Billionaire Wolf's MateDate - Serena Meadows Page 0,25

his eyes as they roamed over her body.

“Asking you to dance,” he said, holding out his hand.

She wanted to refuse, wanted to march over to him and slap him across the face, and he must have known because his eyes filled with amusement. Feeling eyes on them, she held out her hand and let him pull her into his arms, wondering why there was a collective sigh from the crowd of onlookers. But the thought vanished as soon as Reggie’s arms came around her and his eyes met hers.

For a minute, she couldn’t breathe when she saw the desire in his eyes but managed to suck in a deep breath just as he swung them onto the dance floor. He twirled them around, his hand warm on the bare skin of her back, her body pressed up against his, the passion between them flaring to life. When the music finally came to an end, she was breathless with desire, her body inflamed and throbbing, shocked at the depth of her feelings and desperate to get away from Reggie.

He let her go when she pushed against his chest. “Did you follow me here?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“No, in fact, you came in my plane,” Reggie said, taking her arm and steering her off the dance floor. “We need to talk.”

She pulled her arm away from him. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, but you need to leave,” she said, turning to go the other direction. “I can’t believe you followed me here. What’s wrong with you?”

“Janice, you don’t understand,” Reggie said from behind her. “You need to let me explain. I didn’t know until just a few days ago who you really are. I didn’t recognize you; you were only a baby the last time I saw you.”

Suddenly confused, she stopped and turned to look back at him again. “What does that mean?” she asked, suddenly aware that they were attracting attention. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. I need some air.”

Hoping to escape the throngs of people watching her make a fool of herself, she started for the balcony only to find the way blocked by her father and Philip Stuart. “Well, I, for one, am glad to see that you two are getting reacquainted, although I doubt you remember Reggie. You were only three the last time you saw him,” her father said.

Janice stared at her father for a second, then looked over at Reggie, who looked like he wanted to run away. “I’m afraid my son had been a little reluctant to take his place here, but I have to say, seeing you together is quite refreshing,” Philip said, grinning at them.

“Yes, who would have imagined all those years ago when you disappeared that this day would finally come,” her father said, looking around the room to make sure everyone was listening. “But tonight, we can finally celebrate the union of our families, something all of us have been longing to see happen.”

“And now the blood of two great families will be joined to produce a new generation for the clan, a generation that will lead us into the future, preserving our way of life and all that we stand for,” Philip said, his voice booming across the room.

A cheer went up from the crowd, and the two men beamed at the attention, but all she could do was stand frozen, trying to make sense of their words. When she felt Reggie come up behind her, she didn’t try to move away, absorbing his strength as her mind worked through the puzzle. She looked over at her father and Philip just as Reggie’s arm came around her waist, and he pulled her a little tighter up against him.

Looking up at him, she saw that his eyes were locked on his father’s, an unmistakable look of challenge on his face, and a thrill washed over her. It confused her just as much as what was going on, and panic washed over her. Looking around hoping to find Jacob waiting nearby, she pulled away from Reggie, aware that everyone was looking at her.

“I think I need some air,” she said, then pushed her way through the crowd and ran for the balcony, desperate to get away from the confusion and wishing she’d never come.

Chapter Eleven

***Reggie***

Reggie watched Janice push her way through the crowd, knowing that he had to follow but still locked in a battle with his father. “You didn’t have to cause a scene,” he said. “That wasn’t