Finding Gray: A Colloway Brothers Prequel (.5) (The Colloway Brothers Book 1) by K.L. Kreig

perfect complement to my also borrowed black leather strapless sheath. The shoes are still half a size too small and pinch my feet, making a hasty escape nearly impossible.
    I should ditch the damn things like Cinderella. I bet she didn’t even ‘lose’ her glass slipper. She was no doubt trying to escape this supposed Prince Charming because he was an arrogant asshole, and it fell off in her urgency to get away. In traditional antifeminism fashion, a man weaved an elegant story about how much better a girl’s life would be with a boy in it. He would swoop in and save her from her persecuted life and they would live happily ever after.
    Bullshit. All of it.
    There is no happily ever after. Not for me anyway. That childish fantasy was ruthlessly shattered over five years ago.
    I make it out of the ballroom, down the stairs and have the front hotel door halfway open when a strong hand clamps down on my shoulder, effectively stopping my forward movement. An electric current runs through my body and I feel him everywhere. His hand may as well be between my legs for all my body cares.
    Damn you Louboutin and your impractical shoes.
    “Hello Livia,” a deep sensual voice drawls behind me. His voice and touch combined almost make my knees buckle. After all these years, he still has the same effect on all of my senses like the day we met. He sounds the same, albeit a bit more grown up. And a lot more sexy.
    Jesus, I don’t think I can do this.
    You can do this Livia.
    You have to do this.
    Be cold.
    Be unaffected.
    Lie.
    I take a deep breath, will the tears back, and steel myself before turning to face him.
    “Hello Gray. Fancy seeing you here.” Holy…breathe, Livia, breathe . I am almost taken aback by how utterly gorgeous he is. He had been stunning across the room and he was always beautiful, but up close he’s like a golden angel sent directly from heaven—or hell—to tempt me. His face is no longer boyish, but all man, complete with the sexiest scruffy whiskers I have ever seen. This is more than a five o’clock shadow, but not quite a full beard. I’m a sucker for scruff. Especially on Gray, but he’s never worn it like this. It’s downright sinful.
    Double damn.
    “What are you doing here Livvy?” Livvy . I haven’t heard that name in over five years. It sounds so damn good I want to weep.
    Dig deep, Livia…maintain the façade you’ve perfected so very well.
    “I came for the same reason you probably did, the animals.” Bravo for me. I sounded very confident…and very stupid . My internal head is shaking at me sadly.
    He says nothing, remaining stoically silent, his eyes searching mine for the truth.
    Subject change, before he asks too many more questions, for which I’ll have to build lie on top of lie. I’ve told so many lies I need a cheat sheet to keep track of them all. “So, why are you in Chicago?”
    His penetrating gaze makes me even more nervous than I already am, and I start to squirm. I never intended to run into anyone I knew here, let alone him. I would have never let Kam talk me into this stupid fundraiser otherwise.
    Shit. Shit. Shit . This is so not good.
    “I took over my father’s company, and we moved the headquarters from Detroit to Chicago last year.”
    He lives here? In Chicago? My mind is spinning. I’m trying to process the fact that my ex-fiancé lives in the same city as I do, and that he took over his father’s company already. I didn’t remember Frank being that old. I shouldn’t be engaging him in conversation, but I can’t help but ask, “Did he retire?”
    “No. He died.” I gasp and my heart sinks.
    “God, I’m sorry Gray, I had no idea. Your dad was a wonderful man.” He was like a father to me, more so than my own, who’d essentially sold me to save his own life. I loved that family. They were like my own until they weren’t anymore.
    “Of course not, Livvy. How could you possibly when you fucking disappeared over five years ago, without a trace,