Everything about Murph is overwhelming. His presence, his commanding voice, and even his appearance. Like trying to stare at the sun, he deafens my other senses. And right now, I want to do more than look at him.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I stop just out of arm’s reach. “Let’s go.”

He clears his throat, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, and walking me to the car outside, his hand on the small of my back. Ruby is resting in her room, and at this point, I’m glad. The tension between me and Murph has tainted the air with a haze of desire that is so delicious I’d hate for another person’s presence to ruin it.

On our way to the golf club, I watch him driving one of Hazel’s old cars with a sense of power that is intoxicating. I have to look away and remember that there will be people here at this gala who want to ruin Murph’s business, the business that I am about to own.

And sell.

I swallow down my nerves.

“Stop biting your nails,” he mumbles under his breath with enough conviction that I actually listen.

“You’re so bossy,” I answer as I take my fingers away from my mouth.

“That’s Hazel’s dress?” he asks, eyeballing my chest and hips again.

“Yeah, but she didn’t have the hips I do.”

“She gave it to you for a reason,” he says, keeping his eyes on the road.

“What does that mean?” I ask, narrowing my eyes on him.

He shrugs and glances at me again. “It means you fill it out.”

The corners of my mouth lift into a smirk.

When we pull up to the golf club, the valet opens the door for me, and I step out, feeling immediately out of place. We don’t belong here. I want to crawl back into the car and drape something over my exposed cleavage. The sexy pride I felt over my hips in this dress is gone. What if they think I look too trashy? What if they know my secrets? What if this gets back to Hugo?

Then, I feel Murph step up next to me, and my arm links through his instinctually. Suddenly, I don’t feel so nervous.

He glances down at me, his face blank, but the intense connection between us gives me courage to keep walking into the building.

There’s a man in a suit standing by the door, and I can see him tense as we approach. He looks like he’s ready to fight when Murph moves to walk right past him. The man puts out an arm, and I’m almost hoping he makes us leave so we can just go home.

“I’m sorry, sir. This event is by invitation only.”

Murph’s face takes on a hard edge as he glares at the valet. “We have an invitation. We’re here for Hazel Whitaker.”

The look of recognition instantly registers on the man’s face. There’s surprise there too. Without hesitating, Murph pulls out the invitation and hands it to the other man. He stares at it, obviously disbelieving.