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The protective case creaks under my tight grip.
Leslie’s loud laugh draws my gaze back to the reception. She’s standing with Mrs Moore and Liz, looking more at ease and confident talking to a matriarchal billionaire in a tight blue silk gown than I ever have in my normal everyday life.
And I ask myself – What Would Leslie Do?
She’d kick ass and take names, is what she’d do. Starting with the man who thinks I want a piece of his fortune so badly that I somehow masterminded a quickie wedding on the off chance that we not only both got incomprehensibly drunk but that he’d also miraculously be waiting for me in my hotel room when I got back from said drinking.
I spare a brief thought to my savings account, then remind myself that it’s my money. That I saved it. And the whole point of saving it is so I can use it if I ever need it.
Besides, the sooner I get home the sooner I can ‘talk’ to Kayla.
And in true WWLD fashion, by talk, I mean tell her to fuck off.
Swiping the screen clear of Kayla’s messages, I open my internet browser. ‘What flight number is it? I’ll see if there are any seats available.’ Maybe he’ll give me a ride to the airport since we’re going the same way. I can save money there.
‘You want to leave?’ His incredulity, while uncommon, is annoying.
‘Listen, Mr Moore.’ When his eyebrow jumps, I take satisfaction that it isn’t due to a sense of superiority. ‘No matter what you might think, I do not want to be married to you. Never did. So if flying home early to meet with your lawyer can expedite an annulment, then I’m all in.’ I shake off the twinge of guilt I feel over leaving early, but I know once I get to explain things to Bell, Leslie and the others, they’ll understand.
‘I see.’ His injured eye bores into me for an uncomfortably long time. It isn’t until another gust of breeze hits me, and I shiver, that I can look away.
‘No need to purchase a ticket.’ He jerks his shoulders up and back, shrugging out of his tux jacket.
I glare at him. ‘And why’s that?’ If he gives me some condescending line about a person of my station being in the way while he and his highfalutin lawyer decide my future without me, so help me I’ll give him a matching set of black eyes.
‘I bought the seat next to me.’ Once off, he shakes out the fabric, managing to look pretentious even with a black eye and blue suede shoes, before settling his jacket around my shoulders. ‘I’ll have the airline transfer it to your name.’
I want to ask why he bought the seat next to him, but instead I’m focused on the heat from his jacket, his scent surrounding me like an embrace. A hot, silken embrace.
My questions evaporate. My nipples pucker.
I glance down to make sure I’m not high beaming my boss between the lapels of his tux jacket.
Nothing but smooth silk.
‘Thank God for pasties,’ I mutter.
* * *
Thomas
‘What was that?’ I can’t tell in the dim light of the balcony, but I have the feeling she’s flushed. Her cheeks and her mostly exposed chest.
‘Um, I just wanted to know the price.’ Alice doesn’t look me in the eye.
‘The plane fare is free.’
That jerks her eyes up to mine. ‘What do you mean? I can—’
‘I have miles that will expire if I don’t use them.’ Which is true. I always have miles that expire. But I hadn’t used them this time. I’d used Chase’s credit card. Payback for charging last night’s open bar to my hotel room.
Juvenile, yes. But not as juvenile as also purchasing the seat next to me on the plane to ensure I wouldn’t have to suffer through inane small talk with some chatty stranger.
But Alice doesn’t need to know that.
She’s worrying her lower lip with her front teeth. Lips that were around my cock last night. I grit my teeth at the physical reaction to that memory, this blasted paisley tuxedo not leaving much to the imagination. The patterned jacket was bad enough, but Chase had the pants made to match. And do not even get me started on the shoes.
I should’ve chartered a private plane with my brother’s card.
