Love At First Touch Read online

  “Oh no,” I say with a gasp when I see three mannequins on display. Each one is wearing an outfit from Gabriel’s new fashion line and each one looks more ridiculous than the last. I thought the mock-ups were bad, but this is just horrific.

  One is wearing a shiny silver jumpsuit with tiny yellow bananas printed on the sleeves, one is wearing a skirt that looks like it’s made out of cardboard, and the last one has a long white t-shirt to its knees with Gabrown printed on it.

  “What’s Gabrown?” Westin asks.

  “Gabriel Brown,” I say with a bad taste in my mouth. “That’s the name of his designer label.”

  I’d laugh if I wasn’t feeling so nauseous about all of this. Gabriel doesn’t have an artsy bone in his body and now he thinks he’s a clothing designer?

  The last piece of art I remember him making was when he was six years old. It was supposed to be a boat made from dry macaroni glued onto construction paper. His was the worst in the class. There were only three macaroni noodles randomly glued on the page before he got bored and started stomping on the dried noodles. The teacher called home.

  “There’s the star of the show,” Westin says as Gabriel walks into the crowded room with his chin in the air.

  I quickly turn into Westin and smooth out his tie. I’m nervous to see my brother. I haven’t seen him since the wedding. We fought after dinner and I left early because I didn’t want to ruin his night.

  It seems like we’ve been arguing every day since my father died. I hate it. I miss my brother. My old brother, not this big-headed new version.

  “Hey,” I say when Westin’s cologne hits my nose, making me lightheaded. “I’m sorry I’ve been distracted.”

  His arms are around me and it feels like it’s just the two of us in the crowded room.

  “I’m just happy to be here with you,” he says, looking down at me with sensual brown eyes.

  He really is a gorgeous man.

  I’m looking up into his flawless face and his dark eyes with that possessive look and all of my problems and worries seem to just wash away.

  I inch a little closer to his huge muscular frame and enjoy the feeling of being held by him. I feel so tiny in his arms. I feel like he would never let anything bad happen to me with the way he’s holding me like a delicate porcelain doll.

  I’ve had to be so strong over the past few months with my father’s funeral and fighting with Gabriel over control of the business. I feel a warm comfort that I haven’t felt in a long time.

  I just want to rest my head on his chest and let him take care of me. That’s not something I’m proud to say, but it’s how I feel.

  He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and drags the back of his hand along my jaw. My chin tilts up as my lips part, urging him to kiss me, urging him to take what I so desperately want to give him.

  Not even James Bond can wear a tuxedo like this man can. He should be walking down the runway, over and over again. I’d pay to see that.

  “It’s tradition for kisses to be at the end of a first date,” he whispers. I shiver all over as his hot breath washes over my tingling lips. “But I have to admit, I’m not one for tradition.”

  “Neither am I,” I say as I stand on my toes, urging him to kiss me.

  His mouth comes down and just as our lips are about to touch, a familiar voice interrupts us, yanking me out of my new happy place.

  “Victoria,” Gabriel says in a sharp tone. “What are you doing here?”

  I huff out a breath as I slide out of my date’s arms and turn to face my brother. “Why shouldn’t I be here? I paid for half of all this.”

  “The company paid for it.”

  “Which is half mine!”

  Westin slinks back, giving us space, but he keeps his eyes on me the whole time. I feel indestructible with him in my corner. I feel like I can take on the world with him on my side.

  “You’ll get it all back and then some when Gabrown is the hottest designer brand on the planet,” he says with his chin in the air.

  I glance over at the mannequins in those ridiculous clothes. Three girls are giggling as they take pictures of it. They’re already mocking him, even as they eat his food and drink his champagne.

  “We should be making these decisions together.”

  He huffs out a breath. “It’s an investment, Vicky. The largest buyer of designer clothes in Europe is here tonight. One order and it’s going to pay for all of this.”

  “How much?” I ask, afraid to hear the answer.

  “What?”

