A Second Look: A Forbidden Second Chance Romance Read online

  Daniel laughed. “He’s not that bad.”

  “We should have gone with the girl—Amanda,” I said. Daniel shook his head.

  “The way you were flirting with her? You think that’d be a good idea?”

  “You’re probably right,” I said. “But I’m pretty sure she knew how to use a stapler.”

  “What’s wrong with the list?” Daniel asked. I scanned through it again.

  “There are people on here who shouldn’t be,” I said. “Lola Darling? Really?”

  “Everyone loves Lola, Sebastian,” he said.

  “I do not love Lola.”

  “I know. But this party is about networking, finding new customers. It’s not about your personal preferences.”

  “Why are you always so practical, Daniel?”

  “Lola is a very wealthy woman,” Daniel said. “A good customer.”

  “For now,” I said to him, sighing. “Have these invites already gone out?”

  “Yes,” Daniel said. “This morning.”

  “Great,” I said. “There’s no taking that back. Tell Peter he did a great job.”

  “You’re being mean,” Daniel said with a chuckle. “He’s not that bad.”

  “He’s an absolute idiot. He’s nice, though.”

  “He is nice.”

  “We’ll keep him for now. Maybe he’ll improve,” I said. “But this list—”

  “You can avoid Lola. It won’t be that hard.”

  “It’s not just Lola,” I grumbled. “Half the women on here—”

  “You’ve slept with or swindled?”

  “Or both,” I said with a grin. He shook his head.

  “It’ll be an interesting night for you, then,” he said. I sighed.

  “Interesting, indeed.”

  “Is there anything else you need from me today? I picked up your clothes from the dry cleaner and filed those notes on the new NYC store.”

  “You’re good, thanks. Have a good night,” I said to him. He nodded and left, shutting the door behind him. I looked at the list again and shook my head, tossing it back down on the desk. I was about to get up and go to my room when I got a notification on my computer for a new email. I opened it quickly, curious when I saw that it was from an unknown sender.

  Someone will die if you throw this party, I can guarantee it.

  I stared at the message for a moment before I sighed, clicked delete, and stood up. I started to my room when I saw Daniel standing in the hall, tying his shoe. I nearly tripped over him before saw him there.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, standing up. His brow furrowed when he looked at my face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “A threatening email,” I said dryly. “You know how much fun those are.”

  “What did it say?” he asked.

  “Just that someone would die if I threw the party. Intimidation shit. The usual.”

  “I don’t know why you don’t get a security detail, Sebastian. Going without one is a stupid decision for someone of your status.”

  I waved him off. “I’m fine. You worry too much. Get going.”

  “But—”

  “It’s no big deal,” I said to him softly, patting his shoulder. “Get out of here. I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” he said begrudgingly. He left after telling me goodnight one last time and I went upstairs, undressing before climbing into bed. The email ran through my head again, as did Daniel’s warning, but I pushed the thoughts away as I fell asleep.

  Chapter 4: Eve

  I took a deep breath as I pulled up to Sebastian’s house, sitting a few yards down the block, aiming my rearview mirror in the direction of his drive. I waited there for a long time, trying to brace myself for what it would be like to see Sebastian’s face in person after all these years. When he finally came down his drive, I squinted to see him better. I had spent years avoiding his handsome face in the tabloids, and looking at him told me it hadn’t been a mistake. He was still gorgeous, his hair golden blond, a dashing smile on his face as he held the phone to his ear. He was wearing sunglasses and yet in my mind I could vividly see the color of his eyes; a light, creamy brown that had teased me so often when we were in school together. I shook my head and started my car, waiting until he pulled in the other direction to drive down the block and turn my car around. I followed him into the city, where he pulled up to his office building and parked in the front on the busy street.

  I pulled across the street from him and waited, wishing I could go in. I knew that he would recognize me—I hadn’t changed much since high school, and I was sure that Sebastian would know it was me right away. Instead, I sat in my car, curled up for a long wait. I hadn’t been prepared for much before going to tail Sebastian, and I hadn’t been sure how it was going to go, but as the days and then weeks passed with me following him back and forth between work and home, I grew more and more frustrated at every word Lola Darling said to me. When the initial two weeks were up, I went back to my office, sat down and looked over the notes I had taken in frustration. I picked up the phone to call Lola and quit the job, and was just about to dial her number when I saw that I had an email from her in my inbox. I sighed and put the phone down, opening the email to see a message from Lola, along with an invitation to a party.

  The press thing you do will work well for this. Sebastian is throwing a huge party for customers and donors. It will be a good time to find something if you haven’t already.

  I scrolled through the email, clicking the attachment to the invitation. It was being thrown by Sebastian at his house, formal dress required. It was going to be a lavish dinner party followed by a ball. I rolled my eyes, glancing down at the time and the date. The party was tomorrow—which barely gave me enough time to find an outfit and get ready to go. Still, my curiosity overwhelmed my hatred for gatherings, particularly gatherings of the wealthy and the elite. I sent Lola an email saying that I would be there, and decided to go home for the day.

