by Dawn Brower
The ballroom was already filled with a lot of people. He didn’t recognize anyone immediately, and he had no clue where they were supposed to go. Maybe he should have asked, but he’d figured he’d just spot Dane or Reese and head in their general direction.
“We are sitting at your sister’s table,” Olivia offered. “It should be at the front of the room.”
Carter scanned the area and frowned when he spotted his mother. “Can we avoid that area for a while?” He had no desire to spend any unnecessary time in his mother’s company.
“Hey, sis,” a male said.
Preston West and his fiancée, Jessica Sousa, stood in front of them. There was no denying the family resemblance. Both Olivia and Preston had dark blond hair but where Preston had golden brown eyes, Olivia’s were a cobalt blue. Jessica Sousa looked like the epitome of a blonde bombshell. She wore a floor-length, cotton candy pink gown with a low neckline.
“Hey, Pres,” she leaned in and hugged him. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“I like to support a good cause when I can. I’m on call though and might have to leave if I’m needed at the hospital.”
“A doctor’s job is never done,” she replied. “I hope there’s no emergency. You don’t get much time for yourself these days.”
“I get plenty enough.” He grinned. “But I admit most of the time I’m happy enough staying home.”
Carter nodded at Preston. “Have you seen my partner?”
Preston shook his head. “No, but we arrived a few moments before you did. He might be in the silent auction room.”
Carter didn’t know why he would be, but then he recalled his mother being at the head table. Reese and Dane would have wanted to avoid her too. Great minds thought alike... “I wonder if there is anything interesting in there.”
Olivia shrugged. “You want to look? I wouldn’t mind a peek myself. Last one of these things I attended they had a vacation to a tropical island up for bid. I wouldn’t mind one of those.”
Carter couldn’t recall the last time he’d gone on a good vacation. He surveyed the room. There were so many people there. It made him glad Dane was with Reese. This would be the perfect place for Nolan to try to grab her. It was dark, and no one paid any mind to anything around them.
“We’ll come too,” Jessica said. “If there is a vacation of some kind, maybe we can use it for a honeymoon.”
Jessica and Preston seemed like such an odd couple, yet somehow they worked. People around him appeared to be finding love in the midst of chaos lately. He hoped all the newfound relationships worked after the drama settled down. So far, they all seemed to remain blissfully happy.
Carter wound his arm around Olivia’s waist. Instead of leading her toward the silent auction room, he pulled her into a dark corner and swung her around to face him. He didn’t want to follow her brother around all night. That wouldn’t give him much opportunity to kiss her, and he really wanted to taste her again.
“What are you doing?” Her mouth fell open and she licked her lips.
“I’ve been thinking about your sweet lips all day.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to the corner of her jaw. Then whispered in her ear, “I want to see if you are as delectable as I remember.”
“You think something’s changed in a few hours?” Her words came out a little breathless.
“Did I tell you that you look perfect tonight?” He trailed his fingers across the lace covering her back. “A pretty package that would be fun to unwrap.”
“What has gotten into you lately. You used to avoid me—I don’t understand. This is moving so fast.” She glanced at him with a bewildered expression on her lovely face.
“Darling...follow my lead.” Carter kissed her cheek and then trailed more down her neck. “I won’t steer you wrong.”
He might not get another opportunity to kiss her again. They’d both be busy once everything began in truth. He wanted to make sure they at least had this one moment. The kiss he wanted to give her would be a promise. One that said they’d have many more like it, and some that were even better than the last. They were one step closer to coming together, and he hoped to ensure they didn’t take any backward ones. He leaned down and slowly pressed his lips to hers.
Time stood still for several heartbeats, and nothing existed other than them. When Carter pulled back, her gaze had a dreamy quality to it. There—that was what he’d hungered for—her desire to equal his own. They could go about their night now that he’d given her something to think about, and maybe they’d be able to have something even better at its conclusion...
DANE LED REESE BACK to the ballroom. The meal portion of the evening would take place soon, and they’d have to face her mother at some point. He’d like to put it off as long as possible, but some things happened whether he wanted them to or not.
“Looks like Carter and Olivia finally arrived,” Reese said.
Dane glanced in the direction she’d been looking. Carter and Olivia had arrived all right, and it looked as if his friend was taking advantage of the situation to get a little closer to the lady. “They seemed to have stepped things up a bit.”
“Maybe he’s finding her irresistible.”
Dane snorted. “That’s a given.”
“Should we interrupt them?” Reese met Dane’s gaze. “Or should we follow their lead and find our own dark corner to play in?”
As much as he liked that idea, he had to say no to a little sexy time. He wanted to kiss her, but it would have to wait until later. He couldn’t believe Carter had lost his mind and decided he needed to make out with Olivia. It wasn’t the time or the place for it. He sighed. “Do you want to be the one to step in the middle of them, or should I?”
“Oh, please allow me,” she said. “He’s less likely to punch me.”
