Page 10

10

ELLIE

It’s been a day since I woke up alone, and the fact that Sean walks into my bedroom carrying a large black box with a silver ribbon wrapped around it does nothing to ease that hurt.

Even though I was the one who said it meant nothing, I didn’t think he would crawl out of my bed without so much as a word.

Sean stops in front of me as I curl tighter into the armchair, a book in my hand, though I can’t remember the last several pages of what I’ve read.

He clears his throat, holding out the box. “You need to put this on. We have an event that we have to go to. And before you open your mouth and start to argue with me, just know that I’m not in the mood for it tonight.”

I fold down the corner of the page I’m on and set the book to the side. “I wasn’t going to argue with you.”

Dark eyes find mine, surprise shining in them. “Good. If you could start acting like this every day, our lives together would be a lot easier.”

“Not going to happen.” I stand up and take the box from him. It’s large but slim, the kind of box I’ve brought home from a dress store hundreds of times. “If you just learned to talk to me like another adult instead of the person you’re stuck babysitting, we might get somewhere.”

“Do I have to remind you that you were the one who took a fucking runner down to the dock yesterday?”

“Maybe I was just going for a jog.”

“Really? Because that’s not what it looked like when Kara went out last night and found the boat filled with supplies you hid around the edge of the property in a cove.”

My mouth goes dry as I reach for the ribbon on the box, pulling out the dress. The soft navy-blue silk falls in waves. The dress looks like it’s going to hug every inch of my body, only flaring out just above my knees.

Just like that damn wedding dress.

For a moment, I’m stupid enough to think that Sean paid attention that night and found something he knew I liked the shape of.

It was much more likely he asked one of my sisters to go shopping.

“Thank you.” I lay the dress out on the bed, not saying anything about the boat.

My escape attempt was stupid—and I know that—but I had to try.

And now I know that Kara is a good friend, but she can’t be trusted if I want to get the hell out of here.

The worst part is that I can’t be mad at her. Dad had her trained from the time she was seven to be my defender, even if that meant protecting me from myself.

Sean sighs. “We’re going to have to talk about it sooner or later.”

“And right now, I have to get ready for some event that requires a gown.”

“Fine, but you should know that the story your brother is spreading is that you and I were so in love we ran away together to get married. Now your brother is supposedly out for my blood.”

“Alright. Pretend to be in love with you. I can do that.”

Maybe.

He nods and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him without another word.

Even though he’s gone, the tension is still sucking the air from the room.

It takes only a few moments to pull the dress on, the zipper still open as I sit at the vanity and curl my hair into loose waves. I swipe on some quick makeup and find a pair of matching heels.

It would be nice to know where we’re going right now, but I have to wait a couple days before I start demanding things from him. I need Sean to let the escape attempt fade in his mind.

I leave the room, taking a deep breath as I descend the stairs to find Sean standing there in a suit with a tie that matches my dress.

His gaze rakes up and down my body, lingering for a moment on my face. The familiar warmth that races through my body when he looks at me that way is back. I squeeze my thighs together for a moment before turning my back to him.

“Do you mind getting the zipper?”

Sean’s fingers trace up my bare spine, his breath ghosting across the back of my neck and sending a shiver through my body.

He grazes against the spot where I hid the hickey under my makeup. “You should have left it out. Other men are going to spend the night staring at you.”

“I’ll behave myself. You know that. You’ve seen me at events with Aiden.” I pull my hair out of the way as he reaches for the zipper. “I know the importance of keeping up appearances with the public.”

“Good. Because this isn’t just the public you have to impress tonight. It’s my father and he’s going to be watching us like a damn hawk.”

Great.

I’m screwed.

Malcolm’s ballroom is the epitome of having too much money and not knowing what to do with it.

Giant gold columns tower around the perimeter and there’s a family portrait on the ceiling, each one with their own little frame around their face.

I shudder and step closer to Sean, looping my arm tighter through his. “What the hell is this place?”

Sean chuckles, leading the way over to a table in the corner. “This is what my family does. Big events where they have to swing their dicks around, showing everyone that they have more money.”

