The Devil's Distraction

Ravien's POV

The traffic light was on red, so I had to stop the car. I picked up the document on the tablet that rested on my laps, reading the name for the third time: Elise Anderson, the event Planner.

"James," I called out to my assistant through the car's Bluetooth.

"Send me everything you have on this Elise Anderson, the event planner for the charity gala."

"Right away, sir." He responded from the other end.

The charity gala wasn't something I cared about, but it was a Drayton Conglomerate event, which meant every contract, every vendor, every detail had to go through me. My father insisted on it, said it built character or some bullshit like that. Really, it was just another way to keep me busy and out of trouble.

My phone buzzed with an incoming file and I opened it and a photo appeared on the screen. I paused.

The woman in the photo had light brown hair falling in soft waves around her face, hazel eyes that looked very nice too, and there was something about her that made me look twice. She was pretty, sure, but it wasn't just that. Interesting, I might have to shoot my shit 

Before I could read more, my phone rang again and it was my mother. I considered letting it go to voicemail, but she'd only call back till I picked up so I just picked it up to avoid the trouble. 

"Ravien, darling. I've arranged a dinner for you tomorrow night." She said from the other end

"With Vanessa Whitmore. You remember her, don't you? Her family owns half the commercial real estate in the city. It would be a very beneficial connection." She asked 

"I'm not interested in beneficial connections that involve dinner dates."

"Ravien, you're twenty-four years old and the CEO of a billion-dollar company. It's time you started thinking about your future, about marriage, about..."

"If I ever get married, Mother, it'll be to someone I choose."

There was a pause on the other end.

"Fine," she finally said.

"But if you insist on choosing your own company, at least choose someone worthy of the Drayton name. Not another one of your club girls."

"My personal life is none of your concern." I said as I drove off on the signal of the green sign. 

"Everything about you is my concern. You're my son." She said and I only bid her a goodbye, hanging up before she could respond.

The truth was, I had plans tonight anyway. Six women, actually. My assistant had arranged everything this morning, the way he did every few weeks when I needed to blow off steam. He arranged different women in different types, all willing to spend a night with Ravien Drayton and keep their mouths shut about it afterward.

Tonight's location was some estate on the east side of the city. One of the women, a model named Scarlett, lived there. James had sent me the address earlier and when I glanced at my GPS, I should be close.

My phone buzzed again and it was a message from James: "Sir, correction on the address. It's 1847 Ashwood Lane, not 1847 Ashwood Drive. Apologies for the confusion."

I looked up at the street sign,and it was Ashwood Drive, the wrong location.

I was about to restart the GPS when my car door suddenly flew open and someone threw themselves into the passenger seat.

"Drive, please!" 

I heard a woman's voice say. She was breathing hard, and her voice desperate and panicked.

I turned to look at her, ready to tell her to get the hell out of my car, but when I saw her face.... God!

She was Elise Anderson, the event planner from the file I'd just been reading.

"Elise Anderson?" The name came out before I could stop it and her head snapped toward me, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"How do you know my name?"

Before I could answer, I looked past her, out the still-open car door, and saw a man running toward us from one of the apartment buildings. He was shirtless, holding something in his hand and when I looked at it well, it was a knife! 

"Drive," I said, not to her but to myself, as I slammed my foot on the gas.

"Who the hell was that?" I asked.

Elise didn't answer. She was shaking, her hands pressed against her mouth, with tears streaming down her face.

I drove in silence for a few minutes, putting distance between us and whoever that psycho was. When we were far enough away, I pulled into an empty parking lot and turned to look at her.

She was wearing a simple dress, nothing fancy, but it hugged her curves in a way that was hard not to notice. The neckline dipped low enough to show the curve of her breasts, and there was a tear in the fabric near her hip, like she'd been running. Her hair was a mess, and her makeup was smudged from crying.

She looked terrified, and somehow, still beautiful.

"You going to tell me what that was about?" I asked.

She finally looked at me, really looked at me, and I saw the moment recognition hit her hard. Of course, who in Verya would not recognize me? My face was all over the magazines, blogs, and there are always rumours about me.

"You're Ravien Drayton."

"And you're Elise Anderson, event planner for my company's charity gala next month." I gestured to my tablet on the dashboard. 

"I was just reviewing your file when you decided to hijack my car."

"I didn't hijack, I just..." She trailed off, looking back toward the direction we'd come from. 

"I needed to get away."

"From the guy with the knife?" She nodded, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Who is he?"

"My fiancé." Her voice broke on the word.

"Or he was. I don't know what he is anymore."

A fiancé trying to stab her? That was a new one, and would definitely make a great view on the news.

"And you just happened to jump into my car." I sahd

"I didn't know it was your car! I just saw it parked there with the lights on and I..." She put her face in her hands. 

"God, I'm sorry. I'll get out, i'll figure something else out."

She reached for the door handle, but I hit the lock button.

"I didn't say you had to leave." I told her, looking into her eyes, and she looked at me, confused.

The truth was, I'd been on my way to meet some woman whose name I'd probably forget by morning. Another meaningless night to pass the time and keep my mother off my back about settling down. But this, this was far more interesting.

Maybe I'd already found the company I needed for tonight.

"You're in trouble," I said, stating the obvious, and she just stared at me, completely confused of course.

I studied her for a moment and there was something about her, something that reminded me of myself a few years ago when Clara had destroyed me, the woman who later betrayed me by leaking confidential company details to a rival and publicly humiliating me. I'd willingly do same to as much girls as I can 

"Stay with me tonight." I said to her 

"Stay with you?" Her voice was high 

"I don't even know you!"

"You know my name, that's all that's needed. And right now, I think we might be able to help each other."

"Help each other how?"she asked obviously confused.

I didn't answer. Instead, I reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She flinched but didn't pull away.

My eyes landed on her lips, they were full and slightly parted, the dress she wore showed just enough to make me want to see more. I wanted her, I was sure.

"What are you doing?" she whispered as I leaned closer.

"Something stupid," I murmured, and then I kissed her.

For a second, she froze. Her hands came up to my chest, whether to push me away or pull me closer, I couldn't tell. Her lips were soft and juicy.

I expected her to shove me away, to slap me, to do something that would prove I'd made a mistake.

Instead, after a heartbeat of hesitation, she kissed me back.

Her hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me closer. The kiss deepened. But all of a sudden, she pulled away.

"If you're not comfortable," I said, my voice rougher than I intended,

"tell me to stop and you can get out of the car. I won't follow you."

She stared at me, for a while, then she leaned in and kissed me again.