ars la

ballet, and she carried herself like a woman who could handle anything life threw at her, which-so far-had been quite a lot. Her vintage shift dress and oversized sunglasses accentuated her c

the driver as she stepped onto th

aliana, revealing those all-knowing gray eyes. For once, the smile

have to do

tie her shoelaces. She'd been doing that for the past

liana. You don

na that one more time,

losing interest in her shoes and

" she continued, reaching out to take Taliana's hand in hers

a plane to go live with him. They'd talked about it over the phone a few weeks ago, and he sounded excited to have her bac

alifornia. It had a little to do with the fact that no other private school in DC would accept her, and a lot to do with the fact that he

the woman asked her one more time, she was goin

lt like home, and now there were too many terrible memories attached to it. She needed a fresh start, and DC

s hand gently. "I know some, ah, bad things have happened thes

ew her hand back, glaring at the cars that sped pa

e let me buy that gorgeous house in San Francisco," he

been tall, but she still towered over Taliana in her four-inch pumps. "I was wrapped up

weeks' worth of trying to convince Taliana to stay. She knew be

g. Who's going to model al

prominent fashion designer, Taliana sometimes wondered how her mother was so successfu

f in three-thousand-dollar dresses, Taliana stuck to her shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops. At least,

had always thought she was perfect for it. Being five-foot-ten and skinn

ana's life, which was coming from someone who had been arrested too many times to count and had narrowly escaped being sent to juvie. Taliana swore she'd never do anything like it again. She had to admit though, the shots had come

DC, it meant escaping the horrible fate of

ised, trying not to get wrapped up in that a

t fade. With one last sigh, she looked back at Taliana and sq

hink that east coast way of life might

ng out to touch Taliana's cheek with a perfectly manicured hand. "It sure

on mirrored Andrea's perfectly. "You

and back to her side. "Just have a good time, honey. And remember, you're always wel

a thousand times already. If I want to com

e diamond on her right hand glinting in the light. The sun's rays splashed rainbows across the si

out the massive diamond ring. "I thi

from mother to daughter in their family for generations, a semblance of wealth that the women could call their own. Taliana had marveled at it when she was younger, w

ed weakly, unable to make he

course she preferred to wear her wealth on her finger." She shook her head wistfully at the memory of her mother before focusing her attention on

t to cry as she pressed the ring into Tal

randmother will haunt you from t

ure to remember that." She tucked it into a small pocket in her carry-on bag. Once it was safely insi

ed Taliana back briefly before pulling away and nudging her toward the

last smile before turning her

ly get bett

*

illips hated about living in the na

ut in, disrupting the calm of the museum. "Could y

idwestern state, Sebastian was having a difficult time keeping his

g geographer to you?" he

f their snotty nosed brats had made him want to break someone's neck. God, he cou

fending midd

g on his smirking companion. "I hate touris

ring one last look at the offended vacationer before turning back to

st couple of weeks had been stressful. After returning from a whirlwind trip to Paris, Milan, Monte Carlo, and Dubai, he had devoted his

most of his time. No matter how many people were onboard to help pull it off, it still seemed like t

ided being run down by a group of chattering preschoolers. "

"No, my party," he muttered, tucking the sheet into the back pocket of his jeans. "It'll be a miracle if this entire thing actually comes toget

, rolling his eyes. "Like anyone wo

plied, though his answer trail

heart DC" t-shirt was two sizes too small for her impressive chest and her shorts barely cleared her ass meant she was firmly in the hot as hell category instead.

t the only o

pes?" Michael murmured amusedly,

e linger, watching as she strolled through the exhibit. She

ng a hand through his hair. "Bu

s says you

backing down from a challenge, and honestly

're