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Stop staring and breathe.
Joseph's gaze found the woman who had been able to capture his attention all night. She was the last person he had expected to run into tonight. After spending every night having dinner with her and his son, at Zeke's request, he was unashamedly looking forward to a night away from her.
He didn't trust himself around her. What she did prove to be harder to forgive than he had originally thought. He would try to be nice then the next minute he'd be in a heated argument with her. His words always being unkind. Every night before he could fall asleep her crushed expressions haunted him. He tried telling himself she deserved it but, hurting her just didn't feel right.
Tonight she looked far different than the sweatpants and tank tops he had gotten used to seeing her in. After the first night, she hadn't made an effort to dress up when he went for dinner.
As he looked at her now, her red dress teased him with every move she made. The cocktail dress clung to her like a second skin. The strapless back gave him a clear view of her delicate-looking skin. He hated himself for wanting to know if she was as soft to the touch as she looked.
She turned and caught his stare once again before looking away. She infuriated him, he couldn't read her one bit.
A light squeeze of his hand had him turning back to his date for the night. A petite ginger that Jason had managed to get as his date for the night.
"I'm bored, how much longer are we going to be here?" she whined
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"I don't know. Have some champagne." he reached for a flute from a passing waiter and handed it to her.
She took it eagerly and took a gulp.
At first, he had intended to go solo to this charity dinner but then he had gotten word that Gina Gilbert would be in attendance and he knew he needed a date as a shield. He had noticed her watching him all night.
Gina had taken interest in him since the first time his business had started taking off. He met her at the mayor's ball and since then she seemed to have gotten a certain infatuation with him. He grimaced as he remembered her ruby red nails running along his suit glad skin that night, her touch felt like tiny spiders on his body, and her fingers reminded him of claws.
He had been polite in accepting one dance from her that night but she had somehow managed to monopolize his time for the rest of the night, sticking to him like protecting precious gems.
He caught sight of her making her way toward him through the crowd and he instantly felt panicked. He turned to his date and removed the champagne from her hand.
"I wasn't -" she started complaining.
"Dance with me and pretend to be my girlfriend that's in love and I'll make it worth your while," he whispered close to her ear.
His little whispering move had Gina stopping to narrow her eyes at them.
He glanced down at his date when she reached up and placed her hand on his chest. She held his hand and pulled him to the crowd. Not knowing what she was doing he decided to just follow her lead as it seemed to be working. Gina stood glaring at the ginger's hold on him.
They ended up on the dance floor in a slow waltz. He had to admit he was impressed. He had always thought the women Jason knew didn't have much class to them but this girl he had his hands wrapped around moved with a grace that spoke of years of experience from attending these types of functions.
Another time he would have been interested, maybe taken her home for the night. Tonight though his mind was far too preoccupied with a certain lady in red.
As his date wrapped her arms around him he allowed himself to pull her closer as they moved. It had been so long since he'd been with a woman just having her close was reminding him of wants he needed to be fulfilled.
His eyes drifted to Miranda across the room once more, she was watching him closely. When he caught her eyes he saw something in them that surprised him.
Was it disappointment or longing?
She looked away and his eyes drifted to Gina. She stood watching them with open curiosity.
"Are they still watching?"
He looked down at his date with furrowed eyebrows.
"Who?" he asked
The girl smiled at him and shook her head. He realized she was cute.
"I'm a woman Joseph, I've noticed the scary-looking woman in the midnight blue dress watching you all night. She looks about ready to spread you on a table and have you for dinner. The one in red is the one you want though right? You can't take your eyes off her."
He was surprised. Here he was barely paying attention to her and she had obviously been well aware of him all night. He felt guilty, she was nothing like the airhead he had expected from Jason.
"How the heck did you get caught up with a player like my brother? You're nothing like his usual."
He saw her grimace and that's when it all started to make sense.
"You're in love with my brother aren't you?" he asked her
She blushed and looked away. She placed her head on his chest as they swayed to the music.
"Does he know? " he asked her.
She quietly shook her head against him. His heart went out to her.
"It sucks you know? Wanting someone that does everything to avoid you. You know you're the best thing for them but they don't know that. It sucks more watching that person want everyone else but you. I was stupid thinking sleeping with him would make him feel the same way I do but the next morning I woke up he was already over the night we had."
His gut clenched and his heart ached. He felt like reality had just somehow slapped him in the face.
His eyes drifted to Miranda once more, this time she held his gaze. There was no denying the hurt in her eyes.
This is how it was for her too. Just like the woman in his arms that he couldn't even remember her name, this is how Miranda had felt.
