AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Tonight, he’d celebrate with this amazing woman fate had set in his path and enjoy every second of it.
The bathroom door burst open, and Camille appeared, looking even more beautiful than earlier, with her full mouth swollen from his kisses, her eyes bright. He froze and something tugged in his chest.
She arched an eyebrow. “Do you need me to help you tie that?”
He glanced down, his bowtie still dangling from his hand. He was in deep shit.
“I’ve got it, thanks.”
She crossed the space between them and reached up and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “How did my hair end up looking like a rat’s nest and yours still looks perfect?”
Her subtle floral perfume greeted him, and it took all his self-control not to drag her into his arms again. “Your hair is gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”
“Pot. Kettle. Black.” Her freshly painted scarlet lips curved up. “Now let’s go get that trophy. And dinner, I’m starving.”
His stomach rumbled in response. “Let’s do this.”
She grabbed her tiny purse and looped her arm through his and together they headed downstairs.
* * *
Upbeat musicand raised voices greeted them from the open doors of the ballroom. They paused and surveyed the festive room decorated with twinkling strands of lights along the edges of the high ceilings. An enormous Christmas tree adorned with brightly colored decorations stood in the center of the enormous space. Garlands and holly berries added pops of holiday cheer and the scent of evergreen and spice filled the room.
Guests were seated at round tables with scarlet tablecloths, enjoying dinner and drinks. Camille’s fingers dug into his biceps, and he caught himself instinctively flexing, like a peacock or a rooster.Relax, dude.
Before they could find their seats, a tiny white-haired woman approached. “There you are Ms. Taylor, and you must be Mr. Bell, our guests of honor. I’m Millicent Bradford. Come, come over to your table and I’ll have a server bring out your dinner straightaway. We’ve only got twenty minutes until the awards celebration.”
Camille glanced up at him with a smile as the woman scurried away, clearly expecting them to fall in line behind her. They followed her to a lively table, where conversation buzzed, and delicious scents wafted up from dinner.
Once they were seated, Millicent melted off into the crowd and one waiter placed steaming plates with what looked like filet mignon in front of them while another poured ruby red wine into crystal glasses. They picked up their glasses and toasted. When their fingers brushed, flames shot up his arm.
She sipped her wine, gazing at him over the glass’s rim. Her other hand curved around his thigh and slid up his leg. His breath hissed out and his wineglass jolted, but miraculously, he managed not to splash the drink all over the table. Once again, he was rock hard, eager to get the formal event over with and return to the main event upstairs with her. It was going to be a long night.
He reached down, intertwined his fingers with Camille’s, and lifted them up onto the table’s edge. Safer that way. If he was going to survive the night, no way could he handle her soft hand on his leg. He managed to focus on the meal.
A loud bell reverberated through the noisy ballroom. “Attention everyone, it’s that time of the evening to announce the winners of today’s scavenger hunt. Please pay attention.” Millicent Bradford took control of the room from behind a podium on a small stage near the Christmas tree.
Ms. Bradford was speaking and thanking various people and companies for their support of the annual fundraiser. Camille watched with rapt attention, her long golden hair spilling over her shoulders, her full red lips parted. He shifted in his seat, working to keep his body under control.
“And the winners of this year’s scavenger hunt are Camille Taylor and Trent Bell. They not only finished first, but they earned extra points for all the locals they encouraged to sing with them on the cable cars. Please come up onto the stage, Camille and Trent!”
Applause resounded through the ballroom.
“Let’s do this.” Camille popped up out of the seat, their hands still linked.
As they crossed the room to the stage, he bumped her shoulder. “I told you our singing would win the event for us.”
“They must have been looking for the highest comedy factor. I couldn’t have done it without you.” She beamed up at him.
“Happy to step in.” His throat tightened. It had only been twenty-four hours, but meeting Camille felt like some kind of wake up call.
Once they reached the stage, Camille accepted the large bronze trophy. She cleared her throat and stepped up to the microphone.
“First, I want to thank the Women’s Heart Health Foundation for all the incredible work you do. It’s an honor to participate in your annual events and help make even a little difference.
“Most of us are here because we’ve got family or friends who are dealing with cardiac issues. My best friend Lisa was diagnosed five years ago and I compete for her and all the women battling the disease that’s the number one killer for women in this country.”
The crowd cheered and clapped. Camille tapped the microphone. “One more thing. I want to thank my partner, Trent, who filled in at the last minute. I couldn’t have competed, much less won, without him.”
