one,” she snapped.
“You alone in the dark with a man is not a party,” he growled.
She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, glaring up at him. “Excuse me? You’re out here questioning my actions when that little blonde bunny wrapped herself around you so tight, she was practically in your boxers.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Whatever.” She started again, and he fell into step beside her until they bordered the partygoers, and light illuminated his face, a mask of anger. Now she knew he could get angry, but he still hadn’t raised his voice. The controlled way he held himself in check would have been sexy if he hadn’t pissed her off.
“So that’s what this was, a childish way to get back at me? You picked up some strange man at a party where you know no one, and you walk off into the darkness with him half naked?”
When he put it like that, she did seem like an airhead, but she would not straighten him out with the truth. “Look, it’s late. I’m tired. This night has been a joke, so if you don’t mind, I want to go back to your house. If you won’t take me, I’m sure I can find a ride somewhere.”
She cast a glance in the direction of several men, and he grunted as if he would toss her over his shoulder at any second. Alyssa would cut him down to size if he even tried.
“I bet you could,” he bit out.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s go. I will drive you.”
“You mean your chauffeur.”
“I don’t understand the resentment you feel about my station in life, Alyssa. I swindled no one. I don’t own sweatshops. I work damn hard for what I have, probably more than the average man.”
“I’m not resentful. Just forget it. I’m going for another drink.” She headed to the bar, but he followed.
“Where are your clothes?”
His words brought her dress and shoes to mind, and she leaned on the bar and called to the man behind it. “Hey, can I have my stuff now, please?”
He approached with an excited grin spreading over his face. His gaze lowered to her breasts, which were smashed a little on the counter. “I get off in half an hour. How about I give them to you then?”
Nathan crowded her from behind and dropped a threatening hand on the bar. “She’ll have them now, and neither of us cares when you’re off work.”
The man paled. “Mr. Corde, of course, sir.”
Alyssa groaned. “Does everyone know you and kiss your ass?”
Nathan’s lips tightened into a straight line. “Not everyone.”
“I know you’re not talking about me, because if you are, you should get it by now. I’m never kissing your ass.” She grabbed her dress and shoes and turned on her heel to stalk away. He caught up with her and directed her to the hotel. Now that she had left the beach, dressed the way she was, she couldn’t wait to get out from under the bright lights.
They strode through to the front entrance where his car waited. Nathan didn’t wait for his driver to open the door. He wrenched it wide, and she shuffled inside the dark interior. The snide remarks from her side and the cold parries from his continued on the road home.
“So what? I’m supposed to put up with any kind of treatment just because I’m pretending to be your girlfriend?”
“No one said you did, Alyssa. If you would just calm down…”
She managed to scramble into her dress, and she felt his eyes on her the entire time. Goodness knows she wasn’t trying to entice the insufferable man when she wiggled to get the material to lie properly over her breasts. For some reason it felt tighter. “Calm down? It’s not like you’re paying me to do this, Nathan.”
“Money, you bring that up a lot.”
“You’re counting. And no, it’s not about money. It’s about respect.”
He growled in frustration. She rolled her eyes at him. When the car pulled to a stop, she jumped out and ran up to the front door. Aziz opened it before she got there, and she muttered her thanks before
“You alone in the dark with a man is not a party,” he growled.
She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, glaring up at him. “Excuse me? You’re out here questioning my actions when that little blonde bunny wrapped herself around you so tight, she was practically in your boxers.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Whatever.” She started again, and he fell into step beside her until they bordered the partygoers, and light illuminated his face, a mask of anger. Now she knew he could get angry, but he still hadn’t raised his voice. The controlled way he held himself in check would have been sexy if he hadn’t pissed her off.
“So that’s what this was, a childish way to get back at me? You picked up some strange man at a party where you know no one, and you walk off into the darkness with him half naked?”
When he put it like that, she did seem like an airhead, but she would not straighten him out with the truth. “Look, it’s late. I’m tired. This night has been a joke, so if you don’t mind, I want to go back to your house. If you won’t take me, I’m sure I can find a ride somewhere.”
She cast a glance in the direction of several men, and he grunted as if he would toss her over his shoulder at any second. Alyssa would cut him down to size if he even tried.
“I bet you could,” he bit out.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s go. I will drive you.”
“You mean your chauffeur.”
“I don’t understand the resentment you feel about my station in life, Alyssa. I swindled no one. I don’t own sweatshops. I work damn hard for what I have, probably more than the average man.”
“I’m not resentful. Just forget it. I’m going for another drink.” She headed to the bar, but he followed.
“Where are your clothes?”
His words brought her dress and shoes to mind, and she leaned on the bar and called to the man behind it. “Hey, can I have my stuff now, please?”
He approached with an excited grin spreading over his face. His gaze lowered to her breasts, which were smashed a little on the counter. “I get off in half an hour. How about I give them to you then?”
Nathan crowded her from behind and dropped a threatening hand on the bar. “She’ll have them now, and neither of us cares when you’re off work.”
The man paled. “Mr. Corde, of course, sir.”
Alyssa groaned. “Does everyone know you and kiss your ass?”
Nathan’s lips tightened into a straight line. “Not everyone.”
“I know you’re not talking about me, because if you are, you should get it by now. I’m never kissing your ass.” She grabbed her dress and shoes and turned on her heel to stalk away. He caught up with her and directed her to the hotel. Now that she had left the beach, dressed the way she was, she couldn’t wait to get out from under the bright lights.
They strode through to the front entrance where his car waited. Nathan didn’t wait for his driver to open the door. He wrenched it wide, and she shuffled inside the dark interior. The snide remarks from her side and the cold parries from his continued on the road home.
“So what? I’m supposed to put up with any kind of treatment just because I’m pretending to be your girlfriend?”
“No one said you did, Alyssa. If you would just calm down…”
She managed to scramble into her dress, and she felt his eyes on her the entire time. Goodness knows she wasn’t trying to entice the insufferable man when she wiggled to get the material to lie properly over her breasts. For some reason it felt tighter. “Calm down? It’s not like you’re paying me to do this, Nathan.”
“Money, you bring that up a lot.”
“You’re counting. And no, it’s not about money. It’s about respect.”
He growled in frustration. She rolled her eyes at him. When the car pulled to a stop, she jumped out and ran up to the front door. Aziz opened it before she got there, and she muttered her thanks before
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