Pappy’s gaze found hers, and he smiled. Sam smiled back as she made her way across the room behind the others. All of a sudden she felt like singing. When it was her turn, she thanked him for the trip, complimented him on the tree, and started to apologize about Alpha. Pappy held up his hand to stop her apology. “Alpha has a mind of his own.” He smiled before he moved off. At least Sam thought it was a smile. Maybe it was more like a grimace. She was left standing alone, feeling foolish. She turned around and bumped into Vandameer. She started to flirt outrageously with him. He ate it up and wanted more. Sam obliged.

Kyros was walking around with a tray of canapés and making small talk. When he reached his son, he hissed in his ear, “If they were giving a prize for jackass this Christmas, you’d win it, son. Do you think that young woman got dressed up like that for these people? You are a fool if you do. It’s obvious you’ve been out of the game too long,” he added.

Pappy felt a ring of warmth start to build around his neck, and he suddenly felt like he was going to suffocate in his own body heat. He’d probably be the only man who lived on a mountain who died of heatstroke while having a hard-on at the same time. Obviously, he was supposed to do something. Or, at the very least, say something to Sam. Something meaningful, according to the look on his father’s face. Kyros was right, Pappy had been out of the game too long. His life for so long had been full of one-night stands, no commitments, no promises. Just plain old sex. Until Adrian. Even with Adrian there had been no promises, no commitments. His gaze swept the room as he searched for Sam. She was in profile, talking animatedly to Vandameer. Vandameer was ten years his junior. Shit. He was definitely the kind to make promises and commitments.

“So, what do you think, Pappy?”

Shit all over again. Hawkins had just asked him a question. For the life of him he had no clue what it was. He tried to look interested. “Say again.”

“The new GPS. What do you think of it?”

“We couldn’t operate without global positioning systems. I like it. How about you?” His erection was shriveling fast. He wondered if he looked as miserable as he felt.

Apparently, he was fooling no one. “She looks pretty hot, doesn’t she?” Hawkins said.