Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
My eyes snapped to Harley and saw a coquettish expression on her face. This was not the first time they’d met. The memory of them dancing close at Jordan and Annie’s wedding came back to me. Whitt and I had left before the night ended. Had something happened between Chase and Harley in our absence?
“Harley,” he said with a tip of his head. His voice rough, like a shackle around his throat.
“Chase,” Harley said, all unbothered cool girl in her voice. All flirtation in her look.
“It’s good to see you both.”
“You, too,” I said as I sized up what was going on. “Is it just…you representing your family tonight?”
“Indeed. Just me.”
I relaxed despite the awkwardness. What a relief.
“Maybe you can save me a dance later,” Harley said.
Chase swallowed. “Perhaps.”
And then he excused himself and disappeared back into the crowd.
I whipped around. “He is ten years older than you.”
Harley arched an eyebrow. “And? Didn’t you date his dad?”
“Obviously,” I said, waving away the fact. “But I don’t have two older brothers who would probably kill him if they saw what I just saw.”
“And what did you see?” Harley asked with an interested glint in her eye.
“That he was barely holding himself back from attacking you.”
Her smile vanished, and her gaze slipped from mine. “That’s not true. He’s not interested.”
I raised my eyebrows. “That’s not what it looked like.”
“Trust me, Chase Sinclair has no interest in me,” she said with a sigh that made it sound like a tragedy.
Jesus, what the hell had gone down with them?
I didn’t have a chance to ask before Whitt returned, snaking an arm around my waist, and Jensen stepped up with a microphone in hand to welcome everyone to the fundraising dinner for his campaign.
18
Whitton
Eve was in my arms as we twirled on the dance floor. My fingers holding her narrow waist. Her arms draped across my shoulders. The night was beyond perfection, starting with the delicious dinner—steak braised in some indescribable sauce with whipped potatoes and an array of colorful vegetables, the rolls fresh and slathered in butter, the wine perfectly complementing every bite, and we’d shared our desserts: mine a decadent chocolate explosion, complete with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream, and hers a perfectly fired crème brûleé with a swirl of rosewater caramel—and ending with us dancing in the middle of the room with our friends.
If only my sister wasn’t still drinking.
“Should I say something to her?” I asked Eve.
“You’re hovering. She’s fine. She’s had two glasses of champagne all night, and she ate a full meal. We have the limo, so she’s not driving home. And you know she’s in college, right? Because I’m pretty sure we all drank in college.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Maybe hold that thought and consider kissing me instead.”
I laughed, taken off guard by her boldness. “I could do that.”
“Oh yeah? I haven’t gotten a single kiss all night.”
I drew her closer against my body. My hand slipped to her lower back, pushing our hips together. She made a noise of pleasure. My head dipped down to her shoulder, where I pressed a faint kiss into the bare skin. She shivered at the touch, and I worked upward, kissing a soft trail up to just behind her earlobe.
“Like that?” I breathed.
“Not…not exactly what I had in mind,” she said, her words slurred with desire.
My mind flared with all the possibilities for tonight. Taking her back in the limo, driving her to my place, spending all night in my house, having sex on every available surface. I wanted that so fucking bad.
But then another thought crossed my mind. We were in Wright Construction. My office was only two floors below us. My office with my enormous new desk and floor-to-ceiling windows. The desk I’d dreamed of fucking her on since the moment I’d gotten the upgrade.
“I have an idea.”
She pulled back to meet my gaze. “Why do I hear mischief in your voice?”
I grinned. “You wanted me to have some fun, right?”
“We’ve been having a lot of fun.”
“Ready for some more?”
I could see she was before she nodded. I tucked her hand into the crook of my arm and then escorted her off of the dance floor. I left our friends to their good time and was out of the hall and halfway to the elevator when I saw a face that I hadn’t expected. All the excitement from a moment ago fled my body.
“Colton, what are you doing here?”
He was with three older boys. One surreptitiously hid a bottle of tequila, which I would bet money they hadn’t paid for. I didn’t recognize the other boys. Only that they were all on the verge of wasted.
Colton enough so that he laughed when he saw me. “Boss man!”
There should have been fear there. Instead, it was only idiocy. Fuck.
Eve squeezed my arm and did a perimeter sweep. As if she knew before I had to say it that no one else could see this.