Page 45 of Virtue & Vengeance

He grinned. “What did you think it was for?”

I shrugged, sipping the champagne and looking around at all the guests. “I don’t know. Making the rich richer.”

He laughed at that and then finished off his glass. “Would you like to dance, angel?”

I looked up at him surprised. “You dance?”

He rolled his eyes at me and then his hand was on my back, guiding me to the dance floor.

“Of course, I dance, Eden.”

He swung me around, positioning me against him as we waited for the music to start.

“You also roll your eyes. I’m learning quite a bit about you tonight.”

The music started, and he took the lead in waltzing us around. “You know a lot about me. I, however, know nothing about you, Ms. Vaughn.”

“What do you want to know?”

His eyes dipped to my lips, and he smiled a genuine smile, making my heart skip several beats. Then he leaned in, kissed the side of my neck softly, and whispered, “Everything.”

The rest of the night was perfect.

We danced.

We drank some of the most expensive champagne.

And we ate the most delicious food.

Zander was the perfect gentlemen in front of the other guests, and he introduced me to everyone, always making sure I felt like I was a part of the conversation.

As the night came to an end, Zander ushered us through the ballroom and to the exit. Stepping into the warm Vegas night, we waited for the valet to bring around Zander’s car.

“Did you have a nice time tonight, Eden?”

Again, he used my name instead of calling me angel. I liked it way more than I should have.

“I did. Honestly. Thank you for bringing me. I’ve never been to anything like this before.”

The valet pulled up then, and after Zander helped me into the car, he moved around to get into the driver’s seat.

The radio was on, but the volume was turned down low. Other than the soft hum of the engine and the light melody of whatever was playing on the radio, the interior was quiet.

“You know,” I said, breaking the silence. “If you had told me six months ago that I’d be going to a gala with one of Vegas’s most eligible bachelors, I would’ve never believed it. But here I am, in a dress that cost as much as a used car, feeling like I could take on the world.”

Zander didn’t say anything at first, but then he rolled his head in my direction.

“You could do anything you wanted to do, Eden. I truly believe that.”

My chest filled with so much emotion I almost choked on it when I replied. “Thank you, Zander.”

He reached over the console and took my hand, neither of us saying anything else.

I don’t know when, but I fell asleep as we drove through the city. I slept until I felt Zander pulling me from the car, and when I woke, I felt like I was floating in the air.

“Where are we?” I asked when I didn’t recognize my surroundings.

“At Empire,” he said.

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