Chapter 46

Chapter 46 Title: The Banquet Part 2

[Chapter Theme Song by My Side By Acejax Feat Danilyon]

[Xavier’s POV]

Glancing over my shoulder, I could vaguely see a woman sprawled out on the ground. I rolled my eyes. Personally, I could have cared less about who had fainted. But, Iris seemed so irritated that I couldn’t help but tease her. As we walked through the entrance, I pretended to give her words some thought before I looked down at her with a grin.

“What’s with the lecture, Miss Young? That kiss must have made you pretty brave, hm?”

For a moment, her brows were furrowed in confusion. However, only a second later, her eyes widened with realization and she flushed a color that could only be described as crimson. Did she honestly think that I had forgotten our kiss? As if any man in their right mind would be able to forget the taste of those soft lips. I heaved a deep sigh, trying to tamp down the rush of desire that swept through my body. This was not the time or the place.

She straightened and quickly regained her professional composure.

Looking up at me again, she said, “We should hurry and find the rest of our party, sir. They are probably waiting for your arrival.”

I nodded and inwardly applauded the way that she maneuvered out of the conversation to avoid any further embarrassment. She was very tactful. It struck me that if Iris held any aspirations in the field she would make a brilliant politician.

We continued through the lobby and I heard her heave a sigh of relief at leaving the reporters and screaming fans behind. She looked like she would rather be anywhere than at this party with me and I couldn’t blame her. Daniel had a way of making people feel comfortable no matter the situation and he would have been the ideal escort for her. But, I just couldn’t stand the thought of them coming here together. Determined to help her feel more at ease, I took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze before I placed it in the crook of my arm as I led her into the oversized ballroom.

I watched as Iris marveled at the rather impressive crystal chandelier, which hung in the middle of the lavishly decorated room. Her eyes then drifted over to the delicate champagne tower that stood beside the gift table, which was overflowing with presents. I grinned as she took in her surroundings with fascination. Waiters and waitresses moved around the multitude of guests offering delectable hors d'oeuvres. The bar area was decorated with flowers and tumblers half full of amber liquid. Music was playing and there were a few people on the dance floor swaying to the beat. Well, it was safe to say that Mr. Gabriel didn’t skimp on his daughter’s engagement party.

As we made our way over to our host, I noticed multiple people eyeing us with curiosity. Iris stiffened as she felt their questioning stares. To remind her that she wasn’t alone, I gently stroked her hand and I felt her relax a little. A wide smile spread across my face. I was proud and humbled by her reaction. Just as I was about to say something to her, I saw Luke striding towards us.

“That damned playboy. I wonder what he wants.” I thought as I tightened my hold on Iris’s hand.

Luke and I had never been on good terms. We weren’t enemies exactly but I did try to avoid his company whenever possible. We never agreed on anything—be it politics or the weather. I steeled myself to reply to whatever contrary nonsense that was about to come out of his damned mouth, but he wasn’t paying me any attention. His gaze was fixed on Iris. A wave of anger crashed over me and I took a protective step in front of her. Finally realizing that I was there, Luke smirked knowingly as he held out his hand.

“Mr. President. Always a pleasure to see you,” he said as I firmly shook his hand. Pointedly looking over my shoulder, he asked, “And who is this beautiful lady? You must introduce me.”

“This is my secretary, Luke,” I said through gritted teeth.

His smiled wolfishly and I instantly spotted the lustful glint in his eyes as he looked her over.

“Is that so? Well then, you wouldn’t mind if I danced with her would you? After all, I’m sure this lovely lady wouldn’t mind expanding her… social circle.”

My hands clenched into tight fists at his underhanded remark. Did he think that just because she was my secretary he could speak about her like that? Like hell! Iris was too good of a person to be disrespected by anyone, let alone this rat faced bastard. At that moment, I caught sight of a woman walking towards us and I grinned down at him. The famous, Madeline Grahams, was watching our little interchange like a hawk and she wasn’t happy.

Taking a step forward, I leaned down close enough for only Luke to hear and said, “Well, you could but I don’t think your mistress would appreciate that.”

