Read Online Recaptured Dreams by Justine Dell - Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t sit still, not with him staring at her and making her insides twist and turn like a tornado in her stomach. Thank God her mother and grandmother had turned around in their seats to face the auction. At least they weren’t giving her the death stare anymore; although Sophia was pretty sure both sets of their eyes were pinning Xavier where he stood.
    Why did they dislike him so much? And why were they so displeased with her?
    “Oh my God,” Sophia whispered to Anne Marie as she gripped the linen napkin in her hand. “I can’t believe Xavier’s here.” The name rolled off Sophia’s tongue like forbidden fruit and sent a chill down her back.
    Anne Marie leaned close to Sophia and raised a perfectly groomed brow. “I knew this night would be entertaining.”
    Sophia’s mouth went dry.
    “He looks upset,” Anne Marie commented.
    Sophia nodded in agreement as she loosened the hold on her napkin, allowing color to return to her white knuckles.
    Who could blame him if he was upset? His eyes, cold yet caring, locked on her like there wasn’t another soul in the room. He was no doubt confused about the first time they’d met. Heavens, Sophia was still beside herself. Which made that twitch in her stomach that much harder to deal with.
    What was it about his eyes? Their blue depths tugged her down, and before she could swim for safety, they drowned her. She could stare at him forever. That pull, deep in her chest, made her want to jump out of her seat and run over to him again. To apologize for the night before. To wipe the frown off his face and kiss him until he smiled.
    God. What had gotten into her?
    Then he spoke. She closed her eyes.
    “I’d like to welcome everyone to the charity auction tonight.” His voice cracked, not nearly as confident as the previous evening. “It’s a great pleasure for XS to bring a one-of-kind piece to the show.”
    His tone, while hesitant, still hummed along her skin like a thousand little vibrations. Sophia opened her eyes to keep from falling out of her seat.
    Xavier paced the stage, his steps quick, his movements jerky. “Charity is an important aspect of the XS mission, and this charity, Fortune for Future, is exactly the type of giving back our company strives to do. Those who are less fortunate than us—than you—deserve the chance for an education, for learning, to know that there is more to this world than poverty and the struggles that come with it.”
    Sophia twisted her hands in her lap. There was a hard truth in his words. A truth she wondered if half the room understood or cared about.
    “XS has always wanted to give back. To the community, the grass roots, if you will. It is the children that will mold our future.” He frowned briefly. “This organization’s main goal is to take those who are underprivileged and give them the education and life skills needed to survive in this world. I, for one, wish I would have had such an organization growing up back home. Feeling as though you can make a difference in the world—just a small difference—makes you feel very special. And that’s what I ask of all of you.”
    He paused as he faced the audience.
    “After you do your bidding here tonight and go to the comforts of home, ask yourself what you would be like if you didn’t have any material things. There are many people in this world who are like that. People who need help, guidance. Now ask yourself how you can help those people—the world—with just an idea, a simple action.”
    A hint of a smile touched his lips. It was a small gesture that Sophia was certain most people missed, but there was spark there, something deep within Xavier that made him passionate about his words.
    “The future is never certain,” he continued. “And while fate is a powerful thing, it can be changed. Give someone the tools to succeed, and, if they have the drive, they will.”
    Xavier’s eyes found Sophia again. She held his stare for several silent