Page 34 of Omega's Faith
"Is that why you invited your ex-girlfriend? For the entertainment?"
The words slip out before I can stop them. Alex's gaze flicks over my shoulder to where Saskia Scarmetto sits at a prime table, golden and glowing and perfect.
"Jealous already, church mouse?" His thumb traces circles on my lower back, and I have to bite my lip to keep from gasping.
"Of what? The fact that you invited your ex-girlfriend to our wedding?"
"I didn't invite her. Diana did." His voice hardens. "Diana invited everyone. This isn't a wedding. Surely, you know that by now. It's a business event with wedding decorations."
He spins me, the movement making me dizzy. When he pulls me back, we're closer than before, bodies almost flush. The heat of him burns through both our suits, and I can smell his arousal mixing with mine.
"Besides," he murmurs, his breath ghosting over my ear,"she's not my girlfriend. Not any more.”
"She looks at you like she wants to change that."
"Lots of people look at me like that." His hand slides lower on my back, just shy of inappropriate. "You look at me like that, when you think I'm not watching."
"I do not—"
He dips me. Actually dips me, like we're in some old movie, his face hovering inches above mine. The position presses our hips together and I can feel—oh—he's half-hard against me. My body responds immediately, wetness flooding between my legs.
"Liar," he whispers, his eyes dark with hunger, then pulls me back up as the song ends.
The crowd applauds. I break apart from him like I’m spring-loaded. We’re both breathing harder than a simple dance should warrant. My whole body burns where he touched me.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Diana's voice cuts through the applause, "the floor is now open for all!"
Music starts again, faster this time, and people flood the dance floor. I escape toward my family's table, desperate for familiar faces and some distance from Alex's intoxicating presence.
But I'm intercepted by a vision in gold.
"Jonah!" Saskia Scarmetto's smile is warm, friendly even, as she air-kisses both my cheeks. Up close, she's even more devastating—all curves and confidence. "I'm Saskia. I've been dying to meet you."
"Oh," I manage, thrown by her friendliness. I have no idea what to say. I only know two things about her. I make a comment about the one that isn’t about her being my husband’s ex. "Congratulations on your Oscar."
"Aren't you sweet!" She links her arm through mine like we're old friends. "Come, let's get you a proper drink and chat. You look like you need a break from all these vultures."
She steers me toward a quieter corner, snagging two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, pressing one into my hand.
"So," she says, settling gracefully onto a velvet settee and patting the space beside her. "Tell me about yourself. Alex has been terribly mysterious about you."
"There's not much to tell."
"Oh, I doubt that." Her eyes sparkle with what seems like genuine interest. "You're the one who finally caught Alexander Colborne. That makes you fascinating by default."
"The Bureau caught him. I just... showed up."
She laughs, a tinkling sound. "Modesty! How refreshing. Have you traveled much? Alex loves to travel."
"Not really. We went to the coast once when I was twelve."
"No! You've never been to Paris?" She acts shocked when I shake my head. "Oh, but you must go! AlexadoresParis. We spent a whole summer there once, just wandering the museums and eating too many croissants." She touches my arm lightly. "He knows all the best hidden spots. Make him take you to this tiny gallery in Montmartre—he discovered it a couple of years ago, before I got too famous to wander freely."
The casual mention of 'we' sits heavy in my stomach, but her tone is so light, so friendly, it would seem petty to react.
"I don't think we'll be traveling anytime soon," I say carefully.
"Oh, you never know with Alex. He gets these sudden urges to just... escape." She leans closer, conspiratorial. "Between you and me, I think that's why he was so resistant to the Bureau. The idea of being tied down terrified him."