Under Pressure [IAD Agency] (Siren Publishing Classic)

UNDER PRESSURE
    IAD Agency
     
    LAURIE ROMA
    Copyright © 2012
     
     
     
     
     
Chapter One
     
    “Oh hell…”
    There is always that moment that you wish you can take back after an accident occurs, but unfortunately…you can’t…
    With a sigh of resignation, Bella looked at the large body she had just spilled her drink on and found herself staring at the solid wall of a broad, muscular chest encased in an elegant black tux.
    Wow, she thought as her gaze continued to slide further up, way up, until meeting the most striking pair of gunmetal gray eyes that she had ever seen. Those eyes were set in one of the most spectacular faces she had ever seen.
    Not handsome in the classical sense, his features were strong, harsh with angular planes that screamed man ! Midnight-black hair was pulled back from his aristocratic face and seemed to be tied at the nape of his neck. This man oozed sexuality, a perfect specimen of extreme masculinity that made Bella’s heart rate kick up a beat. Never had she been so attracted to someone so instantly.
    Whoa, perhaps my night has just gotten better.
    Minutes ago Bella had been silently cursing her friend Liz for dragging her to this benefit event. It was not that this charity auction wasn’t a good cause, but rather that they usually turned out to be so… boring .
    Until a year ago Bella had been one of New York’s youngest executive chefs working for a chic, prestigious hotel. Isabella Moretti had made a name for herself and was used to her share of posh affairs, mixing and mingling with elite society. Over the past few years, Bella had begun to hate these types of events more and more, tired of the same people and the same slick sheen of pretension that seemed to emanate from the city’s upper crust and social elite.
    Bella would have been able to decline if Liz hadn’t been one of the chairs of this event, but she was, and as one of her best friends, Bella was stuck.
    She had just moved back home to Chicago a few months ago to be closer to her friends and family. She needed the support that they could provide after her life had drastically changed that night a year ago. Chicago had always been the home in her heart, a place to return to in order to heal. Bella’s parents had owned a bar in the city that her middle brother had taken over when they had wanted to retire. They still lived here, and family was what she needed now.
    Liz’s grandmother had lived next door from where Bella had grown up, and from the moment they met, Bella and Liz had been instant friends, more like sisters. There was very little if anything they would not do for each other, and God knew that Bella had needed Liz more this year than ever before.
    Dammit, she could deal with one night of boredom for her best friend.
    Lost in thought, Bella had been staring past the crowd with a glazed look of boredom, nodding occasionally at someone, smiling politely when called for.
    She had stuck around long enough to placate Liz and now could slip out on the balcony and sneak a cigarette. It was an occasional habit, only necessary when she was under extreme stress. Liz didn’t approve of her habit, which Bella usually just laughed at and rolled her eyes, but Liz was bound to accuse Bella of trying to escape her duties of the evening. Liz had pleaded with her to help socialize and mingle amongst the crowd to encourage people bidding on the silent auction items strategically placed around the room.
    She had done her duty, and the night was almost over, thank God!
    I need to get laid.
    Bella laughed quietly, reveling in the freedom of that statement.
    This was her first real social outing since she had moved back to Chicago. Some of these people knew her through her connection to Liz or through her family, but most knew her through her own personal achievements. Bella’s own minicelebrity status aside, she was extremely happy that she wasn’t in New York anymore, and even more so that the majority of these people didn’t know what had happened to her.
    She sighed again before taking a long gulp to finish her glass of her champagne. Placing it on the tray of a passing waiter, with a smile she grabbed a fresh one.
    The waiter bobbled for a moment at the impact of her smile, but Bella didn’t notice. Trying to make a quick escape, she spun around in the direction of the balcony and ran smack into an immovable object, spilling her glass of champagne on the arm that automatically reached out to steady