Font Size
Line Height

Page 37 of One Night in Glasgow (The Scottish Billionaires #15)

Was Kyra right? Had I been fooling myself all along, thinking I could be more than what people expected of me?

My parents certainly would agree with Kyra.

The society pages in Glasgow had made it clear.

Now it seemed even the people at the Hillsdale Foundation, who barely knew me, had already written me off as nothing but a rich girl playing at charity work.

And Garrett... had he been leading me on this whole time?

Using the promise of real work to worm his way into my life?

Christ, what a fool I’d been. I felt sick thinking about how easily I’d fallen for it, how desperately I’d wanted to believe I could be more than Elisabeth MacLeod, socialite and scandal-magnet.

“Beth? What’s wrong?”

Garrett’s concerned voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. He stood before me, a look of genuine worry on his face.

“Nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just needed a moment away from the crowd.”

He wasn’t fooled. “You look upset. Did something happen?”

I hesitated, then decided there was no point in hiding it. “I ran into Ms. Henderson in the kitchen. And then Kyra.”

Something dawned in his eyes. “Ah. Let me guess. Kyra wasn’t exactly welcoming about your interest in the committee.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” I said with a hollow laugh. “She basically said I was just eye candy for donors, and that Ms. Henderson only accepted me as an intern as a favor to someone.”

Garrett’s expression darkened. He glanced around, then gently took my elbow. “Come with me. We shouldn’t talk about this here.”

He guided me onto a small balcony overlooking Central Park.

“Kyra’s always been territorial,” Garrett said, his voice a low, soothing murmur.

“We had a very short thing a long time ago, and now when she sees ‘ambition’ in another woman, she goes for the throat. It’s pathetic, really. Don’t let her get to you.”

“But she was right about Ms. Henderson taking me on as a favor,” I whispered. “My parent’s lawyer set it all up.”

“So what?” he countered, turning to face me. “That’s how this world works. But that’s just how you got in the door. I’ve seen how hard you work, Beth. I see your potential. And that’s what matters.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. “I’ve been trying so hard,” I whispered. “To prove I’m not just… that party girl.”

Garrett’s expression softened with what looked like profound sympathy. “Listen, Beth,” he said, his voice dropping even lower. “I know it’s not my place, but… this boyfriend, Sean. So strange he couldn’t make time for you here tonight. On your big night.”

I bristled slightly at the mention of Sean. “He had a work thing. It was unavoidable.”

Garrett shook his head, a look of sad, calculated wisdom on his face.

“Of course. A man like that—a public figure with a career to maintain—his work will always come first. It’s the nature of the beast. But it means that you, your needs, your big moments…

” He let that sink in before delivering the final, quiet blow.

“It’s just business, Beth. A man like Sean has a po rtfolio of priorities.

The career, the brand… those are his primary assets.

Everything else, even someone as incredible as you, becomes a secondary investment. It’s just the math of ambition.”

His words hit my deepest, most primal fear: that I would never be enough for someone to choose me first. Not my parents.

And now, maybe not even Sean. He’d chosen a conference over being here with me.

Garrett wasn’t just planting a seed of doubt; he was watering a weed that had been growing in my heart my entire life.

I shifted uncomfortably, annoyed by his presumption but unable to shake the cold truth of his words.

“Come here,” Garrett said suddenly, his voice softening as he opened his arms. “You look like you need a hug.”

Before I could protest, he’d pulled me against his chest in what was supposed to be a friendly, comforting embrace. But almost immediately, his hands began to roam, one dipping dangerously low on my back, the other sliding up to stroke my bare shoulder in a way that made my skin crawl.

I was about to plant my heel on his expensive shoe and shove him away when he suddenly stiffened, his head jerking up toward the arched doorway behind me as if he’d seen a ghost. His face went pale.

“I… I need to go,” he stammered, dropping his arms abruptly as if they’d been burned. “I just remembered something. Urgent. Gotta go.”

And just like that, he was gone, practically fleeing back into the ballroom, leaving me alone on the balcony, confused and unsettled.

What the hell was that all about? His sudden change in demeanor was jarring.

I was certain I’d seen a flash of movement in the shadows of the doorway just as Garrett looked up, the sense of another presence making the hair on my arms stand up.

