Crash (3 page)

“You don’t sound very excited about it,” he commented.

Well, how could I? It was a dead end job, but the money was stable and that’s all I seemed to care about anymore. Safety. I wasn’t one for taking risks. Ben was safe. I wasn’t like Jessica, who practically emptied her bank account to donate her money to a soup kitchen.
Stop comparing yourself to her
. But I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help but notice the irony in how our roles were reversed. Now she was the one with her shit together and I was the struggling one. Maybe I deserve this.

I shrugged at him.

“Are you any good?”

“I think so, yeah.”

He made an indistinct sound in his throat.

“What do you do?”

“I’m the VP of Marketing.”

“Sounds fun,” I said, echoing his deadpan tone.

His fingers rapped on the wood. “It’s okay, but what I really want is to become CEO. My dad is retiring soon. Luke’s dad is safely out of the way, so that goody-goody bore definitely won’t get the job. It’s a fight between me and my four siblings.”

My mouth hung open in shock.
Safely out of the way?
  “He’s dead, not safely out of the way!”

He merely shrugged at my indignation. “Yeah, so?” he said defensively. “He was a jerk. Even Luke admits it.” Will suddenly sniggered to himself in the darkness and I jumped at the noise.

A savage grin filled his face as he looked at me. “I couldn’t believe that he hired that girl just to fool his dad—spent tens of thousands on her and even after all that, his dad only left him five hundred grand. What an idiot.”

The backyard rang with his laughter. It was such an infectious, loud laugh that I couldn’t help but smile. The shock of something so rude being said out loud and the layer of truth within it softened how offensive it was. A small giggle escaped my mouth.

“I just assumed that it was something rich people did. Don’t have a girlfriend? Go out and buy one!”

His lip curled. “Not this skinny Guinea.” He shook his head. “But I guess it gives you insight on how screwed up some rich people are.”

Like you?
I rolled my eyes and blushed hard when he caught me.

The black eyes zeroed in on me. “You’re jealous.”

Guilt stabbed my insides. “I am not!”

“You so are. You’re practically seething with jealousy. It’s okay. I mean, I know Luke is jealous of my brothers and me, even though he’s a rich bastard.”

Luke was many things, but he was not a bastard. The charm of his crazy, offensive behavior was starting to wear off. “Luke’s my best friend’s boyfriend.”

William looked at me. “Oh, sorry,” he said, sounding completely insincere as if he said it thousands of times a day. “That explains it, though. I was wondering why a chick like you would be here.”

Did he just insult me?
“What does that mean?”

He smiled at my outrage. “You’ve never been to one of these parties. I can tell because of how nervous you looked when you were in there. That means you don’t work for us. Hot girl alone at a party, it raises questions.”

Hot girl? He was watching me?
The compliments flooded my chest with warmth, but at the same time I wanted to run away from him. He was so…
forward.
We were standing close enough to kiss and I could smell the magnetism from his body. The loose tie dangled in front of my face and I took it in my hands. I slid the blue silk up and readjusted it so that the knot was back on his throat. I couldn’t look away from him. Not even as I took his collar and folded it over his tie. His eyes burned like coals, shifting and falling.

“Sorry,” I said quickly, going a bit pink. I stepped back from him, starting to feel a bit suffocated by his presence.

“So, you’re one of those OCD types?”

My face flushed. “What?”

“You just seem like the type to get overly upset when you see a stain on someone’s shirt. And the type to draw needless attention to it in a desperate attempt to shame them so that they would change clothes.”

Will cocked his head slightly as he watched me, waiting for me to answer.

My face burned at this very negative assessment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He let out a laugh that made me feel confused.

“Relax, Natalie. I was just messing around.”

I looked at him curiously. He was probably the strangest man I ever met. I wasn’t sure if I liked him much. He was handsome, but he was a bit too strange and kind of insulting.
Why is he staring at me?

“We should get coffee sometime.”

The abrupt change in conversation made my head spin. Is he joking? From his behavior, I didn’t think he was remotely interested in me. Either it was a poor joke or he was socially stunted. I sniggered at his serious face and the deadpan delivery.
This has been such a weird evening
.

