Taking Control Read online

  “You have a job to do, get to it.”

  I nod, my gaze skirting to Dark and Broody who came to my rescue. I’m distracted by the way he carries himself. It’s with importance but not arrogance. Authority and power, yet I can feel something else mixed in there that feels a lot like… danger or restraint. And damn if I can’t say it has me tingling in places it shouldn’t.

  I’ve gotten so wrapped up in him I haven’t realized I’m still staring until he focuses in on me, a smirk twisting up the corner of his lips. “I knew you had a staring problem.” I can feel the warmth creeping into my cheeks as his face turns serious. “Are you alright?”

  All I can do is nod, not able to get my words out because I’m captivated by his eyes. They’re so intense and hold secrets I want to delve into headfirst without a second thought.

  His attention moves behind me before he encases my hand in his and brushes soft lips over my knuckles. As he does, the sleeves of his tux jacket lift slightly, showing colorful tattoos adorning his wrists. I have to refrain from asking him to take his jacket off so I can take a proper look. “I’m sorry, I have to go…”

  I know he’s waiting for me to fill in the gap with my name, but I find myself speechless for a second before getting ahold of a sane part of me and clearing my throat. “Taylor, but my friends call me Tay.”

  His eyes darken as he says, “And what do you want me to call you?”

  “E-either is fine.”

  “Well then, Taylor, I hope to bump into you again later tonight. It seems to be a habit with us.”

  He turns to walk away but doesn’t take another step as I ask, “What can I call you?”

  He grins over his shoulder, a fleck of silver metal on his tongue catching the light. “Whatever the fuck you want, baby.”

  He doesn’t wait another beat before he walks through the growing crowd on the dance floor and I’m left to pick my jaw off the floor. He has his freaking tongue pierced!

  I bite my bottom lip and go through the guest list in my head, wondering who he is. Practically everyone on that list I’ve met at least in passing, and although I couldn’t see all of his face because of the mask he’s wearing, I’m pretty sure I would never forget eyes as intense as his.

  Looking around at the dancing couples and laughing colleagues, I wet my lips with my tongue before turning on my heels. I walk over to the bar to grab myself something alcoholic before my ovaries spontaneously combust from my interaction with the handsome stranger.

  “What can I get you?” a man in a waiter's uniform asks while wiping up a spillage.

  “Something strong... really, really strong.”

  He chuckles while picking up a bottle of something I’ve never seen before. “New Year’s Eve not going your way?”

  I look over my shoulder to where Dark and Broody and I were standing on the dance floor. “Something like that.”

  Turning back around, I sniff the drink he’s placed in front of me, blanching at its potency. “What the heck is this?”

  “Something strong.” He winks before paying attention to someone on the other side of the bar.

  I blow out a breath, taking a tentative sip of the slightly toxic-looking drink. It’s not what I’m expecting. It’s not as strong as the smell suggests when it first hits your taste buds, but damn if it doesn’t have a kick going down.

  “Would you like to dance?” a husky voice asks. I look at the man standing beside me out of the corner of my eye before facing him. His light-brown hair is tousled like he just got out of bed with random flecks of highlights running through it, but I somehow know they’re not put there on purpose: they’re completely natural.

  Blue eyes behind a sleek, silver mask bore into mine. “Dance?”

  I clear my throat and place my hand into his outstretched one. I do have to be polite to clients. “Of course.”

  He leads me onto the dance floor, placing a hand on the bottom of my back and pulling me within inches of his body. “You must be someone important if you’re wearing a headset.”

  I laugh once, telling myself to relax when it comes out shrill. “How do you know it’s not just an accessory to go with my fancy dress?”

  “That wasn’t a question,” he deadpans, making my throat turn dry with his commanding tone.

  I clear my throat awkwardly. “I’m in charge, I guess.” The laugh escaping him is low and throaty, sending tingles down my spine.

  “Is that right?” he asks seriously, but I have no idea what he’s talking about. My blank look must spell out “dunce” because he feels the need to clarify, leaning within a hair’s breadth of my ear. “You’re in control?”

  I glance up at him, which is accurate since he must be at least six foot. A towering six inches compared to my five foot four.

  “Well I organized this and I have the headset.” I point to my head. “So, I guess it does mean I’m in charge. At least until midnight anyway.” Why am I rambling?

  “What happens at midnight?” He takes my hand back into his and starts swaying to the beat of Everglow by Coldplay.

  “I’m not going to turn into a pumpkin or anything if that’s what you mean.” A serious expression remains on his face for a second before the corner of his lip quirks up slightly, which is the only evidence he heard what I said. “I’m off the clock when the ball drops.”

  “Interesting.”

  I’m about to ask him what’s so interesting when my headset beeps and I pull back, putting up a finger as I click the button on the side. “You have Taylor.”

  “I don’t appreciate you dancing with my guests instead of getting your job done.”

  My muscles tense at my boss’s tone. “Sir, I’m—”

  “I know exactly what you’re doing.” He clears his throat. “Finish your dance because I’m going to need you to be on your A-game for midnight.”

  “I… okay. I’ll go and—”

  “Finish your dance, wouldn’t want you seeming rude to my guests,” he bites out.

