Page 17 of Acquiring Ainsley
In one swift movement, he took my drink from my hand and placed it next to his on a nearby cocktail table. I tried to say something, but then his lips cut off my words. They crushed against mine, and his mouth claimed me. He was all around my body, and his rough kiss had an intensity behind it. I found myself returning his passion, in part because no one had kissed me liked this in a long time. His embrace was strong, forceful, demanding, and raw.
“We need each other,” he murmured when his lips broke away from mine for a moment. “I can feel it.”
He claimed me again with his mouth, and we melted against each other. His tongue entwined with mine, and I completely lost myself in the moment, as his hands tangled in my hair, then traveled down my neck, and reached the top of my dress. By the time I regained control and pushed Trevor away, my cheeks were hot, and raw energy pulsed through me.
“Who do you think you are?” I demanded, attempting to slow my breathing and calm the euphoria that had just highjacked my system.
A half second later, my palm connected with his left cheek and made a loud crack, which I then followed up with a shove. I took my drink from the table.
“You’re an asshole,” I told him over my shoulder as I stalked back to the party. But as I did so, a small smile tugged at my lips.
Now, years later, and in the place that I had once considered my gilded escape from reality, I felt myself growing both irked and intrigued by Trevor’s presence. And if he expected me to admit that he’d been more than a little right back then during our conversation at the Whitney, then he had another thing coming.
“It’s the beginning of the work week. Aren’t you supposed to be in New York?”
“Not necessarily.” Trevor gave me a full smile. “I can work anywhere I choose. When you run the empire, the court follows you. It’s one of the perks.”
I tore my gaze from his. “Lucky you.”
He ducked his head and leaned closer to me. “You know, for someone whose brother was happy to take my charity, you really are a piece of work, aren’t you?”
“It’s one of the things I do well. Andhetook your charity, not me.”
“From what I understand, you didn’t argue very hard against it.”
I stared down into my drink and gave him a weak response. “That’s not entirely true.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. We didn’t walk away from each other, either. As things began to feel more awkward, I studied everyone and everything but him. This night wasn’t going the way I had expected, I thought as I made a circular motion using my glass, swirling the wine around. It was far from the proper way to hold it, but I was past the point of caring about superficial etiquette. That had disappeared earlier in the evening, around the time that I’d arrived at the bottom of my second cocktail.
The rush and ebb of the ocean sounded on the beach somewhere behind me. The chatter and laughter of partygoers carried on the salty breeze. Finally, he broke the silence between us.
“I know you don’t like me, Ainsley.”
I shivered, although it was an unseasonably warm night. “Wow. What an observation. Someone should give you an award.”
I swallowed the rest of my wine and glanced in Brooke’s direction. She still spoke to Mitzy, but their conversation had expanded, and now included several other Palm Beachers, most of whom had famous last names and the money to go with them. Brooke looked as if she couldn’t be more pleased to be the center of it.
“Maybe that Ivy League education of yours was good for something. I have to admit, though, I’m surprised the folks at Harvard managed to get you to open a book.”
He chuckled. “Most worthless thing I ever did with my time. I hated every minute of being in Cambridge.”
“What a shame.” I sniffed. “You must have been too arrogant to know what was good for you. They could have taught you some manners, if only you’d let them.”
“You mean the kind that you have? I’mdyingto act like that.”
I shrugged. “I might be a snob, but at least I’ve earned the right.”
“Have you? From my vantage point, you haven’t earned much of anything.”
My reply caught in my throat. He was right. More than right.Damn it.
“Well,” I managed after a hard swallow. I handed my glass to a passing server. “Now that you’ve insulted me once again, I think I’ll get another drink.”
“You’re the one who belittled me first.”
Touché.
“Regardless,” I said. “I’m leaving.”