Reese left his side and went right over to Carter and Olivia and tapped her brother on his shoulder. Carter turned toward her and frowned. Dane couldn’t hear what Reese said to him, but from the look on his face, it didn’t make him too happy. That particular scowl of his had scared a lot of people in the past. Carter glanced past Reese at Carter. Then he walked over to his partner. Reese stayed behind with Olivia.
“How long were you two watching us?”
“Long enough,” Dane replied. “Are you going to join us at the table for dinner?”
“Yeah.” Carter shoved his hands into his pockets. “What’s happening between me and Olivia...”
“Is your business,” Dane interrupted him. “I don’t need to know anything else.”
Carter nodded. “I’d expect you to say something like that. Men like us don’t do serious relationships.” He glanced over at Olivia. “With her, I want more though.”
Dane understood. He didn’t want to, but he did. He’d do anything for Reese, but he’d never told Carter how he felt about his little sister. He wasn’t sure how his friend would react to that bit of news. One day he’d open that vein and hope his friend didn’t beat him bloody. Carter was protective of his sisters—more so after Nolan had entered the picture.
“Then don’t let her go,” Dane said. “But don’t lose your head either. At least keep it together until after we catch Nolan. Neither one of us can afford to make a mistake.”
“Understood,” Carter said. “I won’t let my interest become a distraction.”
“Some distractions are hard to avoid.” Dane looked over at Reese. She was his biggest one. He and Carter had that much in common. He turned and met his partner’s gaze. “Hopefully they don’t prove hazardous.”
He hated the situation they were in. Nolan could be anywhere, and they still had nothing to go on. He wanted his brother found and locked up. Reese shouldn’t fear for her life. Dane had always wanted to keep her safe, and this whole situation was driving him crazy.
“Don’t stress about things we can’t plan for,” Carter said calmly. “We will find Nolan.”
“I know we will,” Dane replied. His voice had a harsh edge to
it. “I hope it isn’t too late when we do.”
Dane trusted Carter to do the right thing. He was a good man and had been by his side for a long time. There wasn’t anyone else he trusted more. Olivia seemed to make him happy, and Dane wished them nothing but the best. Reese was Dane’s main concern, and he would make sure no one ever hurt her. Carter would do his part. There wasn’t any doubt of that, but Dane believed in being prepared. He had to consider the possibility he might be on his own protecting Reese.
“I refuse to believe Nolan will win.”
“Me either,” Dane said. “But, tonight, we are going to face a different kind of evil—your mother.”
Carter groaned. “Don’t remind me. I suppose we should retrieve Reese and Olivia and head to our table.”
“Unfortunately, we do,” Dane replied cynically. “But at least we know your mother won’t kill us.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Carter muttered under his breath. “If words were fatal, we’d all have been a bloody mess a long time ago.”
Truer words had never been spoken... “Come on,” Dane patted him on the back. They both had a lot on their plate, but there was still hope. Nolan was still in hiding. When he made his move, they’d be ready for him. “Let’s escort the ladies to dinner. Hopefully it won’t last too long, and we can perhaps enjoy a bit of dancing and general revelry at a safe distance from the bitch queen.”
Carter laughed and followed him as they headed toward Reese and Olivia. The evening would be a good one. Dane would try his best to make sure no one hurt Reese and that she enjoyed the benefit. The rest of it could wait until they had more information.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Music filled the ballroom, echoing around them. Dinner had been a tedious affair, but somehow everyone made it through until the end and left the table immediately afterward. Her mother had been her usual sardonic self. She was the type that drowned the cheer out of a room with one word. Reese refused to let her ruin the night though. As she’d dressed for the fundraiser, she’d made a decision. Maybe things weren’t perfect with Dane and her, but she wanted to have something with him. She wasn’t entirely sure what that something would be...
He’d looked so handsome in his dark suit and disheveled tie. She couldn’t help herself and had to touch him in some fashion. Fixing the tie had been a nice excuse to do it. A part of her wished she could mess it up so she’d have the chance to right it all over again. Though stripping him of the suit held an appeal too. There was something sexy about a man in a mussed-up suit. Maybe she could remove the tie, remove the jacket, then unbutton and untuck his shirt for the full come-get-me look. She chewed on her bottom lip and stared at him, the idea becoming more and more appealing with each passing moment.
If she wanted to do it though she’d have to pull him away from Carter. They were engrossed in a conversation and didn’t seem to notice anyone around them. That was not sitting well with her at all. She wanted Dane to dance with her at least, and maybe she could enact some of the fantasies she’d been having all night long.
“Those two are delectable,” Olivia said as she came to stand beside her. “I realize this is something you may not want to hear, but I fully intend to get that brother of yours naked tonight. Want to help a girl out and peel that man of yours away from him so I can make it happen?”
The corner of Reese’s mouth tilted upward. “You’re a woman after my own heart.” She placed her hand over her chest. “I always knew I liked you. Go distract Carter, and I’ll lead Dane onto the dance floor.”