“The senator is here.” I nod to the stage at the front of the ballroom where a string quartet is playing. “How does Malcolm have sway with the senator?”

“He just does.” Sean pulls out one of the chairs for me, glancing at an older couple at the table. “Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox, this is my beautiful wife, Ellie. Ellie, this is Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox. They’re on the board of directors for one of the charities my father donates to.”

I offer them a polite smile, gaze dropping to the stunning necklace around Mrs. Wilcox’s neck. “Those emeralds bring out the colors in your eyes beautifully, Mrs. Wilcox.”

She laughs, a pink flush on her cheeks. “Call me Lily. Everybody does. Sean just thinks that he still has to be formal even after I changed his diapers.”

Sean rolls his eyes. “Sure, it has nothing to do with the fact that you told me if I ever didn’t treat a woman with respect, you would take your belt to my hide.”

Lily shrugs, reaching for her champagne glass. “And it still stands. You better treat your lovely wife like a damn princess; otherwise, it’s going to be me you have a problem with.”

Sean sits in one of the empty chairs beside me. “I’ve always been respectful.”

I hold back the comment on the tip of my tongue about what happened last night. There was nothing respectful about it, but damn, it was good.

Dominic slides into the seat on my other side, leaning forward. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing yet.” I grin and lean closer to him. “Sean’s been threatened.”

Dominic laughs and shakes his head, winking at Lily and her husband. “I see the two of you are up to no good like normal.”

Lily smirks, one slender shoulder rising. “What else is there to do? These events are always for a good cause, but they’re so dull.”

I nearly jump out of my seat when Sean’s hand lands on my thigh beneath the table. His fingers slip beneath the slit that climbs halfway up my thigh.

Waiters start to bring food to the tables, the music growing a bit softer as people start to settle down and talk amongst themselves.

I dig into the honey glazed salmon, savoring the taste on my tongue. Sean’s fingers climb higher up my thigh, his knuckle brushing against my pussy through the silk thong.

Biting back a moan, I press my thighs closer together, holding his hand in place before he can try that little stunt again.

If he thinks that he’s going to sit here and finger me under the table, he’s got another thing coming.

Lily sets her drink to the side, gesturing between me and Sean with her fork. “So, how did the two of you meet?”

Smirking, I look over at him. “Oh, you know, he was friends with my brother for a long time. Anyway, Sean’s a bit older than me and one day he was having problems with his hip. It’s a side effect of getting older, I guess.”

His hand squeezes my thigh beneath the table, a subtle warning I ignore.

This is my chance to get under his skin for the night, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I pause to sip my drink. “I work as a nurse so Aiden asked if I wouldn’t mind taking a look at Sean. I unfortunately had to be the one to tell him that his old age was tearing his body down and that it might be time to get one of those motorized scooters.”

Dominic starts coughing, his fist over his mouth to hide the smile there.

Sean’s fingers dig into my thigh. I’m sure that there are going to be bruises in the morning, but there’s a part of me that likes it just as much as I liked the handprint on my ass and the hickey on my neck.

“You should have seen the look on his face when I said that to him.” Grinning, I lean across the table closer to Lily. “Of course, once I convinced him to come with me to the doctor, he found out that he just needed a bit of physical therapy.”

Lily beams as she looks at Sean. “I knew he was the kind to fall in love with someone who had been there for him all along.”

Her husband rolls his eyes as people start migrating back to the dance floor. “Come on, Lils. Stop bothering the young ones and come dance with me.”

Lily looks up, clearly still in love with her husband even though they seem like they’ve been together for years.

The moment they’re gone, Sean’s hand slips from my thigh and he leans closer to me. “That is the first and the last time you tell that story.”

I smirk and down the rest of my champagne as I lean back in my seat. “I doubt that. I told them the story and now it’s out there. If we don’t stick to the same story, people are going to think that we’re liars.”

“You couldn’t have picked a normal story to tell them?”

“Nope.” I grin and kick one leg over the other, letting the slit fall open to show off my thigh.

