He shook his head with a grin. “Sorry to drop by soearlyand unannounced. I was just on my way into town and wanted to drop this off.” He handed me a white envelope. “It’s your ticket for The Rose Ball next weekend.”
“Oh.” I nodded and pulled the ticket out, looking at it for a moment before slipping it back into the envelope and setting it on the counter. “Thanks, man.”
“Welcome,” he said with a nod. Then, his brows knit. “Your jaw is red.”
I rubbed both sides, feigning like I didn’t know what he was talking about and wasn’t just walloped by the feisty brunette hiding in my bedroom. “Oh?” I shrugged. “Must have scratched myself in my sleep or something.”
He nodded, seemingly buying it. His eyes then shifted to the counter where I’d set the ticket, and that’s when I realized that Morgan’s purse was sitting there.Fuck. Lucas chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. He didn’t seem to realize whose bag it was, thankfully. “Uh, no worries…”
“I’ll let you get back to it.” He laughed again as he clapped my shoulder and headed for the door. “See you Tuesday,” he said before slipping out.
I released a breath when he left. Then, I heard Morgan’s voice. “Is he gone?”
“Yeah,” I said as I turned to see her step into the hall, still clad in my sheets. “Good thing, considering you’rewhisper-yelling.”
She made a mocking expression, and I let out a sardonic huff of laughter as I started down the hall, my steps purposeful. She yelped in realization and spun, running back into my room as I chased after her.
Chapter 32
I’d never beena fan of penguin suits. There was something about tuxedos that didn’t feel very…me. That wasn’t to say that I didn’t lookdamngood in one, though, because I could wear the hell out of any suit.
I looked over my reflection in my mirror, adjusting my bow tie before running my fingers through my hair, giving it that slightly messy yet still casually put-together look.
The Rose Ball took place in the ballroom of a convention hotel in downtown Charleston and started in an hour, meaning I needed to leave at least five minutes ago. My phone chimed with an incoming text, and there was Gabe, right on cue to tell me we were running late and to hurry my ass up—I was riding with him because we figured it would be easier to take one car on the ferry.
I walked out of my room and grabbed my ticket off the counter before hurrying out of my apartment. When I emerged from the building, Gabe was waiting with his car running idleand the passenger window down. “Let’s go, fancy pants! We’re gonna be late.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I opened the door and slid inside. “You act like the event is going to crumble if two unknown guests aren’t right on time. Relax, my guy.”
Gabe shook his head with a huff of laughter as he took off out of the parking lot of my complex and started toward the ferry port in Haversburg.
We were barely ten minutes late when we finally arrived, and we were far from the last, evident by the line of people behind us as we went through security, letting the men at the door check our tickets and IDs.
Once we got inside, we followed the other guests toward the ballroom, stepping inside to be met with chatter and music. True to the event’s name, the ballroom was decorated with displays of brilliant red roses from centerpieces to arches above the doorways of the entrance and the terrace. Gabe and I made our way further inside, heading to one of two bars set up—it may seem odd to have alcohol at a charity event raising funds for a foundation whose sole purpose was to combat drunk driving, but they needed to appease the masses, I supposed. Plus, they offered free rooms paid for by the foundation and their sponsors for anyone needing one at the end of the night.
We got our drinks and stepped away from the bar, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Gabe nudged my arm and pointed across the room to where Lucas and Callie were standing, and we headed toward them.
“Hey,” Lucas greeted us with a grin, shaking our hands.
“You guys look dapper,” Callie teased as we greeted her.
“I always look dapper, Calliefornia.” She chuckled at both my comment and my nickname for her. “And you’re looking alldolled up. Practicing for the big day?” I quipped, and my question earned a beaming smile from Lucas.
She chuckled, leaning into Lucas’s side. “Maybe.”
“Where’s Morgan?” Gabe asked, looking around.
“She messaged me not too long ago and said she was on her way,” Callie answered.
The four of us chatted as the gala started to get underway. Gabe updated us on how Blake was doing; he’d been gone nearly two months now but was doing well and taking it all in stride like he did everything else. Lucas pointed out various sponsors of the event and introduced us to the Nash family—the founders of The Grady Foundation—when they approached him to thank him face-to-face for the donation he and Callie made.
While still waiting for Morgan to arrive, I happened to glance over at the doors, and that’s when I saw her.
And I swore my heart stopped.
Morgan’s slender frame was wrapped in a red satin gown that clung to every inch of her curves. As she walked further into the room, I saw her tan leg peek out from beneath the fabric, and my gaze slowly followed the opening of the thigh-high slit up to the low neckline and the lush slope of her chest. Her long brown hair was down in loose curls and swept to one side, and her perfect lips were painted red to match.
