She still felt the urge to pinch herself every now and then. This time next year, she’d be an entrepreneur to be reckoned with. Money. Power. Prestige. All the things she’d sought for so long would finally be hers. Throw in a catch like Jax and it was like a fairy tale. Save for the necessary ‘pause for the cause,’ she had made it a point not to leave the side of the Aussie Adonis since the celebration had commenced. Content to be away from him for the moment as he greeted and schmoozed, she was giddy with anticipation over Jax's earlier vow to engage in a some real ‘celebrating’ later on…in private.

      While no one had worked harder towards ensuring the success of tonight than Carly, she couldn’t deny that she would embrace the chance to put work aside and allow things to take a more ‘intimate’ turn between them. And unless she had been reading him wrong for the past few weeks, so would Jax.

      A flirt of near legendary proportions, Jax had held the brash, flaxen-haired young woman captive from the moment their initial meeting began and he uttered the line, “If it's a thrill you want, then I’m the ride you’re looking for…” It seemed as if they had been dancing around each other for weeks since the partnership began. And although Carly was well aware of Jax's rep as a perpetual playboy, she was by no means daunted.

      Leaving Jax to do that thing he did so well, Carly smoothed down the lines of the slinky, fire engine-red Vera Wang original and commenced to checking out the room once more.