Page 40 of Hunt You Down

“Knock it off,” I muttered, rolling my eyes—but still blushing like hell.

“You look incredible,” he told me, fastening himself up and sauntering over to me. He leaned in, ghosting his next words across my lips. “Dare I say delectable.”

Our tongues met, briefly, but he pulled back before I could dive in for a deeper taste. I grumbled, and he smirked at me, securing his watch around his wrist. He grabbed my cologne first, spraying each of my wrists and my neck before doing the same with his own. “I’ll have to beat people off you with a stick.”

André fastened his cuffs, and I took a moment to admire him from head to toe. I thought that the silver suit was my favorite, but the classic black blew that out of the water. That man gave a whole new meaning to tall, dark, and handsome. The color complimented his features and made his eyes stand out. Yet again, I found myself wondering if I’d make it home without throwing him into the backseat of that Aston Martin.

“I think I’m the lucky one tonight,” I whispered, throat tight.

André gave me a once-over and by the time he’d reached my belt, he was biting that bottom lip again and his eyes had turned feral.

“Seriously,” he said, voice nearly a growl. “Watch out for Mitchell. He’s a grabber, and it’ll look bad for business if I end up in a fight.”

Chapter Eighteen

Outside of the hotel, I tried my best not to gawk. Five stars weren’t enough for the building that sprawled in front of me. There was valet parking and as I got out of the car, André met me on my side. I’d expected the PDA to take a backseat when it came to work, but André didn’t hesitate to grab my hand and lead me inside.

The crystal chandelier that hung from the vaulted ceiling had to be bigger than my bed. People bustled around us. Guests came and went, bellhops zoomed past us with carts of luggage. I was completely immersed in the rich red and gold environment. I was glad André had my hand because otherwise I’d have made a fool of myself.

He led me through the lobby and stopped outside a door marked “Grand Ballroom One.”

Did that mean there were more?

“You ready?” André asked, looping his arm around my waist.

“Not in the slightest.” I tried to focus on his eyes instead of all the overwhelming sensations around me.

He flashed me that award winning smile and leaned down to kiss me. “You’ve got this baby. Just follow my lead. And if all else fails, there’s an open bar.”

“Alright, that makes it better.”

André opened the heavy wooden door, leading me straight to the bar. He had a drink in each hand before I could blink.

“Here, baby.” He pointed across the room to a couple of guys that looked like they were plucked straight off Wall Street. One was a head taller, the other more slender, but both had the same identical black hair and dark eyes. “Those are my partners. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Here we go. My heartbeat rushed in my ears, and I took a long sip of my drink, letting the burn of the alcohol ground me.

As we approached the two men, a blonde woman in a stunning black dress joined them, slipping her arm around the slender one’s waist. She caught sight of André—and me standing next to him. Her eyes lit up. “Oh my God, aren’t you just the cutest thing?” she screamed in a thick Southern accent. A big smile spread across her face, and she lunged forward to give me a hug, knocking my drink in the process with her very pregnant belly.

“I’m so sorry,” I muttered, rushing to find a napkin, but she stopped me with a hand on my arm.

“Don’t worry about it; she’s only getting in the way at this point. André, why have you been hiding him from us?”

“Have you met your husband?” André quipped. “And at that, have you met your brother-in-law?”

“I take personal offense to that,” the taller one answered.

“You should.” André kept a hand on the small of my back and gestured around the group. “David, this is my business partner Penn, his wife Amanda, and our office pet, Mitchell.”

Ignoring another grumble from Mitchell, André crouched in front of Amanda’s belly. “And this little girl is going to be the new face of our—ow!”

Amanda had just smacked him on the head and told him to cut it out. He straightened, and his hand returned to my back. He fell into work talk, so I turned to Amanda.

“Can I ask how far along you are?”

Amanda rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her bump. “Thirty-eight weeks too far. They say pregnancy is a beautiful experience. I can’t say that I agree.”

She asked how I met André, and the story rolled off my tongue way too easily. Amanda listened intently, starry-eyed. I hadn’t realized that everyone else had stopped talking to listen to me until Mitchell spoke, startling me. “So, have you set a date yet?’