Page 12 of Twisted Hearts

“I didn’t get your name…outside.” He dipped his chin in the direction of the door while he stood in front of me like an immobile barrier.

“Why do you need it?” My gaze flitted through the lobby. There were two women at the front desk and another guy dressed in a black tuxedo by the front door with similar blond hair to the guy in front of me, wearing an earpiece.

Like the guy in front of me.

I hadn’t noticed it before.

I swore his eyes softened, and he took a small step back, gave me my space. “Listen, I’m not trying to be an ass here. I’m just trying to do my job. Do you have an invitation I can see?”

“No. I don’t have an invitation.” But goodness, his closeness, even with the space he made, was overwhelming. He was just so…much. I tried to ignore the tingling in my nipples and avoided inhaling the scent of his cologne. He was manly enough.

Irritating and arrogant too, I figured. He’d have to be with a body and face like that.

I’d had enough of that in my life, but this man was making my body react in a way I didn’t appreciate. Mostly because it’d been so long since I’d reacted to anyone like this I was beginning to think I was broken—beginning to think Daniel had broken me.

I dug into the small pocket at my hip and pulled out my keycard.

“I do have a room here, though. See?”

His gaze dipped to the card in my fingers, and he sucked the corner of his lip between his teeth. Raising those beautiful blue eyes, his expression shifted to something darker. “And you’re okay? You feel safe?”

“What?” My body jolted.

“You’re crying. Your hair tells me you were planning on being at the gala and you have a room, but you really seem to be upset. If the person you came with has hurt you…”

Oh the freaking irony. I couldn’t help it. I threw my head back and laughed. This was so damn funny I was almost bowled over by the thoughts he voiced.

He was worried about mysafety? Here? This was the safest I’d been in years.

The blond’s blue eyes turned stormy. He opened his mouth to say something, probably something bossy or as irritating as earlier, but before he could make a sound, two cold hands clamped down on my shoulders.

“There you are!” Jillian’s voice was a shrill gong cutting the tension growing between me and the walking marble statue. I tensed at her grip. “I was looking for you and you scared the crap out of me. I went to your room and you didn’t answer your doororyour phone.”

“Oh shit. I’m sorry, Jillian. Really. I didn’t think.”

“It’s okay, I’m just glad I found you.” She glanced at the man in the tuxedo then turned back to me. “Are you okay?”

Her tone dropped, and even though she’d asked more quietly, the guy with us was still on alert and his brows rose.

“I’m fine, honey.” I patted her hands and tugged them off my shoulders. “I just needed some fresh air. But honestly, I need to be alone.”

“Alone? On the best day of your life?”

I pierced the blond with a glare that seemed to have absolutely no effect on him whatsoever, and Jillian’s brows pushed in.

“Adri—”

“No.” I didn’t want this guy knowing my name. I didn’t want anyone knowing it. “Please, Jillian. Go enjoy your night. I’ll be better off alone.” Alone with all that wine she’d left me. I needed a few glasses.

And I needed to get away from the guy next to us. The way my body felt around him unnerved me. It was unnatural.

“Jillian?” He stepped forward, hand extended. “Shawn Blakely. Pleased to meet you. I saw your friend outside earlier.”

Shawn.Huh. Not the name I expected. Maybe Adonis or Zeus, something mythological and possibly godlike. I scrunched my nose at the thought and stepped away from both of them.

“Hi Shawn.” She shook his hand. “You must be Jaxon’s newest member. Security, right? I was talking to Elizabeth earlier and she mentioned you.”

“Yes ma’am.”

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