SAVANNAH
“Savi?” Wesley called out as he knocked. “Hurry!”
“Coming!” I shouted back. I put on a pair of pearl earrings to match my Grecian maxi white dress. The straps hung on my shoulders with a racy V-cut on the cleavage and had a side split at my right upper thigh down on my leg. My back was half bare, but a strip of gold chain connected to the other side to keep it from falling off. I didn’t wear a necklace. I liked the way my neck was also bare. I let my hair fall on my shoulders with the right curls and wore six-inch because it emphasized my butt when I walked. For the final touch, I swiped a red lipstick and hurried outside. I was now ready for the party.
“What’s taking you so long?” he complained, but Riley slapped his arm.
“You boys should know by now what it means for us girls to dress up,” she said.
I grinned. “Yeah, because you’re not bad yourself.”
Wes looked debonair tonight in a Brioni tux. With a body and handsome face to flaunt, I rarely saw him less than gorgeous on any day of his life—unless a girlfriend broke up with him.
He frowned at his watch. “Except that our boss is already looking for us.” He showed me the phone screen with Carter’s name on it. “Hello?” He answered and walked out of the door.
“You look freaking hot tonight, sis. Nail it tonight, okay?” Riley squeezed me against her.
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the dress. I love it. Bye, bye!” I kissed her cheeks and dashed out of her apartment because her brother had already gone out.
It turned out my Wes was right. The program had already started, but photographers kept snapping pictures on the red carpet because celebrities were still coming. I spotted Enzo da Silva, a Brazilian actor who appeared in several original PeekFlix shows and Hollywood action films, and Aurek Wiśniewski, a polish singer and cover model, and a stunning blonde woman next to him.
“See? We’re not that late.”
Wes grabbed my wrist. “Come on.”
We moved past the hallway, skipping the red carpet; Wes showed our invitations to the front entrance. Then, an usher was escorted to a grand outdoor cocktail party reception and to the VIP table reserved for Sebastian Entertainment Group. There was a huge screen in front, flashing an animation of PeekFlix’s logo.
Guests had almost filled the tables, but Wesley said the after-party was for the VIP guests, such as us, producers and directors, and some celebrities. The event earlier was for the fans.
I was also looking forward to meeting the CEO tonight, but only Carter was there.
“Hey.” He kissed my cheek as I stood next to him. “You look stunning.”
I chuckled, feeling my cheek heat. “My first time? Thank you.”
“What’s up?” Wesley asked, slipping his hands into his pocket.
“Emilio’s there.” Carter pointed to the table across from us. He had at least four people blocking the view, so I couldn’t see much. “We’ll just greet him once and talk a little. That’s all.”
“Where’s your bother?” Wes asked.
“Oh, he was just here.” Carter looked around. “We can meet him later.” He snatched two glasses of wine from the roving waiter and gave them to Wes and me. “Why not have a drink first?”
I took a sip, and its scent and sweetness ran down my throat smoothly. “Mm. This is good. Thanks.” Carter seemed like a considerate boss, which was rare. Brett would never get me a drink.
“So tell me how you two are friends?” Carter asked.
Wes and I glanced at each other and smiled.
“She’s been friends with my sister since middle school. I’m a year older than they are. She was always at my house to eat,” Wes said, smirking.
I laughed at his story. “Yes, I wasn’t friends with him at first. He was the skinny boy always by the pool with his skinny friends, who also always bullied me.”
“Hey! I wasn’t skinny,” Wes complained.
Carter beamed. “Are you sure you aren’t a thing?”
Wes and I shared a laugh from the nose. “What? No. He’s like my brother,” I said. “We became friends in high school.”
Wes nodded, still chuckling. He hooked an arm on my shoulder. “She said if I wasn’t a man, I’d have been one of her maid of honors too.”
I elbowed Wes at the waist. Why did he tell him that? I deliberately didn’t put my marital status on my resume.
Wesley’s face paled. He probably realized what he just did.
Carter’s eyebrow raised. “Maid of honor? You’re married?”
Crap. Now, my boss was interested to know. “Oh, I got married, but I’m getting divorced soon,” I said truthfully.
“I’m... I’m sorry,” Carter said softly, his eyes apologetic.
“It’s okay.” Accepting the divorce would be one of the best decisions in my life. Edward should be sending the papers soon. “But will that be a problem?” I asked Carter.
“Hello, no. That’s fine. We all have issues, but it won’t always be that way,” Carter encouraged.
Wes leaned over to whisper, “Sorry.”
I nodded, smiling, then I looked at Carter. “Thanks for considering me for the job.”
