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As I sped away, he called out, “Where are the vases?”
“Useless cabinets over the fridge!” I replied, gathering my things, and slipping on my black lace-up cuff pumps with gold heels.
After I was ready, he escorted me to the car, pressing his lips to mine one last time before the elevator doors opened and we stepped into the main lobby.
The doorman grinned and opened the door as we approached. “Have a wonderful evening, Miss Astor and Mr. Whitman.”
“Thank you,” we replied in unison, stepping outside into the crisp evening.
The days were getting shorter, and the nights were getting cooler. The price of wearing a strapless gown with a thigh split was only to blame when the chill came over me. I drew my arms into my stomach, shivering ever so slightly, though I was sure a part of it was nerves.
James laid his hand on the small of my back. “Are you cold or nervous?” He knew me so well or he was just that good at reading people. Elizabeth always called it the lawyer voodoo, and it’d been a running joke. James could read everyone in a room. He was damn good at it.
“A little of both.”
“I’ll give you my jacket if you need it, but don’t be nervous about tonight. Act as you always have.”
I stopped next to the front passenger side, his hand on the handle. Peeking at the back, tinted glass, I knew Lucas and his date were on the other side and I didn’t want to cause any trouble. Bringing my gaze back to James’s, I saw the corner of his lip curl into a subtle smirk.
“DILF it is,” I whispered.
“Let me clarify,” he lifted a brow, “behave because your parents will be there too.”
“Shit.”
12
CHARM
MADDIE
The Royal Grove Hotel ballroom had been transformed with an elegant white and gold theme for the evening. Purple lights twirled over the dance floor in the center. Round tables with ten chairs at each one, were arranged throughout the room. A band was on the main stage at the back center, performing easy-listening dinner music, perfect for a charity event.
Lucas and Hailey spotted friends they knew and disappeared into the crowd. I took a deep, slow breath while several couples and their families flocked to James, congratulating him for another pristine event, which he immediately credited to his event planner like the humble man he was.
“Hi, honey,” I heard my mother’s voice behind me.
James and I both spun around. She placed a kiss on each of my cheeks, then offered him the same greeting. My father and brothers, Isaac, Dan, and Jay, hovered close by, exchanging greetings as well. Isaac slid his hands in his pockets, pursing his lips at me. He’d not bothered to wear a jacket and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his tattoos. He never followed the rules for anyone, regardless of how my parents felt about it. My two older brothers looked sophisticated, as always.
“I’m sorry about Isaac’s attire,” my mother apologized on his behalf, causing Isaac to roll his eyes. “He loves to show off those tattoos and I keep telling him to cover them for these events.”
James chuckled, shaking his head, and looked at Isaac. “Honestly, I don’t care, man. I’m just glad you showed up.”
Isaac smirked. “Thanks, bro.” He strode by, patting James on the shoulder as he passed, which was a change in how he normally spoke to him.
Bro? Oh no. He’d never treated James so casually. He was always so respectful of our parents and their friends. “Excuse me for a second,” I lifted my dress a little, marching toward my brother as James murmured my name, but I ignored him. Gripping Isaac’s elbow, I pulled him a few steps over to the side of the room. “Isaac,” I hissed.
“Calm down.” He let out a laugh. “I’m not saying shit.”
“I have nothing to h—”
“You’re going to really try to lie to the person who shares the other half of your brain?”
“I wasn’t going to lie.”
“Right,” he grinned, “I have no problem with what you’re doing; just know that. You see the girls over there in the gold dress and pink dress?”
He lifted his chin behind me and when I twisted to see who he was talking about. I gasped at the sight of the governor’s twenty-seven-year-old twin daughters. I whirled back to him to see him grinning from ear to ear.
