Heads turned. Conversations faltered.

Brandon Shaw stepped inside, his presence filling the room before he’d even taken three strides. The cut of his midnight suit hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, and the warm light from the chandeliers caught the subtle sheen of his cufflinks. His hazel eyes scanned the crowd with casual interest, like a king surveying his court.

The hum of whispers began almost instantly.

“That’s Brandon Shaw…”

“He’s even taller than I thought.”

“My God, those shoulders.”

“I heard he doubled Emerald Group’s market value in a single quarter.”

“Looks like he could do the same with mine,” one woman murmured, earning a scandalized elbow from her friend....