“You’re welcome. But let me honestly tell you this. I already sensed you’re capable with your experience, but my brother would have been surprised if he found out you’re from New Star.”
“Really? Why?”
“Let’s just say employees from your previous company are banned from coming to us,” Carter said.
“There’s a long story to it, Savi,” Wes added seriously. “And our boss? The big boss? He will probably ask to meet you soon, so—”
“So, we’re doing it now? Right here?”
“Yeah. He hasn’t been in a good mood the past few days, but we’re at a party, right?” Carter said.
Rafael Sebastian. Wes told me during my interview that there were four Sebastian brothers, and he was the eldest. The company’s CEO, and in a matter of months, he would be chairman when his father stepped down.
Rafael. I was reminded of him again.
I knew the probability of meeting the sexy stranger again was impossible, but I couldn’t get him out of his mind. Last night, I just had another wet dream about him. Blow job dreams. The other night was when he was going down on me. I also knew I would get over it in time, but it was frustrating that I couldn’t forget him at all. There were days I replayed our encounters in my head. Looking at his face alone left me breathless.
I sniffed the fresh outdoor air and slowly exhaled it, clearing the images of him between my legs.
I should focus on this. This party, these people, and this job. This would be the start of my new beginning.
“Can we toast to my bright future?” I lifted my glass.
“Cheers, Savannah.” Carter clinked his glass to mine, as well as Wesley’s.
“Hey, I saw someone I know,” Wes told me.
“Who?”
“Just someone.” He was looking at the redhead in the green gown’s direction. She was sweetly smiling at everyone that greeted her. I suppressed a laugh. She looked just like his ex-girlfriend, but she wasn’t Nancy. Looking at the woman made me think Wes had a type.
“Are you sure you know her?” I questioned.
“That’s Jennifer Leroy. She’s a YouTuber with eight million subscribers,” Carter said.
“She’s Nancy’s cousin,” Wesley stated.
My eyes widened. “Really?” I didn’t know that. I didn’t know her.
“I’ve got to ask her something. Wait here.” Wes stalked over to the other table and approached the redhead.
Carter followed him with his gaze and laughed. “Wesley can be funny sometimes.”
“He is.” One thing I liked about Wes was his sense of humor. He just wasn’t aware of it.
“So...” Carter shifted his attention back to me. “Not bad for your first day, huh?”
“Attending a party? Yeah.” I drank my wine.
“First impression?”
“Mm... I think you’re cool.”
He grinned. Somehow he reminded me of the sexy stranger. They had the same blue eyes, like the ocean.
“Cool, huh? I think you’re pretty cool too. My previous assistant, Diane, was a bit difficult. I can’t explain, but I hope we get along.”
I hoped so too.
Carter gulped his drink straight, put down the glass, and glanced in the PeekFlix’s CEO’s direction. “He’s still busy. Probably talking to our competitors, but that’s okay. As I said, tonight isn’t about business.”
“Is that the only task for tonight?”
“No, of course not. The task is to have fun.” He winked at me. “I’m getting a drink. Want more?”
“Sure. I’ll just go to the restroom.”
“It’s inside. Just go straight, then turn right.”
“Thanks.” I went back to where we came in and marched to the hallway, following the directions.
After emptying my bladder, I retouched my makeup and fixed a few strands of my hair sticking out in the wrong direction. I didn’t want to miss the fun, so I hurried. Carter had been a great company so far. I couldn’t wait for another conversation with him to get to know him better. But I already knew he was definitely different from my previous bosses. I was honestly much more comfortable with him. I couldn’t imagine myself talking to Brett like this.
When I returned to the party, I felt my stomach growl, so I went to the finger foods. I lined up to get a small plate when someone abruptly grabbed my waist from the back and spun me around.
I gasped in horror, and my heart drummed against my ribcage. The shameless abductor caged me in his strong arms and broad chest. He placed one hand around my waist and the other one cupped my shoulder. He smelled sinfully delectable, with a distinct scent of spice and aftershave.
I arched my neck to search for his face, and Rafael’s breathtaking features came into view: his chiseled cheekbones, strong jaw, and set and intense blue eyes that had been invading my dreams for a few nights. The yearning came back again. Even with our clothes on, the sensation of our bodies attached together prickled my skin. It burned me, burned me down to my inner thighs that I felt my nub tingle.
At that moment, I already knew what I wanted.
Him. I desired him. Badly, and the feeling overwhelmed me. Or perhaps raised it up in excitement.
I’d almost forgotten where we were, and I pushed away from him.
“What the—”
Rafael cocked his head to the side and smirked. “I knew it was you.”