The Sinner's Bargain (Contracts & Deceptions #2) by Claire Contreras Page B

Amara pushed her chair back and collected her things. She looked behind her, at Colin’s closed door, and wondered if she should try to look through his things one last time, but then thought better of it when she remembered Brandon was holed inside his office. He’d probably take that moment to step out.
    Amara went home, showered, and changed into a knee-length dress that was classic black, but ruched at the waist and tailored to accentuate her hips. It was one of her favorite dresses, even though she’d only worn it once before. Hurrying now, Amara slipped into her heels, reapplied her make-up, and brushed her long, dark hair, letting it fall over her back in luminous waves. After a final look in the mirror, she headed back to the office.
    As time ticked on, Amara started to get nervous about the cocktail hour. She should have asked for more information. She figured it was an employees-only kind of thing, but what if it wasn’t? Would Nancy, Colin’s mom be there? Would Molly be there? Did she still work at Wolfe or had she quit when Colin proposed? As soon as six-thirty rolled around, Amara shut her computer off and walked downstairs, anxious to make an appearance so she could leave. The hallway rug muted her heels as she walked toward the accounting office. Amara had only been to that floor a couple of times to small talk with Lisbeth, but the sounds of boisterous voices led her to the right room.
    The large space had wide, open doors and tall tables set up around the room. Employees were congregated in groups, most with drinks in their hands as they talked and laughed. Amara’s eyes skirted around the room, relieved when she spotted Lisbeth and Brandon—the only friendly faces she knew in the sea of strangers. Lisbeth smiled as she approached.
    “You look so pretty,” Lisbeth complimented as Amara stopped to stand beside her.
    “Likewise,” Amara said, returning her smile.
    “Did you go home and change?” Brandon asked as he walked up.
    “Yeah, I didn’t really want to wear pink to a cocktail party. I wasn’t sure what the rules were.”
    “Oh, honey, there are no rules,” Liz said, laughing as she sipped on her drink.
    “Maybe a two-drink minimum rule though,” Brandon said, his eyes crinkling in a smile as he tapped his wine glass with Lisbeth’s.
    Liz laughed. “Yeah, maybe that. You want a glass of wine?”
    “Sure,” Amara said with a shrug.
    Brandon stood beside Amara and people-watched as he nursed his wine.
    “So it’s a company party only, right?”
    “Pretty much. We like to keep it sporadic. I’m pretty sure John came up with this yesterday afternoon.”
    “Who’s John?” Amara asked looking around. Liz returned and handed Amara a glass of red wine. She was glad to have something to do with her hands.
    “John is my boyyyyfriend,” Liz answered in a low voice that was above a whisper, below a shout, definitely louder than she intended.
    “You are such a lightweight,” Brandon said with a chuckle.
    “I know,” Liz whined.
    “What department does he work in?”
    “He’s the head of accounting,” Brandon answered as Liz ran off in the direction of someone she wanted to speak to.
    “An accountant that likes to party. That’s cool,” Amara said, smiling.
    Brandon raised his eyebrows with a smile. “It seems this entire company likes to party.”
    Amara smiled, not knowing what to say. She didn’t know very many people, but Colin wasn’t much of a partier.
    “There he is, the man of the hour,” Brandon said, breaking into Amara’s thoughts. Her eyes snapped up to the door where Colin stood, taking her breath away. He was wearing a white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up on his forearms, and blue pants. His wavy hair was in its usual, organized disarray, the way only he could pull off. Colin smiled as he greeted everyone; the side of his mouth was pleated in a grin, the lines nearly hidden under the beard on his face that filled in more each day. Amara didn’t