Page 49 of A Game-Changing Christmas

The crowd roared in applause, the building shaking as Allison and Lance made out at the altar.

“Mmmm,” Allison moaned. “I do, too,” she said, raptured in the jubilation of his love.

* * *

“Okay everybody,in ten minutes, Allison is tossing the bouquet, so ladies find your way to the middle of the dance floor,” Bri said through the stage mic of the ballroom.

She stepped down and crossed the floor, running into Corinne Thomas, fiancé of Xavier Valentine standing next to Allison in a fun-filled conversation.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Future Rose,” Bri said with a smile, “you’re not exempt from the bouquet tossing because you’re engaged.”

Allison chuckled, and Corinne smiled. “Actually, I am, since technically I’m already accounted for.”

“Hmm, yes, but the bouquet grab symbolizes the next person to be wed, and since you’re not quite yet, that’ll be you.”

Corinne rolled her eyes. “Okay, I’ve got a secret to tell you.”

Both Allison and Bri leaned in to hear what Corinne had to say when the dark groove of a voice stole her attention.

“Bella anima…”

Corinne turned to her husband, who she’d eloped with early that month on a clandestine trip to Zambia, Africa. It had been their second trip to the motherland, and once there it had felt right to join as husband and wife. So they did, and their family was still none the wiser.

Bri St. James knew where this was going. Whenever one of the Valentines came close to their woman, all bets where off. Any and all conversation was paused, maybe to never be picked up again.

“Hold that thought,” Corinne said, sailing into the arms of Xavier.

Allison and Bri chuckled. “Don’t mind us,” Bri said. “I’ve got to gather everyone else anyhow.”

“You do that, and make sure to bring yourself back because you have to make a leap for this bouquet,” Allison added.

Bri frowned. “What you talking about, Willis?”

Allison laughed. “You heard me!” She lifted the bouquet with a shake of her hand as Bri giggled off toward the ladies’ room.

Inside, she checked her foundation in the mirror, feeling confident that she was still put together after all the running around she’d done. More than that, Bri had eyed Raphael in the ballroom standing next to his brothers and a few of the Rose men.

His confidence screamed through the way he stood on solid muscles as the measurement of his tailored suit kissed his thoroughbred physique. She’d eyed the neat clasp of his collar and the pristine shine of his cuff links, Rolex, and wingtip shoes. The chocolate coating of his skin had her wanting to take a bite out of him and see if he was as sweet as her palette hoped him to be. Bri tried not to fall back into the memory of running into his arms at the hospital, when the unruly wind had slapped her in the face on their way to get food or the fact that they’d planned a full vacation without fleshing out the details. Maybe she was being ridiculous to think they would, and it had just been polite conversation at the time.

Either way, Bri couldn’t contain the way her body’s nerves danced at the thought of him or the strange magnetic influence she felt when in his company.

“Pull yourself together, Bri,” she said to herself, giving a final once over before leaving the lavatory and heading back into the ballroom. With her mind on autopilot Bri re-entered the area, running right into a wall of steel that almost knocked her over as she squealed.

“Oh!”

Strong arms gathered her together, steadying her fall before she had a chance to plummet.

“Excuse me, mademoiselle…”

Bri’s eyes drifted up Raphael’s titanic build to the glow of the blue hue resting around his dark gaze; nerves attacked her body as chills populated over her skin.

“Raphael,” she said, “I’m so sorry, please excuse me, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“You’re all right,” he said. “I was actually just looking for you. Is there anything I can help with?”

“Oh, um…” her eyes darted around then went back to him. “No, I think I’ve got everything covered.”

“Just like the superwoman you are,” he said with a handsome smile. “Somehow I knew you’d say that.”

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