“They’re entirely too serious right now,” Olivia replied. “They need something to shake their world up.” Her smile took on a sultry appearance. “I’ll go first.”
Olivia headed toward the two men. Neither one looked up at first, but then Carter did a double-take. She had a sway when she walked that was almost hypnotizing. If she were a man, Reese would have appreciated it. Hell, even as a female she did. Olivia had something about her that made people look. Reese wished she was even half as sexy. She glanced over at Dane, fully expecting him to be watching Olivia’s spectacle, but his gaze was on her instead.
Reese’s breath caught in her throat, and her heart beat heavily in her chest. He wanted her, and only her. There was something heady in that realization. Maybe she didn’t need to have that tantalizing sway to her hips like Olivia. She had everything she needed without it. Dane didn’t care about what Olivia did to catch Carter’s attention, and probably every other male in the room... No, Dane’s desire had fixated on her, and Reese reveled in it.
She moved toward him, and he met her half way. His arms went around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Reese glanced up at him and smiled. “Hello there.”
His lips tilted upward at her greeting. “Care to dance, pretty lady?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Dane led her to the dance floor. The strands of a melodic saxophone reverberated through the room. The lyrics were soothing and romantic. She barely noticed them after Dane pulled her into his arms and started to twirl her around the room. After the dancing began, her sole focus was on him and the feelings he enacted inside of her. A flutter of sensations spread throughout her belly and dipped lower with each touch. She was so captivated that the world disappeared around them. No one and nothing existed except them and the dance they shared. There was nothing she wanted more than this moment between them. How could anything be better than this?
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear. “I can’t believe I’m dancing with you again.”
That’s right... They had danced at the prom. It hadn’t been as wickedly sexy as this one though. She’d offered to dance with him then out of pity. He’d been picked on relentlessly, and she’d wanted to give him something good. Maybe that had been a little self-centered of her to think she could be special to him, but it had seemed to cheer him up. Had he appreciated the dance more than she anticipated? It wasn’t something she thought about much and forgot almost entirely as the years went by. That didn’t say much about her as a person that she hadn’t given him much consideration even when she’d dated Nolan.
“This one is better,” she said.
“Oh, I agree,” he said. He shifted his head to stare into her eyes. Heat filled them and spread through her in rapid succession. “It might be even better later when we’re alone.”
It seemed as if she wasn’t the only one picturing them naked together. She liked the idea of him stripping her dress off and trailing kisses down her heated skin. Maybe they should leave now and explore that idea in its entirety. The benefit was mostly over anyway, and she didn’t have a reason to stay any longer.
“Do you want to go home?”
“Let’s finish the dance first,” he said huskily. “I seem to get this pleasure once every decade. I’d like to enjoy it a while longer.”
What must he think of her? She had damn near ignored him after that night. She didn’t see him again after that until she’d started dating Nolan, and look how terribly that had ended. She’d dated a psychopath and hadn’t realized it until he’d terrorized her sister. That had been a wakeup call she had needed. She hoped, if something similar ever happened again, it wouldn’t be so drastic. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn?
“This is nice,” she agreed.
“You’re sweet.” He pulled her closer as they swayed to the music. “And smell oh, so tempting.” Dane kissed her jawline, trailing his lips over her cheek, then her lips. They were light chaste kisses, yet they were more erotic than any she’d ever had. Something about him made her feel more, want more, and it drove her insane. Was this what it was like to be in love? Had this been the something that had been missing with every other man, and why she had been so reluctant to agree to Nolan’s marriage proposal?
The strands of music ended, but they kept dancing a little longer afterward. When they finally stopped, she looked up at him and he held her transfixed for several heartbeats. She licked her li
ps and then said, “I’m going to use the ladies room, and when I come back we should say our goodbyes.”
“Oh, yes,” he agreed. “I’ll be waiting here for you.”
She wrenched herself away from him and slowly turned to leave. Reese liked being in his arms and didn’t want to leave them for anything, but she needed a few moments alone to catch her breath. He was intoxicating, and she had to figure out what it all meant. She wished she could say she knew he was the one right from the start, but that would be going back to when they were no more than kids. She didn’t know her own heart then, and sometimes she doubted she understood it now. There was one thing that she did discern from their dance. She wanted to take a step closer to him and a possible relationship. Time didn’t stand still, and if she didn’t start living, she’d miss everything.
She headed down the hall to the ladies’ room. The sound of footsteps echoing behind her made her pause. She glanced over her shoulder, but no one was there. Maybe she was imagining things... It had to be nothing. Who would follow her to the bathroom? She shook her head, and the uneasy feeling away as she resumed her trek. When she reached the door, she stopped again.
“I must be losing my mind.” She glanced around and still saw nothing out of the ordinary.
The door swung open and she jumped. “Ah...” She held her hand over her racing heart. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” Lana apologized. “I swear I’ve spent more time in this room then the ballroom. The unfortunate side effect of pregnancy: I have to pee every five seconds.” Lana rubbed her belly lovingly. “This critter will be worth it—I hope.”