Page 4 of Takeover
"I know.I just want to see you happy."
I turned to my sister and clasped her hands outside the enormous double doors into the rear of the ballroom."I appreciate you, and I love you, but I don't date."
She sighed."I know.I'm just saying it might do you good to have some fun.Your birthday is coming.Maybe it’s time to loosen up a little."
"I will take that into consideration.Later.Look, go find dad and Clarissa.I'll see you after I'm done."
"Okay, break a leg."
She whirled around again, and the doors opened.A waiter carrying two trays loaded with champagne narrowly missed Morgan, caught his toe on my foot, and went sailing down behind both of us.
The clatter of glass and bottles made us both jump back."Oh, shit."
We both bent to help him, but Morgan shoved me away."You have to get on stage.Go."
"Fine."Once I knew the two of them had it well in hand, I stepped around the mess and walked in, shoulders back, poised and ready.
But as I stepped out on stage, I couldn’t shake the prickle of heat dancing up my spine.I didn’t even have to look up to know I’d find an ice-green gaze on me.
Chapter2
Atticus
There was onlyone moment of hesitation before I attempted to follow “Just Gwen” into the hallway.My little lioness.
The fact that I tried to fight the compulsive tug toward her was laughable.From the moment she’d stepped onto the balcony with her champagne, I’d been mesmerized by her lithe movements.The slope of her neck, the way the moonlight made her medium brown skin shimmer with moon beams, and of course the way that her sleeveless dress had hugged every single curve.
The white of the bodice was covered in black symbols of some kind and picked up strains of the color blue, sort of a reverse bleed or reverse ombre, ending in the train of the dress deepening to a dark peacock blue.The effect was stunning.
Her hair had been tucked into a braided updo with several curly strands escaping to frame her face.And fuck me, that face.
Her eyes were wide, lifting at the corners , and her lips were full enough to give me a legion of inappropriate ideas.“Just Gwen” had the kind of unforgettable siren-like beauty that dragged you in whether you wanted to come or not.
I searched the hall for her, but she was already gone.I heard a commotion to the left by the stairs just as my brother approached."Where the hell have you been?We need to make a move right now.I’ve located James Becker.We need to talk to him."
"Yeah, I'm coming.Did you see the woman come in from the balcony?"'
Micah's brows rose.Eyes that were a darker mirror to mine assessed me shrewdly."What woman?"
"She was just here.Tall, maybe five foot seven or eight, white dress that hugged her body to fucking perfection.Her dress made her look like a peacock."
“You’re sure you saw her?Talked to her?”
I knew what he was getting at."Yes.I didn’t bloody imagine her.The damn woman glitter-bombed me.”
His lips twitched.“Glitter-bombed?”
I gestured to my suit and my hair.It was almost as if that was his first time looking at me properly.
“You’re serious?”he asked.
I knew what he was getting at.I wouldn’t be the first Price to lose my shit.“Yes, asshole.I’m not making her up.She had gorgeous luminescent brown skin and an ass that probably will cause me problems."
My brother chuckled softly."Um, no, I didn’t see her.But you’re waxing poetic about some woman.Are you sure you’re okay?Did you hit your head?"
I snarled at him."No, I did not fucking hit my head.Her name is Gwen something-or-other.Get Pierce on it."
"You want me to get Pierce on finding a woman for you?Last I checked, you had women coming out of your ears.Not to mention, we’re supposed to be out here convincing Becker that you’re marriage material."
