Chapter One
Pace
The blonde on my arm is driving me nuts. If it weren't for her giant fake tits, that I very much want to play with later, I would have ditched her at the door.
We're at a fancy gala for Colton's charity, and the five thousand dollar a plate dinner is designed to bring in the last of the donations needed to ensure the school and hospital he plans to open are fully funded in the years to come. It's a great cause. But all I want to do is leave.
"Pace," my date says, tugging on my tuxedo-clad elbow. "Which one is your brother again?"
The one that looks exactly fucking like me, I want to answer. Instead, I point straight ahead to where Colton is standing talking with a group of benefactors. "Right there in the center. That's Colton. And his fiancé Sophie is beside him."
We've been mistaken for twins numerous times. He's three years older, but we share many similar features – tall stature, dark hair, deep blue eyes. The main difference – where Colton is hard edges and serious expressions – I'm friendly, open and relaxed. Life is too damn short to take so seriously. But apparently, grasping our similarities is beyond the capabilities of her three brain cells.
"Are you going to introduce me?" she asks.
She wants to meet my family? No. But rather than provide her with an answer she doesn't want to hear, I choose that moment to take a swig of my bourbon and pretend I didn't hear her.
I'd invited Sheena here tonight after meeting her at my health club. I didn't want to come to Colton and Sophie's big event alone and thought it might be nice to have someone to talk to over dinner. Unfortunately the only thing Sheena wanted to discuss was her recent enhancements and how the plastic surgeon convinced her to go to a bigger cup size and how she thought he only wanted to sleep with her.
Well no shit he wanted to fuck you sweetheart. Line forms to the left, gentleman.
After enduring two hours with the date from hell, all I want to do is fuck her in my car, and drop her off at home. Classy, I know. But you try spending ten thousand dollars on dinner for the world's most annoying date. I deserve a blow job at the very least.
Something tells me that on Monday I'll be looking for a new health club…
I've changed gyms six times this year. The cancellation fees are killing me. Maybe it's time to rethink my pick up strategy. Nah. There are lots of places in town with treadmills and free weights, and I have no problem switching clubs just to avoid running into my former hookups.
"Let's get you another champagne," I say, steering her toward the bar.
Once Sheena is situated on a bar stool, I slip away, making an excuse to use the men's room. Instead I head straight for where Sophie and Kylie are talking across the room.
My brother's fiancé, Sophie Evans, looks great tonight. Long silky dress, jewels at her throat and her hair is twisted up in some type of knot. She looks happy.
"Hey, sis," I greet her with a kiss to the back of her hand.
I won't treat her any differently after her sister's passing, because I know she wouldn’t want it, but I do try to be sweet to her. After everything she's been through, she didn't break, and I'm so thankful. Colton needs a strong woman, and Sophie is the perfect complement to him. I don’t plan to settle down anytime soon, but one day I hope to find a girl as good as Sophie. I still think his story about how they met and why she’d moved in was bullshit, but it didn’t really matter. Colt was a lucky guy, and he knew it.
"Hi, Pace." Sophie grins up at me.
Next I turn to Kylie, who I've been trying to figure out for the past several months. She works for my brother, running the office operations for his charity, and I'm pretty sure she's responsible for tonight's gala. She's stunning – in a deep purple gown that flows beautifully over her curves, fiery auburn hair that falls in loose waves over her shoulders and brilliant green eyes that sparkle on mine. The way she watches me sends tingles shooting down my body, pulsing in my groin. My cock begins to swell. What the fuck? She's exquisite and classy and put together. The complete fucking opposite of my date.
"It's a great event. Congratulations," I lift her hand to my mouth and whisper against the back of it while watching her eyes.
She flinches at the contact and tugs her hand back, but treats me to a kind smile. "Thank you, Pace." The tone of her warm voice wrapping around my name is fucking sinful. I want to hear her moan out my name when she climaxes, I want to see her green eyes darken with lust, and watch her completely come apart beneath me.
I know she's a single mom, and I should just steer clear. She's nothing like the women I typically date, but something about her hypnotizes me.
"Where's your date?" Sophie asks.
"I'm not sure," I lie. I can see her from the corner of my eye, she's still at the bar and seems to be chatting it up with the bartender. Good. Maybe I can offload her on him tonight. I wouldn’t mind going home instead with the elegant and sophisticated beauty I see before me.
"I was hoping to meet her," Sophie says.
Sophie doesn’t understand there's a reason I've never introduced her to any of the women I'm seeing. They're all temporary. And besides, I doubt they'd hit it off. Sophie’s interests go a little deeper than nail polish and handbags. My brother chose well.
"Isn't that the woman you were with?" Kylie asks, pointing across the room.
I follow her gaze to Sheena.
Fuck.
Sheena is currently bent backwards over the top of the bar. Her tits are practically hanging out, and she's letting the bartender pour shots of tequila down her throat.
Christ. This isn't a college frat party. It’s an exclusive black-tie affair for millionaires and politicians and the nation's leading entrepreneurs. We're here for an important cause, not to get wasted and dance on the damn bar. But something tells me my date doesn't get that.
I don’t often feel embarrassed, and shit, I love to cut loose and have fun as much as anyone, but this is not the time, nor the place. My face flushes slightly and I clench my jaw.
I like a woman who knows how to handle herself – someone poised and put together when she needs to be and freaky as hell in between the sheets. My eyes find Kylie's and something tells me she'd be that kind of woman.
"Yeah, Sheena's fun," I say, clenching my fists in an attempt to hide my true feelings.
Kylie frowns. "I introduced myself to her earlier, and she said her name was Trina."
"Shit. Is it?" I rub a hand through my hair. The look in her eyes tells me this is a piece of information I should have known.