Page 33 of Kandi's Crush: A BWWM Sweet Billionaire Romance

Pierre looked bored out of his mind. This young man had just signed a fifteen-million-dollar contract. I was sure he would rather be out with his teammates and not at this stuffy gala.

After dinner, the dancing portion of the event began. Mr. Landry nursed a mild case of sciatica and spent the evening glued to his chair. I alternated dances between Mrs. Landry and Sandra.

“I’ll ask the young man for a dance,” Sandra whispered conspiratorially during one of our dances. “Then,? you can spend some time alone with the lady. She’s lovely. I think you two would be a stunning couple.”

“Thank you, Sandra.”

True to her word, at the end of our dance, she walked back to the table and tapped Pierre on the shoulder. He took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor.

Finally, I was alone with Kandace, and apparently, I wasn’t the only one who’d been looking forward to it.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m here for you.”

“My God. You are serious? You? And me?” She gestured between the two of us.

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

“Excuse me,” she said abruptly, easing her chair back. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

Are you kidding me??She jumped up and fled. Again. This was getting ridiculous. I gave her a few seconds before I excused myself from the table. I was on her heels as she weaved and navigated a clear path through the crowded ballroom.

I stood outside of the hallway leading to the restrooms, leaning casually against the wall as I scrolled through email messages.

Kandace exited the restroom a few minutes later. She jumped when I took her by the hand and led her into a darkened banquet room. Her eyes widened as I closed the door and backed her against the wall. The light from the hallway streamed through the glass door pane, illuminating her beautiful face.

Her breaths were quick and shallow, but she relaxed a little as I wrapped my fingers around her wrist. My thumb brushed against her tender skin as I felt the blood course within her veins. I looked into her eyes and waited as her blood pressure slowed. I moved my hand to her face, and she leaned into it.

“My sweet Kandace,” I whispered into her ear.

She shivered as the warmth of my breath tickled her soft flesh. Her perfume, an intoxicating blend of jasmine and mandarin oranges, floated past my nostrils. The scent was decidedly female and took hold of all of my senses. I pressed my nose to her pulse points, needing more. I’d always believed a woman’s scent was better when shared with her lover and not the world.

I moved my mouth over hers, teasing her soft lips. I stayed there for seconds, not moving. The hunger slowly built between the two of us before I flicked my tongue between her lips. A moan escaped as she opened in anticipation of a kiss. Instead of moving my tongue into her delicious mouth, I leaned my head back until our mouths were mere inches apart.

“I’m running out of options here. You walk around my loft and this party as if I don’t matter. This whole thing is a new experience for me.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She seemed to analyze my words and attempting to collect herself.

“You must learn to deal with it. Maybe you aren’t as big of a deal as you think you are,” she replied with a glint of playfulness in her eyes.

“You’re teasing me. You want me to chase you.”

Her nervous laughter was a shield deployed to deflect the truth in my words. I took it as an invitation to move my body closer to hers.

“I can’t escape you. You’re everywhere, and it’s driving me wild,” I growled.

“Chadwick, come on. You’re the king of one-night stands and friends with benefits. How am I supposed to deal with your reputation?”

“You enjoy the experience that comes with it.”

“I’m not interested in being a part of your harem or a notch on your bedpost, which I’m sure is whittled down to a splinter by now.”

Fuck.

She delivered the sharp words with such precision that they cut me deep. Her measured expression showed that she was in complete control. It was impossible for me to mimic her energy. I wore my emotions on my sleeve, especially in chasing and capturing women. Then, I detected a trace of mischief in her eyes.

My hand lightly glided down her arm until our fingers entwined. She sighed as I brought her hand up for a kiss.

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