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Violet scanned the room as she looked at all the men and women throwing themselves at him. They wanted autographs and photographs, and she couldn’t help but growl under her breath as she saw woman after woman press their bodies against his.
The man, her mate, didn’t react or do anything other than smile. But jealousy still roared inside her, unsettling her tigress. She tightened her grip around her glass and turned away from looking at him.
Just then, the hostess came to the front of the room and asked everyone to find their tables. Violet was at table number three, quite close to the main table, and she walked toward it gratefully. Her feet were already aching.
When she arrived at table number three, Violet was delighted to see Gerri was there. She found a seat next to the matchmaker, and Gerri took her hand and squeezed it tightly. They waited as most of the people in the room found their seats.
Soon everyone, except Violet’s mate and a few other people, were seated. “I think I saw him,” she whispered to Gerri right away.
“So,” Gerri whispered back as the commotion settled around them. “You found him. How do you feel?”
“I feel …” She exhaled heavily. She could barely describe her emotions. “I don’t know.” Violet laughed giddily.
“I get that reaction a lot.” Gerri laughed heartily and brightly and grabbed her drink. Another whiskey sour. And again, the liquor barely seemed to make Gerri even a little off balance.
“He’s the one with the buzzcut and dark eyes,” Violet told Gerri. “The one surrounded by almost everyone in this room.”
“Yes, that sounds like Franco. Franco Zellar. I love it when I’m right.”
“What does he do?”
“He is a racecar driver. That’s why I brought you here for the weekend. He’ll be racing around Eden International Speedway this weekend.” Gerri swallowed most of the amber liquid in her glass. She clicked her fingers, and a waiter appeared at her elbow with another.
Violet’s heart clenched with sudden fear. Her mate was doing a very dangerous job.
But then she told herself to calm down. He was clearly very good at his job if this dinner was anything to go by.
She thought about his name again.Franco.The tiger purred.
“Franco,” she mused. Her voice was low, but when she looked up, her mate was looking directly at her. “That sounds like a name I can say in bed.”
She murmured the words, her voice even lower, but Gerri heard. The matchmaker laughed out loud and raucously. She startled the guest next to her, who spilled some of his drink on his pants.
“He has a lot of fans,” Violet told Gerri. She couldn’t quite keep the jealousy out of her voice.
She wasn’t sure if Gerri heard the tinge of possessiveness, but if she did, she didn’t acknowledge it.
“Well, he is the top pick to win,” Gerri told her. “He is the top speed driver for this race. And he is also the defending champion.”
Violet couldn’t help but feel surprised that the mate chosen for her by destiny was so accomplished. And he was clearly adored by his fans too. She would have to learn everything there was to know about car racing.
The waiters came around with their appetizers as Franco spoke with more fans. Everyone tucked into their food while the hostess started to speak again.
“Welcome to tonight’s dinner, everyone. It is good to have you here celebrating Mr. Franco Zellar tonight.”
“Thank you, thank you,” Franco said. “I’m glad to be up here while everyone is ogling me and enjoying their food.”
Everyone in the room laughed.He was funny too.
Violet and Franco locked eyes again, and Violet saw a new intensity she had not seen before. For the first time that night, she thought that maybe Franco was not entirely happy.
The restaurant was warm, and the food smelled amazing. Waiters came around with decanters of red and white wine.
Violet looked around while she listened to the other speeches made by the sponsors. She had been so excited to meet her fated mate that she barely looked at the décor around her. The restaurant was luxuriously decorated in shades of cream and gold. Flower arrangements in Franco’s team colors adorned every table.
Violet was also relieved to see that she was not overdressed. She allowed Gerri to pour her a glass of wine, and she relaxed into her chair. She listened carefully to the speeches, where she learned more about Franco’s life.
She learned that he was single-minded and hardworking. He was dedicated to his craft, and he was a born winner.