  “How much did all of this cost? The party, the marketing, the staff, the designs, everything. How much was it?”

  He sighs. “Eighty million.”

  “Jesus, Gabriel!” I shout. People are starting to look, but I don’t care. “We’re going to have to lay off workers over this! You’re putting Dad’s company in danger!”

  “Will you keep your voice down?” he hisses as he grabs my arm. “People are listening.” Westin doesn’t like the look of his hand clenching my arm and he moves in with a possessive growl.

  “It’s okay,” I say as I put up a hand to hold him back. He reluctantly steps back, but keeps his fierce dark eyes locked on Gabriel. In the smartest thing my brother has done all night, he releases my arm.

  “It’s not Dad’s company anymore,” Gabriel says when he composes himself. “It’s ours.”

  “That’s right. Ours. Not yours. Ours. Dad left it to both of us.”

  “The company is fine,” he says in a dismissive tone. “It makes tons of money.”

  “It won’t if you keep neglecting it. Did you even know that Mr. Jones cut ties with us? Mr. Jones!”

  He squeezes his eyes shut and runs a hand through his hair, gripping it so hard that he looks like he’s going to tear a fistful of it out.

  “I can’t do this right now,” he says as he grabs a champagne flute off a passing tray and downs all of it. “Ow, that hurts. Why the hell did they make it so bubbly?”

  “Apparently, you designed that too. Special edition Diamonde was it?”

  He rolls his eyes and turns away. “You’ll see when the orders start coming in,” he says as he waves at someone across the room. “I don’t have time for this. Enjoy the show.”

  My heart is pounding as he walks away from me, smiling happily and schmoozing with these strangers like we didn’t just get into it.

  “Are you okay?” Westin asks as he comes over.

  My pulse is racing and my body is all tense. I’m bursting with energy and I want something or someone to take it out on.

  Luckily, I have someone who looks more than willing.

  I grab onto Westin’s lapel and yank him toward me, crushing my lips against his in a hard demanding kiss.

  He tastes as rich and sensual as he looks and I moan against his tongue as he claims my mouth as his own.

  My whole body melts under the heat of his mouth. I feel it in my chest first, but then it travels to my pussy and it throbs for him.

  His strong hands grip my hips and he pulls me against his hard body. I whimper against his tongue when I feel the long hard shape of his big cock pressing against my pelvis.

  It’s so big. My pussy aches with the intense need to feel it sliding deep inside me.

  I’m still a virgin, but I know that I won’t be for much longer.

  I want him. I need him.

  And I want it all tonight.

  Chapter Five

  Westin

  My cock is throbbing as I kiss this spectacular girl. I don’t know how long we’ve been at it, but the crowd has disappeared. They’re all inside the room waiting for the show to start.

  Meanwhile out here, I’m tasting my girl’s sweet innocent mouth behind one of the many enormous ice sculptures.

  “Should we go in?” she asks in breathless gasps when we hear the announcer over the speakers saying the show is starting.

  “There’s only one place I want to go and that’s between your legs,” I growl a
s I grab her ass. I’m so hard. I can’t think straight. I can feel pre-cum oozing out of my cock and leaking down my leg.

  My balls are aching with all of the hot cum I have building up for her. If I don’t unload it soon, I’m going to die.

  “Sir, Ma’am,” a security guard says, interrupting us. “Please head inside for the show.”

  I turn to him with a snarl, wanting to rip off his head for taking my girl away from me, even for a second.

  “Come on,” Victoria says as she takes my hand. Just one touch from her is enough to soothe the beast inside of me. “Let’s go see the show. Half of all this is mine, so I better know what my brother has gotten me into.”

  I take a few deep breaths, glaring at the huge man as I back away. He’s larger than me, but he’s crazy to think he can come between me and my girl. That’s like coming between a ravenous lion and a fresh zebra leg.

