Page 67 of Fumbled Beginning

“Because I’m afraid once I tell you about my past, you’ll realize I’m not worth the trouble.”

“You’re really scared to tell me, aren’t you?”

“I’m terrified.”

“Well, unless it’s illegal or involves cheating, then there is nothing you can tell me that will scare me away.”

Fuck, I hoped she was right.

CHAPTER21

RYLEE

I gave myself a little twirl,admiring the floor-length blue gown. My heart pounded with nerves because I wanted to look beautiful for him. This was our first public appearance, and I wanted him to be proud to have me on his arm.

A swift, heavy knock sounded on the bedroom door. “Rylee, we have to go.”

“I’m coming,” I called out, running a hand along my hips. The dress was strapless and hugged every curve I had. There was a slit that ran along the side and stopped mid-thigh. The material felt tight, but not too tight where I couldn’t breathe.

Another knock. “Rylee, please hurry up. I can’t be late.”

I blew out a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

JP was adjusting his tie when he looked up. “Holy shit!” He froze, and I did the same.

Just the sight of him in a simple, tailored, black suit, with a pale blue tie that perfectly matched my dress, made my knees go weak.

“Do I look okay?”

His eyes were dark as they took me in. “You look stunning.” The rough tone of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. “Every woman in the room is going to be jealous.”

I walked over and brushed a kiss on his cheek. “It will be because I’ll be the one on your arm.”

“Ready?” He held out his hand.

I placed my palm in his. “I guess so, considering you won’t give me five more minutes.”

“You don’t need five more minutes. You look perfect.” He brought his mouth to my ear. “I’m not sure how I’m going to keep my hands off you. All I keep thinking of is how badly I want to fuck you in that dress.”

“Don’t forget the heels.” I stretched my leg out to show off my sparkly Jimmy Choo’s.

He groaned. “Trust me, there is no way we are forgetting those later.”

He helped me into my coat and out to the car. Both of us were going to have a hard time keeping our hands off each other tonight.

When we stepped inside the venue, my eyes wandered, taking in the tiny details, and getting caught up in the ambiance of the room. A live band played music, and servers carried trays with bite-sized hors d’oeuvres. The ballroom was dark, with flickering candles. It was also dripping in money. I was happy to see so many supporting this cause.

A waiter passed by, and JP grabbed two flutes of champagne. “Want to check out the silent auction?”

“I’d love to.”

Unfortunately, we didn’t make it very far before he was stopped by someone trying to lock him down in a conversation. His eyes were full of apology, but I brushed him off and told him to do what he had to do. He was here to raise money for his charity and get recognized for his hard work. That was the whole point of this dinner. JP couldn’t help it that he was the center of attention, and everyone wanted their one-on-one time with him.

I strolled over to the first auction table and put a bid in for a weekend stay at a local winery. There was a little bit of everything, from restaurant gift cards, spa packages, memorabilia, and tickets donated by the NFL.

A familiar hand rested on my back. “I’m sorry.”

I turned around, giving him a reassuring smile. “No need to apologize.”

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