But when I peered into the darkness, there was no one there.

Shaking off the creepy feeling, I decided I needed to collect myself. Making my way back inside, I headed for the relative quiet of the hallway leading to the ladies’ room to check my makeup and get my thoughts in order. The sounds of the gala faded as I walked. I turned the corner?—

And there he was.

Sean McCrae, looking devastatingly handsome in a perfectly fitted tuxedo, his dark hair slightly tousled. My heart did a painful lurch. For a second, I thought he was the one I’d seen, the one who’d scared Garrett off.

“Sean?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “What are you doing back here already? I thought you were coming tomorrow. Were you just… out on the balcony?”

He frowned, a look of genuine confusion on his face. “The balcony? No, I just got here. I came up the main stairs and was looking for you. Why? What happened on the balcony?”

The blood ran cold in my veins. It wasn’t him. So, who the hell had I seen? Who scared Garrett?

I saw the concern deepen in Sean’s eyes as he took in my expression. I couldn’t tell him what just happened. I couldn’t start our reunion by explaining that Garrett, who Sean despised, had been getting handsy with me while a mystery figure lurked in the shadows. It was too much drama.

“Nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing. I just… thought I saw someone. I’m a little on edge tonight, because…of the big event.”

He stepped closer, his gaze searching mine.

“You’re shaken,” he said, his voice a low, protective growl.

“Alright. Here’s the plan. I’m here now.

I’m not leaving your side for the rest of the night.

We’ll go back in there, and I’ll be your shadow.

If anyone so much as looks at you funny, I’ll handle it. You just focus on your duties.”

His offer was incredibly sweet. The thought of him as my personal bodyguard, glaring down anyone who bothered me, was tempting.

But then I pictured having to go back into that ballroom, to plaster on a fake smile and pretend I hadn’t just been humiliated by Kyra and propositioned by Garrett.

To stand there for another two hours while my world was quietly imploding…

I looked up at him, shaking my head. “Honestly, me, going back in there and schmoozing with those people, after… I can’t do it, Sean.” I took a shaky breath, making a decision. “Can we just leave? To hell with my ‘duties.’ I just want to get out of here.”

A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. He looked like a man whose secret wish had just been granted. “Consider it done. Let’s blow this popsicle stand,” he said, his hand finding the small of my back to guide me toward the exit.

The moment we were in the taxi, he was on me like a predator claiming his prey. His mouth crashed against mine, tongue demanding entrance as his hand slid beneath the slit of my dress, fingers skating dangerously high on my inner thigh.

“Six days,” he growled against my lips, nipping at the bottom one hard enough to make me gasp. “Six fucking days without touching you. Without tasting you.”

His fingers brushed against the damp lace between my legs, and I had to bite back a moan. The taxi driver glanced in the rearview mirror, and Sean’s hand reluctantly retreated, though his eyes burned with a clear promise of retribution for the delay.

“You’re soaked,” he whispered, his voice rough with need. “Is that all for me, baby? ”

“Of course,” I breathed, pressing my thighs together to alleviate the ache. “All for you.”

When we reached the hotel, Sean threw bills at the driver without counting them.

In the elevator, he wasted no time, pressing me against the mirrored wall, his erection grinding against my core through our clothes.

One hand pinned my wrists above my head while the other pushed the slit of my dress aside, exposing my lace-covered pussy to the mirrored walls.

“Look,” he commanded, turning my face toward our reflection. “Look how fucking beautiful you are when you’re desperate for my cock.”

I watched as his fingers pushed the lace aside, sliding through my slick folds before plunging two fingers deep inside me. My back arched off the mirror, a strangled cry escaping my lips.

“Sean,” I hissed, breaking the kiss to press my forehead against his. “If you keep that up, we’re not going to make it to the room.”

The door pinged open, and Sean withdrew his fingers, bringing them to his mouth and sucking them clean as we stumbled down the hallway. The sight made my knees weak.

“Fuck, you taste even better than I remembered,” he groaned.

Sean fumbled with the keycard, as usual, cursing under his breath as it took three tries to open the door. As soon as we were inside, he spun me around, pressing me against the wall, his mouth hot and demanding on mine.