Page 8 of Faking Ties

“You good over there?” Stella asks.

“No.” I sigh and rub my temples. “My boss who hates me is on his way over here.”

“Why does he hate you?” She sets her phone down and gives me her undivided attention.

“Because he’s a dick. Oh shit, here he comes.”

“Hunter,” Evren says in greeting.

I stand and shake his hand. “Hello, sir. I didn’t know you’d be here.”

“I could say the same.” His piercing dark eyes assess me. I hold myself steady, refusing to give anything away. Instead, I assess him in the same way. His impeccably tailored suit doesn’t distract from his broad shoulders and muscular physique. He may be a billionaireand in his early forties, but there’s something that hints at him having street smarts. Like he knows how to fuck someone up if he needs to.

“I’m always down for supporting a good cause,” I say.

“Hmm.” Evren doesn’t look impressed or that he believes me.

“He also saved me from falling earlier,” Stella says, standing and coming to my side. “If it weren’t for Hunter catching me at the entrance, I would’ve been dealing with an embarrassing situation.”

Evren glances at Stella and then does a double take. She extends a hand toward him, and he takes it in shock, as if he’s starstruck by her. I know the feeling all too well.

“That’s surprising,” Evren says, giving me a once-over. “Stella, would you like to join me at my table?”

“Why?” she asks, genuinely confused. “I’m happy where I’m at.”

“But his reputation?” Evren looks between us both. “Sitting together might make people talk.”

He’s right. We’ve already got a ship name, and if we’re sitting together for the rest of the event, there will be even more photos and speculation about us. I should go find my original seat and leave Arthur to sit next to her and?—

“Bless your heart.” Stella’s smile flattens and her gaze turns icy. Her Southern accent becoming more pronounced as she says, “People are more than theirreputations. Looks like you’re living proof that advanced age doesn’t always equate to wisdom if you didn’t know that by now.”

Evren looks stricken, like he was really trying to help Stella with his advice. “Of course, my apologies. I’ve just now realized I overstepped. I hope you enjoy your night.”

Once he walks away, Stella settles back into her chair and turns toward me, a grin on her face. “I did well, didn’t I?”

“You did,” I say, taking my seat. “I’m just not sure why you stood up for me.”

“Sometimes, we all need a helping hand.” She says it so simply, as if she didn’t just extend me a lifeline or give me the benefit of the doubt. No one has ever done that for me. They make assumptions about me based on what they’ve heard. But Stella? She read the articles and still put Evren in his place. “That and you did help me out with Jax. Think of it as a favor for a favor.”

“Thank you, especially since now I won’t be able to look at Evren without thinking about his advanced age.”

“You know, next time someone asks about my hobbies, I’m going to add ‘putting men in their place’ on the list.”

“You should.” I lean closer to her. “But just so you know, you can put me in my place anytime.”

“Is that so?” She arches an eyebrow.

“Care to test it out?”

“Not even a little bit.”

I laugh, not able to tell if she’s serious or not. Her denial makes me want to tempt her, to test her, to get a reaction out of her. I’m having far too much fun talking to Stella, which is more than I can say for anyone else I’ve met recently. But tonight is all we can have. I can’t afford any distractions right now. Football and securing my contract extension should be my priority, not Stella Wilde.

But even knowing this doesn’t stop me from charming Stella all night long. And she’s charmed all right, based on her husky laughs and beautiful smiles. Thirty minutes before the event ends, I lean into her ear and ask, “Do you want to get out of here?”

Her phone pings and she glances at the screen. “Shit, I’ve got to run. Have fun with impressing your boss.”

She rushes to the door, and I yell, “Wait.”

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