Read A to Zane for Free Online Page B

her eyes, and willed the tears away.
    Laney promised she looked good. She’d sworn everyone would think she looked stunning. Abby had started to believe her, but then she’d caught sight of her reflection. Yeah, who’d she been kidding? You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
    Her anger had carried her across the room, but now the heat of her temper was gone, and she felt empty.
    Logically she knew Laney and the others hadn’t done this to hurt her, but then again, they didn’t really understand what it felt like to be the joke.
    They’d never seen the look of disgust on a man’s face when he saw you for the first time. If he saw you at all. Sometimes the indifference, being invisible, could be so much worse. Abby learned a hard lesson when she was younger, but one that made her realize she’d been living in a bubble for too long. In the real world, men like Zane didn’t know women like Abby existed.
    “You planning on hiding over here all night?” The deep timbre of Zane’s voice made her jump.
    Abby clutched a hand to her heart, willing it not to beat out of her chest.
    “Yes,” she told him honestly when she could speak.
    “Really?” Confusion shone from his eyes.
    “Yeah, I don’t really think everyone needs to see me looking like this. Rhea said she’d laid out a buffet. Seeing me would have people losing their appetites.” She tried to smile but knew it was weak.
    “Excuse me?” Zane’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed, and his hands gripped his slim hips.
    Abby took a second to admire the perfectness of his toned body. A glinting of gold caught her attention and stole her breath. Zane had a small gold hoop through one nipple now. What she wouldn’t give to be able to play with it.
    “I know what I look like, Zane. It’s okay.” She tried to reassure him. “I’ll just stay here until people finish eating, and then I’ll go and try to find my clothes and leave.”
    Her chest hurt. The effort not to cry was becoming a physical pain. Abby needed him to leave before she made an even bigger fool of herself.
    “There are some beautiful women here tonight. I’m sure you’ll find a lovely lady to keep you company. Please don’t feel you have to stay with me, I’ll be fine. I’m used to it, don’t worry.” The smile she offered wobbled on her face.
    A couple of ladies Abby didn’t know walked by in costumes that showed more than they covered.
    “Look.” She nodded toward them. “Those ladies there. I’m sure they’d be happy to entertain you.” Zane barely glanced at them before turning angry eyes back to her.
    A nerve at the corner of his eye pulsed, and she watched as his eyes flashed between gold and gray. With a causal slowness, Zane leaned down and placed a hand against the wall on both sides of her head. When they were nose to nose he snarled, showing his fangs. Abby pressed back against the wall.
    “Out of respect for the family and friends you have here, I won’t turn you over my knee. But if you ever say anything so goddamn stupid in front of me again, I won’t hold back.”
    Abby’s eyes widened, and her heart beat wildly in her chest. What was he doing?
    “If I wanted plastic and bones, I’d already be over there. What I want is a real woman with curves in all the right places. With breasts that make me want to sink my teeth into them safe in the knowledge I won’t get some sort of silicon poisoning. I want a woman I can fuck without worrying the friction of her skinny, bony body will start a fire.”
    He leaned forward, nudging her hair away from her neck with his nose, and breathed deep.
    “Your scent makes me hard and makes me think about doing really dirty things to you, things I’m sure would have your cousin locking you away from me.” He spoke against her throat.
    Abby didn’t move. She stayed pressed back against the bricks, confused and turned on at the same time.
    “Will you let me?” he asked.
    “Let you what?” She spoke around the knot