Page 37 of Checkmate
Pulling the rug out from Alex’s feet, or exposing Sophie for the heartless bitch she was, paled at the thought of having a buddy to navigate all this with.
He met Erica’s gaze and nodded, clearing his throat.
“You know what? I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
“Let’s do it, Erica. I’d love to pretend we’re fucking.”
Chapter 10
Erica
Marcus scrubbed up well, it had to be said.
Judging solely on Sophie, she thought he’d be a lad’s lad, dressed head to toe in tacky named brands, and far too into his looks with bleached blonde hair and fake tan.
Instead, he was… Well, in all honesty, he was pretty gorgeous.
He reminded her of an English Professor, studious and intelligent, which she found an incredibly attractive quality.
Taller than her (which was a rare occurrence), it was clear he took care of himself. He wasn’t a gym bro by any means, but she wouldn’t be surprised to find abs underneath the smart black suit he wore.
Perhaps it was his dark hair, slightly longer than the average man’s, complemented by his neatly groomed facial hair, but there was a certain ruggedness that gave her… well. It gave her complicated thoughts.
Long lashes framed deep blue eyes which twinkled under the light, emanating warmth and kindness as he rested with his arm around Sophie’s waist, talking to more of their guests.
The party was in full swing, and the representatives of the London Group shmoozed and taken care of. She had been glued to Alex’s side, playing the dutiful wife as she greeted his guests and whispered reminders in his ear.
She had yet to officially meet Marcus.
It might have been her imagination, but she was certain Sophie was avoiding them. Not that she could blame her.
Erica and Marcus had spent days planning for this event, and he had given her all the tools to make sure Sophie would be green with envy.
“Have I mentioned how utterly beautiful you look tonight?” Alex murmured in her ear. She forced herself not to recoil, turning her head to smirk at him.
“Multiple times,” she replied, kissing the corner of his mouth. “But I never tire of hearing it, so keep it up.”
He chuckled, taking her waist, and pulling her closer. “It is taking everything in my power not to ravish you right here in front of all of our guests.”
“As tempting as that sounds, I don’t think it would give off the right impression, would it, my love?”
“And that’s the only thing stopping me,” he growled playfully before straightening up as Sophie approached.
Erica’s eyes found Marcus, winking at him as they closed the distance between them.
She’d found her gaze drifting to him at various points through the evening, unable to look away.
But of everything about his appearance, it was his hands that really caught Erica’s attention. They had fascinated her for most of the night, admiring the way his long fingers curled around his wineglass. Surely those fingers belonged to a creative type, someone who really knew how to use…
She shook the thought from her head, spreading a smile as Sophie leaned forward to kiss her cheek.
“Erica, you look incredible,” she said, her voice full of false friendliness. It was her eyes that gave her away, they showed her disdain.
“You’re too kind,” Erica said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek and whispering against her ear. “You forgot to remove the price tag.” Tucking it once more into Sophie’s dress, she straightened up, speaking normally again. “You put me to shame.”
That statement might have been true any night but tonight.
Sophie had gone all out and to her credit, she looked beautiful. Her dress sparkled under the lights above, hugging her trim figure as it fell to the floor.
