The Darkest of Shadows (38 page)

I wasn’t expecting him to say anything about me, and truth be told, if I had realized he was going to, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near as calm as I was.

It was toward the end of his speech that his attention turned toward me. “There is one person here tonight who deserves a special thank you,” he announced, and without any more details, a fair portion of the people in the room automatically swung their attention toward me, especially the MDs. Each of them turned his or her gaze toward where I sat at the front of the room.

“Lillianna Owen.” His smile reached his eyes as he said my name. “Most of you here would know Lilly in some manner, or at least have heard of her; and some of you may even be lucky enough to claim her as a friend. I am one who can say that Lilly is my friend, but she is so much more than that. She is a confidant, an advisor, with an extraordinarily brilliant mind, and she is the only person who isn’t afraid of me.” This earned him amused laughter from the crowd. “She is my inspiration and gives me focus and direction; and for that, Lilly, I could never thank you enough.” He raised his glass in salute. “To Lilly.”

The room resounded with the echo of his words, and I thought I was going to die of mortification. I gave Lawrence a look that clearly portrayed my intention to make him pay for that later. He finished off the speech with a recommendation for everyone to enjoy the evening, and moments later, to a resounding applause, he resumed his seat beside me.

“I can’t believe you did that,” I leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear, but rather than apologize, he turned his face to meet mine and placed a very public claim of ownership on my lips.

“Nicholas is a bad influence on you,” I announced, when he let me lean back. “Very bad influence.” I shook my head, but I wasn’t really upset. He just surprised me.

“I can’t help it when you look like that,” he replied cheekily. “I’ll admit it was more for my own selfish interest, but I’d just like it known around the room that you’re mine.” He shrugged apologetically.

“As if there would be anyone here who would even compare to you,” I reminded him, not buying that excuse at all.

“Just making sure.”

“You’re incorrigible,” I told him. But I had to laugh; he was such a male.

I never learned to eat before attending things like this. Inevitably, every time a dish was deposited in front of me, a phone rang, or someone needed me, or an emergency happened that I had to sort out. They couldn’t find the slide show, they lost the run sheet, the photographer went missing—the ladies’ bathroom door was locked—and let me assure you, that
was
a problem that could have developed into a catastrophe! By the time dinner was over, I was starving, a fact I shared with Lawrence with only a small amount of complaint in my tone.

“Why didn’t you eat your dinner?” he responded, and it took a whole lot of self-control not to snap back at him.

“I don’t know; maybe it was stupid of me, but I kind of expected it to be waiting for me every time I had to get up and go fix something!”

He finally seemed to be catching on, because a frown flickered over his face. “Did you eat anything?”

“I had a freaking carrot!”

He grinned. “One measly little carrot?”

I nodded. “And it was measly, too.”

“I didn’t realize. Sorry,” He apologized.

“Wasn’t your fault.” I’d like it to be, but I was just cranky because I was hungry.

“What would you like?” He motioned toward a waiter, but I stalled his hand.

“Don’t,” I asked, catching his hand in mine. “I’ll look stupid if I get something now. Everyone else is finished eating; they’re all starting to leave the tables.”

“Lilly, you’re hungry,” he reminded me. “I’m not going to let you starve.”

“I’ll wait till later, and then if I’m lucky someone might find me a nice, fat, greasy burger.”

“With fries?”

“Don’t tease me.”

He laughed and pulled me to my feet. “Let’s mingle a while, and then I’ll see about this burger.”

“Ashlan Moroney.” I spied him talking at the group next to us and couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. It might have come out a bit louder than I expected, because everyone in the group that he was standing with turned when he did to stare at me. “What are you doing here?” I asked as we both closed the few feet that separated us. He still had that overconfident, “women love me” manner about him.

“Lilly!” he exclaimed. I gave a soft cry of surprise when he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground. He spun around in a full circle before depositing me back where I had started from. I had to steady myself against his arm when he let go, because my head was spinning.

I flicked a glace over my shoulder at Lawrence, who was giving me a blank stare, but my grin must have satisfied him enough, because after a quick nod he turned back to the people he was talking to.

“How did you get an invitation?” I asked. I wasn’t sure that we had invited anyone from what was Cartright & Nagel.

