Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109477 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 547(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Now she just hoped everything she’d told Lexi a moment ago was true. She hoped that fae had other things to do tonight, like stay in his own realm far away from her.
7
The charity event was held at The Gala, a swanky and prestigious hotel in a prominent location downtown. The grandeur of the building could be seen from down the block, its artfully placed lights shining up its luxurious façade. Perfectly sculpted and maintained shrubbery lined the wide, circular driveway. The limo glided to the red carpet, and the hum of anticipation filled Daisy.
Time to shine. Her life had pushed her toward this, pressed on her until the result shimmered like a diamond. Then she’d trained. Oh how she’d trained. She was ready for this.
Fuck, she really hoped she was ready for this.
Nervousness rolled through her stomach as she connected eyes with Zorn. He sat near the glass partition separating the passenger area from the driver. She touched the subtle earpiece in her left ear. Zorn tapped a button on his phone, eliciting a tiny beep. It was live.
She nodded before touching the location device sewn into the waist of her pants. He mimicked her nod. On and tracking. The panic button was sewn into the other side. She waited for him to push buttons on his phone before she touched it. He nodded again. All was active. She was covered, just in case.
The limo stopped between the red velvet ropes. Zorn watched her quietly as the attendant on the curb approached her door. No expression flitted across his face.
“Be safe,” he murmured.
She inclined her head. I will.
The event included a five-course meal within the esteemed hotel’s restaurant. She hoped to have wrapped up her business by then. For the last several years, she’d been sticking to the outskirts when she attended these things with the Demigods and their crew. She wasn’t important, and so she was seldom noticed when they were on the scene. She had no interest in sticking around long enough for people to pinpoint who she was.
She approached the sprawling hotel lobby lounge. A marble masterpiece of a bar took up the back left corner. Three bartenders were in various stages of mixing drinks or taking orders. Guests sat or stood, chatting and laughing, all looking around at who else they might want to talk to. Soft strains of live music drifted between the words and occasional barks of laughter.
Daisy slipped between two well-dressed men without sparing them a glance. She sought the bar, finding a corner and letting her gaze roam. The bartender, a handsome guy a few years her senior with a sexy smile and a cute dimple, approached.
“Hello, gorgeous. What can I get you?” he asked, his mannerisms easy. He was used to being a favorite.
“Dirty martini, two olives, and maybe your number for later.” She held his gaze before allowing a grin.
His eyes sparkled. “Coming right up.” As he moved away, his smile stretched, utterly genuine. If she needed a bartender’s attention in a hurry, she’d have it.
Bodies in expensive dresses or tailored suits, some glittering with jewels, moved and shifted. She scanned the crowd, not finding who she was looking for.
“Here we go.” The bartender came back and set her drink on a bar napkin. She could see the digits peeking out from under the base of the glass. He winked. “On me.”
She let her sultry smile grow. “I’ll tip you later.”
His smile matched hers. “I look forward to it.” He turned away to the next patron.
She actually might, she realized. It had been over six months since she’d dated anyone. Since she’d felt the touch of another. Her mind constantly strayed to places it shouldn’t. To dazzling green eyes and devious smiles. To the rush of adrenaline and passion that accompanied his very presence. It wasn’t healthy, feeling that way—remembering his every touch in exquisite detail. It wasn’t welcome. But this guy was…cute. A good distraction. Hopefully. Mercifully.
She sauntered through the crowd, aiming for a look of arrogance. Her chin was tilted up, and her drink was held a little too far from her body, showcasing her form. Her haughty expression would hint at her ego—she intended to look like a frail thing who didn’t do much to hide the vulnerability beneath. She picked at the hem of her jacket with her free hand to accentuate the image, boosted by her obvious youth.
Nearly at the other side of the room, she spotted the man she needed to meet. Rutherford. He was lodged in the plush seating at the far corner. Two men sat opposite him, one with a gaudy gold pinky ring and the other with a suit stuffed to bursting with muscle. She wasn’t the only meeting of the night, it seemed. Damn.
She angled her trajectory, intent on stealing Rutherford’s focus with her appearance. That would help her claim his attention when she got close.