hamburgers in the city. “Here we are,” Brandon said as he held the door for her. They found a spot in a quiet corner. After their orders were placed, Ember rested her arms on the table and asked, “You mentioned you lived in a group home. Do you mind me asking where?”
“In Hell’s Kitchen—St. Agnes.”
Surprise flashed across her expression before she said, “Really? My husband spent a year there as a child.”
“Really?” Brandon perked up at that. “But isn’t he rich?”
Ember laughed. “Yes, but he needed something money couldn’t buy.”
Brandon’s curiosity had been truly piqued. “What?”
“Love.”
Brandon pondered that answer for a moment before he changed the subject. “The place is really old, but there have been renovations lately that have made it so much cooler. We have Wii and Xboxes, pool tables, and better books. The attic is a bit creepy, but there’s so much old stuff stored up there. The nuns asked if any of us kids wanted to make a few bucks and go through it for items the orphanage might be able to use, otherwise we’re supposed to box it up for donations. I jumped on the opportunity because I like looking at old stuff.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, maybe that’s stupid, but I like understanding where people come from. I suppose because I have no idea where I do. Maybe you’d like to see it sometime.”
“I would really like that, Brandon.”
Dane hated wearing a tuxedo, and hated having to socialize with the pompous asses who made up Manhattan’s high society even more. He tugged on his collar, hoping to relieve the feeling of being strangled, and wished like hell he had gotten high first. He reached for a glass of champagne from a passing waiter’s tray and downed the entire contents before taking another.
“It’s wonderful. Don’t you just love it?” Lena cooed.
He eyed her from over his glass and felt his dick twitch to life. Yeah, at least he’d be tapping that later. Dressed in a formfitting green gown with that fiery hair pulled up, she looked edible. Todd was an ass to let her slip through his fingers. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over her ear.
“What are you wearing under that?”
Her eyes widened a second before narrowing to sexy slits. Her voice lowered to a seductive purr. “Nothing.”
“Good girl.” His hand moved over her ass and squeezed. “Maybe we should find a closet.”
Her reply was a pout. “Not yet. I haven’t even met the man of the hour.”
“And you’re not going to. My dad is too busy schmoozing. Trust me, you aren’t missing anything.”
He noticed the line that formed between her brows, but he just wasn’t interested in what was going on in her head. The idea of introducing her to his father was out of the question. He’d never hear the end of it until he dumped her and frankly, he liked her. She was a bit clingy, but she was smart and fun and very daring in the sack. He wasn’t getting rid of her until he was ready to.
Lena linked her arm through his, and when he looked down at her, she smiled.
“Okay.”
Her easy agreement was suspicious since Lena was anything but agreeable, but he was thankful that he didn’t have to deal with her that evening as well.
“Let’s get a drink,” he suggested.
“I want to run to the powder room first. I’ll be right back.”
She moved through the crowd with grace, his eyes on her ass, which looked fantastic in that dress. Oh yeah, he definitely couldn’t wait until later.
“Close your mouth, Dane.”
He closed his eyes on a moan. “What the hell are you doing here, Heidi?”
“You know damn well why I’m here.”
He thought he had finally gotten rid of her, because he hadn’t heard from her since she’d come to his apartment, and that was over two weeks ago. His eyes looked down her body and he wasn’t surprised to see her looking regal in her formfitting white gown, or that most of the men in the room were eying her. Heidi Moore knew how to play her looks to get what she wanted.
“Going for virginal, are we?”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and eyed him coolly. “I have every right to be here.”
“I suspect there are those here who would disagree with that,” Dane countered.
“Whatever.”
He grabbed her arm and lowered his voice in warning. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with. I’d be very careful in this game. You’ve been warned,” Dane said before he turned and walked