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At first he’d wondered if she’d crashed the event. He’d crashed enough of these things himself, when he’d been starting out and trying to get funding for Broussard Tech’s first prototypes, to make the thought fire his imagination and his libido.
As he’d observed her, though, he’d discarded that idea. She looked way too elegant and aloof to be here without an invitation.
Which only made her more fascinating.
Her unattainable, ethereal beauty reminded him of the girls he’d never been good enough for in high school. The rich, fancy, privileged girls from the right side of the tracks who had been eager to make out with him after-hours on a game night, but had ignored him the next day in class because he’d lived in a trailer park, had a deadbeat for a father, worked two jobs and still hadn
’t been able to afford the latest high-tops.
Those memories amused him now he was worth billions and change.
But could that explain why the woman in gold had captured his attention? Did she represent a chance to relive those old high school humiliations and win? No woman was unattainable to him now. Not even one as stunning as her.
He gulped his beer as he noticed her chewing her bottom lip. Maybe she wasn’t as aloof and composed as she seemed. He continued to study her. She actually looked kind of tense. Not aloof so much as uncomfortable.
Interesting. He hated these types of events, too.
He would never usually attend something like this, because if there was one thing he hated more than being on display, it was being on display in a monkey suit.
He tugged at his shirt collar and dragged off the tie which had been strangling him ever since the happy couple had said their vows five minutes ago. He shoved the tie in his pocket. If the two grooms hadn’t once saved him from complete social isolation in college he wouldn’t have come to this event either, but now he was here he was glad he hadn’t dodged it. And not just because hearing Matt and Remy make their vows had been so touching.
When was the last time a woman had demanded his attention?
The mystery lady in gold stopped chewing her lip to chew the edge of her thumbnail, then stiffened. She drew her hand down to clutch the purse resting on her hip.
Another guy approached her. Luke tensed.
Back off, buddy, she’s mine.
The possessive thought came out of left field.
Not cool.
He’d stopped letting his libido make decisions for him ever since those nights under the bleachers. These days he had his security team check out anyone he was considering dating to ensure he didn’t hook up with women who were more interested in his platinum credit rating than his make-out skills.
The only problem was, that had taken all the fun out of the chase.
His heartrate spiked as the mystery girl gave the guy—whom he recognised as a rival tech company’s CEO—the brush-off. For the first time in a long time he felt the heady adrenaline rush which meant he wanted to stop watching and start finding out more about this woman... A lot more.
He dumped his beer on the tray of a passing waiter, scooped up a couple of glasses of fancy fizz and strode past the arbour towards her.
To hell with the security check.
Whoever she was, she was the first woman to snag his interest in way too long for him to remember—which gave her considerable cachet in the jaded world of billionaire hook-ups.
Plus, there was nothing he loved more than a mystery that needed to be solved.
As he drew closer she looked directly at him, like a deer sensing the approach of a hunter. Their gazes collided and her eyes—hazelnut-brown shot through with flecks of gold that matched her dress—popped wide. With recognition or surprise or arousal, he couldn’t be sure.
The shimmering gold fabric hugged the round weight of her breasts, making them look even more spectacular up close.
Is she wearing a bra?
His breath backed up in his lungs.
She really was exquisite—much more refined and beautiful than any of the girls he’d hooked up with in high school. He forced his wayward gaze back to her face. The flush of reaction—and guilty knowledge—highlighted her pale cheeks.
Arousal for sure, then. And recognition. And something else he couldn’t decipher—but he would.