  Fuck! I hope to all hell I still have a job when the clock strikes midnight.

  The line goes dead and my gaze lands on the man waiting for me. “Sorry about that; duty calls.”

  He takes a step toward me and slowly snakes his arm around my back again. “Duty can wait for the next song to finish.”

  My heart starts racing to the beat of an erratic drum and I’m certain he can feel it against his chest as if my heart’s trying to jump into his. “So… do you have a name?”

  “I do.” I wait for him to elaborate but he doesn’t, leaving me feeling awkward until he asks, “You’re off the clock at midnight?”

  I nod, the hair I’d tucked behind my ear earlier because it was annoying me falling in my face. “Yeah, I’ll be leaving shortly after.”

  He frowns and hooks a strand of hair around his finger, pushing it back off my face. “Midnight is so early.”

  My breath stutters out. “I—it’s not for me, I…” I trail off as his fingertips brush the sensitive skin of my neck and flutter across my collarbone. “I have plans,” I finish weakly, lying because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “Plans change all the time,” he murmurs, following the trail of his fingers with his eyes.

  The song changes and I motion behind me when my headset chimes like a freaking bell on a church again. “I better go and speak to whoever wants me.” I shoot him an apologetic smile as I press the button. “You have Taylor.”

  He shoots me a wink, saying, “Until midnight, Taylor,” before I watch his perfectly round ass walk away.

  “...no champagne.”

  I snap back to reality at the last words of whoever is on the other end of the line, walking toward the storage room. “We had fifty cases of champagne brought in this morning, I’m not going to babysit you to—” I trail off as whoever’s talking tells me they’ve found the rest of the cases. “Good. Make sure you don’t ‘lose’ them again. It’s my ass on the line if anything goes wrong with this party ton
ight.”

  I click the headset off and smile at Max Powers—one of the company’s biggest clients—as he walks toward me, no doubt wanting to talk about something mind numbingly boring.

  At least I have my encounter with two handsome strangers to keep my mind busy while I nod and pretend like I’m listening.

  Taylor

  “What?” I shout over the loud pumping music of the DJ who arrived to take over from the band.

  Steph moves in closer to me, slurring her words. “I said…” Hiccup. “Who’re the two hotties in the corner who can’t take their eyes off you?”

  I turn toward where she’s gesturing and sure enough, Dark and Broody and the other stranger I danced with are standing together, both of their gazes focussed solely on me.

  I keep my gaze connected to the first one I met, his eyes dark and intense as he smirks and takes a sip of the clear liquid in his glass. “I don’t know who they are, but they’re the two I was telling you about.”

  One of my other colleagues, Michael, chooses now to strut his way over to us, breaking me out of my staring match with Dark and Broody. “Hey, bitches! Half an hour until the big, shiny ball drops!”

  My heart jumps in my chest. “Shit! I have to go.”

  Michael pouts. “You’re not going to celebrate with us?”

  “I can’t, I have to make sure the staff are getting the champagne out to everyone. I’ll find you guys when I’m off the clock.”

  I turn and push my way through the crowd feeling like I’m being followed so I turn quickly, trying to catch my two new admirers. “Look, I’m flattered that you…” I trail off as I come chest to chest with my A-hole boss. “Oh, I thought you were—”

  “Someone else?”

  I take a step back, bumping into someone because the narrowed look he has focussed on me isn’t one I’ve ever seen from him before. My skin crawls, a shiver working its way through me. I’ve never been this uncomfortable in my life. “I was going to make sure the last-minute preparations were underway.”

  “Why don’t I join you?” Without waiting for me to move, he wraps his hand around my upper arm and guides me through the crowd and into a vacant hallway.

  “I need to go this way.” I point toward the other direction weakly, not liking the expression on his face anymore than I did earlier. “The champagne—”

  “Is under control,” he replies taking another step toward me. “I checked in with the staff ten minutes ago.”

  My breath hitches, making my back hit the wall behind me. “If I’m not needed then I’ll go and find my friends.”

  He runs his stubby finger down my cheek. “Have you had a good time tonight?” This personality change in him has my flight or fight signals sending warning bells to every nerve ending in my body. He’s been flirtatious and a major jerk over the last three years, but this is new territory, even for him. “I saw you dancing with that guy.”

  “I was being polite.”

  “You were being very polite, weren’t you,” he breathes out, his face barely inches away from mine so I can smell the alcohol on his breath as it floats over.

  “Sir, I—” I’m about to tell him he needs to step away but he covers my lips with a finger, running the pad over the seam where they meet.

  I turn my head away from him, his finger disconnecting from my lips. “You did a satisfactory job in putting this event together tonight. I wanted to… thank you.”

  “My Christmas bonus was enough of a thank you,” I squeak out, not dwelling on the fact he said this night was satisfactory. “I’d really like to go and—”

  He tuts. “I’m trying to be nice to you, Taylor.”

  “You have been nice, but I’d like to get back to my friends now.”

  He slaps the wall, his hand landing next to my head making me flinch. “You were fine cozying up to strangers earlier, what’s—”

  “Do I have to make you step away from her again?” a vaguely familiar voice asks all too calmly, as if they’re bored.