  We head inside and grab seats near the back. It’s a gorgeous venue in a huge old fashioned ballroom with comfortable seating set up and a long lit-up runway tearing through the middle of the vast room. The runway is simple enough but then a wall lifts and the DJ booth is revealed.

  I’m not that into current music but even I recognize the man behind the turntables.

  “Please tell me that’s not DJ Vandercrum,” Victoria mutters as she covers her eyes with her hand.

  “I wish I could,” I say as the music starts blasting. He’s the most popular DJ in Europe right now and must have cost a fortune.

  “How many employees am I going to have to layoff to pay for stunts like this if he keeps it up?”

  “I’ll help you fix it,” I promise her.

  I’m shocked to see several guys in the crowd wearing those big yellow hats that Brooke tried to get me to wear. I guess I should know better than to question my sister when it comes to fashion.

  The first model walks out and there’s a snicker from the crowd. He’s wearing huge white boots and bright red overalls that look like they’re made of plastic.

  It doesn’t stop there. One model after another comes out, looking like they’re cosplaying for the space version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

  All around us, people are whispering and laughing. It’s not going well.

  Even the models seem to be embarrassed about the clothes they’re wearing. One girl hides her face from the photographer who stands up to take her picture. Ouch.

  “I can’t watch anymore,” Victoria says as she finds my hand and squeezes it. “Let’s go.”

  She gets up and I follow her into the room we were in before. There are a few people who are enjoying the show as much as we are, grabbing drinks and stuffing their faces with the remaining appetizers.

  Victoria looks really upset. She’s near tears. “Please get me out of here,” she says as she squeezes her eyes shut.

  The security guards start advancing on the people by the bar, telling them to either head inside or leave the premises. “You can’t stay here,” one of them barks at the freeloaders.

  “Follow me,” I say as I grab her hand and head away from the security guards.

  I have to find another place where we can stay. I know she doesn’t want to go back into the room, but it’s also too early to leave. Like it or not, she is part owner of this train wreck and we might have to make sure it doesn’t fly off the rails even more than it already has.

  We burst through a door that says Employees Only on it and rush down the hallway, Victoria’s heels click-clacking on the cement floor.

  “Let’s try in here,” I say as I push open a random door.

  “Wow,” she gasps when we walk into another huge empty ballroom. The lights are off with only the blue lights from the emergency exits casting a warm sensual glow throughout the large cavernous room.

  I watch her as she sinks against the wall and closes her eyes, taking several deep breaths. She’s so beautiful. I can’t even handle it.

  Her strength and confidence as she charged up to our table at the wedding and demanded a meeting was what drew me to her in the first place, but this other side of her, the soft vulnerable side, is what’s making me fall in love.

  I want to be the man she goes to when she’s like this. When the world is weighing heavily on her shoulders. When she’s falling apart. When she’s about to break into pieces.

  I’ll be the man to lift her back up. To dust her off. To get her back into fighting shape.

  I’ll be the one she can count on. Her rock. Her safe space. Her man.

  “I’m sorry,” she says as she covers her face with her hands. “What a great date I am, eh?”

  She drops her hands and looks up at me with a sigh. “You can take me home if you want. I know this hasn’t been very fun for you.”

  “This has been the best night of my life.”

  She snorts out a laugh. “Yeah, right. It’s been a disaster. All I’ve done is complain about my brother.” She shakes her head as she drops her eyes to my shoes. “And I really liked you. I thought for once…”

  “What?”

  “Nevermind.”

  “No, tell me.”

  She sighs. “I thought that we might be good together. That we might have clicked. But of course, I ruined it.”

  “You didn’t ruin it.”

  She looks up at me with the softest brown eyes imaginable. It’s like she’s gripping my soul. I’d do anything for this girl.

  “I didn’t?”

  “Come here,” I say as I reach out my hand to her.

  She looks at it for a second and then slides her hand into mine. I pull her back up to her feet and walk her into the middle of the dance floor.

  A smile returns on her face as she looks around the vast empty room.

  “What are you smiling at?”