  When I got home, I searched my closet, sighing when I found the one thing that was suitable for the occasion—it was a green velvet dress that I had worn to a friend’s wedding. It was a tight, backless gown that would draw more attention than I would have liked, especially from the eyes of someone like Sebastian. The thought of him giving me that trademark look — seductive and sensual all at once, made me shiver as I undressed. I slipped the dress over my head and frowned when I saw how low-cut it was, something that I had forgotten. I took it off, knowing I had no other choice but to go shopping for a new outfit that I’d only end up wearing once. I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment, remembering high school. My hair had been longer then, not a halo around my face but a mane, and my eyes were the same color as the dress, arguably my best feature. I looked away from the mirror and got into bed, curling up there, trying not to think about Sebastian. It felt as though I had barely slept before my alarm went off in the morning, and I grumbled as I pulled it out of the wall, tossing it across the room.

  “Shut up,” I muttered as I got out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom to get ready for the day. I was already anxious, and grew steadily more so as the hours passed by, with me wasting time, sitting in front of the TV to relax in order to prepare myself for what I knew would be one hell of a party. I looked at the clock and realized it was time to get ready, and twenty minutes later I was made-up and dressed, going outside and getting into my car. I parked on the street rather than pulling up to the valet when I got there, walking in heels up to the front gate, which was open for attendees of the party. I looked around at the beautiful estate as I walked through, lush and green, and a pond with a waterfall at the edge, surrounded by flowers.

  “Miss,” came a voice behind me. I turned to see a man with a tablet in his hands, rushing toward me.

  “Your name?” he asked.

  “My name is Evelyn Fox,” I said, pulling out my ID. “I’m press. I’m a guest of—”

  “You’re a guest of Ms. Dar
ling. Right,” the man said, looking up at me with a polite smile. “Welcome, Ms. Fox. We ask that the press do not address Mr. Cunningham directly. He prefers to have his contact with them filtered by his assistants.”

  “I’ll stay away from him,” I promised, though I had no intention of keeping it. “Thank you.”

  He nodded and I walked past him into the massive mansion, almost losing my breath at the opulence of it. Everywhere I looked there was fine art on the walls, rich Persian rugs, and intricate statues. I looked around but didn’t see Sebastian anywhere. I headed to the bar, ordering a glass of wine, knowing I’d need it in order to function at a party like this. Everyone was dressed lavishly, laughing with drinks in their hands, at home in the company of celebrities and royals.

  “Hello,” a man said as I sipped my wine. I turned to see that he was leaning close to my face, his eyes latched on my lips. I took a step back but he wrapped his arm around my bare shoulders.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  “The next person to break your nose, if you don’t get off of me.”

  He pulled away, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture. He took a few steps back and rolled his eyes, turning his back to me, flipping me off over his shoulder. I chuckled and shook my head, glancing around the room again, my eyes finally landing on the man I had come there to see.

  Sebastian’s eyes were already on me from across the room. I met them to see that they were sparkling, filled with surprise. I felt something flip in my chest as I saw him excuse himself and cross the room to me.

  “Eve Fox,” he said, looking me over, making me blush furiously when his eyes lingered on the bare skin between my breasts, the upper curves of them, his gaze lifting to my neck and then to my lips. When it met mine, there was a charming grin on his face.

  “God, you look good.”

  “Thanks,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest, trying not to show that I was affected by the way he looked at me. Despite my dislike of him. Sebastian had always had that effect on me. I had spent four years of high school avoiding his teasing gaze, despite the fact that we worked closely together as the only two students in the school’s gifted program, and graduated as competing valedictorians.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I—”

  “Sebastian!” a man exclaimed, coming up to us and clapping Sebastian on the back. Sebastian didn’t look away, kept his eyes locked on my face as if mesmerized by the sight of it.

  “I’m speaking to someone,” he said in a soft, even voice. The man muttered an apology and left.

  “Sorry about that,” he said. “You were telling me why you’re here.”

  “I wasn’t,” I said.

  “But you will,” he said. I felt that argumentative stubbornness rising up, despite the fact that I needed to work with him. For a moment, I forgot, and didn’t like the challenge or command in his voice.

  “You think so?”

  He chuckled. “You’re in my house.”

  “It’s a public party.”

  “It’s a private party,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m press.” I said. “I came with Lola Darling.”

  “I haven’t seen Lola tonight.”

  “We came separately,” I said with a shrug.

  “Why are you, Evelyn Fox, my lifelong arch-nemesis, here at my party?”

  “Arch-nemesis,” I snorted.

  “Am I wrong? You don’t seem like you like me any better now than you did ten years ago.”

  “That’s because you’re—”

  I cut myself off.

  “Yes?” he prompted, amusement in his voice.

  “I’m here because I need your help,” I said to him.

  “My help,” he said. I nodded.

  “I’m doing a freelancing piece, a profile on someone in the public.”

  “And you chose me.”

  “You’re of high interest.”

  “Am I? Are you interested?” he asked.

  “No,” I said dryly. “But I need somebody who will draw readers.”

