but it seems like the women should have been brought in by now.”
Foster frowned, narrowing his gaze. “You can play the hard ass with other people but we’re friends. What’s got you so anxious?”
“I’m not—”
“It’s me you’re talking to. What’s going on?”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”
“No.”
Dare rolled his eyes. “I’ll probably regret even mentioning this to you but—“
“Your drink, Mr. O’Shaughnessy.” The server held his drink. In most circumstances, Dare would have ripped into the kid for interrupting him but instead he took the offered tumbler and waved off the young man, secretly grateful for the interruption. It was difficult to share with Foster exactly what was happening when he wasn’t sure what was going on himself. The fact that Arthur Lane was in jail and Aya was at this very moment regretting her little folly should have been enough to satisfy his need to teach them a lesson, but it wasn’t.
He should have easily forgotten Aya and taken several lovers by now, but all he could think about was the fire that had burned in her eyes when she’d stared at him. It led him to wonder if that fire would burn just as hot when he was inside of her, fucking, claiming, and taking her so completely that all she could think about was him. Dare wanted her to want him to the point of madness. Needed her to crave him until she wanted nothing else. Then and only then would he discard her and she’d be forgotten like the others.
“Dare?” Foster prompted.
He took a deep swig from his glass to stall but again he was saved from answering. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar but unwelcome person approach them.
“Never thought, I’d see the day when the high and mighty Alasdair O’Shaughnessy would join the rest of us lowly humans.” Peter West chuckled and slapped Dare on the back and patted his arm as if they were the best of friends. They were barely business acquaintances.
Dare stared pointedly at the hand that still rested on his arm until it was removed. “West,” he murmured in acknowledgement before taking another gulp of his scotch. Frankly, Dare couldn’t stand the social climbing little weasel. The West family had made their fortune in diamonds years ago when diamonds still had value and they weren’t mass produced in a lab. They had squandered their money on bad business deals and excess living. The only thing that had saved them was Peter marrying a very wealthy older heiress who had the misfortune of dying mysteriously, shortly after the wedding. No one could prove that Peter had had anything to do with his wife’s death but most people who ran in their circles knew what a slimy bastard he was. It was speculated he would eventually run through the several millions he currently had at his disposal because of his extravagant spending habits and rumored drug problem.
Dare was on the board of directors for one of the companies that did business with West’s which gave the other man the false impression that they were somehow friends. He had no respect for the man who was no better than a lazy Dreg in his opinion.
“So what brings you here today?”
“I don’t need a reason to be here. I own this place.”
“Of course. What I meant was, are you participating today?”
“Whether I am or not, I can’t see how it’s any of your business.”
The other man turned slightly pink, but apparently didn’t take the hint to leave them alone. “It’s just that we’ve never seen you here before and people say you think you’re too good to actually show up for one of these events.”
Dare wasn’t known for his patience but the little he had was being thoroughly tested. Never one to make a scene in public, he said as calmly as he could manage, “Well apparently whoever, they are, were wrong. Is there a reason you came over here?”
West furrowed his brow, flustered, but recovering just as quickly. “Just wanted to say hello to
Foster frowned, narrowing his gaze. “You can play the hard ass with other people but we’re friends. What’s got you so anxious?”
“I’m not—”
“It’s me you’re talking to. What’s going on?”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”
“No.”
Dare rolled his eyes. “I’ll probably regret even mentioning this to you but—“
“Your drink, Mr. O’Shaughnessy.” The server held his drink. In most circumstances, Dare would have ripped into the kid for interrupting him but instead he took the offered tumbler and waved off the young man, secretly grateful for the interruption. It was difficult to share with Foster exactly what was happening when he wasn’t sure what was going on himself. The fact that Arthur Lane was in jail and Aya was at this very moment regretting her little folly should have been enough to satisfy his need to teach them a lesson, but it wasn’t.
He should have easily forgotten Aya and taken several lovers by now, but all he could think about was the fire that had burned in her eyes when she’d stared at him. It led him to wonder if that fire would burn just as hot when he was inside of her, fucking, claiming, and taking her so completely that all she could think about was him. Dare wanted her to want him to the point of madness. Needed her to crave him until she wanted nothing else. Then and only then would he discard her and she’d be forgotten like the others.
“Dare?” Foster prompted.
He took a deep swig from his glass to stall but again he was saved from answering. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar but unwelcome person approach them.
“Never thought, I’d see the day when the high and mighty Alasdair O’Shaughnessy would join the rest of us lowly humans.” Peter West chuckled and slapped Dare on the back and patted his arm as if they were the best of friends. They were barely business acquaintances.
Dare stared pointedly at the hand that still rested on his arm until it was removed. “West,” he murmured in acknowledgement before taking another gulp of his scotch. Frankly, Dare couldn’t stand the social climbing little weasel. The West family had made their fortune in diamonds years ago when diamonds still had value and they weren’t mass produced in a lab. They had squandered their money on bad business deals and excess living. The only thing that had saved them was Peter marrying a very wealthy older heiress who had the misfortune of dying mysteriously, shortly after the wedding. No one could prove that Peter had had anything to do with his wife’s death but most people who ran in their circles knew what a slimy bastard he was. It was speculated he would eventually run through the several millions he currently had at his disposal because of his extravagant spending habits and rumored drug problem.
Dare was on the board of directors for one of the companies that did business with West’s which gave the other man the false impression that they were somehow friends. He had no respect for the man who was no better than a lazy Dreg in his opinion.
“So what brings you here today?”
“I don’t need a reason to be here. I own this place.”
“Of course. What I meant was, are you participating today?”
“Whether I am or not, I can’t see how it’s any of your business.”
The other man turned slightly pink, but apparently didn’t take the hint to leave them alone. “It’s just that we’ve never seen you here before and people say you think you’re too good to actually show up for one of these events.”
Dare wasn’t known for his patience but the little he had was being thoroughly tested. Never one to make a scene in public, he said as calmly as he could manage, “Well apparently whoever, they are, were wrong. Is there a reason you came over here?”
West furrowed his brow, flustered, but recovering just as quickly. “Just wanted to say hello to