Chosen for Power (Women of Power, #1) Read Online Free Page B

rounded hips. A slit off to the side of her dress exposed a smooth leg all the way to her thigh. He found himself staring at it, willing it to fall open just a little more.
    “I believe this is mine,” she told him a little breathlessly. Apparently he wasn’t the only one affected.
    “Maybe we could share,” Drake said with a suggestive smile. His voice was husky with the heady feeling of meeting someone he was instantly attracted to.  He let go of the drink, thinking he suddenly didn’t need it to survive the night. Instead his heart pounded as he took a step closer to the woman.
    “Share? I don’t think so. I’m not into sharing . . . anything.” He felt a rush when she devoured him with her eyes. Oh, he was definitely intrigued now.
     
    Elle took a sip of the champagne but couldn’t feel the sweet bubbles tickling her mouth. Instead she only felt her body responding to the man standing in front of her.
    “It looks like we have something in common. Once something is mine, I never share either.” His deep voice lilted with a slight southern drawl that enveloped her. Suddenly she felt like a woman again. The way his eyes explored her body gave her a new sense of power. This is what she’d been seeking.
    “I doubt you have a problem keeping what is yours. I wonder how you do it? You must teach me.” Elle was shocked at the way her voice purred. She had no idea who she was, but she knew who she wasn’t tonight. She decided to go for it.
    He leaned his head back and laughed. “It would be my pleasure to teach you a great many things, my dear.”
    Elle felt her face flush and then moved closer to him as she saw a group of women eyeing the man she was talking to. The orchestra started a new song and she turned, brushing his shoulder as she looked at the dancers. Would he ask her to dance? Would he hold her tight against him as they glided along the floor?
    “Are you here with anyone tonight?” he asked in the barest of whispers.
    “No. There’s no one special in my life right now.” Suddenly she grew nervous. There hadn’t been a ring but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a girlfriend or a fiancée. “Are you here with someone?”
    “Yes. You.” He grinned like a flirty teenager. “So, why did you come tonight?”
    “My mother volunteers at the hospital. My family gets together every week for dinner and she always talks about the children she sees. I feel as if we’re all a part of the place now. We all support it in any way we can.”
    Her mother had started volunteering after her father had passed away. It had given her a purpose again. She read to the children at the hospital, helped the nurses and the families, and always brought chocolate for the kids who could have it.
    “That’s nice of your family. Is your mother your date tonight?”
    “No. She’s getting the house ready for Christmas. Tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, my brother, two sisters, and I will report to the house bright and early to make cookies and decorate the tree. Then we stay in our old rooms until after Christmas.” Elle smiled as she was filled with happy Christmas memories.
    “That sounds lovely. My parents come to my house since I’ve . . . become older. There’s nothing better than Mom’s Christmas dinner, is there?”
    Elle looked up into his eyes and saw the warmth in them as he talked about his family. There was something deeper to him than just a hot body and a sexy voice. It was that something that turned her on more than the flat stomach and mesmerizing eyes.
     
    Drake looked down at the woman now by his side. Their shoulders touched occasionally as they watched the dance floor. He saw the men blatantly checking her out and moved closer to her to ward them off. It was strange, though; for all her talk, she didn’t seem to notice the attention. It surprised him and pleased him greatly. She was no Missy Jenner.
    He noticed a man nearby grab two glasses of champagne and head their way. It was time to stake his