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Her dark hair curled gently, framing her face and he’d give anything to touch the glossy ribbons. Her make-up highlighted her features without being overpowering and her eyes were so sensual he was getting warm just looking at them. Her beautiful red dress fit to her frame but billowed at the skirt making herlook like a princess. He ran his eyes back over her, not able to take her all in in one go. He was stunned, blinded by her. She glowed and not just from the dazzling earrings that reflected the light off each facet. It was like she glowed from within, and his heart seized in his chest.
He wasn’t the only one who noticed her. Multiple heads turned in her direction. Right about now he should be having some overprotective, macho thoughts about how she washisbut oh no, the shoe was completely on the other foot. He was all hers. Hers for the taking. He would do anything this woman asked him. He was a mess for her, a simp, a stan, whatever you wanted to call it, that was him. She had him in the palm of her hand. Not that she even wanted him there.
“I think you’ve stunned him,” Phillip guffawed, breaking the spell that had Will so ensnared in. He covered the small hand she’d placed on his arm with his own, his skin practically vibrating at her touch.
“You look…” he floundered. “There aren’t words…”
“Try and find some!” Phillip joked and Will fought every instinct to tell Phillip tofuck off.His eyes swiveled to Phillip and his mouth opened, unsure what would come out, especially when he saw the appreciative looks that Phillip was giving Rebelle.
“She looks-”
“Incandescent,” Will interrupted.
Rebelle’s cheeks flushed prettily and she looked like a demure wallflower. But he knew the sharpness of her tongue and he wasn’t fooled one bit. He pulled himself together, remembering it was the shelter that was important tonight.
“Phillip, I would like to introduce you to the owner of the amazing organization we’re here for tonight, Rebelle Black.”
Phillip puffed up his chest, his pride engaged and held out his hand to Rebelle. Will watched as Rebelle glanced down at it andsaw her wage an internal war before she eventually slid her palm into Phillip’s.
“Delighted to meet you, thank you so much for coming tonight,” Rebelle said, politely.
Will couldn’t tear his eyes from her as she and Phillip sank into conversation and she charmed the rich old fool, doing a better job than Will ever could of talking up the shelter. That was exactly why he had wanted her here tonight.
He couldn’t believe she had turned up. No way could she have gotten this dress together last minute. He looked around and spotted Justine and Taylor huddled together, watching them closely and realization set in. He smiled and lifted his champagne glass in their direction. Taylor spun away like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t have, but Justine smiled back and snuggled into Blake, whose scowl immediately softened at her touch. Will noticed Justine soothed Blake’s sharp edges and glanced down at Rebelle and wondered if he did the same for her.
Phillip wanted to steal her away to introduce her to some of his friends and Will tightened his hold on her. Her eyes slid to his before she dipped her head, signaling she was fine, and he released her.
He watched her make her way around the room, each time she glanced over her shoulder and caught his eye, he would give her an encouraging smile and that seemed to relax her. His eyes trailed down her bare back, the elegant slope and the mouthwatering dips at the base of her spine that had him thinking some veryuncharitablethoughts.
Blake appeared next to him. “Crawford.”
“Blakey,” he crooned, loving to get under the gruff deputy sheriff’s skin. Blake swung his frown towards Will. “I thought we were friends but you don’t look too friendly right now,” he joked.
“I know. I apologize for that,” Blake replied, clenching his jaw.
Will clicked his tongue. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.” He and Blake had been firm friends until Will set his sights on Rebelle, since then Blake had been slightly less friendly.
The deputy sheriff sighed. “It’s come to my attention that I’ve been hard on you and overprotective of Rebelle.”
“Did it come to your attention when your fiancée told you to back off?”
Blake’s response was a clipped “Yes.”
Will laughed. “It’s cool, man. I know why you did it and I would have been the same.”
Blake sipped his drink. “Justine tells me Rebelle’s doing real good and I’ve noticed she’s…thriving. I’m going to say that’s down to you.”
Will shrugged, not really knowing what to say to that but profoundly happy at the thought of having a positive impact on Rebelle’s life.
“Don’t fuck it up. I will murder you, slowly, and I’ll get away with it too. I’ll bury any evidence and all traces that I ever met you,” Blake said, darkly.
Will gulped. “You still need my help with your campaign for sheriff?”
“Yep.”
“Then you got it, sheriff.” Will grinned at him and was shocked when Blake grinned back, his teeth white beneath his beard, and slapped him on the back before heading back to Justine.
Will finished his break from wooing the guests and jumped back to it, following Rebelle around and they tag-teamed a bunch of potential new investors, partners to the core.