“I’m in disguise,” he said conspiratorially.

“That I would believe.” I laughed. “Who are you supposed to be?”

He puckered an eyebrow at me. “I’m supposed to be a respectable Engineering genius who recently got promoted to the Corporate Offices of Monterey Enterprises in London…but alas, I’ve been found out by a gorgeous minx of a woman who knew me from a past life.”

“You’re failing miserably.” I informed him. “And you haven’t changed a bit.” I laughed. “I’ve missed you Ash.”

“Right back at ya, baby.” He grinned.

“Baby?” Lawrence’s question had a dramatic effect on Ashlan.

“Good evening, Mr. Monterey,” he said. His voice, his manner, his expression, everything about Ashlan changed when faced with someone like Lawrence. “Sorry, I was just catching up with Lilly. We knew each other from C&N.”

“Oh, so he gets the respectable engineering genius, and I get the playful womanizer?” I exclaimed, laughing at him. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep the facade up in front of me.

“Lilly, you’re not helping with my disguise,” he groaned in mock surrender.

Lawrence looked confused, and obviously wasn’t sure if Ash was serious or not. I took pity on him and explained, “Ashlan here is a notorious ladies’ man, will never settle down, and takes nothing except engineering seriously. Apparently, after his recent promotion, he’s trying to be more respectable in the business area. I’m spoiling that for him.”

“Oh.” Lawrence gave a lazy smile. “Lilly has that effect on people,” he said, then reached out a hand to offer it to Ashlan. “Pleasure to meet you again, Ashlan. I remember you from when I bought C&N, and I was pleased to approve your promotion. You were part of the reason that I bought the company.”

“Really?” Ash was shocked.

Lawrence nodded. “It’s not every day that you come across an engineering genius.”

Ash was stunned speechless, which for Ash was a moment worth remembering.

“If you’ll excuse us.” Lawrence fingers gripped mine, and we moved off through the crowd.

“Come see me when we’re in the office next time,” I shot over my shoulder to him as we left. He gave me a vague wave in response. I was going to have to have words with Sally when I got back to the office and my laptop. I couldn’t believe she didn’t tell me Ash was coming to the corporate offices. I’d been too busy over the last year to get any time to really catch up with her, but that didn’t mean we didn’t swap e-mails every few weeks. She’d have some explaining to do for concealing that piece of information. “I’ve never seen Ash speechless in my life,” I remarked to Lawrence, as he steered us through the crowds. “I’ll have to tell Patrick, he won’t believe it.”

“So you and Patrick are OK now?” he asked.

“I think so.” I shrugged. “I hope so. I wonder if he knows that Ash is here?” I wondered to myself.

“Let’s ask him.” And moments later, we came face to face with Patrick.

“Hi, Patrick,” I greeted him warmly. “Did you know that Ashlan is here?”

“Lilly. Monterey.” Patrick nodded in reply, then turned back to me. “Yeah, he surprised me earlier tonight. We had a quick chat, but I haven’t seen him since.”

“He’s trying to be responsible,” I informed him and it got me the smile I was looking for from Patrick.

“Ash? Responsible?” he laughed dubiously. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“She said he’s trying,” Lawrence interjected. “Not that he’s succeeding.”

“Ah, that sounds much more like the Ash I know,” Patrick remarked, and I was pleased to see that he retained his smile, even when Lawrence was around. Progress. “I guess I should go find him before he gets into any trouble. Bye, Lilly.” He touched his hand to mine and then disappeared through the crowd.

Lawrence leant down to speak quietly in my ear. “He’s doing much better than I expected. Whatever you said to him seems to have worked.”

“Let’s hope so,” I replied. Just then I felt his phone vibrate through his jacket pocket, where it pressed against my side.

“Come on.” Lawrence tugged on my hand. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Another one?”

“Sadly for my poor ego, you’ll probably like this one much better than any of the others that I got you today.”

Hmm. Interesting.

Turns out the surprise was Nicholas, not that I minded seeing him again; by this point he was such a fixture in our lives that I would have been more surprised if he had not shown up tonight. He was waiting in the foyer of the hotel, leaning nonchalantly against one of the pillars by the entrance to the bar.

“Are you crashing the party again?” I asked him in amusement.