  Mr. A-hole stares at me for a beat, his eyes flashing with something I can’t decipher. I sigh in relief as he finally moves away, giving me enough space to squeeze out from underneath him. Taking five big steps, I still don’t feel far enough away so I move toward Dark and Broody who hasn’t taken his eyes off my boss, his jaw tensing.

  “You know, I’m in my right mind to teach you how you should treat a woman.”

  As much as I’d love to watch that happen, he’s still my boss so I step between them. “I… can we just go and get a drink?” I ask Dark and Broody. “I’m fine.”

  It takes him a few seconds, but he drags his gaze away from my boss to look into my eyes. “You want to get a drink with me?”

  Oh there’s so much more I want to do with him, but I’ll keep that to myself. “Sure.”

  I walk ahead, taking off the headset I’m wearing and placing it in sight of my boss, ignoring his pointed, angry stare as we walk back into the main room.

  I’m acutely aware Dark and Broody is staring at me with what looks like fascination on his face.

  “Yes?” I ask him when we reach the bar.

  “I’m just wondering what you’re doing putting up with him.” He leans into me. “You should report him for sexual harassment.”

  “Thanks for coming to my rescue, again, but I need this job.” I toss the words about in my head. “If I even have a job after tonight.”

  “I’m sure there’s plenty of party planning jobs in this city without having to work for someone like him.”

  “Oh, I’m not a party planner.”

  His brow furrows. “You’re not?”

  “I’m his PA so I guess he seems to think I am, but no, I’m actually a graphic designer by trade. Came top of my class and yet here I am working for one of the biggest advertising companies, taking notes in meetings.” I realize I’m unleashing my word vomit on this complete stranger and rein it in, shaking my head. “Anyway, one drink and then I’m out.”

  “Just one?” The question comes from the other side of me and I turn, taking in the man standing beside me with his arms rested on the bar.

  “Erm… I guess.” I point between them. “Do you two know each other?”

  Both men sport cocky smirks but it’s the guy I danced with who answers me. “We’re… acquainted.”

  My brow raises as Dark and Broody orders a round of drinks before turning to face me. “I guess you could say we’re brothers.”

  Holy hell! “Brothers?”

  I tentatively take the offered drink as he adds, “Not by blood.”

  They look at each other, seemingly talking between themselves without saying anything.

  “Like… stepbrothers?”

  “Not quite,” the one I danced with states, confusing me until it clicks.

  “Oh, so you were in a frat or something?”

  “Or something,” Dark and Broody deadpans, taking a sip of the clear liquid in his glass.

  “You’re a vodka man?”

  “Water.”

  “You don’t drink?” I ask, my gaze flitting between his water and the other guy’s glass containing amber liquid.

  He looks over my head as he says, “No,” and I want to ask if he’s the designated driver, but stranger two shakes his head gently and stops me from asking anything else.

  I nod discreetly, looking around the room and deciding I no longer want to be here where my sleaze of a boss can see me.

  I down my drink in one and place my glass on the bar. “Well, thank you for rescuing me and keeping me company.” I turn toward stranger two. “And thank you for the dance, but I’m going to leave before my boss has anymore drinks. I’d send a thank you note or something but neither of you have given me your names so…”

  A firm hand slips into mine. “Kai Haynes.”

  I’m wrapped up in guy two’s eyes—who I now know is Kai—until it’s replaced with Dark and Broody’s. “Zander Reed.”

  Holy shit! The combination of both of their
deep voices and the way they’re looking at me like they want to devour me has me squeezing my thighs together tightly.

  I’m not a virgin by any means, I had my fair share of flings in college, but the way these men are looking at me like I’m their dessert is the first time I’ve ever been set alight by a single look.

  Zander finally lets go of my hand as I mumble, “I’ll be sure to send you those thank you notes.”

  “Can we walk you to your car?” Kai asks.

  I shake my head. “It’s fine—I mean... I’m fine. You’ve already done enough.” I don’t want to say that I don’t have a car

  I feel Zander’s body press against my back and I shiver at the contact. “Let me ask you something, Taylor.” The way he says my name has a breath stuttering out of my chest and my eyelids fluttering closed. “Who will you be kissing at midnight?”

  I open my eyes, flitting my gaze between the two commanding men, one in front and one behind.

  The sensible part of me wants to draw the line under… whatever this is, but the intensity of each of their stares has a part of me that’s aching, shaking her fist at my rational side.

  I try to ignore the irrational part of me that wants to play whatever game it is they’re playing, breathing out, “Nobody,” as my chest heaves up and down.

  Kai smirks and I hear Zander chuckle as the crowd behind us chants the countdown to midnight.

  My hair is brushed over my shoulder and Zander leans in close, whispering, “Wrong answer.”

  3

  Taylor

  I can't stop my focus from running over Zander's deft fingers as they brush the steering wheel of his car. My imagination is running away with me as I picture them on my body, trailing a path over my skin.

  My heart pounds in my chest with nerves. I must be out of my damn mind going home with not one, but two guys. D’s going to have a field day with the new direction my night has taken.