Chapter 35 35
The Maynard Group's annual gala glittered beneath a canopy of chandeliers, the ballroom transformed into a shimmering sea of champagne light and quiet luxury. Waiters glided between guests with trays of crystal flutes and delicate hors d’oeuvres, the air rich with laughter, perfume, and soft piano music.
Stefan had concluded from his almost two weeks of being CEO that he preferred being in the background, so he'd let Emily handle most of the speeches, only backing her up when necessary. She was much better at him than this anyway, he told himself as he got introduced to guest after guest.
This whole thing would be so damn easier if the woman who was one of the reasons why he'd taken this damn job was defying him right now. Right in the same damn room.
Stefan stood near the marble bar, tuxedo crisp, bow tie perfectly knotted, his dark hair slicked back just enough to look dangerous. The black fabric molded to his shoulders and chest, emphasizing the lean strength beneath. He had one drink in his hand and one woman on his mind.
Alana.
She was across the room — and damn if she didn’t take his breath away.
Her gown was a deep emerald satin that clung to every curve before flowing into a sleek, liquid hem that kissed the floor. The color made her eyes glow, the green sharp enough to cut through the golden light. Her hair was swept up into a soft twist that bared the elegant line of her neck. A pair of diamond earrings caught the light every time she moved — and she was moving now, smiling, laughing… with Travis.
The damn man was leaning in close, too close, his hand brushing Alana’s arm as he said something that made her laugh. It reminded him of that kiss he'd seen them share, and Stefan’s jaw flexed. He didn’t hear the music anymore, or the polite chatter around him — only the low hum of jealousy burning through his veins. How dare she defy him like this?
He didn't want Alana to hate him. That wasn't the plan when he'd come here. All he'd wanted when he found out he had a daughter was to make them a family, but it seemed now like they were never going to get there. With this guy in the picture, Alana might never give him a chance, and if he did as he'd threatened and got rid of the man, Alana would hate him even more, and hating him wasn't going to make her want to marry him.
But how could any man stay sane when another man stared at his woman like that…touched his woman like that.
“Stop glaring holes into him, Stefan,” came Emily’s amused voice beside him.
He didn’t move. “I’m not glaring.”
His sister arched an elegant brow. “You’re two seconds away from committing homicide with your eyes. If you stare any harder, Travis is going to spontaneously combust.” She continued to tease him.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing,” Stefan muttered, swirling his drink, gaze still locked on the pair across the room.
Emily sighed, tucking her hand through his arm. “You’re being ridiculous. If you want to talk to her, go do it. Standing here brooding like a Bond villain isn’t helping your case.”
“She’s talking to him,” Stefan said flatly. “I’m not about to interrupt.”
“Oh please,” Emily said, her tone laced with exasperation. “You’ve never had a problem interrupting anything in your life. You didn't care about that when threatened to fire her friend because you saw him kiss her,”
Only then did Stefan move to stare at his sister, “She told you,” he said.
“Yes, she did… And you shouldn't have done that?”
Stefan looked unrepentant, “Why the hell not? Besides, it's not like my threats did anything. She's over there right now with him, flaunting him under my nose. Almost like she's daring me to do something,”
“They're friends Stefan,” Emily said, then added quickly when Stefan raised a brow, “Yes, Travis clearly wants to be more but that doesn't mean he's going to be more. He's been her friends since before you showed up in her life. Of course she's not going to just cut him out and if you do fire him, I don't think it's going to help in any way.,”
Stefan sipped his drink and looked away, “You know this conversation is getting tedious,” he said guffly,
Emily chuckled and placed her head against his arm, joining him and now they both stared at the couple. She wasn't done with him yet, “Alana sure looks stunning tonight. You really think Travis isn’t noticing?”
Stefan's throat tightened. Of course the son of a bitch noticed. Dammit everyone in the damn room noticed. It was all he'd been able to think of since he set his eyes on her that evening, and everytime he thought about her he had flashbacks of their love making.
He wanted to do it again.
“Of course he's noticing,” he finally replied to his sister's question,” Why else is he staring at her like that?”
“Well, just because Travis wants her, doesn't mean he's going to get her, you know,” Emily said, nudging him toward the crowd. “It's all up to Alana, whether Travis is in the picture or not doesn't matter. It could be another guy tomorrow, and what are you going to do? Get rid of all of them,”
Stefan considered the question for the a second and shrugged, “Sounds about right,” he said unrepentantly.
Emily laughed, “Look, my point is, instead of standing over here and stalking her, why don't you go over there and remind her who she’s actually thinking about… who she'd rather be with. Look, I can't believe it's taking you this long to figure this shit out. My friend has been hurt before and she needs to be sure that you're the real deal, so prove yourself to her. She wants passion and romance, so forget about any other guy in her life and give her that. If it's flowers that will make her happy, then get her flowers. You have a child together… I’m not even sorry to say this but use that to your advantage too. Alana cares about you, Stefan. I'm willing to bet a lot of men have told her she looks beautiful tonight, but it'd mean much more if it came from you. That's what you need to do… Not destroying the flowers you find in other people's houses,”