My gaze wanders around the ballroom. These Sugar Bowl mixers are opulent and flashy, giving the Babies a taste of the decadence that awaits them. Caviar and champagne. Thousand-dollar suits. Wristwatches that cost more than cars. They take it all in with wide-eyed innocence, and they spread their legs a little further to entice a Daddy to notice them.

I’ve seen it all before.

See it happening right now all over this room as the women flirt, suck on lower lips, and pull their dresses down just a little more to expose their cleavage. The room is thick with lust pouring off the men who see nothing but orgasms in their immediate future after going so long without. The girls see dollar signs. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

Taking a sip from my drink as I stand at the bar, I glance down to my left. Several couples are sitting on stools, drinking cocktails and making small talk. At the very end sits a woman who is strikingly lovely. Her back is to the bar, the stool swiveled so she can face the mingling crowd. A shimmery silver dress hugs her curves, and I lean back from the bar so I can get a better look at knockout stiletto sandals with silver ribbon at the heels that wind up and around her calves.

Pulling my body back in, I take another look at her face. It’s in profile to me, but she’s all gorgeous angles and soft curves. Straight nose, high cheekbones, and full, puffy lips. Dark chocolate-brown hair, and I wonder what color her eyes are, but I can’t see from this position.

She seems to be staring at something intently so I turn my head and follow her line of sight across the room.

Ahhh…there it is.

She’s staring at JT, who is standing with three women huddled around him, all vying for his attention. I look back at the brunette sitting at the bar and find her stare a bit disconcerting. It’s not hungry or calculating; not the way I’ve seen women look at me and my partner before. Instead, she looks sort of angry.

Odd.

Jealous former Baby, perhaps?

I start to put it out of my mind because that’s a complication I don’t need, but just as I begin to turn away, she pushes up off the stool, squares her shoulders, and starts to cross the room toward JT.

She has a sexy as hell walk, full of confidence as her hips sway. Her breasts aren’t bound by a bra under the shimmery dress and they sway in full natural glory. What I wouldn’t love to do to a pair of tits like that, and an image of me fucking said tits crosses my mind.

I watch with interest to see what happens, because while I don’t like confrontation, I wouldn’t mind watching JT get a comeuppance if that’s what’s on the brunette’s mind. Or maybe an old-fashioned catfight between her and the blondes that might involve hair pulling and an errant kick to JT’s nuts. He’d so deserve it.

Fucking JT.

I’ve got my attorney reading over our partnership agreement, poring over case law, trying to figure out if I have a way to force him out, but so far it doesn’t look good. So my choices are going to be stay the course and hope JT gets his head out of his ass, or let him buy me out and walk. It’s an option, but not the best, as I’ve got a lot of pride invested in this business. Do I have the smarts to make a killing off another start-up? Hell, yes. But I’m not ready to give up this ride yet because it could be so much more, and besides…maybe JT is just going through a phase. Maybe he’ll wise up sooner rather than later and this will all be moot.

God, I hope to fuck he comes to his senses, because JT and I have history together. Deep ties that I don’t want to sever if it can be helped. While I might not like him at the moment, I still hold out hope that he can be pulled back from the edge.

The brunette reaches JT’s group and I watch as his eyes connect with hers. He lowers his gaze, runs his eyes all over her body, because hell…who wouldn’t? She’s stunning.

When his eyes meets hers again, she boldly steps in between two of the blondes and holds her hand out to him. While I can’t hear anything because of the chatter of about two hundred people and soft strains of some techno dance music, I can imagine her bold introduction. I bet her voice is smoky…filled with sex.

JT inclines his head toward her in polite acknowledgment and releases her hand, turning his gaze back to the blonde who is now hanging on his left arm. He dips his head to her and she presses her lips near his ear, I’m sure offering to do any dirty thing imaginable he desires, and I know the brunette won’t be looked at again.

Not only does she not have the right hair color, but she screwed up when she approached JT. He likes his women docile and subservient. Her confident strut, I’m betting firm handshake, and direct approach turned him off. Not that he wouldn’t fuck her if there was nothing else available, but for the most part…her type doesn’t do it for him.

Her type, however, does a shitload for me. I like my women confident and feisty in bed. I like a good tussle when the mood suits us both, and I want her screaming at me to go harder because she wants it, not just because I like to give it. I like a woman to look me directly in the eye when she’s sucking my cock, and I’m betting this woman would do just that.

The brunette continues to stare at JT, and I notice with a small amount of surprise her fingers curled into fists that are clenched tightly. Maybe she’ll deck him, which won’t be as good as a swift kick in the balls, but would still be entertaining.

Instead, she turns from the group and her shoulders sag in what I’d consider to be defeat. Her head is still held high though, and when she angles my way, I can see the clear blue of her eyes even across the dim room.

Just fucking stunning, and JT’s all kinds of a fool to let that get away.

But his loss is my gain, and I push away from the bar to intercept her.

We meet in the middle of the ballroom, her eyes widening in surprise as she realizes I’m intent on talking to her. I see almost a subtle hint of a wall going up and her shoulders tighten.

“Don’t take it personally,” I tell her with a charming smile as I take her by the elbow, guiding her to the bar where I left my drink. “He doesn’t like confident women. Threatens his masculinity and all.”

She gives an unladylike snort. “I find that hard to believe.”

Yes! A smoky voice that sounds exactly like sex. I knew it.

“Well, it’s true, and I know him better than anyone in this room,” I tell her truthfully as we reach the bar and I pull out a stool for her. “Let me get you a drink and I’ll tell you all about it.”