Page 3 of A Dangerous Proposal

What the hell?

She barely registered what was happening before the two men each muttered something under their breath, and then practically shoved their way through the crowd to get away from her.

“That was impressive.” Madison tilted her head back to look at the man as he turned to face her, and the air caught in her lungs leaving her abruptly lightheaded.

This isn’t real. No one is that beautiful in real life.

He was simply… breathtaking. Literally. A close-cropped beard covered his angular jaw, and silvery blue eyes bored into hers from beneath dark winged brows. Combined with thick,inky waves swept back from his sharp cheekbones, he looked like a…

“Angel?”

Madison realized she was staring openmouthed at the man. Her cheeks flushed. But then his words penetrated, and she frowned.

“Angel? Really?”

“It was an objectively terrible pickup line, but that doesn’t mean they were wrong.”

Her chin tipped up. “So, you decided to double down?”

The man shrugged nonchalantly. “I decided it was the least objectionable of all the things I wanted to call you.”

The sparkle of mischief in his eyes had her lips twitching despite herself. “I hesitate to ask what the most objectionable thing would have been.”

He didn’t answer, only cocked his head and studied her face with an intensity that was equal parts alarming and exhilarating.

Normally, Madison had no problem with silence. Part of her job was waiting out reluctant witnesses, but his intense scrutiny had her blurting out, “Are you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?” He took a sip of champagne, arching a brow.

The tingles returned with a vengeance as she watched the muscles in his throat work. She ripped her gaze away.

“The thing I would findmostobjectionable?”

What are you doing?

The man’s eyes darkened for a second, and an emotion she couldn’t identify slipped across his face.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” He smirked, and then extended his free hand. “Alex Kovalyov.”

“Madison Amherst.” She sucked in a breath at the sensation of his warm palm holding hers.

Wow. Desperate much, Madison?

She hoped Alex hadn’t noticed the embarrassing reaction, but by the heat flaring in those intense eyes, she knew he had. Her cheeks flamed again.

“Static electricity,” she muttered, pulling her hand back. She immediately missed his touch… the warmth... the strength.

Which was ridiculous.

Shewas ridiculous

Alex simply stared back at her. Watching.

“Thank you, by the way. For…” She inclined her chin in the direction the two men had run off.

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