Free Just One (Dangerously Dimpled) by Emily Hemmer Page A

transformer. I sway when he
releases me, and he catches me around the waist before I can fall over again.
    “You seem to be having some trouble
staying on your feet. Don’t tell me you’ve been into the punch already?”
    The sensation of his hand on my body
mixed with the oppressive Texas heat makes standing damn near impossible. “It’s
the shoes, they’re not mine. I borrowed them from my sister. They’re hell-bent
on introducing me to the pavement.”
    “Then I’d better get you to a chair. We
wouldn’t want you breaking a leg.”
    “What are you? A doctor?” I allow him to
lead me slowly toward a small bistro table near the garden path.
    He grabs my left hand as his right
applies a delicious pressure against my back. “Just the friendly neighborhood
lawyer, I’m afraid.”
    “Oh, I get it now. You’re here to make
sure I don’t sue anybody.”
    “You’ve uncovered my motives.” He winks.
“Helping you out of those bushes was a ploy to deter any potential litigation.
I take my job very seriously, especially when the alleged victim has beautiful
blue eyes.”
    It’s a good thing it’s a hundred degrees
out here, or he’d be able to see the blush creeping up my neck. “Well don’t
worry, counselor. The only thing that got injured tonight was my pride.”
    Alex helps me into a chair before moving
around to take a seat. He leans forward, his forearms flat against the tabletop
and his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “Lucky for you, I was the only one
out here to witness your fall from grace and I found the whole thing
quite…enjoyable.”
    I fan myself with a cocktail napkin,
pretending it’s the heat that’s got me flustered.
    Alex’s hair is black and shiny; just long
enough that one stubborn piece hangs loose over his forehead, grazing the top
of one perfect black eyebrow. He’s broad-shouldered, and undoubtedly in great
shape. If I hadn’t just gorged myself on hors d'oeuvres, I’d consider sampling that strong jaw of his.
    “So.” He leans closer. “Are you a party
crasher, or do you know the birthday girl?”
    I cross my legs beneath the table and
lean forward myself. I paid good money for this push-up bra, best to not let it
go to waste. “I’m Paige’s sister.”
    “You’re Paige’s sister?”
    I nod. “Why do you sound so shocked?”
    “I guess I figured the laws of nature
wouldn’t allow that much beauty in one family.”
    Oh, he’s good. “I’ll take that as a
compliment.”
    “As well you should. I guess I should’ve
known. The blond hair, so light it’s almost white, that must be your family’s
signature color.”
    “I guess it’s a little different.” My
fingers slide against the long, straight hair that’s been pulled back into an
elegant chignon, courtesy of Paige’s hair stylist. When she insisted on
trussing me up for her twenty-third birthday party, I tried to object. But
nobody says no to Paige. Nobody.
    “It’s the eyes, too. They’re the same
shape, only yours are more of a sea-blue.”
    I drop my gaze and concentrate on a piece
of dirt still clinging to my dress. Paige’s eyes, crystal blue like colored
diamonds, have always been a source of envy to me. “She’s got me there. People
are always going on about her eyes.”
    “I like yours better.” Alex cocks his
head to the side, recapturing my attention.
    Sea-blue meet deep brown. His eyes remind
me of melted chocolate and suddenly, I’m hungry again. “That’s awful nice of
you.”
    Grinning, he leans back in his seat. “So,
before I interrupted your death by landscaping plan, what you were doing out
here all alone? There’s a party going on inside, you know.”
    “I wasn’t hiding, exactly. I was trying
to avoid embarrassing myself in front of Paige’s sorority sisters.”
    “I see. So you didn’t follow in your
sister’s Delta Gamma footsteps? What? You have something against community
service and wet t-shirt contests?”
    I’m not prone to a lack of self
confidence but I