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As a billionaire with various interests, my uncle was always in high demand at events like this, but the throng was worse than usual. Probably because his football team was gearing up for a wildcard playoff game this coming Saturday.
Ducking out of the crowd, I made a beeline for the bar and ordered a glass of champagne. I wasn’t much of a drinker, exceptfor a glass of wine every once in a while, so it was the safest bet. The bartender quickly slid a glass in front of me, and I lifted it to my lips. Then I almost choked on my sip of the expensive bubbly when a deep voice murmured, “What are the odds I can talk you into downing that glass of champagne so you can dance with me?”
Almost as though my aunt’s earlier teasing had conjured the perfect guy to jumpstart my libido out of thin air, I tilted my head back to stare into the dark eyes of the man who’d joined me at the end of the bar. We’d never met, but I was familiar enough with the players on the professional football team that my uncle owned to know exactly who he was—Rhodes Channing, one of the best offensive linemen in the league. With his six feet four inches of pure muscle wrapped in a bespoke tuxedo, he was devastatingly handsome. But not too polished since his face was covered by a thick, dark beard that my fingers itched to stroke.
Certain that I must’ve heard him wrong because there was no way this sought-after bachelor was interested in me, I whispered, “Pardon?”
His plush lips curved into a grin—his teeth gleaming white against his tan skin—as he proved me wrong by repeating, “Will you dance with me?”
2
RHODES
She was even more stunning up close.
I’d spotted this incredible beauty the moment she walked in the door, and despite the fact that she’d arrived with my boss and his wife, I knew I had to ask her to dance. I wondered about their connection, but it didn’t really matter. An overwhelming need consumed me—to be close to her, to find out more about her, because I had a feeling she was my future.
At the moment, she was looking at me as if I had three heads, making me want to laugh. I was used to women fawning over me, but I got the impression that this girl wasn’t speechless because of my job or bank account. Her gorgeous, wide blue eyes flickered with desire, and I couldn’t help smiling at the knowledge that she appeared to be as affected by me as I was by her.
“You want to dance with me?”
My grin widened. “I’d ask in another language if I knew one and thought it would up my odds of you agreeing.”
Her lips tipped up, and she laughed—the husky sound going straight to my groin. Damn, I couldn’t wait to hear her moaning my name in that sexy voice.
“Um, sure.” She hesitantly turned to place her drink on one of the small, high-top tables near us, then put her hand in my outstretched one.
As we walked to the dance floor, I looked down at her—she had to be at least five eleven in those heels, but I still towered over her. I admired her ash blond hair, swept up into some kind of fancy thing on her head, exposing her neck and making me want to trail my tongue down her naked skin to the cleavage just barely visible in her strapless gown. She had a slender build, but her tits would definitely fill my hands, and the flare of her hips would be perfect to hold while I buried myself deep inside her.
Get a grip before you embarrass yourself, Channing.
Yeah, I was dangerously close to having a very visible hard-on through my pants. I returned my focus to her face and tried not to think about how her soft, pouty lips would feel pressed to mine. What she tasted like. What kind of sounds she would make while my tongue explored her mouth.
“I’m Rhodes,” I rasped, trying desperately to find something to take my mind off all the ways I intended to fuck her.
“I know,” she said with a cute smirk.
Shrugging, I laughed, enjoying the way her eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink at the sound. “I didn’t want to assume. What’s your name?”
“Finley Madison.”
I almost choked on my own saliva. I’d seen her come in with Lennox, but I hadn’t realized they were family.Shit.This was going to be complicated as fuck. “You’re related to Lennox, I take it,” I murmured as I took her into my arms.
She smiled fondly and nodded. “He’s my uncle.”
Well, double shit. This was the niece we’d heard rumors about. Supposedly, she was a spoiled little princess who’d had everything handed to her in life. But just from the minute or soI’d been in her presence, I was already doubting the validity of what I’d heard.
“You’re close?”
“Honestly, he’s more like a surrogate father to me. I love my parents, but they…weren’t around much. My dad travels for work, and my mom always goes with him.” She shrugged nonchalantly, but I could see the strain around her eyes, making me want to track down her parents and give them hell for abandoning their daughter. Then she brightened, beaming and making my heart squeeze and thump happily. “Uncle Lennox stepped in, and he’s always been there for me. And Aunt Brie is the best. She was the one who convinced him to let me move into my own place when I went to college. I swear, that woman could make him do anything.”
I smiled at the adorable twinkle in her eyes. Then her words hit me, and I asked, “You’re in college?” Since she’d been drinking champagne, I’d assumed she was over twenty-one. But if she was still in school…I could possibly be over a decade older than her. Not that it mattered to me, but I had a feeling it would be an issue for her uncle.
Finley shook her head. “I graduated right before Christmas.”
“In the middle of the year?”
She tilted her head to the side and stared at my shoulder, her cheeks turning pink. “I know it sounds cliché, but I worked hard to graduate a year and a half early with my degree in finance so I could start living my own life. I’ve been luckier than most kids, and I absolutely appreciate the life my uncle gave me, but I want to stand on my own two feet.”