  “It’s like my favorite scene in Beauty and the Beast. They dance in an empty ballroom. It’s so romantic.”

  I pull out my phone and quickly find Beauty and the Beast by Celine Dion on Spotify.

  “Awww,” she says as I hit play and put the phone upside in the chest pocket of my coat.

  “Perfect song,” I tell her. “You’re definitely a beauty.”

  “But you’re no beast,” she says as she looks up at me with desire in her hazelnut eyes.

  I want to hold her close and press her body against mine, but we are in the middle of a ballroom so we take our proper positions—her hand in mine, her other hand on my shoulder, my other hand on her waist—and start dancing.

  She can’t take her eyes off me and I can’t take my eyes off her. New York City seems so busy and crowded, but every so often a couple in love can find a quiet place all to themselves like this and it can seem like the most romantic place in the world.

  We don’t last long in this position, and before we know it, I’m wrapping my arms around her and dancing close. I can feel her heart beating against my chest and I just want to keep it pressed against me forever, keeping it safe, keeping it warm.

  The sexy scent of her perfume has my head spinning as I pull her even closer. Her soft hair tickles my nose, her breasts press against my chest. I’m in heaven.

  The need to claim this girl starts getting stronger and my cock hardens with the feel of her under my fingertips.

  It hits her thigh and I grit my teeth for a second, expecting her to push away from me, to be offended, to leave, but instead she presses back against it until I’m groaning.

  “I think we found the beast,” she says with a shy smile as the song plays.

  We both chuckle as we dance to the music. I have to agree with her there. This big throbbing beast wants to rip out of my pants and defile every inch of her. It wants to consume her sweet body and claim it as his own.

  “Thanks for being so understanding,” she says as I hold her tight. “This is a pretty good first date.”

  I’m utterly in love. Completely obsessed with this girl as I run my hand down her cheek and gently grab her jaw. She tilts her mouth up as her eyes close halfway, looking
like she wants to be kissed.

  I groan hungrily as I look down at her mouth and see her soft pink tongue, knowing what it tastes like, knowing how sweet and warm it felt as I claimed it earlier.

  She kissed me last time, but this time, it’s my turn to kiss her. And I’m going to kiss her so good that she’ll never even think about kissing another man again.

  A whimper slips from those luscious pink lips as I add a little force to my grip, tilting her head back right where I want it.

  Her eyes are wide and full of lustful desire as she watches me while I make her wait for it. I want her as turned on as she’s got me.

  I can already taste her sweet breaths as I bring my mouth down, grazing my lips over hers, taking my time and feeling the soft plumpness of them. She opens wider, closes her eyes, and moans like she’s dying for my lips on hers. I grin as I make her wait a little longer.

  I’m desperate to feel that silky tongue on mine once again, but I want to draw it out. I want to go slow and gentle. We did hard and frenzied last time. I want soft and romantic now.

  “Oh,” she moans when I finally touch my lips down on hers. Our tongues meet as we taste each other while swaying to the nice music.

  Her hip is digging into my hard throbbing cock. I wonder if her sweet little pussy is as wet as my dick is hard.

  She’s gripping onto my jacket with clenched fists as I deepen the kiss and claim her mouth as my own.

  The song ends and the next one comes on, ruining the mood. It’s cartoon characters screeching about someone being their guest.

  I pull away from her mouth, but she’s not ready to let me go. She moans in disappointment as her teeth tug on my bottom lip while we separate.

  Victoria is melting onto me as I pull out my phone and fumble through my songs. I hit the first thing that shows up. Anything is better than this singing candlestick.

  Can’t Feel My Face by The Weeknd starts playing and my girl starts swaying her hips in a sexual way, grinding on me as she bites down on her bottom lip with an alluring grin.

  I take a deep breath as I run my hands down her sides, feeling the curves of her breasts, the indentation of her waist, the flare of her hips. My cock aches as she winds her way down my body, giving me a show of her cleavage.