CHAPTERTWO
Eve, the youngest of the five Driskill siblings, arrived fashionably late to the fundraising event at her parents’ home. Knowing there would be photographers present, she’d stayed home, taking extra time with her makeup until it was perfection itself.
As the founder of EVE Cosmetics, she had an image to project.
She had an eye for makeup and a talent for application. In college, she’d started building her social media platform by demonstrating various techniques for makeup and hair.
Eve was under no illusions that her resounding success was all her own doing. At least not in the beginning. Being pretty and the youngest daughter of a billionaire had given her instant notoriety. She would, however, take credit for parlaying those initial few thousand followers into millions.
When she’d told her father that a degree in business and economics would serve her well, he’d agreed, thinking she planned to work for Velocity once she was out of college.
He hadn’t been pleased when she’d told him she planned to launch her own cosmetics line and that those plans were already in motion. Her heart had swelled with pride when he’d reviewed her business plan and told her he was impressed and she had his full support.
Though her dad had high expectations of all his children, she had to admit that she’d experienced more of his softer side than her siblings. She wasn’t sure if that was because she was the youngest or, as she liked to tease her siblings, his favorite.
Her parents were protective and believed she was too young to get serious about any man. Eve knew they had her best interests at heart, but she had dated enough in college to know what she wanted in a partner.
“Eve.” Strong arms wrapped around her from behind for a quick hug. “I’m glad you could make it.”
She looked up, and there, corny as it might sound, stood the one and only man for her.
“Anson.”
Ignoring her own yearning, Eve stepped back instead of lingering in his arms. She brought a hand to her hair, rings glittering in the light, bright red fingernails drawing attention to lips painted the same vibrant shade.
When his gaze lingered on her mouth, she felt satisfaction surge. She’d chosen the lip color because it was the first shade her company was launching. The fact that Anson appeared to like it was an added bonus.
With one hand, she swept the room. “This is a wonderful turnout.”
His green eyes surveyed the luxurious Cherry Creek mansion and the people mingling inside and on the terrace outside. His lips curved. “A good showing for a thousand dollars a ticket.”
She looped her arm through his and gazed up at him. “I believe you could have charged five thousand, and this house would still be full.”
He laughed. “Your parents set the amount and the attendance cap.” He stepped closer to Eve, lowered his voice and brought his lips near her ear. “I appreciate their support, but you know me. I’m just as grateful for a five-dollar donation as a five-thousand-dollar one.”
Then he stepped back.
Eve instantly missed the closeness.
“Everyone loves you, Anson.” Including me, she added silently.
She was rewarded with another smile. Unlike many guys she knew, Anson didn’t have an inflated ego or a sense of entitlement. Unusual, as he’d been raised in a family whose fortune riveled the Driskills’.
“The Party in the Park fundraiser next weekend will reflect more on the type of council member I want to be,” he told her. “I want to represent all the citizens of my district, not simply the wealthy ones.”
Eve knew that Anson, as founder and director of Lighthouse, an organization that focused on interventions to optimize positive mental health in the city’s youth, worked every day to make a difference. His dedication was only one of the many things she admired about him. “You’ll make a fabulous council member and mayor.”
“One step at a time.” Anson turned to smile at two silver-haired men passing by. “I’m glad you could make it this evening. I appreciate your support.”
“I was just telling Jerome here that you have a bright future in politics.” The older man’s gaze slid to Eve, and he stared pointedly at her hand resting on Anson’s arm. “As long as you don’t get distracted.”
For one crazy second, Eve nearly jerked her hand away, feeling like a little girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Or an older one on the sofa with her boyfriend who had his hand up her shirt when her parents walked in.
Anson tightened her hold by pulling her arm closer to his side and covering her hand with his. “Richard Elsner, I believe you know Eve Driskill.”
“Miss Driskill. It’s been a long time.” The man smiled easily with a warmth at odds with the look in his eye only seconds before. “Your father tells me you graduated last spring with honors from Berkeley. We got interrupted before I discovered where you landed. Are you working for Velocity or the Grizzlies? Or perhaps JR has you at Lexico with him?”
When the Driskills had recently acquired Lexico, a predictive analytics company, Eve’s eldest brother had taken over as CEO. While she found what he did fascinating and hoped to avail herself of some of Lexico’s services in the future, that wasn’t where her passion lay.