SNEAK PEEK OF THE ONE I WANT
Chapter One
June Parker decided she knew how Daniel had felt seconds before entering the lion’s den. Fear sluiced up her spine. A tight feeling encircled her chest like a vise. Terror coursed through her veins. And a strange feeling of relief that something she dreaded, something that would test every ounce of her inner strength and outer stamina, was finally at hand.
No more waiting and thinking of everything that might go wrong. Reality was now at her doorstep.
Or, rather, at the doorstep of Ross and Marjean Driskill, her boyfriend’s parents.
Cameron, the love of her life who’d been assuring her all day that he’d primed his parents by telling them he was bringing her with him tonight, pulled his BMW to a stop in the circular drive. As he handed his key fob to the valet, another young man, looking professional in dark pants and a crisp white shirt, opened June’s door and held out his hand.
Cameron rounded the front of the vehicle and handed the man who’d assisted June a folded bill.
Instead of heading immediately to the front door, which would no doubt open before they even reached it, June paused and took a moment to steady herself.
Tonight’s cocktail party was originally supposed to be an intimate gathering of family and friends at the penthouse of Cameron’s grandparents, Johnny and Halcion. It had been switched to his parents’ home in the Denver neighborhood of Cherry Creek to allow for more guests.
The event, a thousand-dollars-per-guest fundraiser for Anson Hawkins, Cameron’s friend and a candidate for a seat on the Denver City Council, had attracted considerable interest among Denver’s elite.
According to Cameron, his parents’ decision to cap attendance at one hundred had been a strategic one. Not only would it make the event even more exclusive, it would allow them to treat their guests like royalty.
Wine would flow freely, and delicious appetizers would be served all evening. The hope was that the silent-auction items would draw in even more money for Anson’s campaign.
June glanced down at the white cowl-necked satin slip dress she’d coupled with silver open-toed heels. To add an elegant touch, her necklace, a silver choker covered in sparkly stones, wrapped lovingly around her neck and shone brightly.
“Thank you again for the necklace. I love it,” June whispered, her fingers rising to her throat.
“The jewels look amazing with your dress.” Cameron gave a little laugh as he took her arm. “What am I saying? You look amazing.”
“You clean up pretty good yourself.” Cameron wore a suit like he was born to wear one, but he really rocked black tie.
He chuckled, and as expected, two attendants sprang to open the doors to the home before she and Cameron had even drawn close.
June’s heart somersaulted when she saw Cameron’s parents in the foyer beside Anson, greeting the attendees. Cameron had mentioned Anson’s parents were in Italy now.
For a brief second, June wondered if she and Cameron could have missed this receiving line if they’d arrived later. Then she reminded herself of two things.
One, she wasn’t a coward, though the way her hands wanted to tremble might indicate otherwise.
Two, if she got this meet and greet over with now, she wouldn’t need to think about running into Cameron’s parents the rest of the evening.
Cameron tightened his hold on her arm, letting her know without saying a word that they were a united front.
Ross Driskill, owner of the Denver Grizzlies football team and CEO of Velocity, a multinational corporation of all things dealing with athletics, smiled when he saw his son.
His smile faded, but didn’t quite disappear, when his gaze rested on June. Ross, tall with a lean, athletic build and thick dark hair peppered with silver, had eyes the same blue as Cameron’s. Only, his father’s eyes were cool as he appraised June.
Cameron’s mother, Marjean, had pulled her artfully streaked brown hair back in an elegant chignon. Her simple V-neck black dress likely cost more than June made in a month. The pendant around her neck was a large teardrop opal surrounded by diamonds.
The warm smile that had lifted her lips when she saw her son froze when Marjean spotted June.
June didn’t need an introduction. She’d met them both last year when she’d interned with Cameron’s grandmother, Halcion. Ross and Marjean had paid her little mind at the time…until June had abruptly left for Paris, and they’d learned Hal had given her $20,000.
“Mother, Dad, you remember Juin?” Cameron spoke easily, but his blue eyes remained watchful.
June liked the way Cameron occasionally still used the French version of her name, mostly when they were alone, though. They’d first met in France when her job as a global account executive for a multinational tech company had taken her to Paris. He’d been traveling between the London and Paris offices for Velocity, overseeing the divisions under the global sports marketing umbrella.
For business, she went by Juin Dion. Otherwise, she was just plain June Parker, a name that he’d carefully avoided saying just now, knowing it would have his parents bristling. Though, to their credit, unless anyone was paying close attention, they wouldn’t have noticed.