Page 16 of No Mane, No Gain
Taking a deep breath, Olive straightened her spine and pasted on her most dazzling smile. She could do this. She’d faced down boardrooms full of crusty old businessmen and hordes of rabid romance novel fans. One absurdly attractive maybe-shifter was nothing she couldn’t handle.
As Chaos approached, Olive couldn’t help but notice the way other guests seemed to instinctively move out of his path. He exuded an aura of power and confidence that was almost palpable.
“Good evening,” he said as he reached them, his voice a deep, rich baritone that sent shivers down Olive’s spine. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Not at all,” Olive replied, proud of how steady her voice sounded. “Welcome to our ‘Love for Books’ charity event. I’m Olive Russo, the chairwoman.”
She extended her hand, and Chaos took it in his much larger one. The moment their skin touched, Olive felt a spark of electricity shoot up her arm. From the slight widening of Chaos’s eyes, she suspected he’d felt it too.
“Chaos Amato,” he introduced himself, his grip firm but not overpowering. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Russo. I’ve heard great things about your foundation’s work.”
“Please, call me Olive,” she said, reluctantly withdrawing her hand. “And thank you. We’re always excited to welcome new supporters to our cause. Are you a big reader, Mr. Amato?”
A small smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. “Chaos, please. And I try to be, though I’ll admit my reading these days tends to lean more toward technical manuals and financial reports than novels.”
“Well, we’ll have to see if we can broaden your literary horizons,” Olive teased, surprising herself with her boldness. “I’m sure we could find a few romance novels that might pique your interest.”
Was it her imagination, or did Chaos’s eyes darken slightly at her words? “I’d be open to... expanding my tastes,” he replied, his voice dropping to a lower register that made Olive’s stomach do a series of acrobatic flips.
The sexual tension crackled between them, so thick, Olive could practically taste it. She opened her mouth to respond, her mind scrambling for something witty and flirtatious to say, when a new voice cut through the moment like a bucket of ice water.
“Chaos, darling, there you are!”
A slender, impeccably dressed young woman in her early twenties with long dark hair sidled up to Chaos, linking her arm through his possessively. Her hazel eyes, so similar to Chaos’s own, swept over Olive with thinly veiled disdain.
“Tia,” Chaos said, his tone tinged with what sounded like resigned irritation. “I’d like you to meet Olive Russo, the chairwoman of this event. Olive, this is my sister, Tia Amato.”
SEVEN
Relief flooded through Olive at the wordsister, quickly followed by a renewed sense of wariness at Tia’s obvious hostility.
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Tia said, her tone suggesting she was anything but. “What a... quaint little event you’ve put together here. It must have been quite the undertaking for someone so... new to the charity circuit.”
Olive bristled at the thinly veiled insult Tia gave her but kept her smile firmly in place. “It’s been a labor of love,” she replied sweetly. “But then, isn’t that what all the best things in life are? I’m sure you’d know all about that, given your... extensive experience with social events.”
Tia’s eyes narrowed, clearly catching the subtle dig. Chaos coughed, a sound that suspiciously resembled a hastily disguised laugh.
“Indeed,” Tia said, her voice cold. “Well, I’m sure you have many other guests to attend to. We won’t keep you.”
“Actually,” Chaos interjected, “I was hoping to speak with Olive a bit more about the foundation’s work. Why don’t you go mingle, Tia? I’m sure there are plenty of people here you’d love to catch up with.”
Tia’s lips pursed in obvious displeasure, but she released Chaos’s arm. “Of course. Don’t let me keep you from your... philanthropy.” With a final icy glare at Olive, she sashayed off into the crowd.
“I apologize for my sister,” Chaos said once Tia was out of earshot. “She can be a bit... protective.”
Olive waved off his apology with a smile. “No need to apologize. I have a sister too; I know how they can be. Though I have to say, your sister makes mine look positively angelic in comparison.”
Chaos chuckled, the sound sending a pleasant warmth through Olive’s chest. “I find that hard to believe. You seem far too charming to have sprouted from the same family tree as someone truly demonic.”
“Flatterer,” Olive accused, though she couldn’t keep the pleased smile off her face. “I’ll have you know I can be quite the hellion when the mood strikes me.”
“Is that so?” Chaos leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low rumble that made Olive’s toes curl in her designer heels. “I’d be very interested in seeing that side of you, Ms. Russo.”
The air between them seemed to crackle with electricity. Olive’s heart raced, her breath coming a bit faster. She opened her mouth to respond - with what, she wasn’t entirely sure - when a throat cleared beside them.
Olive turned to find Athena standing there, an amused smirk on her face. “Sorry to interrupt,” her cousin said, not sounding sorry at all, “but Olive, they need you on stage. It’s time for your welcome speech.”
Reality came crashing back, and Olive felt her cheeks flush. How had she gotten so caught up in flirting that she’d nearly forgotten her duties as hostess?