” his wife, Gloria, says, but Juan ignores her and keeps scrolling through his phone.

Amidst the servers serving appetizers and drinks and the throngs of people mingling over music and cocktails, all I can focus on are the pair of green eyes that won’t look away from me. He’s no longer at the head table with his family. He’s walking his way to our table.

“Boss man! What are you doing here with us little people?” Juan jokes.

“Just thought I’d sit with my team instead of the family.” He responds to Juan as he’s looking at me. When his father takes the microphone and tells about a scavenger hunt for prizes, he slides his hand underneath the table and holds onto mine. I should pull it away, but I can’t. I embrace the warmth of his large hand covering mine. When the rest of the table leaves to participate in the scavenger hunt, he leans over and whispers in my ear.

“You look so beautiful.” Unsure of what to say, I look away, feeling a blush creep across my cheeks. “What? You do,” he tells me.

“Don’t say those things to me.”

“Why not?”

“Because your proposal from the other day doesn’t include you saying sweet things.” He lets out a loud laugh before leaning back in his chair.

“You will never silence me,” he jokes, throwing my words back in my face.

I beckon him over with my index finger, and when he gets closer, I lean into him, getting as close to his ear as possible. “Are you saying I’m not woman enough to do it?”

He turns his intense gaze on me. This time, it’s him who gets close to my ear, close enough that his lips graze my ear lobe. “I don’t know, Vivienne, are you?”

In a room full of people, he subtly leans in even further and licks the tip of my ear. He does it so fast, if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought I imagined it. I open my mouth to form a response just as Mr. Clark approaches our table.

“Vivienne! Get out there. Lots of prizes to win. Lucas, come on. You can’t just sit here all night. You have to work the room, son.” He slaps Luke on the shoulder, and he gets up and walks away with his dad.

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