simple black bow. He looked, as always, dashing.
He looked me up and down from head to toe, his eyes intense as a cocky smile stretched across his lips. “I knew you would look great in that,” he said, raising his fingers to my hair. “You look so beautiful.”
I felt red streak across my cheeks as if that were the first time I had ever heard him say it. “You don’t look too bad yourself,” I said with a shy smile.
He grabbed my hand, pulling me into him quickly and looking down on me. “Tell me I’m pretty,” he teased. He wasn’t serious, but he loved it when I was under his spell like this and entirely his.
“You’re very pretty,” I repeated, smiling. He kissed me. I laughed to myself as I began to rub away the pink gloss that was now over his lips. “ Especially pretty now.”
He escorted me outside to where a flash silver car was. It was one of those sports cars you often saw on the front of car magazines, with the leather interiors and sexy models.
“Oooh, flashy!” I remarked to him as he opened the door for me. Instead of pulling out, it pulled up. “Remind me where we are going?”
“You will see,” he said with a smile. He quickly walked around the car then leant over and buckled my seatbelt.
“Really, you don’t think I could manage that myself?”
“Clover, you look so ravishing tonight that I couldn’t possibly expect you to dirty your hands on such trivial matters. This is me being chivalrous,” he said with a sly smile.
After a short drive, I knew where he was taking me. I said nothing until it was obvious where we were turning into. “Are you taking me to a casino, Mr. Brogardt?”
“I told you this would be boring. We don’t have to be in here for too long. As long as we make an appearance and conversation for a while we can leave as soon as possible.”
“Oh, don’t want me interacting with these upper-class men?” I teased.
“You, my sweet little thing, are very much all mine, and I refuse to share,” he said with a wink. “It is only for a while, I promise. We don’t even have to stay for dinner.”
I gasped in pretend anger. “Well I never, won’t even take me to a classy dinner.” He gave me a cocky smile in response to my theatrics.
Damon parked the car at the front of the casino where people of all classes left and entered. A young man politely walked up to the car, opening the door for me and then accepting the keys from Damon.
“So, what is the main event?” I asked, slipping my arm around Damon’s extended elbow. I let him guide me through the doors and I felt like some sort of movie star. This seemed different to the usual work conventions we went to. A flash blinded my sight as I looked towards the entrance.
“Just smile and breath,” Damon said with a dashing smile. He wrapped his hand around my waist as a woman took pictures. Nervously, I smiled. I hadn’t expected a paparazzi situation. Damon nodded to the photographer.
“I thought you didn’t want photos in the headlines,” I said, somewhat shakily and still shocked at what had happened.
“Becoming CEO makes it a little hard at the moment to stay away from the photographers’ eyes. I promise you it won’t happen often, but because of this event a few photos might leak out. Besides, you’re my woman, Clover. I want the whole world to see that photo and know that,” he said with a smile.
Bright lights caught my eye as we stepped into the marble lobby. The Casino of Manhattan was glorious. I hadn’t been to many casinos. Gambling wasn’t exactly my forte. Despite my name, I had no luck whatsoever.
“Today there was a charity auction. This is where the after party is. I couldn’t attend the auction personally but Michelle went on behalf of the Brogardt family. We only have to make an appearance and then we can go. Mostly it is just a bunch of rich drunks,” he said with a smile as he led me past all the bright lights of the flashing machines. We passed people playing
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