“I don’t like this,” he rumbled to his team.
Rocky’s voice struck with a curious, “Which part?”
“All of it.”
“Relax, King.” Liam came next. “I ran backgrounds on all the names on Yorke’s list, plus the caterers and staff, plus Yorke’s personal staff. Oh, and the DJ. Can’t forget him.”
“He’s right, Bro,” Cade backed his teammate up. “I personally checked the I.D. of everyone who walked through those doors, staff included. Plus, I’ve been standing guard at the main entrance since the start of this thing, and the only thing I’ve seen that concerns me is the alarming number of plastic surgeons gone wrong.”
“Same with the back door,” Jagger piggybacked off of that. “Well, not so much the surgeons gone wrong, but…yeah. I’d say your girl’s safe, King.”
“She’s not my girl.”
“Ah, me doth think the gentleman protests too much,” Rocky teased.
“Jesus, can we please stay focused?” He barked. “Ro’s about to go on stage.”
“King’s right.” Christian got serious. “I get that this is probably overkill on our part, especially since there haven’t been any further attempts to approach or harm Ro or her house. But we all know how fast shit can turn sideways so stay alert and at the ready.”
My thoughts exactly.
“And saving the best for last, I’d like to introduce the woman who has been instrumental in making this entire rebrand possible.” Yorke’s annoying voice boomed out over the crowd. “Please welcome my amazing graphic designer, Aurora Tennison.”
Showtime.
The crowd celebrated Ro’s on-stage appearance with roars of cheers and a thunder of clapping. Brody watched from his place on the floor, his focus locked onto her as she carefully made her way up the short flight of stairs.
Practically floating across the stage, his first thought was that Ro was a natural in front of the crowd. His second…
So fucking beautiful.
Though he hated to do it, Brody returned to his duty of scanning the room. The others were probably right. Chances were he and his overactive protective instincts had turned this whole thing into something it wasn’t.
He’d even started to wonder if he’d exaggerated the potential danger as an excuse to stay close to her. But Brody knew to his core he’d never do something like that to Ro or any other woman. Which meant the threat he’d assumed had stemmed from factual events.
Andthatmeant he needed to be on his A-game until he could get her away from this place and back home. Safe and sound, just the way he needed her to be.
Yorke said something more about Ro’s incredible talent with design and colors before asking for a final round of applause for all her hard work and dedication to his cause.
Brody looked at her once again, his heart flipping when he caught sight of that adorable as fuck blush filling her cheeks. Even from here, he could see the pinkish hues, and damn if it did something to him he couldn’t explain.
With a few parting words, Yorke thanked his guests again before ordering everyone to “eat all the food and get as drunk as humanly possible”. The entire place exploded with cheers, followed by the start of some very loud, very upbeat music filling the room’s booming speakers.
He watched as Ro turned to leave the stage with the others. Her eyes immediately began to search, stopping the second they landed on his.
He loved that she knew to look for him. That she knew he was here and would keep her safe. And the smile she was sending his way now…
It was different than the one she’d given Yorke and the guests she’d spoken with earlier. This one was warmer. Almost a tad flirty?
Whatever it was, Brody felt it reach inside his chest and squeeze his heart to the point he thought it would burst. And it was in that moment he decided…
I’m going to do it. I’m going to ask Ro out on a date.
Despite the mess it very well may cause, he knew he’d always regret it if he didn’t at least try. So as soon as they got back to her place—the very second they were alone—he was going to take that crazy leap.
What’s the worst that could happen?
There was a laundry list of things that could go wrong, he knew. The worst being losing Ro as a friend. But as her heeled toes hit that first steps with those insanely blue eyes still locked onto his, that imaginary list—and the concerns that came with it—seemed to vanish.