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Sharon s off her like a second skin "We’re not most families, and thank God for it"

"Exactly ne flute fro the hot stare of Royce without even looking at hi on the bar, waiting for her She tipped her wrist back to drink and silently vowed that tonight was about indulging, about living a little

"I see you received the watch," Sharon said, glancing at Lauren’s wrist "At least thank us for it"

Lauren didn’t bother co Sharon would never understand the difference between giving love and buying it "Where is my dear brother Brad?" she asked instead, unable to stop the intended jab fro past her lips She didn’t like Sharon’s son any hteen and Lauren seventeen when her father had remarried, not three years after her h they were siblings by e, his creepy flirtation had been aled

"Brad," Sharon replied, "is off taking depositions in an important case for your father’s firot, he runs it now, after you refused the job" Sharon’s eyes darted toward Royce "I see you have caught the eye of the oldest Walker brother You should bethe rest of her chane She was tired of discreet Really darn tired of it and Sharon She ht have said as much, had Sharon stayed by her side one ht Royce’s and found it He atching her exchange with Sharon He knew they’d fought, she realized He was too attentive not to have noticed And oddly, considering the er, she had this sense that if she needed him, he was priirl who normally valued her independence, Lauren was shocked to find that idea beyond sexy, while still dipping into the real And for the first ti uneasy, like she needed to look over her shoulder, for no explainable reason Correction, Lauren thought No explainable reason besides the obvious that she was readying for awith her steps didn’t deserve a dose of comfort Royce Walker style, she didn’t knohat else did

If Royce had ever seen a wo for escape, it was Lauren She didn’t like the politics of her father’s world, nor most definitely the disposition of her step that she had no real control that it all belonged to her father She wanted out desperately yearning for freedootiator, seen how people dealt with the feeling of being trapped, of having all control stripped So when Royce watched Lauren reach for yet another glass of chane, he knew she was in trouble He knew she never had more than one drink He knew this from her profile He knew a lot about Lauren that he’d venture to say she didn’t want him to know Most importantly, he kneas tiret in the o after her, when Lauren headed down the stairs, and began weaving or rather wobbling her way in his direction In several long strides, Royce was in front of her, gently shackling her arms to steady her Her hand went to her forehead, distress in her delicate features

She looked at him ide eyes "Thanks I think"

"You drank too much" He kept his voice low, and then leaned down near her ear, and whispered "Perhaps regretting the invitation you gave me earlier?"

He felt her shiver, and then watched defiance flash in her eyes "No I’m not" She paused "It’s not you It’s me" She let out a breath "It’sand I never ramble but I’m only a little bit tipsy That doesn’t ht knohat she was doing, but that didn’tHe wasn’t in the habit of causing regret in wo he could do was get her hoivemore "Did you drive to the party?"

She shook her head "I’irl I won’t pay to park a car I barely drive"

"That leaves you with two options to get hoet you a taxi or I can drive you home" He wanted her to say ‘taxi,’ for her sake, for his But he couldn’t let that be her answer, not and do his job He needed to be her ride, to get to her hoet closer to her

She didn’t blink, didn’t look away, her voice soft and raspy, and oh so sexy as she said, "You knoant you to take me home"

The obvious reiteration of the earlier invitation he couldn’t accept no ut "Consider me your ride then"

A few minutes later, the two of them stood in the lobby of the hotel while a valet pulled his truck to the bottohts of outdoor steps He slipped his arm around her waist and they headed into an unseasonably cool April evening air They ed to make it as far as the bottom of the first set of stairs on the terrace area, when they were suddenly swarmed by reporters Cameras flashed and microphones were shoved in their direction