Page 21 of A Corruption Dark & Deadly

"Safety first," she quipped with a small smile.

His eyes narrowed in on her lips and lingered. Her cheeks turned pink at the stare and she hoped he would write it off as her being cold to warm so suddenly. However, she had a feeling that he might know that his stare was doing things to her body, causing her to react in such a way, and she didn't like it. She didn't like that it was happening at all and she didn't like that he knew it. The silence in the car was surprisingly comfortable and her eyes looked out. It was supposed to pour at any second. The grey clouds looked so dark and full, that any little thing might cause them to burst.

"It looks like rain," he pointed out, staring out his window. It was like he could read her mind. Maybe he could.

The ride was smooth until they hit the city, then traffic began to pile up. Annie glanced over at Jericho, who didn't seem perturbed the tardiness the two had incurred. Then again, if this was something he was throwing, he could show up at any moment and it would be okay. She shook her head slightly; she couldn't imagine having that sort of power, truth be told.

Annie placed her hand on the leather seat between her and Jericho. If she didn’t remove it from her lap, she was certain her beautiful gown would be wrinkled and ruined before they even arrived at the gala. Her other hand she firmly placed under her thigh to refrain from even tempting her to fiddle with the soft material.

“What’s this gala about, exactly?” Annie asked, turning to look at him. She was still caught dumbfounded by how beautiful he was, his big pale green eyes and those sharp cheekbones doing things to the inside of her body she forced herself to ignore. “You never really told me what to expect.”

“Oh,” he said. “A domestic abuse charity I’ve been donating to for the past few years. It came to my attention because one of my employees told me about the ordeal his sister was going through and how this shelter saved her life. I looked into it and they really are one of the best places for women. It amazes me that no one really knows about it except those who need the help – and that’s the way they want it. You can’t have an abuser finding out where the shelter is, right? So I assist with funding, helping with the housing, that sort of thing.”

“And you got involved because of an employee?” Annie murmured, somewhat surprised.

Jericho nodded. “Of course,” he said. “Every few months, I like to check in to see what’s going on in their lives, make sure everything is okay, and if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“But only as long as they pay you back,” she said, letting the unanswered question linger.

“I wouldn’t be a good businessman if I just gave everything away,” he told her, the corner of his lips curling up into a gentle smirk. “But I am open to payment. Perhaps they can provide me with something of value I want that isn’t exactly monetary.”

Annie cut him a look. “Do you think that’s fair?” she asked. “Aren’t you kind of preying on your employees, offering them a deal they really can’t refuse and then taking something in return?”

“It’s a give and take,” Jericho said, shifting in his seat so he could give her his full attention. “I ask how they’re doing. I’ve conditioned them to trust me. I earn that trust. I offer them a solution to their problem. They offer me something in return.”

“I think you take advantage of them,” she told him. As per usual, she wasn’t able to look away from those eyes even if she wanted to. “You find those who need help and you use your position of power in order to get what you want. It’s a way for you to remind people just how wealthy and powerful you are.”

“You think so?” he asked with a smirk.

Annie shrugged. At that moment, something jolted her system. When she looked down, she saw that his pinky finger began to trace patterns against the back of her hand.

She knew she should pull away. She knew she didn’t have to have him touch her in such a simplistically intimate way but… But the feeling was nice. And she liked it. She didn’t want to pull away. So she pretended she couldn’t feel it even though her entire body was on edge in the best way due to his touch on her body. She hadn’t thought he could still affect her in this way, even after a week. She thought she would be able to come down from her high of living with Seattle’s most eligible bachelor and possible organized crime leader, but it would seem that that was not the case. Not when her body reacted this way to a mere caress.

They rode the short distance in comfortable silence. By the time they reached the Seattle Divine, a ritzy luxury hotel, there was a long line of town cars spilling out of the valet portion, waiting to turn in their cars and head inside. From where Annie was, she could make out velvet red ropes, creating a boundary on either side of the valet drop-off where media had their cameras and recorders, ready to capture a picture of whatever celebrity stepped out. Annie suddenly started feeling nervous.

“What’s wrong?” Jericho asked, his eyes genuinely filled with concern. His thumb went up and down on the inside of her wrist, trying to console her.

“I don’t think I’m comfortable with the pictures,” she said. “You do realize people are going to start writing about us, right? Are you okay with that? Is it really smart for your image?”

Jericho looked amused with her concern, but not where he was writing her off. Instead, he let her finish her ramble, patiently watching her and continuously caressing the inside of her wrist.

“If you don’t want to take pictures, we don’t have to take pictures,” he told her once she finished. “If they write about us, that’s fine. I don’t particularly care one way or the other. However, I can understand that you might be concerned, especially considering I’ve dealt with this nearly my whole life while you haven’t. And, your final question makes no sense to me because you are the most beautiful woman I have ever encountered and the thought that being in the same vicinity as you could potentially hurt my public image is mind-boggling.”

Annie shook his head. “You’re crazy,” she murmured.

The corner of his lips turned up. “And what makes you say that?” he asked.

“What comes out of your mouth doesn’t seem real,” she told him honestly.

“Do you like it?” he asked, his tone curious.

Annie shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of it,” she told him, catching his eye. “I suppose I’ve been conditioned to where if someone is nice to me, it must mean they want something.”

Jericho tilted his head to the side, seeming pensive more than anything. “I suppose I do as well,” he said. “I just like being around you.”

Annie felt herself blush and she looked away but she didn’t pull her hand away from him. She was silent the rest of the way in line, as was he, and by the time they reached the front, Jericho turned back to her. “I’m going to step out,” he told her, “and I’ll tell the media not to take any pictures.”

“No,” Annie said. “It’s okay. I…” She picked her eyes up off the clean carpet and gave him a smile. “I don’t mind.”