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I bit my lip—a gesture the mayor seemed to notice. He shifted his stance, pointing his glass in my direction.
“I hear you’re also quite an advocate for justice reform,” he said.
“I am,” I said.
Did he know about my father? He had to, right? A man at his level surely did his research on anyone he was about to go public with.
“Justice reform has been a longtime passion of mine,” the mayor said. “But I’ve never had the right person to spearhead it. I’m told you have some ideas on the matter, yes?”
I damn near balled up on my tiptoes. “I do.”
“I’d like to hear some of your thoughts.”
It was possible he was only asking me this to get me to agree to the speeches, but with his sharp gaze, he looked sincere.
My heart came alive with the sensation of being on a stage with the spotlight poised in my direction. Every word I was about to speak was capable of transforming the justice system in this state, and then maybe other states would follow suit, and the entire country would be better for it.
It was probably arrogant to think I could have that big of an impact, but a person can dare to dream, and I was officially standing in front of an individual that had the ability to direct funding and resources to enact real change.
And I was a person with incredible passion. Together, change was absolutely possible.
I went over some of the broader strokes of what I would be looking for in justice reform, the mayor nodding and asking for clarifications along the way.
“Tell you what,” the mayor said. “If you help me catch the Vigilante by lending your face and voice to this effort, I will fast-track the initiative for justice reform and name you as the lead.”
“You think you can secure the funding for that?” I could donate my time, but without a budget, it would be a pipe dream.
“I do.”
I studied his eyes, looking for any hint of insincerity, but saw only determination.
What does a girl say when some of her biggest dreams are coming true? Answer: nothing. She nods and shakes the mayor’s hand, solidifying their deal.
And as it turned out, the first person I sought when one of my dreams was coming true…was Hunter Lockwood.
I glanced around the elegant room and spotted him.
As the host of this charity gala, I’d assumed he was tied up in conversation with guests, but he was leaning against the wall, doing nothing but staring at me.
It took a confident man to not insert himself into such a powerful exchange with the mayor, and I admired him even more because of it.
Heck, it turned me on.
His gaze was an electric current, igniting a spark deep within with that same connection I’d had in his kitchen. Even in a room full of people, it felt like we were the only two here. The way he looked at me was a mix of admiration and desire, an unspoken invitation that beckoned me to come closer.
He tilted his head ever so slightly, a playful smirk forming at the corner of his lips, and as his eyes wandered over my figure, a shiver of excitement ran down my spine. He took me in with a deliberate slowness, his gaze lingering on the curve of my hips, the arch of my back, and the contours of my face.
There was a magnetism to his gaze that I couldn’t resist, drawing me in. In that moment, I felt like he saw me for who I truly was—a person whose confidence was a mask hiding deep-seated vulnerabilities that had been planted there as a child and rooted in trauma.
And behind that magnetism, a tenderness in his eyes cradled my vulnerabilities like prized possessions, making a warmth expand in my chest, paired with an undeniable pull to know him as intimately as he seemed to know me.
He raised his eyebrow and gave me a sultry wink, my cheeks flushing with a heat that spread between my thighs. I swear, every time his eyes met mine, they smoldered with this raw, undiluted hunger, making the world fade—leaving me breathless and completely enthralled.
And once the mayor finally walked away, Hunter pushed off that wall. With determined steps, he closed the distance between us, his gaze intense, unwavering, and possessive. Every movement exuded a sense of ownership, as if I was already his.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him, couldn’t catch my breath until he reached me, and when he did, Hunter held his hand out, a silent invitation to escort a lady to another area of the party.
The moment his fingers brushed against mine, I knew I was in trouble. It was a seemingly innocent touch, but it sent a jolt of electricity through my entire core, and any lingering strength to resist the magnetic pull between us crumbled into dust.