William frowned at me. “Well, that’s rude,” he said, turning pink.

“I’m sorry,” I gasped, clutching the rail to stay upright. “Are you serious? You’ve been insulting me this entire time. Why would I want to go anywhere with you?”

His mouth parted and for a moment he looked abashed. Perhaps he wasn’t used to being rejected. “I don’t really have a filter. I don’t mean to come off like an asshole.”

Well, now what should I say?
“I see.”

“You know that I’m rich, right?” He was staring at me like I was a sea urchin.

“Well, I assumed so, yes. And?”

Will closed in on me, eyes narrowed. I saw the question in his eyes: Why doesn’t she want to go out with me? “Usually women jump at the chance to go out with me.”

“You think a lot of yourself, don’t you?”

A smile lit up his face as if I paid him a compliment. “You’re a bit cheeky. I like that.”

I’m normally never like this.
I shrugged. “Well, whatever. I have everything I want. Anyways, I’m not really looking for a relationship.”

A part of me knew that I was incredibly stupid for saying that. Even if I wasn’t looking for a relationship, wouldn’t it be worth it to give it a shot? Just to say that I was young once and I did something wild—I went out with a billionaire.

Suddenly, he closed in on me, trapping me against the rail. Whoa, this is too close. My heart hammered fiercely when I looked up at his smiling face. He wore a faint sprinkling of cologne that made my skin flush with heat, or perhaps it was his pretty dark eyes looking down at me as if I were a particularly delicious dessert that he was dying to taste.

No one ever looked at me like that.

“Ah, I get it now. You’re still getting over some guy. I can make you feel better, Natalie. Come home with me.” He looked immensely satisfied that he had finally pinned me. I was recovering from a breakup. Finally, I made sense to him. 

A stroke of his finger against my cheek set my nerves ablaze.
Jesus, he’s forward.
It was insanely hot, but I had no desire for a one-night stand. I wasn’t ready for this. He’s just going to throw me away as soon as he’s done with me.
Men like him don’t want me.

I ducked under his arm before he could tempt me any more, his laughter making me cringe as I fled back to the party. I glanced back and he was standing confidently with his arms crossed, still smiling.

“I’ll see you again, Natalie.”

His eyes licked up and down my body like flames.

He’s just an asshole who wants to get laid.

Forcing myself to turn around, I fled back inside the warmth of the house, and realized with a hot blush that I still had Will’s jacket draped around my shoulders.
I’ll see you again, Natalie.

Damn it
.

“Natalie, there you are!”

I recognized Jessica’s voice and fixed a cheery grin on my face. A soup of emotions mixed inside me as she walked over with a beaming smile on her face. Her golden hair, normally straight, bounced on her shoulders.

“Are you having fun? Whose jacket is that?”

My cheeks burned. “Oh, it’s some guy’s.” I pointed towards the dark figure brooding outside. “Yeah, great party. Really great.”

I took in the white glove waiters offering trays of obscure hors d’oeuvres, the live jazz band playing in the living room, the flowers, and the balloons.

She rolled her eyes at it all. “I know. It’s a bit much. I’m still getting used to all this.” She gave me a knowing grin. “Who’s that?”

My heart knocked on my ribs. “Well, he says he’s Luke’s cousin. Pretty weird guy. His name is William.”

Jessica’s eyes went round. “Oh, him. Yeah, Luke talks about him a lot. He’s the youngest of his brothers. Apparently, he’s a bit of a dick.”

Yeah, I think that I got that impression.

I didn’t want to tell her what happened outside. It had been such a strange conversation.

“Come say hi to Luke. He’s been wanting to see you.”

I was dragged back into the suffocating crowd. I really doubted that Luke cared whether he saw me. He looked immaculate in his pinstripe suit. An involuntary wave of heat flushed my skin when he smiled at me. Jessica raced forward into his arms and I realized with a sickening feeling that he was smiling at her—not me.

Don’t fucking crush on your best friend’s boyfriend.

“Natalie, how’ve you been?”

