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“Things have changed?”
I stop in the doorway and glance back at him. “You know, Richard, we really have to work on you repeating everything I say.” I give him a smile so he knows I’m joking.
“I wouldn’t keep doing it if you said something that made a bit of damn sense!” His grumbling follows me all the way down the hallway to the elevator, and the smile never leaves my face.
∞
I can’t keep my eyes off her goddamn legs.
Hollie is sitting next to me in the chauffeured town car I hired for the evening. I didn’t want to have to navigate the crush of cars that will be at the venue downtown.
She’s dressed in both the dress and heels I got for her. First thing in the morning, I’m sending my personal shopper at Neiman Marcus a bonus. All I did was give her Hollie’s sizes and a quick description of her and this is what she came up with. She looks like something out of a wet dream.
The skirt is short. So short, in fact, I almost sent her back inside as soon as the door opened. If I can’t get my eyes off her thick thighs, every other man in the place won’t be able to either.
Tonight is about showing the world that Hollie belongs to me and no one else, even if she doesn’t realize it yet. The dress’s single shoulder perfectly shows off the elegant line of her neck.
The irrational, primitive part of me wants to bite the delicate skin the dress is so perfectly framing, piercing her with my teeth, leaving no doubt to anyone we come upon tonight who she belongs to. I don’t think she would particularly appreciate it, so I manage to rein myself in. Barely.
The car pulls up to the front of Seattle’s Natural History Museum, which is the setting for tonight’s event. The crème de la crème of Seattle society will be here. All the movers and shakers in both local politics and industry gather this evening to congratulate each other on writing checks to Seattle’s public schools.
Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to give to charity. I make sure that my company does so generously every year. But if there was a way I could mail in the check and not have to dress up and pretend that I can tolerate these people, I would take the out in a second.
The crowd of photographers and journalists milling around the front of the building can be daunting for someone new to this scene, like my girl. I could have the driver circle around to the side of the building and let us off where there’s always a side entrance for those looking to avoid the red carpet. However, the exposure would be good not only for our company but the charity as well. Plus, there’s the added bonus of getting to claim Hollie in front of everyone. I give it five minutes before our pictures are plastered all over Instagram and Twitter. I make a calculated decision to not mention that fact to Hollie.
She’s looking out the window at the crush of photographers and I can tell by the way she’s wringing her hands in her lap that she’s nervous. I grab her hand and pull it to my lips. She watches me with wide eyes as I place a kiss on the center of her palm before returning her hand back to her lap.
“I’ve got you, angel.”
Our driver opens her door, drawing her attention away from me. As soon as I climb out of the back seat, the lights flash. I join Hollie on the other side of the car, settling my hand into the small of her back and guiding her forward with me through the throngs of reporters. Her smaller body is trembling, but when I peer down at her face, it’s the picture of serenity. She’s got a decent public poker face. That’s going to serve her well hanging around me. And I plan on having her around me a lot.
We make it to the step and repeat that’s setup for more formal photographs and wait our turn to walk the red carpet.
As we hit the first photo mark, I angle her towards the camera and wrap my arm fully around her waist, drawing her into my side. Anyone looking at us will know immediately we’re an item with me draped possessively over her. But just in case…
I grab her chin and pull her face up towards mine, her eyes asking me what I’m up to. I claim her lips in a searing kiss for all to see. She doesn’t hesitate to melt into me. She’s right where she belongs, and she knows it.
I pull away from her and note the glassy look in her eyes before all the other sights and sounds filter back into my vision. Cameras are flashing like crazy and people are yelling questions at us.
“Archer, who’s your date? Is it serious?”
“Miss, what’s your name? How long have you been dating Archer Clarke?”
“Over here! Can we get another kiss?”
Having accomplished my goal of metaphorically pissing on her, we make our way inside the museum without paying the paparazzi any more mind.
“What the hell was that, Archer?” she asks me under her breath. “Is it always like this when you go somewhere?”
“Not always, mostly it’s at big events like this.” I brush off the crush outside and guide her farther into the building. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”
We’re only stopped a handful of times on our way to the bar. Everyone from business associates to distant acquaintances seems to want a moment of my time this evening. I introduce Hollie to each and every one of them, keeping her planted firmly to my side the entire time. She’s gracious and charms every person she meets just like I knew she would.
By the time we each have a drink in hand, the evening’s activities are under way. There’s a silent auction to one side of the grand hall where you can bid on anything from spending the day teaching a class to a ride on one of Seattle’s wealthiest angel investor’s private jets.
“What do you want to bid on?” I ask while guiding her down the line of items. Her eyes are bright and roving over the goods. Whatever she wants, I’ll bid on it. Hell, if I have to, I’ll grab it off the table and make a run for the doors. This girl can have anything she wants.
“Oh, I couldn’t…” she trails off, looking around.
