Treasured (The Salvation Society) - Victoria Pinder Page 0,2
in my strapless bra and floated out the door to the first floor and headed to the conference rooms.
There was a table with name tags on it. I checked in with the first person and took my name badge, then a woman holding papers gestured for me to follow her. “Ms. Steel, this way.”
The room had a crystal chandelier. Every table had fresh pink and red flowers that were prettier than roses, with a white tablecloth and a sheer gray overlay.
She showed me to my already half-full table and left.
My table was number one—beside the dance floor and near the stage. Perfect.
I could dash when my mission was finished. I sipped my water and glanced across the room.
The room was half-filled already. Groups were visiting like they knew each other, and everyone was dressed elegantly. Black attire, blue attire—even one woman in orange. They all oozed class and money, and the men in the room all wore suits and tuxedos that probably cost a lot.
Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Across the room sat a man with dimples and huge muscles who commanded attention in a black tux.
I’d thought men with that huge of a frame couldn’t be real. My brother worked out for hours every day, but he was still thin. This sexy man mesmerized me, and he filled out that tux. His white teeth and that sexy stubble on his face made my girlie parts come alive.
My eyes refused to look away. I stared for a moment, and my mouth watered.
I leaned closer to one of the older couples at my table and pointed toward the confident man with mesmerizing dark eyes and asked, “Do you know who he is?”
A woman with white hair shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. One of the guests.” Then she added, “He’s at the Cole Security Forces table.”
Now I had visions of that sexy stranger as some hero in an action movie. Hell, he could star in my fantasy. I know the nice lady at the table wanted to go back to speaking with her husband, but I had to ask: “Security?”
She blinked and stared at me like I should know already, but she said, “Military-type security. The company does well on the market.”
That dark hair of his was in one of those just-woke-up-from-bed styles that made me wonder who he was with, but I shook my head and picked up the water glass at my seat. “Thank you,” I said.
She smiled at me and said, “I don’t see a ring. If you want us to bring him over to you, we’ll help.”
“It’s okay.” My face heated. I gulped the rest of my water but still ached in a way I hadn’t for any man in years. I kept that to myself. “Thank you anyhow.”
I probably should have asked her name. I forced myself to ignore the man across the room. I took the opportunity before the party began to slip away to the ladies’ room.
The music switched to a happy beat, and couples headed to the dance floor. I zigzagged around and glanced at the walls for restroom signs to point me in the right direction.
However, a couple flew past me, and I swirled to get out of the way.
Warm hands pressed against me and held my waist. It was like I was protected in a wall of muscles, but I turned around and saw the brown-eyed sexy stranger I had sized up earlier.
Confidence oozed off him like an aphrodisiac. I didn’t move when he said, “I got you.”
And he could have me. Fuck. I wasn’t here looking for a man. The last one I’d had in my life had caused enough damage, but maybe one night might be nice. For once, I was free. And he would never be in my world permanently. I was a single mom with loads of responsibilities, but my lips curved up in a smile as I said, “Yes… yes, you do. Now, let me go.”
He winked but did what he was told. “Of course, ma’am.”
A string brushed against me fast, but I had no right to feel upset he’d called me “ma’am.” I put my hand on my hips and said, “I’m not a ma’am.”
He showed off his dimples and asked, “Should I call you Sexy or My Angel?”
A flirt. Nice. I shrugged and said, “I’m neither. Just plain Mary.”
He looked me up and down, and the heat in my body followed his glance. Then he met my gaze and said, “There is nothing plain about you.”
Now