Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
The largest donor to the now-named Dare Fund for Kids was Robert Dare. His financial contribution was substantial . . . and promised yearly. And though Avery and her father’s relationship was by no means solid, the man was making an effort, and Avery was trying to meet him halfway.
As for Avery, between filming her upcoming videos, some of which she decided to do outdoors, and working on the prom, she had little time for worry. She did, however, make plenty of time for Grey. And he couldn’t deny that things between them had never been better. Which was why he’d planned his surprise as tonight’s main event.
The rest of his life hinged on this evening. And Grey Kingston, who performed in front of hundreds of thousands and was never nervous, had a raging case of stage fright.
* * *
Avery spent the entire afternoon setting up at the hospital, and she couldn’t wait to see the end result tonight. The normally staid, often sad hospital floor and its doctors, nurses, patients, and volunteers were buzzing with contagious excitement. Thanks to pressure from the kids, Avery and Ella agreed to dress up in gowns too. Avery left the kids with the makeup artists and hairstylists so she could go home and change.
She stood in Grey’s bedroom and straightened his bow tie, resisting the urge to undress him, button by button. The desire to pull this handsome man onto the bed and have her wicked way with him was strong, but they couldn’t miss the whole evening. One last tug on his tie and she finished and stepped away, heading into the bathroom to fix her makeup and put on her dress.
The door was open, so she talked to Grey as she touched up her mascara. “I’m so happy you invited your parents tonight. And they’re not just attending, they’re working.”
“They can’t wait,” he said.
She had planned to stay late and clean up, but to her surprise, Grey had arranged for his parents to come help with the setup, serving, and cleanup at the end. He tried to play down the significance, but Avery knew better.
“It’s a big deal, you asking them to help with the serving and cleaning. To know you are proud of them for who they are. Your mom cried,” Avery said, remembering the phone call from Susie.
Grey strode into the bathroom just as Avery had undressed. She stood in her barely there bra and panties, a formal white Grecian style dress hanging behind her.
“Something I can do for you?” she asked, sounding cheeky. And happy.
Because she was. Happier than she’d ever been. Yes, the photographers who had found out where she and Grey were and snapped pictures still sometimes freaked her out. But she was learning to ignore what the papers, online and print, and blogs had to say. She’d canceled her “Tangled Royal” and “Grey Kingston” Google Alerts so she wouldn’t see things that weren’t true and would only upset her. Her anxiety wasn’t miraculously gone, nor had she thought it would be.
Again, she was dealing. She’d made an appointment to discuss her medications, and she still hoped she could cut down one day soon. And if dealing with her father occasionally made her crazy, the money he’d donated to her cause was more than worth it. As was putting a childhood’s worth of pain behind her.
“Grey?” she asked, meeting his heated gaze in the mirror as he stood behind her. “Do you want something?”
“For you to grab the counter, bend over, and let me have my way with you.” He cocked an eyebrow and practically devoured her with his gaze.
She bent over as directed and wiggled her ass his way before straightening. “Sorry, but we have to get going. Can you hand me my dress?” she asked, doing her best to sound unaffected.
But the truth was, she wished they did have time, because now she was wet, and her desire to feel him hot and thick inside her had been growing since seeing him looking all devastating in his tux.
He let out a low growl. “You will pay for that little tease later.”
“Promise?” She leaned over and kissed his cheek, inhaling the smell of his aftershave—and him.
Before she could dance out of the way, he grasped her waist and pulled her to him, her nearly naked body brushing against his formally clad one. The thick fabric did nothing to hide his massive erection, and it was an erotic feeling, being undressed and desired while he was fully clothed.
His fingers trailed up from her waist until his thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts.
She trembled and felt her nipples pucker into hard and needy points. That white dress was going to give people one hell of a show unless she got herself under control.
Without warning, he slid his hands back to her waist.