Chapter 100
Winter’s scalp prickled. In the pitch dark, her senses sharpened.
The arm around her was too tight. Rough fingertips pressed into her shoulder like he was trying to pull her into him. The room was full of voices, but she could hear her own heartbeat, and the other person’s,
too.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Panic and humiliation hit at the same time. She was about to strike, but another thought stopped her. Maybe he had mistaken her for someone else. Sam’s words surfaced in her head.
“Think twice. Don’t act on impulse p>
“Sir, you have the wrong person, ” she started.
Before she could finish, someone clamped a hand around her chin. A sharp force tipped her face upward, and something soft pressed to her lips.
She felt the other person’s tongue push, trying to pry her mouth open.
Winter stopped caring who was hosting tonight and who this man might be. If he dared do this to her, he would pay for it.
Her hand swept across the table, grabbed the first thing she touched, and swung hard.
The next second, the lights snapped back on.
A wave of shocked gasps rolled through the room. Heat rushed to Winter’s face. Her wrist was caught midair, the small plate still in her hand. A faint scent of cedar and tobacco filled her nose.
She froze.
Chris was holding her.
There was a small cut at the corner of his mouth, a thin line of blood where she had bitten him.
Chris looked down at her, his gaze cold. “So you dressed like this just to chase me into the event p>
Dressed like this?
Winter’s eyes flashed. She spoke with complete confidence. “I’m wearing a proper evening gown p>
His hand was still on her bare shoulder. From where he stood, Chris had a clear view of her striking curves. The dress wasn’t revealing, but it still irritated him anyway.
His gaze darkened behind the lenses. “You could wear the most proper dress in the world and still make it look improper p>
Winter heard the insult clearly. He wasn’t talking about the dress. He was talking about her.
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+25 Bonus
So she was “improper,” but he could grab someone in the dark and kiss them. That made him decent? Standing in her heels, she barely reached his jaw. She tipped her chin up and sneered, “A dirty mind sees dirt everywhere, Mr. Xander. Maybe you’re the one with something filthy in your head p>
Chris’s expression turned even colder than before.
Winter saw the shift in his expression, but she still forced herself into a work tone.
“And let me correct you, Mr. Xander. ” Her voice stayed steady. “I didn’t come here to chase you. I’m here for my job. If it were anyone else I needed to interview, I would still be here. This has nothing to do with you p>
Anyone else.
Chris’s eyes darkened.
“So this is the attitude you bring to an interview?” He still didn’t release her wrist. He simply took the small plate from her hand and looked at her with a cold, clear stare. “I don’t see any sincerity at all, Ms. Scott. I already told you I’m tied up for the next few weeks p>
“You look pretty free right now, ” Winter shot back. “Why don’t we sit down and finish it? You don’t like me bothering you, and I don’t want to see you either. Once the interview is done, we go our separate ways p>
“I’m busy right now. ” Chris finally let go of her wrist.
“Then after the auction p>
Chris’s voice stayed cool. “We’ll see p>
Winter swallowed her anger. That answer was clearly him refusing without saying no.
Her eyes dropped to the cane leaning against the wall near his thigh. His cast was off, but he still needed the cane to take weight off his leg so it could heal faster.
In her heels, Winter walked over, kicked the cane away with one sharp motion, and strode off.
Chris stared after her. His jaw tightened hard.
During the brief blackout earlier, Steve had ditched Sasha and come looking for Winter. Now he saw Winter storming toward him, practically steaming with anger. He stepped in front of her and blocked her
path.
Then he lifted his eyes past her shoulder and looked straight at Chris, whose expression was cold and unreadable.
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.