Page 27 of Rival Desires

The moment I let go, reality hit me like a ton of bricks. What the hell was I doing? This wasn’t right. Our intentions were all twisted up in a mess of desire and competition, and we were just using each other. I couldn’t let it happen again.

Before I could apologize or explain, she took off.

What the actual fuck just happened? My heart was racing, and I needed a cold shower, stat. Instead, I leaned against the wall, trying to get my shit together.

Eventually, I pulled myself together and headed back to the party, determined to talk to her about that kiss and our crazy pull. But she was nowhere to be found. There was no glass slipper, no breadcrumbs – nothing.

I told myself it was for the best. This whole situation was a disaster, and she clearly didn’t give a damn about me. It was all just a game to her.

But deep down, I knew even I couldn’t buy my own bullshit.

SIXTEEN

Rylee

My cheeks were on fire as I practically sprinted away from Cory. The flush wasn’t just from embarrassment; it was because every cell in my body had ignited the second his lips met mine. And now, those same cells were screaming at me to do something completely insane, like drag him into a storage closet and fuck him senseless.

But therein lies the problem. While I couldn’t get him out of my mind, he clearly saw me as some kind of villain, even though, ironically, he was the one who had seduced me under false pretenses.

The more I thought about it, the more I questioned my interpretation of what had happened between us. Was I getting it all wrong?

I pushed it away. Deep thinking was the last thing I wanted right now. I had to escape before Cory came back to avoid the awkward dance of evading him for the rest of the night.

I spotted Bennett right where I’d left him and made a beeline for him.

“Let’s leave,” I said quietly as I reached his side, then added, “Please,” with as much politeness as I could muster.

The smile that spread across his lips sent a shiver of revulsion up my spine, but I brushed off the urge to comment on it. Getting out of there was what mattered.

“If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen,” he announced to his group in a smug tone. “It seems my date can’t wait for me to take her home.”

Again, I suppressed my anger at his implication and grabbed his arm more forcefully than I intended. “Now, Bennett.”

As we headed for the exit, Bennett went full caveman. He wrapped his arm around my waist and leaned in so close I could almost taste the bourbon on his breath. “Your place or mine, sweet cheeks?” he asked with all the charm of a wet sock.

I sighed, taking a step back. “Drop it, Bennett. I have no desire to be your flavor of the week.”

His face twisted into a sneer belonging to a cheap horror movie villain. “You’re one ungrateful little piece of work, you know that?” he spat out, venom lacing his words.

For a moment, I thought I must have misheard him. But then my temper went from zero to sixty in record time. “Excuse me?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm.

“You must be slow,” he snarled, eyes narrowing. “I showed up to help you out with Mom’s account. You owe me now.”

I gritted my teeth, barely holding back the urge to tell him where he could stick it. “Newsflash, Bennett,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not some damsel in distress who needs help, and I sure as hell don’t owe you anything. If you think I will jump into bed with you to seal a business deal, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“Then I guess you won’t mind if I recommend Gracen & McCrae to my mom instead,” he said, his eyes narrowing.

I somehow kept my chill, not wanting to hand Bennett the satisfaction of watching me freak out. But man, his threat stung. Losing the Seaworth account was already bad news, but losing it to Gracen & McCrae? That was like adding insult to injury.

“Knock yourself out, Bennett,” I said, doing my best to sound as chill as a cucumber even though I felt more like a pressure cooker about to blow. “Tell your mom whatever floats your boat. But let me repeat one thing to make it crystal clear to you, Bennett.” I stepped within an inch of him. “I don’t owe you, or anyone else, squat. And there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you manipulate or blackmail me into sleeping with you.”

His face scrunched up like he’d bitten a lemon, and for a second, I thought his head might just pop off like a cartoon character. Instead, he released an exasperated huff and stomped away, mumbling something under his breath that I couldn’t quite make out.

Left alone after the showdown with Bennett, I sucked in a deep breath, inhaling calming vibes. I needed a new game plan and fast. This Seaworth gig was a biggie, no doubt about it - bigger than all our other accounts put together. But heck, was I really going to sell my soul or trample on my self-respect just to land it? No way. I gave my head a good shake, trying to rid myself ofthe slimy feeling that the whole scenario left me with. Time to regroup, recharge, and cook up a Plan B that didn’t involve me playing pawn to Bennett’s warped little sexual fantasy.

I made my way to the door, already brainstorming. As I stepped outside, the cool night air hit me like a refreshing slap in the face. Tonight’s events were just another twist in the crazy theme park that is the world of finance.

I slid into the cab’s backseat, and the city lights blurred together as I stewed over the whole Bennett and Cory mess. It was like a cringe-worthy throwback to the worst bits of my Sacramento days, but with an extra dash of rival desires tossed in for good measure.

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