Sean gets up and holds out his hand to me. “Come on. You love dancing. Let’s go dance.”

My heart thunders in my chest, slamming against my ribs as I look up at him. “How do you know I like to dance?”

“You spend every morning dancing around the kitchen while you make your breakfast.”

I put my hand in his, butterflies fluttering through my stomach as he pulls me into the middle of the dance floor.

One hand grips mine while the other splays across my lower back. The string quartet grows louder as dresses of all different colors swirl around.

Waiters move through the crowd with trays of food and drinks. Other people wander around with pills and powders, offering them to the guests even though this is supposed to be a charity event.

I can’t focus on any of that though.

Not when Sean’s toned body is pressed against mine and he’s dancing with me.

The man knows how to dance. He moves to the beat, not missing a single turn and taking every opportunity he can to pull me closer.

I take a deep breath, trying to relax in his arms, but it feels like everyone is watching us. People whisper to each other.

Sean skims his hand a little lower, drawing my attention back to him. “Don’t worry about them. Just focus on me. We’re supposed to look like we love each other. I know it might be hard to do since you hate me, but right now you look like you’re in pain.”

“I don’t hate you.”

The words are as soft as a whisper and they surprise me just as much as they surprise him.

“I’ve spent too long holding on to a lot of anger. I don’t want to keep holding on to it anymore. Dad died years ago, and logically, I know that you were doing what you had to. I know he crossed Malcolm. It just hurts.”

Sean swallows hard, his gaze searching mine. “I never should have killed him in front of you. Shouldn’t have spent years making your life hell after it either.”

I nod, knowing that this is the best we’re going to get from each other tonight.

It might not be a relationship mended to the point of friendship, but it’s a start.

“Let’s get a drink,” Sean says, taking my hand and pulling me over to the bar. He flags down the bartender with a look. “One blond beer and one spicy margarita.”

I glance over at him, leaning against the glossy black bar beside him. “You remember my favorite drink?”

“I remember a lot of things about you.”

“How?”

“I may not have been paying the most attention in the world to you, but I was never fully ignoring you, Ellie. Not when I was pretty sure that you would take any opportunity you could to castrate me.”

She laughs as the bartender hands her the drink.

“Well, isn’t this sweet.” Malcolm appears between us, tipping his head in the direction of a dark alcove between two pillars. “Why don’t the two of you come over here with me. I think the three of us have a little business to talk about.”

Sean’s spine stiffens as he takes a long swig of his drink. “We can talk about this later.”

Malcolm shakes his head, his gaze landing on me. “The two of you really are putting on a good show, you know that? I would almost believe that you like each other.”

Sean steps slightly between me and Malcolm. It’s not enough to block either of us from the other, but it’s enough to signal that Sean will get in the middle of whatever is happening if he has to.

I put a hand on Sean’s back, feeling his heart race. “Maybe we should all talk about this later.”

Malcolm’s eyes narrow. “I think you want to hear what I have to say.”

Since it’s clear he’s not going to leave us alone until he says his piece, we follow him to the alcove.

My heart races in my chest, blood rushing in my ears. It feels like the ballroom is growing smaller. The crystal chandeliers could come down at any moment. Columns could topple and the portrait ceiling could collapse.

Malcolm leans against one of the columns. “Whispers are starting to spread already. I knew you worked fast, son, but I was sure that you would at least keep your dick in your pants until the honeymoon phase was over.”

Bile rises in my throat.

Is that why everyone has been staring at us tonight?

Sean sighs, turning to me. “Whatever he’s about to say to you, I have an explanation.”

I swallow hard, already knowing where this is going, but I need to hear it for myself. I need to know exactly how stupid I was for thinking maybe this might be more than just two people suffering through a marriage together.

My gaze cuts to Malcolm. “What are you talking about?”

His grin sends my stomach tossing and turning like a boat on the ocean in the middle of a hurricane.

“Oh, Ellie, it seems like my dear son is spending his time having affairs with women at strip clubs.”

I’m such an idiot.