Good to see you. Enjoying the party?” Max reached out to shake the hand of the other tuxedo-clad guest whose dark brown eyes gleamed when they met mine.
“Working on it.”
“Erica, this is—”
“How are you, Mark?” I interrupted Max’s introduction and forced myself to hold Mark’s steady gaze. Inside, alarms were going off and my heart beat loudly against my chest. But I refused to show him any weakness.
“Much better now,” he murmured.
Max grinned, mirroring Mark’s lascivious gaze on me. I tightened my grip around my clutch and harnessed all my energies to appear polite and unaffected, keenly aware that my reaction to Mark’s proximity would be noted by those around us. Of course the two men would know each other from business dealings with Daniel’s firm, but Max was the last person who needed to know about my dark past with Mark.
I’d known I might see Mark here, and I’d swore I’d keep it together if by chance I did. If Daniel would be in my life, at any point, Mark would continue to make appearances. I couldn’t have a panic attack every time he did.
No longer a ghost, Mark had become real. All too real. A tangible creature with a name, a past, with vulnerabilities and weaknesses as real as my own. I tried to remember all this as he shamelessly drank me in.
“How about a dance?”
I masked my disgust at the suggestion. Max and Risa looked at us expectantly.
“Maybe later. I need a refill.” I tipped up my empty glass. I’d need way more than a glass to consider the request.
“I’ll get you one. Go, dance.” Max winked and took my glass.
Max had never given me cause to hate him. Even with Blake’s warnings, I had often questioned whether his intentions were as malicious as he’d made them seem. Now I hated him for reasons he’d never understand.
Mark captured my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, his grip tight. I moved mechanically to follow him, swept too quickly into the situation to game plan an exit. He slowed and swung me close to him. A wave of nausea washed over me at the sudden contact of our bodies. I tensed, certain that becoming physically ill on the dance floor would not bode well for whatever I’d hoped to achieve professionally tonight.
“Relax,” he crooned, bringing us so close his mouth was at my ear, his breath hot and moist on my skin.
Every place our bodies connected sent shockwaves of pain through my system. Years of loathing the man and the memories he’d given me were programmed into my brain, telling my body to fight. I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath through my gritted teeth, not because he wanted me to, but because I was determined to get through this without completely freaking out.
“Why are you doing this?” My voice was unsteady. I wished I sounded more in control than I felt.
“Can’t stay away. I think I’ve missed you. So glad I had Daniel invite you. I had a feeling you’d come when he asked.”
“What do you want from me? Just let me be, please.”
“I think you know.”
His mouth brushed against my neck and my whole body froze, panic taking over. My focus blurred with the tears that threatened. Couples all around us smiled and danced, but I couldn’t see Blake anywhere. Max and Risa stood beyond the dance floor chatting. They were no help to me now.
He can’t hurt you here. Logic’s voice was quiet and easily overwhelmed by the loud and alarming thoughts reeling through my mind. He’d gotten to me once, despite a circle of friends and a crowd. I could put nothing past him.
“You know, I can still remember everything about that night.”
The only benefit of being so close was that I couldn’t see his face. His face, the terrible sneering smile that was permanently embedded in my memory. I shut my eyes, trying to block everything out, but I remembered it all.
“Was that your first time? Must have been. You were so tight. So scared.”
I fought the urge to heave and I tried to push away when he seized
“Working on it.”
“Erica, this is—”
“How are you, Mark?” I interrupted Max’s introduction and forced myself to hold Mark’s steady gaze. Inside, alarms were going off and my heart beat loudly against my chest. But I refused to show him any weakness.
“Much better now,” he murmured.
Max grinned, mirroring Mark’s lascivious gaze on me. I tightened my grip around my clutch and harnessed all my energies to appear polite and unaffected, keenly aware that my reaction to Mark’s proximity would be noted by those around us. Of course the two men would know each other from business dealings with Daniel’s firm, but Max was the last person who needed to know about my dark past with Mark.
I’d known I might see Mark here, and I’d swore I’d keep it together if by chance I did. If Daniel would be in my life, at any point, Mark would continue to make appearances. I couldn’t have a panic attack every time he did.
No longer a ghost, Mark had become real. All too real. A tangible creature with a name, a past, with vulnerabilities and weaknesses as real as my own. I tried to remember all this as he shamelessly drank me in.
“How about a dance?”
I masked my disgust at the suggestion. Max and Risa looked at us expectantly.
“Maybe later. I need a refill.” I tipped up my empty glass. I’d need way more than a glass to consider the request.
“I’ll get you one. Go, dance.” Max winked and took my glass.
Max had never given me cause to hate him. Even with Blake’s warnings, I had often questioned whether his intentions were as malicious as he’d made them seem. Now I hated him for reasons he’d never understand.
Mark captured my hand and pulled me to the dance floor, his grip tight. I moved mechanically to follow him, swept too quickly into the situation to game plan an exit. He slowed and swung me close to him. A wave of nausea washed over me at the sudden contact of our bodies. I tensed, certain that becoming physically ill on the dance floor would not bode well for whatever I’d hoped to achieve professionally tonight.
“Relax,” he crooned, bringing us so close his mouth was at my ear, his breath hot and moist on my skin.
Every place our bodies connected sent shockwaves of pain through my system. Years of loathing the man and the memories he’d given me were programmed into my brain, telling my body to fight. I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath through my gritted teeth, not because he wanted me to, but because I was determined to get through this without completely freaking out.
“Why are you doing this?” My voice was unsteady. I wished I sounded more in control than I felt.
“Can’t stay away. I think I’ve missed you. So glad I had Daniel invite you. I had a feeling you’d come when he asked.”
“What do you want from me? Just let me be, please.”
“I think you know.”
His mouth brushed against my neck and my whole body froze, panic taking over. My focus blurred with the tears that threatened. Couples all around us smiled and danced, but I couldn’t see Blake anywhere. Max and Risa stood beyond the dance floor chatting. They were no help to me now.
He can’t hurt you here. Logic’s voice was quiet and easily overwhelmed by the loud and alarming thoughts reeling through my mind. He’d gotten to me once, despite a circle of friends and a crowd. I could put nothing past him.
“You know, I can still remember everything about that night.”
The only benefit of being so close was that I couldn’t see his face. His face, the terrible sneering smile that was permanently embedded in my memory. I shut my eyes, trying to block everything out, but I remembered it all.
“Was that your first time? Must have been. You were so tight. So scared.”
I fought the urge to heave and I tried to push away when he seized
Similar Books
