Bound by Love by Emily Jane Trent Read Free Book Online Page A

opportunity to stand up and make an announcement. Jazzy blushed before he even started to speak, and Natalie realized, then, what all the excitement was about. Jazzy and Ellis were radiant. Of course, what else could it be?
                  Natalie glanced around the room and her heart warmed with love. Her dear mother, Emma, sat next to her. She was dressed in a simple, blue cocktail dress, and looked healthier than she had, in longer than Natalie could remember. Natalie gave her an impulsive hug.
                  Cheryl wore a fuchsia, silk cocktail dress. It highlighted her soft curves, and shone in the muted lighting of the room. Her diamond necklace sparkled, and her long dark hair flowed in soft curls around her face. Dani was all-eyes for her, his adoration clear. He had his arm around her, and looked very debonair in his tailored suit.
                  Tanner was beyond description. No matter how many times Natalie looked at him, she was always amazed at how his smooth skin seemed to glow, his thick, dark hair begged for her to touch it, and his auburn highlights gleamed. She looked away when she realized her clit was hard. Just looking at his lean, muscled physique, outlined under the light-weight suit, had her aroused.
                  Ellis stood up. He was over six feet tall, with soft brown hair and pale blue eyes, giving him a loveable look. He was a very attractive man. This had not escaped Natalie’s notice before, but love suited him. He was a kind person and a good friend. His blue eyes were alive with emotion.
    He looked over at Jazzy , and held her hand in his. She wore a cream-colored cocktail dress with a string of pearls. The copper tint in her brown eyes contrasted with her rosy skin, giving her a sweet, endearing quality.
                  “I’m so pleased to be here with all of you,” Ellis said, and looked around the room, including all in his kind words. “I want to thank Tanner for setting all this up. This is a special evening. I wanted you all to attend this dinner, so I could make an announcement.”
                  Jazzy looked at him with blinding love – that was the only way Natalie could describe it. With his confidence boosted, he continued, “I’d like to announce that….Jazzy and I, love each other very much, and we are engaged to be married.” At that moment, Ellis released her left hand from his grasp, and she held it up, showing a pear-shaped diamond, set in white gold.
                  Suddenly, everyone was hugging and congratulating Jazzy and Ellis. Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie caught Tanner looking at her. She leaned over to him, “You knew, didn’t you?”              
    “You can’t say I’m not able to keep a secret,” he said. “I swore to Ellis I wouldn’t tell.”
                  For a moment, Tanner looked like a teenager on his first date, almost shy. Was he embarrassed by the declaration of affection between Ellis and Jazzy? Or, was it something else? Natalie couldn’t look away. She was determined to understand.
                  “Later,” he said, sternly.
                  Natalie knew he meant it, so she rose and went over to Jazzy and Ellis, to join into the celebration. Emma was already standing, proudly, next to Jazzy, getting a closer look at the engagement ring. Cheryl was hugging Jazzy, and Dani was shaking hands with Ellis.
    Tanner stood away from the fray, letting the initial surprise of the announcement wear off. And, he kept his eyes on Natalie – she looked like a goddess in her black, sequined tulle cocktail dress with her thick, dark hair in an elaborate twist at the nape of her neck.
    The sequins on the classy, Carolina Herrera design shimmered, and the hem was just above the knee, with the sheer, tulle hanging a couple inches further, creating a seductive touch without revealing anything. Her black,