Rescuing the Bad Boy (Second Chance #2)(88)

A dark blond head appeared over Sadie’s shoulder right then. The man had an open collar, long hair, and scruff on his attractive face.

“Excuse me, mind if I borrow my wife?” He smiled as a pair of sea green eyes swept the group.

“Aiden, meet the ladies.” Sadie melted into him, her smile clearly communicating she did not mind being dragged away.

“Ladies,” he said, and Sofie would swear all of them—even the happily married ones—heaved a collective sigh.

After he hauled Sadie to the dance floor, Gloria’s eyebrows shot up. “Good God. I forgot how potent he was.”

Crickitt snorted. “Aiden is a one-woman guy. Trust me.”

“That must be something,” Gloria commented, her smile falling. “Having a man be yours and only yours.” Her gaze tracked to Asher. “Knowing he’s not going anywhere.”

Kimber’s arm wrapped around Gloria’s elbow.

“Faith,” Glo said a second later. “Your cling-on approaches.”

Michael strode over, a fake smile plastered on his face.

“Faith,” he said, his eyes flitting around the rest of the group but not settling on any one person.

He looked nervous. He ought to be. They knew what he’d done to their friend. He’d just meandered into the lion’s den.

Faith’s impatient smile said she didn’t care how uncomfortable he was.

“Michael. You should join the conversation. We were talking about one-woman men. You know, men who aren’t afraid of commitment.”

Crickitt and Kimber sipped their drinks. Glo snorted, unable—or unwilling—to hide her amusement. Michael’s face blanched. Through his thin pair of wire-framed glasses, he studied Faith through narrowed eyes.

“Can I have a minute?” he asked, clearly frustrated.

“Fine,” Faith told him. To Sofie she said, “Catch me up on what I miss, okay?”

“No problem,” she promised, hoping her best friend wasn’t about to make a huge mistake.

After Faith excused herself, Sofie did as well. She clipped through the room, needing a break. She had to stop a few times to shake hands and chat with people she hadn’t talked to yet. At the door, she met Ben, the fourteen-year-old who shared his testimonial onstage tonight. His story of being an alcoholic at a very young age and how Open Arms had helped him heal. It was incredibly moving. She’d noticed several guests dabbing tears from their eyes.

“Hey, Sofie,” Ben said. His eyes went over her shoulder where Ruby stood talking to a group of gentlemen. “I mean, Ms. Martin.”

She smiled. “Sofie is fine. You did great tonight. Your story touched a lot of people.” Including Crickitt’s husband, Shane. He’d written a sizable check this evening to Open Arms after hearing Ben’s story. Sofie wondered if there was a story there. If Shane had related to Ben on some level; if Shane’s family, like Donny’s, had splintered.

“Thanks. Uh, do you think Asher Knight would sign this?” Ben reached into his suit coat and extracted a Knight Time CD.

Sofie palmed it. “I didn’t know kids—er, anyone bought CDs any longer.”

He shrugged a shoulder, his cheeks darkening in embarrassment.

“You know what?” She waved over his head, catching Asher’s attention. “Go over there now. He doesn’t look busy. I know he’d love to sign it for you.”

Ben pulled his shoulders back and started toward the famous rock star. Sofie took the reprieve and slipped out of the ballroom, desperate for a break from the crowd.

In the hallway she passed a few loitering guests but didn’t pause on her journey to the great room. She pressed the door closed behind her and closed her eyes, resting her head on the panel. Sanctuary. Finally.

“Scampi.”

She opened her eyes to find Donovan standing in front of the cold fireplace examining the work he’d done. In all her busyness to get ready for the charity dinner, she hadn’t seen the final product.

The corner of his mouth kicked up as he plunged his hands into his pockets. In black slacks and a gray dress shirt, sleeves cuffed revealing tattooed forearms, Donovan looked ridiculously sexy. Which would’ve been fine if the only area that responded was the part between her legs. Yes, her erogenous zones had sat up and taken notice, but they were not the problem. The problem was that her heart sat up and noticed, too. And that was forbidden.

“I needed a break.” She strolled over to him, trying to project an air of nonchalance she did not feel.

His eyes moved over her body, making her pull her shoulders back, put a little extra sass in her steps. Him looking at her the way he did now made her feel pretty. No… made her feel beautiful.

“I needed a break from you in that dress,” he said, his voice a sensual husk. “Hard to be professional while sporting a boner.”

Sofie tossed her head back and laughed. That shouldn’t be sexy. And part of her wished he wasn’t—but he was. Everything he said, everything he did, was sexy to her. A sure sign she was a goner. Through and through.

He erased the gap between them, pulled his hands from his pockets, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Wide palms covered her butt cheeks over her dress. He squatted down, kissing her deeply and running his hands beneath her flared skirt, up her thighs, and over her panties.