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

claim. The thought of anyone else touching this woman was unbearable.
    He gently took her drink and set it on the table. “Shall we dance?” She smiled and nodded her head slowly.
    Drake rested his hand on the small of her back and navigated her through the crowd and onto the dance floor. He held up his hand and she softly placed hers in it. Desire shot through him, knowing she was feeling what he was: nervous, enchanted, and determined all at once.
    He enclosed her hand in his and wrapped his other around her back, resting it slightly lower than normal. Drake felt the curve of her bottom and pressed her closer to him. He knew she could feel his arousal by the way her cheeks flushed below her mask and her eyes darkened.
    Elle glided along the floor with him leading the way. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off hers. “You’re a wonderful dancer,” he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
    “Thanks. My mom again. She made all of us take dance classes. What can I say?” Elle shrugged as she kept her eyes on his.
    He felt her fingers gently tease the nape of his neck. The action emboldened him as he ran his fingers slowly down her spine.
    “My family is kinda quirky," she stated with a smile.
    “They sound delightful. What about your father?” Drake felt her momentarily stiffen and then relax.
    “He passed away from a heart attack eight years ago. That’s when my mother decided we, as a family, needed to do a weekly activity together. We did a new one every year. First it was dance lessons and then it was art classes. Let me tell you, drawing a naked man while sitting next to your mother is rather uncomfortable.”
    Drake laughed at the expression on her face.
    “And then there was knitting, which was when my brother drew the line and moved back to Europe. But not before naming basketball as the next year’s activity. Sadly, my mother at sixty-one can outshoot my youngest sister. Then there were photography, pottery, and cooking classes.”
    Drake chuckled. It sounded wonderful. He was close to his parents, too, but they were happily enjoying retirement in Key West. Although they were visiting more and more often. “That’s seven. What are you doing this year?”
     
    Elle hesitated. It didn’t seem like he was making fun of her. Her mother may be a pain in the butt, but she was her pain in the butt. In fact, no one knew about their weekly classes followed by a family dinner. She was strangely protective of it, yet she was so comfortable talking to him that she hadn’t even realized she’d told him about her family’s most treasured time together.
    “Fencing.”
    “With swords?” His lips quirked, but his eyes shone with good humor.
    Elle couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, with swords. After the embarrassment with basketball, my sister wanted to redeem herself. She loves historical romance novels and finds it romantic when a man duels to defend his lady’s honor. So when it was her turn to choose the activity, she chose fencing.”
    “Can she beat your mother?”
    “It’s a draw. Luckily they’re good sports about it and it’s actually funny.”
    “Which activities did you pick?”
    “Art and photography.”
    “Why’d you choose those?”
    Elle paused as she considered her answer. Talking to him was so easy, but tonight was about freedom and she wanted to protect her identity. “I wanted to be able to do something artistic because it’s so different from my day-to-day life.”
    “I just met you, but I can picture you painting or walking the streets looking for new angles to photograph.” He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, “It’s very sexy.”
    Elle felt a shiver go down her spine as her body heated up. She also felt relief that he didn’t press further. But then the music ended and they came to a stop. She gazed into his eyes waiting to see if he would suggest getting another drink or if he was going to say his good-byes. He glanced down at her but made no move to leave the dance