by Lisa Shelby
Seconds ago, saying good night had been my plan, but there is no way I'm leaving this ballroom without meeting her. I'm distracted and I know it's rude not to look Dr. Evers in the eye, but my actions are out of my control. I can't take my eyes off her.
"Not just yet. I think I need to take another trip around the silent auction and make sure I didn't miss anything. Thanks again for having me. You and your wife throw a great party."
Not waiting for his reply, I slowly make my way around the edge of the ballroom shadowing her as she works her way around the other side of the room. Watching her move is like watching a fine wine swirl around a glass. She is graceful and smooth, and damn, does she have legs. We both reach our opposite ends of the silent auction, and I watch her as she checks each table and makes notes on her tablet.
"Ronan, there you are!" Mrs. Evers sings as she approaches me. "What's tickling your fancy here, Mr. McKinley? You looking to bid on the trip to St. Barts?"
I didn't even realize there was a trip to St. Barts up for bid on the table in front of me. "Still deciding, Sheila. A man can't rush a decision this important. It's quite an impressive collection of items up for bid tonight. You've outdone yourself, as usual." I may be talking to Sheila, but every bit of my attention is focused solely on the woman now only one table over from where I stand.
"Ah, a very wise and decisive man. If I didn't know how focused you were with your work, I would wonder why you were still single. You really should make the time to meet someone and settle down."
"Maybe that wisdom and decisiveness is the exact reason I'm still single, Sheila." I don't continue because she's here. My mystery woman is now only a couple of feet away.
"Oh, Olivia, there you are! The night has been superb. Cheers to all of your hard work. I can't thank you enough, my dear."
Olivia.
"Mrs. Evers, I'm so glad to hear it, and it has been my pleasure! The auction has been a huge success. I was just checking all the tables, and we've raised more than I ever could have expected! Is there anything you or Dr. Evers need?"
Her voice...her voice sounds like the smoothest bourbon. Soothing. I could listen to her talk all night.
"Oh, we're just fine, but I would like you to meet someone who has been very impressed with your work here tonight." Standing stock-still, I’m not really hearing anything Sheila says, she has to take me by the arm and give me a little pull to place me in front of the most mesmerizing woman I have ever seen. "Olivia Adams, meet Ronan McKinley. Ronan was one of our biggest donors this evening."
I extend my hand, and when she places hers in mine, the rest of the world vanishes. I can see it in her eyes as well. There's some kind of chemical reaction happening here, and she upsets me in the best possible way. But I also see confusion in her gaze, and her smile fades.
Her eyes hold mine, and from this close, I can see a tiny scar above her eyebrow. Just as I had imagined, her eyes are brown. Dark, doe eyes that are mysterious and maybe even a little sad.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Adams." I give her a squeeze as my grip holds steady, not wanting the moment to pass.
Suddenly, the woman who had been so bubbly and personable to every person she crossed paths with a mere moment ago, seems quiet and shy.
"Very nice to meet you as well." She shakes her head, and her eyes quickly look down at the ground, and slowly she pulls her hand from mine. Clearly, she too is affected and can feel whatever this is between us.
With her eyes no longer where I can see them, I feel as though I'm being robbed of something precious. A gift. I need to see them again.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Evers, but I need to go help wrap up the auction. Please let me know if you need anything at all." For the briefest of moments her chocolate eyes find mine, but now there is something that seems fearful; as though she can't flee fast enough. "It was nice to meet you, Mr. McKinley. Have a lovely evening."
And just like that she's gone.
The feeling of want, need, and even possessiveness that takes over in the instant she walks away is irrational, yes, but there all the same.
Read Gorgeous: Book One Now
What to read next…
The Gorgeous Duet
A steamy, suspenseful romance about breaking the rules and following your heart.
Gorgeous: Book One
Gorgeous: Book Two
Blackbird
Standalone second chance contemporary romance.
The You & Me Series
(A series of Standalone Novels set in the You & Me world.)
Read this three-book series of sweet and sexy standalone novels filled with love, loss, secrets, and sass.
You & Me
More
Something Just Like This
Acknowledgments
Readers! Thank you so much for reading!
To my husband and son…thank you will never be enough to tell you how much I your love and support means to me. Thank you for listening to me ramble about the romance book industry day in and day out. Thank you for letting me use family time to follow my dreams. I love you.
S, you are my number one fan and I cannot imagine going on this journey without you by my side. You are the best P.A. a girl could ask for. Muah! Oh, and I love you so much more!
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the readers, bloggers and fellow authors that I have met on this amazing journey. The support, advice and laughter has been invaluable to me and you will never know how much it has meant to me. To every person that has purchased one of my books or attended one of my signings your support means more than you will ever know.
Nadia at Kiss & Tell Design Lab, thank you for your amazing covers, but most of all for being such a great friend all of these years. Not sure what I would do without you.
Lia Fairchild, I bow down to you. Thank you for the thousands of commas you fixed and THAT’s you deleted. Your editing taught me so much, and I would have been lost without you.
Alyssa Garcia at Uplifting Designs, I love your work. You have such a great eye and your teasers and promos make me smile.
Tandy, the sweetest proofreader ever. Thank you for your initiative. being so dang cool and being so accommodating.
Allison, how would I get through writing a book without you? Thanks for being my sounding board and my friend.
Friends and family, there are too many of you to name but you know who you are and I thank you for everything!
About the Author
Lisa Shelby is a contemporary romance author who calls the Pacific Northwest home where she resides with her husband, their son and two dogs. Reading has been an obsession and writing has been a secret passion of hers. It was that passion that led her on the journey to write a book for her husband. What began as a gift turned into an inspiration of love, and with the encouragement of family and friends the desire to share that love with everyone.
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