Covet: Trusting the Billionaire (The Trophy Wife Book 4) by Charlotte Rose

surges through me when she smiles wide at him. Julian returns to his conversation with the men.
    I start to walk toward Julian when I feel someone grab my elbow. “Cheryl, how are you?”
    I glance at Daniel, who has grabbed me, and at the three men standing with him: Mark, Phillip, and Dimitri.
    “Hope you don’t mind talking to us for a few minutes,” Daniel says.
    I glance at Julian, who is still talking with the group of men.
    “Sure,” I reply.
    “How are you enjoying yourself, sweetheart?” Dimitri asks in his Ukrainian accent.
    Sweetheart? Is that common speech for a married man to his friend’s wife?
    “I’m enjoying myself very much,” I lie.
    I take a sip of champagne and notice that all four men’s eyes are fixated on me like hungry dogs eyeing a piece of juicy meat. Men.
    I glance over at Julian and frown when I see the same blonde blatantly staring at him and smiling coyly. Once again, Julian locks eyes with her. She smiles wide and flutters her lashes.
    I quickly turn my attention back to the men. “Excuse me, gentlemen,” I say politely.
    I finish my glass of champagne and stride toward Julian, fuming, my heart racing.
    I feel a touch on my arm and turn to face a young couple. “May we steal you for a moment?” the woman asks.
    I glance at Julian and back at their smiling faces. “Sure.”
    The young couple are friendly and ask me several questions to get to know me better. Two men and a woman join in our conversation.
    After a while I excuse myself, but again am pulled into a conversation by another young couple. They appear very eager to learn about me. It feels like everyone who knows Julian wants to get to know me.
    “You’re an ‘in-demand’ woman,” someone says behind me. I turn around and am face-to-face with Daniel.
    “Everyone wants to get to know Julian’s wife,” he says and smiles.
    “It seems so,” I respond.
    “May I have a chance to get to know you?”
    “There’s not much to know about me,” I mumble.
    “I’m sure there’s a lot more than meets the eye. You are a very talented artist. I loved your first collection.”
    “Thank you.” My cheeks redden. I inspect Daniel and my face heats up further. I hadn’t really taken a good look at him. He’s the opposite of Julian, but nearly as good-looking. His eyes are emerald green, his short hair is dirty blonde in color, and his facial features are chiseled and symmetrical.
    “I hope Julian realizes how lucky he is,” Daniel says quietly.
    I recall that Daniel is married, so I relax and realize that I have someone to vent to.
    “How are you and Julian doing?” Daniel asks with interest.
    “Lately we haven’t been seeing much of each other. Julian is so busy with work.”
    “Yes, I’ve partnered with him—along with Phillip and Mark—on a very large business acquisition that is taking up a lot of our time and energy, as you may already know.”
    “I’m sure your wife complains that you don’t spend enough time with her?”
    “Oh, not anymore.” Daniel chuckles. “We’ve legally separated.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    “Though our separation wasn’t related to work. We had our differences—that’s all. I always made sure to spend plenty of time with my wife. A good husband always makes sure to pay plenty of attention to his wife and be home in time for dinner even if he’s extremely busy with work.”
    “Hmmm…” I respond. I thought Julian would spend more time with me after we got married, but lately we hardly see each other.
    A waiter comes by and offers us champagne. Daniel and I each grab a flute. I take a sip as I appreciate Daniel’s looks. His shoulders seem broader than Julian’s. He’s dressed in a black suit, black shirt, and green tie the same shade as his eyes.
    He appears to notice me gawking at him and smiles, showing dimples . Wow, a blonde man with dimples. I wonder why he and his wife separated.
    My buzz really kicks in now. I gaze around, but can’t spot