Coming Home Read Online Lydia Michaels (Surrender Trilogy #3)

Categories Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Billionaire, Contemporary, Dark, Drama, Erotic, New Adult, Romance Tags Authors: Series: The Surrender Trilogy Series by Lydia Michaels
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Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 130286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 651(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
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bags and wraps immediately surrounded them.

“Do you want to check your bag?”

Scout looked at her petite clutch and shook her head. She was territorial when it came to her stuff,

and she didn’t want to hinder a fast escape.

Nick took her arm and guided them away from the congested area. She scanned the crowd, and her

stomach bottomed out when her gaze settled on Lucian’s tall form. He looked impeccable in his

tuxedo.

His dark hair was slicked back naturally like a model lifting out of a swimming pool during a cover

shoot. The romantic lighting showed his distinguished, if premature, salt-and-pepper temples, and he

had just the right amount of shadow lining his jaw to give him that dangerous tycoon look. He grinned

as someone spoke to him.

His tall body was easy to separate from the rest. Broad shoulders filled his jacket and, as her gaze

traveled over him, the blond woman beside him distracted her. Nicole Nottingham wore a sequined

red gown that displayed her lithe body with an air of class Scout couldn’t muster.

A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne flutes and she snatched one, guzzling down the bubbly

liquid fast. Her mouth was incredibly dry. She stashed the empty flute on a mantel to their left and

stared as Lucian dismissed the person he was speaking with. He nonchalantly pressed his palm to

Nottingham’s bare back—which felt like a punch to Scout’s stomach—and ushered her into the

ballroom. Something about the casualness of his touch made it all the more painful to witness.

Scout sucked in a breath as they disappeared. “Do you have the tickets?” Nick asked.

She withdrew them from her bag, self-conscious of the way she’d folded them. Pressing them flat,

she handed them over and he gave them to a woman at the desk. Another waiter passed and she

grabbed another glass of champagne. This one went down just as fast, but seemed to settle her a bit.

“Ready?” Nick asked.

She took his arm and they followed the guests into the main room. Soft music played as invitees

mingled with acquaintances. The chairs were all trimmed in soft shades of rose, and topiaries spilled

like waterfalls from the center of each round table.

There were so many flowers, the room smelled like a garden. Crystals hung and candles flickered.

The volume of the soft chatter collided with the easy music, creating a low roar that made it difficult to hear.

“I think our table’s this way,” Nick said, guiding them to the back right of the ballroom.

Most of the women wore gowns. Some had short dresses on, but nothing like the dress she’d

selected. A cool dew of sweat formed between her breasts, as she grew more uncomfortable about her

choice of attire. What was she thinking, wearing a dress like this? She looked like trash.

Men uniformly looked the same. The only telltale differences were in their build and age. It was

disorienting, being surrounded by so many men in black. Her steps depended on Nick’s lead as her

legs went into autopilot so her eyes could search for Lucian.

They reached their table and Scout took a seat so she was facing the crowd. She wanted to be able to

observe from the corner. At their place settings, Nick found a menu and commented on the formality

of the courses as she continued her fruitless game of I Spy.

“Champagne?”

Scout turned as a waitress held out a tray. “Thank you,” she said, replacing her empty glass with a

full one.

“You may want to slow down. We haven’t eaten yet,” Nick whispered. “I’m going to go up to the

bar and see about getting a beer.”

She nodded, ignoring his warning, and sipped from the flute. The room grew louder as more people

arrived. Where was he? Her gaze snagged on a flicker of red and she spotted Nottingham. And there

was Lucian, right beside her.

Her molars locked. He wasn’t touching her, but the woman stood stoically by his side, clearly

staking her claim to him. Someone must have said something funny. Nottingham laughed and her tiny,

scarlet-painted nails caressed the sleeve of his jacket.

Scout finished her champagne and guzzled the water at her place. She was incredibly thirsty for

some reason. Magically, a white-gloved hand swept her empty glass away and replaced it with a new

one.

Nick reappeared with a glass of dark amber beer. Its heady scent mingled awkwardly with the pure

fragrance of roses. “So what happens now? Is it like a wedding? Do we dance after we eat? I’ve never

been to anything like this.”

“I’m not sure.”

They each silently sipped their drinks and surveyed the room. “Hey, there’s your guy. You gonna

say hello?”

Scout’s gaze didn’t leave them. The more she watched Lucian and Nicole, the more she admitted

how beautiful they were together. She didn’t know if she should be happy for him or cry. The

champagne was going to her head. She hadn’t eaten much that day and now her bladder was painfully

full.

Her mind searched for courage she didn’t have so that she could make it to the ladies’ room. “I need


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