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But she could not pass up on the opportunity to defend the abused women and children.
At seven in the evening, Rhiannon finally closed her work files. Then she opened the drive folder that held all the information on the shelter.
The leasing agreement between the shelter project and Mars's company had taken a lot of the strain off the project. But at the start, Rhiannon and Jennifer had both realized they’d still have to raise a lot of money.
The fundraising consisted of every possible activity they could think of. They had done everything from bake sales to poker evenings. And now they had finally raised the five-hundred-thousand dollars necessary to run the project for two years.
They would continue fundraising consistently because they would always need money.
As she closed her laptop completely, she exhaled heavily.
There would be a meeting tomorrow for the shelter project, the one that Mars wouldn’t be attending. He had been faithfully attending each meeting that revolved around the shelter project. He never said much, but he always took notes.
Afterward, they would usually grab a coffee and something to eat. And that was when he began speaking.
Or, more accurately, when he started asking her dozens of questions. Mars would ask her about everything surrounding the world of charity work.
At first, Rhiannon had assumed he was simply trying to impress her. But then he actually started making notes while she answered him.
It was in those moments that Rhiannon could not help but fall for him a little more.
* * *
Rhiannon wokewith the sun on Saturday morning. She remained partially asleep for several moments.
She was still half dreaming. Dreams that were warm and gooey. Dreams that slipped over her skin like silk. Dreams where Mars's hands were sliding up her thighs. Dreams where she was cupping his cheek with her hand.
She let out a sighing sob as she woke before pushing her tangled hair out of her face. Then she got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. An hour later, she was slipping her feet into her work clothes.
Rhiannon jumped when her phone buzzed and beeped several times in quick succession.
“Shit!” she cursed under her breath as she scrolled through her messages.
There were several from both Jennifer and Ellyn. She was already late for her meeting, and the day hadn’t properly started yet.
Mars had also sent her a message that he would be taking her out on a date later.
Rhiannon shivered as chills trembled up and down her spine. Mars had become slightly more dominant as their relationship solidified.
And she would never admit it to anyone else, but Rhiannon loved it.
Only Jennifer and another stakeholder would be attending. Their cars were both there when Rhiannon pulled into the lot.
The meeting was regarding the stipends that the volunteers would be receiving. The other heads of the project had advocated hard for no stipend.
But both Rhiannon and Jennifer knew they couldn’t allow anyone to work forty hours a week for nothing.
“Hey, how was the meeting?” Ellyn knocked on the doorframe as Jennifer and Ariana, the other stakeholder, left.
“Ugh, what do you want me to say?” Rhiannon couldn’t hide the exhaustion in her voice. She had been working ninety-hour weeks all her life, it seemed. At least she’d be seeing Mars later.
“That bad, huh?” Ellyn smiled sympathetically. Then her best friend pulled a bottle of wine from behind her back.
“Oh, thank God,” Rhiannon murmured, practically weeping at the sight of the clear liquid. “I could kiss you right now.”
Ellyn burst into a fit of giggles. “As much as I love you? Thanks but no thanks. Save that for Mars.”
Rhiannon laughed equally loud as Ellyn sat opposite her and handed a mug filled with Chardonnay.