I hated the undertone of concern, the wrinkles creasing around his eyes.

“Fine.” I knew that Jessica probably told her boyfriend all about how I spent my nights sobbing into my pillow. “Congratulations on your deal.”

His face lit up. “Thanks. I never thought that it would take off like this. We’re expanding the campaign worldwide, you know.”

“No, I didn’t!” I said in a horribly cheery voice.

Jessica squeezed Luke’s waist and he looked at her with an adoring expression that made me cringe.

He had a sad look on his face. “I just wish my dad could have seen this.”

“Your dad wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass.”

A reedy voice suddenly joined the conversation and I looked to my left to see William looking utterly mad in his gray shirt, like a handsome demon. He sneered at Luke, who looked like he smelled something foul.

Oh, God.

“William, so nice of you to join us.”

“You all can relax, I was just joking around.” His voice suddenly matured and the sneer dropped from his face. “Seriously, Luke. Congrats. I can’t wait to begin the campaign. It’s going to be great.”

Luke hesitated before he took Will’s hand, which he shook with a slight frown on his face. William, apparently at ease, looked at me and smiled warmly.

“There you are! I was wondering if I’d get my jacket back.”

“Oh, sorry,” I mumbled as I slipped it from my shoulders.

He helped me take it off and when I looked at him, he winked.

Wipe that fucking smirk off your face.

Luke wore an uncertain smile. “You know each other?”

“I’m taking her out to dinner tomorrow night,” Will said matter-of-factly.

All of them gaped at me.

Did I hear that correctly? “What?” I stammered.

The background music sounded like it was too low. Our small circle ignored the party to stare at Will and me. He ignored the bemused looks around him and addressed me with a scorching look. Blood careened through my veins.

“Bring your portfolio. I want to see your work.”

“No,” I muttered. I didn’t want to see the disappointment on his face. My cheeks were like embers and I walked away with Jessica close on my heels.
Oh, crap.

I stopped near a table with a row of glasses and I took one, frowning as Jessica cornered me, looking excited.

“He asked you out on a date?”

“Yeah, but I’m not going. He’s a bit strange.” I looked back at the group. William and Luke were exchanging words and Luke looked uncharacteristically serious. I couldn’t imagine what they were talking about.

I just don’t want to be hurt again.

And he looked like just the man who would do such a thing.

I tried to forget about the man I met on the way home, but he kept popping up in my head. I couldn’t get over how weird the whole thing was—how he looked drunk but wasn’t, and his wildly inappropriate behavior.
He has issues
.

There was something about him that made me intensely curious. What kind of rich guy goes to a party looking like he had just been mugged? There was something refreshing about his open honesty, even if it was rude as hell.

As I dove into bed, yawning, I decided that the party hadn’t been so bad. It had been worth it just to meet the strange man who asked me out minutes after insulting me.

No way, buddy.

Then why couldn’t I stop thinking about him

Chapter 2

I went to work on Monday, my mind churning with the bizarre encounter at Luke’s party. It was one of the weirdest conversations I ever had with a stranger. Briefly, it interrupted my obsessive, self-pitying thoughts and gave me something new to stew over. I walked to my cubicle and caught a faint tinge of cologne and suddenly Will’s fingers were stroking my face, making me hot all over.

“Just stop it,” I muttered to myself.

“Stop what?”

My coworker, Janine leaned out of her cubicle and my cheeks purpled.

“Oh, I was just talking to myself. One of those days.”

I grimaced at her and she returned the smile reluctantly.

My gaze returned to the email from my boss requesting a meeting at three. My heart pounded.
What does she want to talk about?
I had a feeling that I knew what it was going to be about. Lately, my job performance wasn’t at its best. She sent my designs back multiple times, telling me that they lacked inspiration. They were too simple. She’s probably going to talk to me about it.

The last year killed my creativity. It wasn’t that I had to be happy to be creative, but it was hard to think about art after cutting out a major part of my life. I was physically and emotionally drained all the time.

Oh, poor you
, I imagined my Mom saying.
Poor baby. Shut up and work
.