Page 163 of The Re-Proposal

It’s not professional that I keep losing my train of thought.

And when guys start approaching her, my mind snaps.

“Excuse me.” I tell the hotshot attorney I was hoping to woo over to our internal law team. My steps are brisk and my eyes are thick with storm clouds.

I draw near, slide an arm around Clarissa’s waist and kiss her cheek. “Princess, would you like to dance?”

Her eyes widen.

I whisk her away before she can get a word out. Her fingers are sticky when I slip my hand around them and lead her back and forth in a waltz.

“I wasn’t finished eating,” Clarissa hisses angrily.

“And I wasn’t finished schmoozing.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Yours.”

She snorts. “Wow.”

“You have a very unique talent for stealing my sanity.” I spin her around and bring her back to me. My lips tilted to her ear, I whisper, “What am I going to do with you, princess?”

She shudders and looks up at me with her divine brown eyes, rendering me speechless.

“Cody,” she inhales, “why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?”

She peers up at me and then shakes her head. “Nothing.”

I bring her close, tucking my hand more securely around her waist and inhaling her scent. In the distance, I see a man standing head and shoulders over the crowd. He’s dressed in all black and his presence sends a ring of alarm through the guests near him.

“Doberman?” I hiss.

Clarissa whips around. “Is it just me or does he look more serious than usual?”

“I’ll be right back.”

She nods.

I stalk over to Doberman and motion for him to follow me into the hallway.

“What’s wrong?”

“Winifred was spotted by the docks.” He plays the footage on his phone.

“When was that taken?”

“Tonight. We think he might have snuck in through the port.”

“Why would he comebackto the city when the cops are looking for him?” My eyes narrow. “Do you know his location now?”

“He disappeared again, but the moment he resurfaces, we’ll find him.”

I nod. Winifred was mildly annoying before he sent someone to smash my windshield. Now, he’s a bug I want to crush. Because of him, Clarissa was almost hurt. I can’t let him walk away with a slap on the wrist this time.

“I suggest you cut this evening short,” Doberman says.

---