Stepping back, I chuckled as Luke's eyes went wide in surprise and then he whirled around to face Madeline. I had been informed that she had been his mistress for the past two years and that they had taken great pains to keep it a secret. As his face paled, I made a mental note to give Scott another bonus for uncovering that little piece of dirt. Taking Iris’s hand, we left Luke standing in place as Madeline marched towards him in full fury. A satisfied feeling spread throughout my chest at the sight of Luke all but shaking in his shoes as his mistress glared at him. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to come to this party after all.

Walking over the Mr. Gabriel, he greeted us warmly and with great enthusiasm. I had always respected Mr. Gabriel. He was a good man and a good father. After a few pleasantries, he directed us to a sitting area that he had specifically prepared for us. Approaching Daniel and other members, I saw that they were all already on the verge of being drunk. Not wanting to enter into any conversations with tipsy employees, I decided to leave them to their own devices and took Iris the other side of the area. I plopped down on the red sofa and exhaled a deep breath. I glanced over at my side to ask Iris what she thought of the party. But, she wasn't sitting down. She stood beside the couch with her back ramrod straight as if waiting for an order. I frowned.

“Why aren’t you sitting?”

Iris looked at me with surprise, but then looked away as she said, “Many of the guests are watching you, sir. It’s not appropriate for me to share a sofa with you. Besides, I am perfectly fine right here.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. She always seemed to be drawing a line between us and it was damned annoying.

“Take a seat, Iris. No one would dare to say anything when you’re with me anyway.”

She gave me a pleading look and said, “Please, sir. Try to understand. You are the president. If you are seen lounging around with your secretary it will not look good. Not to mention, someone could start inappropriate rumors and create a scandal.”

Without another word, I reached out, grabbed her arm and yanked her down to sit with me. I knew it was a childish move, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted her close—rumors be damned.

“Even though you aren’t required to act as my secretary tonight, Iris, I am still your employer. If I ask you to sit, you sit. If I ask you for a dance, you will take my hand and dance. Is that clear?”

Her nose scrunched up and her brows knitted together as she let out an exasperated breath.

“Use your words, Iris,” I said in a mocking tone.

“Yes, sir,” she grumbled.

***

[Iris’s POV]

Two hours later and we were still sitting on the couch. After the congratulatory speeches and toasts were made, everyone had started dancing. Well, everyone except my boss. And from his expression, I could tell that he had no inclination to join the others on the dance floor. I knew that he didn’t like to attend these kinds of events but it was so boring and awkward to just sit here.

After clearing my throat, I asked, “Um, sir? Shouldn't we do something? Maybe go dance?”

He looked down at me as if I had just asked him to do the most absurd thing in the world and then turned his gaze back to the dance floor.

“I am not interested,” he said nonchalantly as he reached for his glass of wine.

Muttering a curse under my breath, I shifted on the couch. My backside was turning numb from sitting for too long.

“Then can I go find Daniel, sir?” I asked politely.

He arched one arrogant brow as he responded, “Are you so eager to escape my company, Iris?”

I gaped at him and then felt extremely annoyed. If he thought he was going to keep me tied to him all night, he was sadly mistaken. I took a breath to hide my irritation.

“Of course not, sir. But, I am not just going to sit here all night,” I said with a forced smile.

Xavier’s eyes darkened. I guess I wasn’t completely successful in keeping the sarcasm out of my voice. He gulped down his wine and then nodded towards an elderly man on the dance floor.

“As you wish. See that man over there? His name is Mr. Smith. He is a rival of mine. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting his attention as he is a perverted old bastard. Go over and dance with him. If you can get him to tell you his plans for his backer’s next charity drive I will declare you the winner of our little wager of impressing me.”

So he was going to use me for work? Fine! I needed to win this wager anyway. Giving him a curt nod, I stood up and sauntered over to the dance floor. Tapping Mr. Smith on the shoulder, I flashed him a seductive smile and asked, “Hey, mister. Would you like to dance?”

The old man’s eyes lit with excitement as he moved to take hold of my waist.

“Of course, my girl. It would be an honor,” he said with a sly smile.

Well, that was easy. As we swayed to the music, I glanced over at Xavier. He was having another glass of wine with his gaze fixed on me.

“What line of work are you in, dear? Modeling, surely?” Mr. Smith asked as he twirled me around.

Since he didn’t recognize me as Xavier secretary, I decided it was for the best to keep it that way.

