Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 312(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
“We need to sign in and get our badges.” Holly led him over to the end of a long registration line and he settled in to wait.
She rose onto her tiptoes and looked around, trying to see above the crowd in front of them.
“Looking for something?” he asked.
She sighed and turned back to face him, a pout on her lips. “I was looking for a display of maps or brochures, but I guess we’ll get everything we need when we register. I want to check the layout of the exhibit. I already know which vendors I want to see but I have to find their locations. And I especially want to talk to Jade.”
“Jade?” His brain came to a halt at the name, and his cock jerked in excitement.
“Come on, Knox, you know. Theo’s ex,” Holly said.
Yeah, he knew. Jade Dare. The woman who’d experienced the same betrayal he had. And the woman he’d been seriously, dangerously attracted to—even though he’d been committed to making the most of a shitty marriage with a wife he could never make happy.
He recalled the night Theo had walked into the restaurant where Knox and Holly had been having dinner, with a familiar I’m up to something smirk on his face and a beautiful young blonde on his arm. Knox hadn’t recognized her until their introduction. Prior to that moment, the last time he’d seen Jade, she’d been a teenager. Knox had attended business school with her brother and his good friend, Asher Dare, and they’d all been at Asher and Knox’s business school graduation.
The female with her arm hooked through Theo’s had grown into a gorgeous woman. She possessed a statuesque body, long, wavy hair he wanted to wrap around his hands, unique navy eyes that ran in her family, and plush glossed lips he’d been dying to kiss. Finding out she was Asher’s younger sister had been a shock.
Seeing her with Theo had been a gut punch that had made him unexpectedly determined to look out for her. Few women escaped Theo unscathed. Since Knox had been married at the time, he’d kept his opinions—and his desire—to himself. However, he had warned Asher to keep an eye on the new man in his sister’s life. Still, even Knox had never dreamed how low his stepbrother would go.
“Knox?” Holly waved a hand in front of his face. “Where did you go?”
“Sorry. Yes, I remember Jade.”
“Of course you do.” Holly tucked a strand of her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear. “You had a thing for her,” his sister said, as if his feelings had been obvious.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I was married when we met,” he said, stepping forward to follow the people in front of him.
Holly did the same, then turned to him again and tilted her head. “Right. You were married to that horrible woman. But you weren’t dead. Of course you noticed how beautiful Jade is. It’s just that, unlike our asshole sibling, you didn’t act on that attraction because you were committed to someone else—whether she deserved it or not.” She put her hand on his arm and leaned against him, offering comfort.
“It’s okay. I’m over Celia.” He didn’t want his sister worrying about him, and he rarely gave that bitch a thought anymore.
But Jade… He couldn’t deny he was looking forward to seeing her again, though he’d never admit that to Holly, who tended to be a little too interested in his love life.
“Good. I’m glad seeing Jade won’t be awkward for you. Because she’s the event coordinator at the Meridian Hotel and I’m dying to get married there. I thought it would be better to see her in person instead of picking up the phone and saying, Hi, this is Holly Matthews, your cheating ex-fiancé’s sister.” Holly shuddered. “Now, that would be uncomfortable.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “But I always got along with Jade, so hopefully an in-person meeting will work out.”
The line inched forward again, and they moved along with the crowd.
“There’s no reason to worry,” Knox assured her. “I’m sure Jade’s a professional. I doubt she’ll hold Theo’s behavior against you.”
Finally, almost twenty minutes later, they reached the registration booth, where they were handed their badges and information packets. Holly was a little wedding obsessed, and she’d brought a huge tote bag to fill with samples and brochures. Knox had a hunch, by the end of the day, he’d be carrying a heavy bag.
She took a few minutes to scan the map and mark her targets before she grasped his arm and they were on their way. After an hour, he had to admit she knew what she was doing. She navigated the massive event hall like a pro, pausing at already crowded tables to pick up brochures, enter giveaways, and take business cards. The vendors she had real interest in, she paused to introduce herself, talk, and make an impression. He knew she’d been accumulating a mental list of who she wanted to follow up with. Hopefully, her fiancé would be the one to tag along to those upcoming meetings.