Page 51 of Beautifully Broken Control

Her shoulders that had been rigid with tension dropped a hair. “I get it. More than you know. I just don’t like the character you play very much.”

I gave her arm a squeeze. “I don’t like him very much either. So, why don’t I throw him away for the night?”

“Think you can do that?”

“With you by my side? No problem.”

Kennedy melted into my side as we headed for the bar. The tension was gone, and the warmth was back. She seemed to fit perfectly against me, her long, willowy frame melding to the hard planes of my chest. With the four-inch stilettos, she was the perfect height that if I dipped my head, I’d be able to kiss her neck…Fuck.I did not need to be thinking about that.

“What can I get you, ma’am? Sir?” I was jolted back to the present moment by the bartender’s voice.

Kennedy placed her purse on the bar. “Do you have Perrier?”

“We do. Would you like a lemon in that?”

“Lime, please.”

“Of course. Sir?”

“Soda water with lime in a rocks glass.”

The bartender nodded and turned to prepare our drinks. Kennedy looked up at me. “Do you not drink?”

I shook my head. “No.” Alcohol had been such a part of that downward spiral in college, I wouldn’t risk it again. I wanted all my faculties about me at all times. “You?”

She smiled up at me. “I do. Perrier is just my favorite drink.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll have to remember that.”

The bartender returned with our drinks, and we headed out to brave the crowds. The way Kennedy handled my business associates, you would’ve thought she’d been doing this her whole life. She could talk about anything: current events, their children, art, and she even seemed to have a keen mind for business. I couldn’t help but wonder what else was hiding just beneath the surface.

I gave her hand a gentle tug, and she glanced up. “Dance with me?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“I’ve clearly been neglecting my date.” I led her towards the dance floor as a string quartet played some classical piece I didn’t recognize, and then pulled Kennedy into my arms. “I’m afraid you’ve got me beat on the dancing front.”

“It’s not about executing the perfect steps. It’s about enjoying the journey.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” I inhaled deeply as I held her body closer to mine. Her hair smelled of roses and something I couldn’t quite name. I’d never been one to notice a woman’s perfume, but I knew without a doubt that her scent would be burned into my memory forever.

We were silent as we swayed. I could’ve made a better attempt at fancy footwork, but I wanted to simply lose myself in the moment. Her body pressed against mine. The closest it had ever been. An excuse to touch her was all I wanted. But it still wasn’t enough. I was greedy for Kennedy. I think I’d always want more.

The song was over far too quickly, and as the last strains of a cello lifted up into the air, a hand clamped on my shoulder. “Cain.”

I turned and met Jake with a shake and slap on the back. “Jake, this is Kennedy. Kennedy, this is my VP, Jake.”

I hadn’t been sure how well Kennedy would handle meeting company employees when she knew one of them was stabbing me in the back. Still, each time, she kept her cool, a mask perfectly in place. That façade made me twitchy. She was too damn good at it. “Nice to meet you, Jake.”

“You, as well. Would you mind if I borrowed Cain for a moment?”

I opened my mouth to protest, but she responded before I did. “Of course, not.” She looked at me. “I’m going to find the ladies’ room. I’ll meet you at the bar when you’re done.”

I nodded, but my chest began to constrict as she walked away, that familiar panic setting in. She was in a room of sharks, and I didn’t want her out of my sight for even a second.

Jake gripped my shoulder. “What’s that all about?”

I cleared my throat. “What do you mean?”

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