“The lady thinks you’re insane to think such a thing.”
Pam chuckled. “We’ll see. Matt will arrive in three days, along with the others, for the charity ball. I can’t wait to see your reaction when you see him, after all that daydreaming and blushing you’ve been doing.”
“My reaction to seeing Matt won’t mean a thing.”
Pam gave her a mischievous grin. “We’ll see.”
* * *
Matt glanced around the ballroom of the Pavilion Hotel where the annual Westmoreland Charity Ball was being held. He had arrived in Westmoreland Country around noon. Before even getting settled in the cottage where he would be staying, he had driven to Dillon and Pam’s home to see Iris. For some reason, he had needed to see her, look into her gorgeous face and even hold her in his arms. However, when he got there, Dillon had informed him that Iris, Pam and some of the other ladies were assisting Riley’s wife, Alpha, with the decorations at this hotel. Alpha was the event planner for tonight. He had even tried calling her twice, but his calls had gone to voicemail, and she hadn’t called him back.
That was probably the reason his gaze kept going to the entrance every time someone arrived. He’d seen Deena, Shauna and Charm. He’d even seen Garlan, who had introduced him to his date, Mandy. He had come close to asking them about Iris but decided not to. Hopefully, she would be arriving soon. Hell, he hoped so.
“You okay, Matt?”
He glanced over at his cousin Cole. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Cole nodded. “Thought I’d ask. You seem somewhat anxious.”
He was, but he would not admit it. “No, I’m fine.”
“Well, you’ll probably be feeling even better now that your lady has arrived.”
Matt jerked his head toward the entrance of the ballroom and saw her. Iris was walking in with Pam and Dillon. And she looked amazing. The maroon-colored gown she wore looked absolutely ravishing on her. It complemented her skin tone, her curves and the perfection of her cleavage. The gown’s side split showcased what a gorgeous pair of legs she had. He even liked her hairstyle, piled high on her head with a few curls dangling around her face.
He watched her, mesmerized, and when their gazes met, it felt as if his heart skipped a beat. Then, when she began walking toward him, he had a feeling that same heart was now beating in sync with hers.
“Excuse me, Cole,” he said as he moved toward Iris, to meet her halfway. He wished he could pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Give her what she liked to call a Matt Caulder kiss. However, he knew he couldn’t do that, even if the temptation to do so was nearly killing him.
He paused long enough to snag two flutes off the tray of a passing waiter. One for him and the other for his lady, as Cole had referred to her. Yes, she was his lady, he would claim her with every cell in his body, and he had to believe that one day she would love him, too.
“Hi, Matt,” she said when they finally reached each other in the crowded room.
“Iris,” he responded, handing her one of the flutes.
“Thanks.”
“You look gorgeous.”
“Thanks. And you look dashing yourself, Mr. Caulder.”
“Thank you.” He glanced around the ballroom. “Have you ever been to an event at this hotel before?”
“Yes. The Westmorelands have held the charity ball here for the past few years. Why?”
“I’d love to walk around to see their artwork.”
She met his gaze over her flute. “Would you?”
“Yes, I would.”
“Sounds like you need to escape again,” she said, with a twinkling in her beautiful eyes.
If only she knew how much he needed to be alone with her, even if it was only for a minute. “Yes, I do.”
“Alright,” she said, placing their empty flutes on a nearby table. She then hooked her arm in his and said, “Let’s take a walk.”
* * *