“Yes,” he answered, without any trace of embarrassment. “But this time I’m bribing my way in with food.” He held up a brown paper bag with one arrogant hand.

“Oh.” This time I squealed with joy and leaped at the bag dangling precariously from his fingertips.
Please let it be a burger
. “Nicholas!” I favored him with a stunning smile. “I’ve never been happier to see you in my life.” Not only did I have a burger, but fries, too.

“Hey!” Lawrence exclaimed, feigning offense. “I’m the organizer of the food; what do I get?”

“You get my undivided attention a few hours from now.” I popped a fry in my mouth and settled against the wall to eat my bounty.

“Seriously, doesn’t take much to please her, does it?” Nicholas commented, as he watched me devour the food. Their presence blocked me from the other people in the hotel, so I wasn’t even trying to be ladylike. Not that there was really any other way to eat a burger than with your hands.

“It’s sad isn’t it?” Lawrence agreed. “I buy her diamonds and pretty dresses, and what makes her most happy? A hamburger!”

“Hey,” I complained around a mouth full of food. “I loved the diamonds.”

He rolled his eyes at Nicholas. “Yeah, but no more than if I got her a book or a toaster.”

I laughed, because that was probably true.

“That dress isn’t going to look anywhere near as hot if you get sauce down the front of it,” Nicholas warned as he watched the burger drip onto the carpet at my feet. “And I’m immensely grateful that this isn’t my hotel that you’re trashing,” he added.

“Oops.” It was getting a bit hard to handle, so I crunched it back up in the wrapper and dropped it in the bag with the rest of the fries. “You can have this back now.” I handed the bag back to Nicholas, and he took it with two fingers like it was an offensive piece of garbage.

“What am I supposed to do with it?” he complained.

“Whatever makes you happy?” I pushed away from the wall, being careful not to touch my dress with sticky fingers. “I’m going to the bathroom.” I was nearly there when I happened to glance back to see Nicholas and Lawrence walking slowly in my direction, but it wasn’t them that made me laugh. It was the brown paper bag that had been stuffed behind a potted plant near where we had been standing that was so amusing. Lucky indeed that this wasn’t his hotel!

They were both waiting for me when I emerged later, and as much as I liked to think that I was used to the sight of them, especially Lawrence, I had to admit that in that moment, they were both outstanding specimens of men. Both tall and broad-shouldered; one dark, one light; dressed in suits that fit their bodies to perfection; and both of them eluding an assurance about their presence that was all male, all strength, and all power. They stood side by side with their backs resting against the wall, their stance unknowingly mirroring each other, with hands pushed deep into the pockets of their pants and one leg resting against the wall behind them.

But as much as Nicholas was gorgeous and had a wonderful loyalty and commitment to his friends, it was Lawrence who pulled at me. Nicholas was a friend, and would hopefully always remain one…but Lawrence, him I wanted naked in my bed. Him, I wanted to have his hands run down my body and own me in every way possible.

My face must have betrayed my thoughts, because one moment they were both watching me walk toward them, and the next Lawrence was in front of me, his hands running up the naked expanse of my back, his fingers digging into my hips, and then he had me backed against the wall. His whole body pressed against mine, rubbing in all the right places; his hands gripped mine and pinned them to the wall beside my head.

“Don’t look at me like that unless you’re prepared to leave this party right now,” he growled, his face only inches from mine.

I wasn’t quite over the picture that my mind had painted a moment ago. “I’m not sure I’d say no if you offered.”

“Ahh, Lilly.” He dropped his head and nuzzled it against my neck. Then he released his hold on my hands and let them work their way down my back and over the sides of my waist, and then his fingers slipped inside the front of the dress to work their way ever so slowly upwards. “You feel naked under my hands.”

Only Nicholas’s cough of warning stopped Lawrence from continuing. He stepped back a pace, just enough that our bodies weren’t pressed so intimately against each other, but not enough for him to allow anyone to see me where I stood. By this time, the wall about the only thing holding me upright.

Lawrence took a few calming breaths, his eyes locked on a spot on the wall above my head, and then with a grimace he stepped back. “We need a holiday,” he said finally. “A long holiday on an island, somewhere that doesn’t get phone reception and somewhere we don’t have to wear clothes.”