“Oh, you’re right!” I gave him a flirtatious smile and continued, “I just entered into the industry. You sure do have a discerning eye.”

His lips stretched into a sickly sweet smile at my complement. Our bodies moved together to the rhythm of the music and I could feel Mr. Smith’s gaze travel over my body.

“Men are so predictable,” I thought to myself as I kept my concentration on obtaining the information.

I leaned toward him, closing the distance between us. As my breast brushed up against his chest, I heard him groan in desire. Looking up at him, I saw his eyes gazing hungrily into mine. I spotted a nearby waiter who was carrying tequila shots on his tray. Perfect! I let go of Mr. Smith and retrieved two shots.

Holding a shot out to him, I toasted, “To us.”

The lust in his eyes reached new heights as we downed our drinks together. The music changed to an upbeat song and Mr. Smith gave our empty glasses back to the waiter. Returning to the dance floor, he grabbed my waist with both hands and jerked me closer to him. My hands came up and wrapped around his neck. Moving my hips sensually to the beat, I looked up at him and traced my lower lip with my tongue. He gulped. Gotcha!

“Oh, right. You asked me what I do for a living. While I am currently modeling, I also help run a little orphanage for charity purposes. I heard that your company has a fairly strong backer and is known to be extremely generous when it comes to charities. If you could get him to also donate, I would personally make sure he receives proper credit it.”

Mr. Smith smiled with pride and replied, “Yes, my backer is extremely generous and influential. In fact, he is running for the presidency in the upcoming election so contributing to society is a priority for him.”

“Is that so? How exciting!”

“Indeed. In fact, in a couple of days he is going to hold a charity drive to help fix the broken bridge in West Coala. No one even knows about it yet. But, if you tell me the name of your orphanage, beautiful, I will make sure to put it on his agenda,” he said with a wink.

I giggled as he spun me around. This had to be the easiest extraction of information that I had ever done. I looked back over at Xavier. Oh, he didn’t look so good. Whatever, I smiled and winked at him. He just stared at me and took another gulp of his wine. Turning my attention back to Mr. Smith, we continued to make small talk. However, a few seconds later, his hands started to travel towards my derrière. I was beginning to get uncomfortable with his advances and moved his hands back up to my waist. He nagged at me to not be a prude and then in one swift motion he grabbed my ass and squeezed.

Before I could react, I felt a heat radiating from behind me and the familiar scent of Xavier’s cologne permeated my senses. Disengaging myself from Mr. Smith’s grasp, I stumbled backwards and felt my back hit against the president’s hard chest. Mr. Smith looked at us with a confused expression and I felt the president’s grip on my shoulders tighten as he leaned down close to my ear.

“Congratulations, Iris. You. Have. Truly. Impressed. Me,” he ground out while emphasizing each word.

His hot breath caressed my skin and I shivered. I could tell he was furious but this whole situation was his fault. I whipped around to face him.

“Lord, I wish the room would stop spinning,” I muttered.

Regaining my balance, I looked up and scoffed at his rage filled face. Things were getting fuzzy again and I could tell that I was about to fall over. When had I become such a lightweight? Before I was aware of what was happening, the president took hold of my wrist and practically dragged me off the dance floor.

“Don’t pull so hard. This is all your fault anyway, ssssssssssir,” I slurred.

I just wanted to the damn room to stop spinning. We finally came to a stop and I closed my eyes. I didn’t think I had drank that much, but I vaguely remembered being too busy to eat this morning so that’s probably why I had a fairly nice buzz. I thought of how Tomato would fuss if he knew that I hadn’t eaten today and I giggled.

Xavier sighed and confessed, “Iris, I really don’t understand you sometimes. How do you know how to do all of these different things? You’re a hacker, a secretary and then, as I watched you dance with that scumbag, you looked like a fucking escort.”

My eyes flew open and I saw his confused expression. Wetting my lips, I leaned unsteadily towards him.

“And what if I am?”

He frowned. “I don’t understand you.”

I smiled and then grumbled, “Ha, I don’t understand myself. I am so confused when I am around you.”

His features softened slightly and he pulled me against him.

“Why, Iris?”

My breathing hitched and I could feel tension between us increase. I swallowed down the lump that had formed in my throat and looked up at him.

“Because whenever I look at you, Mr. Xavier Gray, I want you to completely ruin me.”