Page 62 of Somewhere You Belong

But now I know he can make a uniform look better than a five-piece suit.

And that beard.

I never thought a beard was something I would be attracted too, but Dallas wears his trim beard like he is the spokesperson for facial hair.

And I’m becoming desperate to feel it burn the inside of my thighs.

His presence is overwhelming—strong, proud, intense, and yet comforting, like being in his vicinity means you don’t have to look over your shoulder at every turn. Although, in a town like Carrington Cove, I assume there’s not much to be wary of, unlike D.C.

And that’s when I realize he makes mefeelprotected—and that’s a more serious problem than the throbbing between my legs.

As I come back to reality and remember that I have a voice, Mrs. Hansen chimes in. “Oh, that can’t be right. I expect better from you, Dallas.”

“Yes ma’am. And I assure you I’m working on making it up to her.”

Flabbergasted, I continue to stare up at him as Astrid clears her throat. “Well, Mrs. Hansen, it was so nice to see you, but I’m going to take Willow around to mingle a bit. We’ll catch up with you later.”

“Oh, yes, dear. Have a good evening. I’m going to go find my husband before his speech.” She pats Astrid on the arm before walking away, and I finally feel like I can breathe again, even if for just a second.

“Hello, Willow,” Dallas says, pulling my attention back to him.

I clear my throat and straighten my spine. “Hello, Dallas.”

As I stand there, I watch his eyes eat me up appreciatively, and I swear I can feel the livewire of electricity move across my skin with his eyes. “You look…”

“Dallas!” A short brunette waves her hand in the air, marching across the room toward us and interrupting his thought. “Where the hell have you been?”

Irritation washes over him, but he brushes it off quickly. “I just got here, Hazel. Calm down.”

“Can you please just come over to our table? Mom looks like she’s getting overwhelmed, and I think it would make her feel better if we were all there.”

His eyes bounce between me and the woman whom I now know is his sister—a detail I know thanks to Astrid’s intel, though the uncanny resemblance between them would give it away regardless. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.” Hazel rolls her eyes before walking away, but thankfully, Astrid chimes in.

“Go, Dallas. We’ll catch up with you later. I’ll make sure to come by and say hello to your mom. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Every feature of Dallas’s face finally softens. “She’d like that, Astrid. I’ll see you both later then, I guess.”

“We’ll be here.”

“Glad you’re here, Willow.” With a curt nod but a lingering stare, he walks away, leaving us standing there as I study his purposeful strides and the way his body is enhanced by every line of his suit.

“You okay there, girl?” Astrid asks, stepping directly in front of me so I have no choice but to focus on her.

“Uh.” I swallow roughly and nod. “Yeah.”

“I think you have a little drool coming out of the side of your mouth.” She reaches toward me as if to wipe it off.

“What? No I don’t!” I reply, reaching up to wipe the corner of my lips and finding nothing there.

Astrid just laughs at me. “Jesus, Willow. Could you be any more transparent?”

Sighing, I tip back the rest of my champagne and then search the room. “I think I need to walk around a bit. Get some fresh air.”

Astrid narrows her eyes at me. “Yeah. Okay. Just don’t go too far, and let me know if you need anything. I’m going to go say hello to a few people and I’ll meet you at our table for dinner.”

I nod. “Sounds good.”

Astrid leaves me to my own devices, so I decide that another glass of champagne is necessary. I head toward the bar, secure my drink, and then continue to walk around the room, surveying the remaining posterboards displaying pictures.

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