The Billionaire's Step - Complete Series (Forbidden Billionaire Stepbrother Romance) by Michaela Adams

Europe. But she was no fool. She had seen the newspapers and magazines parading pictures of Julian with gorgeous models and actresses. She had assumed he would be attending the event with someone of the like and had a hard time believing he couldn’t find a date more suitable than herself.
                  “Um…are you asking me because of last night? I promise, I really do forgive you,” Cora said.
                  Julian smiled wryly, as if she had said something deprecating. “No,” he replied. “I’m asking you because I’d like for you to attend the event with me.” His body was warm and she could feel his heat surround and hold her.
                  Cora’s heart thumped. “Is it an event an assistant would attend?” She was quite sure she had never seen a picture of Trisha on Julian’s arm at any kind of public function like a gala.
                  Julian turned towards her. Cora felt like she could get lost in the man’s eyes, so dark and full of depth they were. “No,” he said, his voice low like rolling thunder. He brushed his hand across her cheek. A smile creased his own stubbled cheek. “But maybe it’s an event a friend might attend?”
                  Cora’s breath hitched as she smiled irrepressibly. A friend . “Yes. Yes, I’ll go,” she answered breathlessly.

Eleven
                  “I might’ve found a new trail. I can’t say for sure yet but I’m heading over to follow some new leads. It looks like Gloria Judson was in trouble with the law in Las Vegas. She hightailed it out of here as soon as the cops started sniffing around. I’ll keep you posted, chief.”
                  The voice mailbox beeped then asked if he’d like to repeat the message or delete it. Julian lowered his phone.
                  A new lead.
                  It didn’t surprise him in the least that Gloria had tangled with the law. She seemed like a woman hellbent on self-destruction. But what worried him was Karen. He could only imagine the kind of chaotic tornado that child had been tossed into thanks to Gloria.
                  Julian could feel the tenseness growing between his shoulder blades again. How much longer would this search take? It had already been four years now. He should’ve started earlier. Years earlier. But so much had taken up his time and consumed his energy, least of all being JB Enterprises. He had let others take away his focus and he had gotten distracted.
                  Although Paulson’s message had been promising, he had had many false starts with Montgomery and had learned to keep his hope in check. As he pulled on his black suit jacket, he mentally shrugged away all darkness.
                  He would not make the same mistake again with Cora.
                  Something about her seemed to bring about a lightness, an ease within him and he wanted to enjoy it tonight. A smile played at his lips as he thought about her opening his surprise.
     
     
                  Cora stared at the large open box on her bed. Inside, it contained the most gorgeous gown she had ever seen. A rich jewel green satin, the dress shimmered against the light.
                  Earlier that day, as she accompanied Julian through his business engagements, Cora had wondered how she would possibly find something suitable for the charity gala tonight.
                  She had only packed work appropriate clothes. And even those, she had quickly realized, were quite below the fashionable Parisian standards the other European assistants and even receptionists adhered to.
                  Cora had been about to go downstairs to ask the concierge where she could max out her credit card to find an appropriate evening gown when there had been a knock at the door.
                  A bellhop had presented