Page 43 of The Spare
I pushed my phone into my pocket when I heard the doorbell. To my surprise, Cece, Tristan, Rohan, and Jackson had come to my place to see me off. Xander planned an impromptu get-together before the long stretch of time away.
Settling on the couch, an assortment of food sitting on the coffee table between us, we planned how we would celebrate when I finally became senior partner. And we arranged the annual trip Xander and I took every summer.
My heart ached at the thought of leaving my merry band of cohorts for half the year. They were the family I’d chosen. It would be a flash before I was back, and everything was back as it was.
The only difference? I would be a senior partner.
CHAPTER22
Marcus
The Hightower New Year’s Eve ball in SoHo was something to experience, an opulent event to ring in the New Year. Victor Hightower, the rising CEO, invited me, so my attendance was mandatory. In addition to being in the energy business, they had a monopoly on some coveted shipping routes that I needed access to.
Thankfully, I got him to agree to allow Sutton Industries access, so I could enjoy the party or leave. I would have chosen the latter, but I brought a date, so I was stuck till midnight. With a bored sigh, I took a sip of whiskey and looked around the room for her. She was wearing something blue, or green, maybe red. Before I could waste another brain cell thinking about it, she reappeared, drink in hand and smiling.
She was…fine. An editor at Vogue, she was intelligent and amiable. I only asked her to this event in a desperate attempt to clear my head. Luckily, she found my company to be just as tedious as I found hers and left me to my thoughts.
Ones I shouldn’t have had. I headed to the bar for another drink when, as if summoned by those thoughts, I heard a familiar laugh. Like melted caramel, it was soft and warm. And stuck to every part of my soul.
My heart raced. Was Sloan here? A warm tingle ran up my spine.
The pleasurable sensation didn’t last when I finally caught sight of her.
I never considered myself violent. Growing up, I’d been in a few scraps, but nothing compared to the overwhelming urge I had to beat the life out of the man who pulled Sloan in closer to him. Their bodies pressed together as they danced. He was forward, and she didn’t seem to mind.
The glass in my hand nearly shattered under my grip. My blood heated at the sound of her soft, feathery laugh when he dared to get close enough to whisper something in her ear.
That laugh. The one I loved.My laugh.
My molars ground tightly. I put the glass down.
I watched him closely. If his hand slid any lower, I would rip it off.
I was momentarily distracted from the building rage by Sloan herself. She wore a floor-length, strapless, form-fitting black dress. A diamond necklace dipped provocatively just above where her dress began. Regal, refined, and so damn tempting. Unlike at the gala, her hair was down in loose waves, sweeping along her back as she danced.
She was stunning. And he was a dead man if he triedanything.
Having to watch her with someone else was torture. A few agonizing minutes later, I was finally freed of it when the song ended and the pair walked toward the bar. The one in my direction.
“Marcus!” She immediately pulled me into a hug. Her arms wrapped around my torso. If the contact wasn’t rewarding enough, the surprised look on her date’s face almost made having to see her with him worth it.
Almost.
Sloan sputtered as she stumbled through an introduction. His name was Ashton Carmichael, and that was all I heard. I got distracted by the hand he placed on the small of her back after she returned to his side.
It moved lower, and I snapped.
“Get your hand off of her,” I barked. I could barely hear my words over the blood rushing through my ears. I wasn’t raised in high society, I didn’t go to etiquette class, and if he didn’t follow orders, he’d find out just how unrefined I could be.
In that moment, every valid reason I had to conceal how I felt about her vanished. I didn’t care.
I leaned in. “Or not even a dental record will identify your body.” The lethality in my voice wasn’t well hidden. It wasn’t meant to be.
Sloan took a sharp inhale. Her eyes widened. She didn’t react past that, though. I was expecting defiance. Instead, she smirked.
She smirked.
She fucking smirked.
