Page 13 of Dating His Brother

I leaned over the railing of the balcony. “There’s not much to tell. I love to travel, eat good food, and I used to love socializing at parties…though that seems to be losing its appeal lately. Hence my disdain for this ball.”

He leaned down next to me, inching closer. His voice dropped to a deep, sexy rasp that made me ache inside. “In other words...you’re popular with lots of money and friends. You’re an ‘it’ girl who’s used to people wanting to be near you and be seen with you. But deep down, you’re bored and lonely?”

I swallowed hard, hating to think I was so transparent. I wanted to believe Richard possessed some magical ability to peer inside of me, but that it was special and unique to only him. It was cringe-worthy to think I spelled it out so easily to everyone around me.

“Lonely,” I echoed, my eyes floating across the view. “Yes. I’m afraid I am. That’s why my brother is doing all of this. He doesn’t want me to be lonely anymore, but he doesn’t know what else to do about it other than forcing me into dating.”

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink,” he quipped.

“Don’t tell Jack that,” I laughed. “You’ll burst his bubble.”

Richard was quiet for a moment before turning to me and holding out his hand. “Hey, do you want to dance? Even if you never want to talk to me again after this, dancing is a great momentary cure from loneliness. Especially when you do it under the influence of alcohol.”

“Is that so?” I smiled. I glanced over my shoulder, back towards the ball. “No, I don’t want to go back in there yet.”

“Who said anything about going back?” He took my hand and pulled me close to his body, spinning us in soft circles around the balcony.

After a minute or two, I leaned in and rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling deep whiffs of his cologne. There were truthfully few things I loved more than the feeling of my cheek against an expensive suit over a big strong chest, manly scents wafting around me. I loved how a man’s cologne would cling to your clothes and hair so you could steal a few more whiffs of it later, even after he was gone.

As we danced, barely able to hear the string quartet playing inside the ball, I started softening up to this Richard Hayes. Why not? He fit my brother’s criteria for the type of guy he hoped to see me with, and mine too, as far as I knew. I hadn’t given as much thought to what I wanted…but a gorgeous, rich, prominent lawyer oozing charm and wit? What wasn’t to like?

More importantly, he was better than this Dawson creep who had taken to stalking me, with his bad art on the street corner and pitiful work ethic, his smelly bars, weird foods, and cheap beer. No. Richard Hayes was obviously on another level entirely. He was onmylevel.

“Isabella, I have a confession to make,” he said softly, his chest humming against my ear. “I know I said I wanted this dance even if we never spoke again…but the longer we do it, the more I hope that’s not the case.”

I smiled up at him. “I have to admit…I’m feeling the same way.”

“Good. Then you won’t object to me taking you out some time?” He asked, bringing our dance to a close. “I’m not blind or naive. I know you’re probably walking away from this ball with a calendar full of dates. I’ll wait a month or more if I have to. But I’m worried I’d regret it for a long time if I didn’t at least try for a chance to take you out and have an evening alone with you.”

I considered it for a moment, mostly just to torture him. Truthfully, I hadn’t accepted a single date invitation so far that night. Jack would be furious if they made all that fuss for nothing, so I told myself I’d accept for his sake.

“Okay,” I nodded. “Sure. We can go out some time.”

“How long is your waiting list? How about next weekend?”

I laughed, shuffling my heels on the stones of the balcony floor. “I never plan that far ahead, but I am free the night after next.”

“Even better.”

He pulled my hand to his lips once again for a kiss, then slipped away inside. I liked that. He was smooth enough to know when to quit while he was ahead. Unlike some people.

Unlike Dawson.

7

Isabella

Two days later, I stood in front of my dressing room mirror and studied my perfectly polished appearance. I skipped out on my usual go to colors of emeralds and purples and went for something more classic—the LBD,little black dress.

There was nothing a lawyer loved more than a woman in a little black dress, and while I had come to love fading into the background without being noticed more than ever lately…I had my heart set on getting quite a bit of attention that night, just so long as it came from the delicious Richard Hayes.

I was just musing on how long it had been since I went out on a date I was actually excited for, rather than tolerating the hopeless encounters Jada set up for me through Heartstring. Or picking up random guys at the club, only to never speak to them again.

But my math on that was interrupted by my cell phone ringing. Jack’s name flashed across the screen.

“Yes?” I sighed as I picked up.

“Getting all dolled up for Richard?” he asked.

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