  “I see,” he said. “So you expect me to help you, despite the fact that you’re staring at me with no less than disdain.”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Why?”

  “Because you love the attention,” I said to him. He laughed.

  “God, you do still hate me.”

  “I don’t like you,” I admitted. “But I’m asking you for a favor.”

  He stared at me for a moment, interest evident in his eyes.

  “Okay,” he said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes,” he said. “As long as I get something from you.”

  “I have money,” I said.

  “Money is the last thing I need,” he said to me. “I want answers.”

  “About what?” I asked him.

  “About you.”

  I paused, staring at his face.

  “We’ll see,” I said. He grinned at me again.

  “We’ll pick up tomorrow. Get out of here. You look miserable.”

  “Okay,” I said to him gratefully, downing the rest of my wine. I felt his eyes on me as I left the party, not even bothering to look for Lola. I had gotten what I needed, and being surrounded by the wealthy elite made me uncomfortable, even though it was every investigator’s dream to work with them directly.

  When I got home, I stripped out of my clothes, trying not to think about the playfulness in Sebastian’s eyes. He had always gotten under my skin, constantly teased me in high school, yet at the same time had always been fixated on my lips, the curve of my neck, all the places a man would want to kiss a woman. I hadn’t been surprised when he’d kissed me the night of our graduation, grinned against my lips and told me he’d been dying to do it for years. The kiss had left me breathless, and that was the last time I had seen his face until the moment we’d locked eyes across the party.

  Chapter 5: Sebastian

  I woke up early in the morning, ready to go. I had always been like that—I started the day full of energy, and finished it relaxed and calm. As it had the night before, the instant I woke up, Eve’s face drifted into my mind. I remembered how creamy her skin looked against the green of her dress— the same green as those devastating eyes. I thought of her as I pulled my phone off the charger, dialing her number, which I had looked up from the register the night before.

  “Hello?” came her soft voice on the other end, thick and sleepy.

  “Eve,” I said. “This is Sebastian.”

  “Sebastian,” she grumbled. “It’s six in the morning.”

  “It’s time to start the day,” I said to her. “I figured you’d be up and ready by now.”

  “No, you didn’t,” she said. “I hate mornings. I’ve always hated mornings.”

  “You were never at your best early on.” I agreed. She made a noise of annoyance and I laughed.

  “I’m ready to get started. When can you be here?”

  “You’re serious.” she said dryly.

  “I’m always serious.”

  She snorted.

  “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  “Wear something comfortable,” I told her. “And good shoes.”

  “What—” she began, but I cut her off.

  “See you soon, Eve.”

  I hung up the phone, knowing she’d be grumbling on the other end. The thought almost made me laugh. It had always been so easy to get under Eve’s skin, and I couldn’t help but delight in the way it made her pretty face blush, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. The truth was, I had fallen for Eve the moment she’d first given me that icy stare when we were fourteen, one that told me I’d have relentless competition for the next four years. The attraction was mutual—I could tell by the way she looked at me, but she had been shy and hated my guts, and nothing had come of it until that kiss on our graduation night.

  I got up and brushed my teeth, slipping into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I went downstairs and put on
my shoes, ready for Eve when she knocked on the door. She had her hands on her hips when I answered.

  “What are we doing?” she asked. I looked her over, saw that she was wearing a tank top and black leggings. My eyes lingered on her breasts, the curves of her hips; then I looked at her face to see that she was looking decidedly away from me as she usually did.

  “We’re going for a jog,” I said. She did snap a look at me then, a question on her face.

  “A jog?”

  “Yes,” I said. “That’s how I start my mornings. Think you can keep up, or should I go slow?”

  “You called me over here at six in the morning to go for a jog?” she asked, annoyance showing in her voice.

  “Yes,” I said. “Don’t you want to know my routine? That’s usually how this thing goes.”

  “I can’t stand you,” she said.

  “There we go,” I said to her, grinning. “That’s the Eve Fox I know and love.”

  She shot me a look, then bent over to tie her shoes.

  “Let’s go, then,” she said.

  “You gonna be able to keep up?”

  “I can outrun you,” she said, jutting out her chin. She started to jog ahead of me then, not bothering to let me guide her to the path. I stayed where I was for an instant, looking her over from behind, the way her short blonde curls bounced as she ran, the roundness of her ass in those leggings. She glanced at me over her shoulder and I quickly met her eye, smiling as I jogged up beside her.

  “So what do you want to know?” I asked her.

  “Everything,” she said. “What exactly do you do?”

  “Everyone knows what I do.”

  “I want it in your words,” she said, annoyed as we turned a corner to go deeper into the estate. I could tell that she was used to the activity—she moved effortlessly, speeding up a little every time I caught up with her.

  “I own a fine jewelry business,” I said to her.

  “An empire.” she said. “You own an empire.”

  “You could say that.”

  “Why jewelry?”

  “I enjoy beautiful things,” I said to her. She scoffed.

  “Everyone knows that,” she said dryly. I slowed down then, stopping to catch my breath.