Page 49 of The Temptation
Pierce nodded and pulled me in a different direction to what appeared to be a large office where stools and small circular high-top tables had been placed. There were about twenty people in here wearing suits and evening dresses. They chatted and held glasses of wine or mixed drinks they’d gotten from a bar that had been set up in the corner.
“Can I get you a drink?” Pierce inquired.
“Nope. That’ll be my reward for getting through this gauntlet. I can’t wait to show you how charming I can be.”
Pierce laughed, but I soon showed him I was a fucking star when it came to chatting up and charming people. I’d been doing this for most of my life. It wasn’t enough that I could play the violin better than practically everyone in the world; people also expected me to be witty, charming, and a must-have at all their parties. While I didn’t know shit about law or contracts, I could spin incredible stories about my travels around the globe and the interesting people I’d met.
People inevitably asked how Pierce and I met. I always kept it vague so that the whole nonexistent age gap issue that haunted Pierce was glossed over. Childhood friends. That was easy enough.
While I was ready to be charming and witty, I wasn’t prepared to see Pierce in work mode. This man who’d stolen my heart was giving me absolutely no chance to escape. Despite his obvious fatigue, he still chatted and joked easily with everyone we saw. He could shift from serious to encouraging in the blink of an eye. And somehow, it was like he always knew exactly what to say to brush aside tension or break the ice, putting everyone at ease.
Most of the time, I forgot that Pierce Sutton was the head of this law firm. Yes, his dad was the grand pooh-bah of the entire company, but on a day-to-day basis, Pierce was the one calling the shots. He was a brilliant, powerful man who had a deep impact on the lives of these people, but he was also the sweet, caring person who held me when I was burned out and fed me cheese.
More than an hour had passed before Pierce finally worked us over to his father on the other side of the room. Pierce feltsecure enough to slip away to fetch us a drink while I talked to his dad.
“How’s Mrs. Sutton? Pierce mentioned she’s feeling better,” I asked the second we were alone.
“Fine, fine. Angry at me for making her go to the hospital in the first place.”
I grinned and shifted from one foot to the other. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“True, but she’s disappointed she didn’t get to see you prior to our leaving town.”
My stomach dropped into my shoes, and there was no holding on to my smile. “Leave? You’re leaving already?”
Oliver nodded. “It’s time. We’ve been here meddling in Pierce’s life for two weeks. I have a feeling that if we try to stay any longer, he’s going to drug us and stuff us on the first plane heading north.”
“No, I would never allow that,” I spat out while my brain shut down in panic.They’re leaving?I knew it had to be coming soon, but this sounded like they were leaving tomorrow or Friday. They couldn’t! I needed more time. Pierce was still being a stubborn ass.
Oliver chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “You’re such a sweet boy. Just keep looking after Pierce for us. He’s in excellent hands with you. I know we’ve been hassling him about moving to Boston, but his mother is less worried about him now, thanks to you.”
“Of course. Pierce is my everything.”
And I meant it. Maybe what I’d felt for all those years had been silly infatuation, but these past couple of weeks had proved to me that I’d been right for falling for this man. He was so fucking protective, so sweet, so caring, and funny. God, when he let himself relax, the most ridiculous things would come out of his mouth. How could I not fall for him?
The most important thing right now was to fight for him.
Pierce rejoined us a moment later with a glass of champagne for me and whiskey for himself. We made some polite small talk with Oliver for a few more minutes and then Pierce thoughtfully put a hand on my lower back and steered me out of the room.
“Would you like to get something to eat now?” Pierce inquired.
“Actually, is there a quiet spot we can sit? I could use a minute to decompress.”
“Of course.” Pierce took my hand and smiled at his employees as we wove our way through the building and along another corridor to his office.
Once the door was closed behind us, sealing us away from the din of conversation and steady foot traffic, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could easily play the part of the outgoing socialite, but it was draining.
“You were wonderful out there,” Pierce complimented. He strolled over to his desk and set his half-empty glass on it before leaning against the front.
“You think?”
Pierce chuckled. “You had them all eating out of the palm of your hand, and you know it.”
I preened under his praise, shooting a smirk in his direction as I slowly walked around his office. This was my second time here. My first visit on Monday hadn’t been that great of an experience, so I hadn’t been able to be as nosy as I’d wanted.
In a lot of ways, his office was exactly as I expected—a wall covered in leather-bound law books, leather and wood furniture, and lots of shiny brass. But there were little unexpected things tucked away that squeezed my heart. The paintings on the walls were light and breezy landscapes. There weren’t many knickknacks, but I found one statue of a black kitten with widegreen eyes. As far as I knew, he didn’t have a cat. Was this in honor of a cat he’d had as a child? I needed to know the truth!
On another shelf, I found a statue of a young man playing a violin. It looked as if it had been sculpted out of clay. The figure was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but his clothes and hair were all pulled behind him as if he were standing against a strong wind. I wanted to tease him about it but bit back my words. I was more afraid that the statue would be removed from his office if I called attention to it.
