Now Broderick was mesmerized once more as her flawless skin shimmered under the vast chandeliers of the ballroom. Her thick, waist-length hair was swept over her right shoulder in flowing curls showcasing her sculptured cheekbones on her alluring face. He did a customary glance of her left hand and was relieved to see no wedding ring. However, she was much too sexy and exquisite to not have a man in her life. He briefly perused the room but didn’t notice anyone else staring in her direction. Some of the men were seated with their significant others. A few of the single ones he knew were cousins of the groom, but the other handful he wasn’t sure about. Heck, for all he knew she could be dating his colleague next to him, though he doubted it.
Broderick continued watching her chat and laugh with one of the bridesmaids, not once realizing that he couldn’t tear his gaze away. Even as his business associate conversed about the stock market rates of the day—which normally would have his full attention—he was focused on the breathtaking bridesmaid and her luscious lips. Lips like hers needed to be kissed and caressed gently at first to savor their warmth and to listen to her soft moans before crashing further into her mouth with fervor. Her moans would undoubtedly increase from the intensity of being under his command. He took a sip of his brandy while his thoughts carried him to a place of drawing her to him and tasting her divine, sweet mouth. His tongue lingered on the warmth of the liquor as he imagined doing the same to her succulent lips.
The wedding coordinator’s announcement of the newlyweds entering the room jerked Broderick from his daydream as everyone stood and yelled as Bryce and his wife, Sydney, zoomed into the middle of the dance floor on a Harley. Broderick wasn’t surprised—the newlyweds both loved motorcycles and owned several.
Once the excitement died down, he was tempted to stride over to the lovely woman who had filled his thoughts for the last hour. Unfortunately, a quick swipe of her cell phone from the table and a grimace on her adorable face had her slipping out of a side door in a flash.
He returned his attention to his colleague, who still yammered on about the stock market without realizing Broderick hadn’t heard a single word.
“So are you considering taking your money out of Swanson Technologies?”
Broderick pondered for a moment and sipped the rest of his drink. “I’ll have my stockbroker look over everything before making a decision. It’s the weekend, Dave. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
Dave scanned his face with puzzlement. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say anything like that before. Ever.”
Grabbing his empty plate, Broderick shrugged and stood. “I don’t talk about business all the time.” He knew that was a lie. As a real estate developer and investor in Atlanta, making more millions was the only thought on his mind. He owned a lot of property in Georgia and the surrounding states, including a percentage of the hotel he was currently standing in. However, staring at the dazzling woman had clouded his brain. He quickly shrugged it off as he made his way to the dessert table, which was laden with tiers of assorted cupcakes. A woman like her would want more than just a fling. She’d want a real relationship that would eventually lead to a ring on her dainty finger, an extravagant wedding, children and cross-country vacations in a Winnebago. Maybe even a dog. No, that wasn’t on his agenda. At age thirty-seven, he knew he should consider settling down, though the thought irked him.
He reprimanded himself for even parading such ideas and reached out to grab a cupcake. Biting into it, he was impressed by the deliciousness of the caramel icing and took another bite.
“Mmm...this is delectable,” he said out loud, setting it on his plate and reaching for another one.
“Why thank you.”
A wicked grin lined his face as the angelic voice of a woman caressed his back like heat from the sun. Even though he’d never heard her speak before he knew it had to be the lady who’d caught his curiosity. He pivoted to stare, almost eye level with the tall, regal beauty who was even more intriguing up close. She wore a pleased smile that showcased a yummy dimple on her left cheek.
“You made these delicious cupcakes?”
She glanced at them before resting her cinnamon eyes on him once more. “Yes and the wedding cakes. The one you have is the same flavor as the groom’s motorcycle-shaped cake. I’m glad you like it.”
“Like is an understatement,” he paused, stepping closer to her and lowering his voice. “I love it.” He swished his tongue to the left corner of his mouth to lick off icing he felt.
He noted a slight gulp as she backed up a tad and turned toward the dessert table. “Well, there’s plenty here for you to select from.”
“Mmm...yeah, but I prefer the caramel one. It’s quite mouthwatering.”
Running her fingers through the top tresses of her hair, she tried to squash a smile while biting her bottom lip.
Goodness she was sexy, but he could sense there was so much more to her than that, and he wanted...no, needed to know.
“I’m Broderick Hollingsworth, and if I had to guess I’d say your name is Angel.”
Releasing a cute giggle, she ran her fingers through her hair once more. “That’s very sweet, Mr. Hollingsworth, but it’s Tiffani Chase...umm Lake.” She stumbled on her words and shook her head as if she’d forgotten. “It’s hyphenated.”
He glanced at her ringless left hand. “You’re married?” he asked with disappointment, hoping that her husband wasn’t somewhere nearby watching their interaction and feeling ready to fight. Not that Broderick was scared. At six-feet-three inches and two hundred and ten pounds of all muscle, he feared no one; however, he would never disrespect anyone’s marriage. He decided to back up a few steps.
She waved her hands back and forth. “Oh...no...not anymore. My husband died a little over three years ago.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” he said, trying to sound as sincere as possible while moving to his original spot in front of her. A server with a tray of champagne flutes approached. Broderick took two and handed one to Tiffani.
Sipping the champagne, a faraway expression washed over her features. “Thank you. My family and friends have been a huge support. Plus, I have to stay strong and focused for my son, Keith Jr. He’s my only concern.”
Son? He had a rule to never date women with children, especially young children. He was spontaneous and didn’t want to deal with the hassle of a woman trying to secure a babysitter at the last minute or having to be back by a certain time. Then there were the other issues like she couldn’t spend the night at his house or he couldn’t stay over at hers. Or dealing with the fathers or meeting the child, who may or may not like him. However, there was something intriguing about Tiffani that had piqued his curiosity, and there were exceptions to every rule, especially those he made.
“How old is he?”
“KJ is eight. He was the ring bearer in the wedding.”
“Ah, I remembered him coming down the aisle, looking quite dapper in his tux.” Broderick glanced around the room. “Where is he?”
“Oh, I sent him home with the babysitter after the ceremony. I’ll be here late and didn’t want him up past his bedtime.”
“Makes sense. So, is baking a hobby for you?”
“At