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She still couldn’t believe that she was going to attend one of the biggest, most upscale benefits of the year The one she’d always read about in the New York Post’s Page Six the day after while dreaeous ball gown and pretend she was a princess for a night So, after years of i herself at a Wilder Way charity benefit, she’d been shocked when she’d coold-embossed invitation on her father’s desk at hoo when he’d never received one before
She had no idea how he’d ed to score an invitation to the ball, but the theme of the event—fairy tales and happily ever afters—spoke to the roirl inside her The one as still waiting for her own chivalrous Prince Char and sweep her off of her feet
It had been in thatthat Arabella finally knew exactly what she wanted for her twenty-fifth birthday, which her father had been asking about She didn’t want eously expensive and iifts that she’d never use Her father would have found a way to give her the moon and stars if she’d ever asked for them, and while she knew she was incredibly fortunate to have a parent who doted on her, it wasn’t tangible, extravagant things she wanted in her life
No, she wanted more independence and the kind of free rein that didn’t include checking in with her father on a regular basis so he are of her whereabouts all the tiuilty for those selfish thoughts because her dad had always been so good to her and she worried about hiina, a symptom of coronary heart disease While he was currently stable, she knew any upset could possibly trigger an episode
Arabella had been so sheltered and
protected growing up after herto explore the world on a grander scale instead of existing in the padded bubble her father had created around her She knew her father would never grant that kind of request—he was too protective for that—so she asked for the one thing she’d always desired She’d asked to go to the ball
And she swore tonight would be the beginning of a new, adventurous side to Arabella Cole How could a the but aexperience?
Unfortunately, the one thing putting abeside her, Gavin Scott, who’d been her father’s right-hand man in business for years and who Theodore Cole had insisted accompany her to the ball That had been the one caveat to her dad granting her request, and because her father had been oddly reluctant about allowing her to attend the ball in the first place, she’d agreed to his stipulation, even knowing it was her father’s way of forcing Arabella to acknowledge Gavin’s interest in her
She tried not to let that thought ruin her excite method to push her toward Gavin roiven in to a few dates with the man, there had been no spark between them for her, even when she’d kissed him What turned her off the otistical for her tastenot that her disinterest dissuaded hih he took her cool, aloof disposition toward hi that she disliked hi
Gavin was undeniably good-looking, with sandy-blond hair and green eyes, but that outward appearance didn’twith the fact that he already acted as though Arabella belonged to him That in itself irritated her iht, for the sake of being civil and enjoying her evening, she’d s to despise Gavin and his unpleasant personality, the too faly possessive ways
Still gazing out the , she shook off those troublesoood mood, but she knew at some point she would need to address the situation with her dad and tell him exactly how she felt about Gavin It wouldn’t be an easy conversation since her father considered Gavin very h hopes of the the perfect couple
In the limousine, her father and Gavin spoke in hushed tones, and for the most part, she’d shut out their conversation, as she normally did when she was in their presence, because it usually pertained to business she had no inkling about or interest in But it was a coht her attention She listened a bit h she was riveted by the passing scenery
“After all these years, I still have no idea how I ended up on the invite list for tonight’s ball,” heoddly uneasy, which wasn’t a word Arabella would ever use to describe her normally confident and direct father
“It doesn’t antly from his seat beside her “So the event, and nobody higher up noticed thehis words carefully because Arabella ith theood fortune, because there are connections to be ht that ouldn’t otherwise have access to”
“It better be worth it,” her father gruoddamn fortune to attend this asinine fairy-tale ball”