ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟟 #2
Soft piano music hums through hidden speakers while waiters move through the crowd carrying trays of expensive-looking food I definitely cannot pronounce. Everywhere I look there are diamonds, expensive watches, and basically everything high fashion.
More people greet us as we move through the ballroom. Investors. Family friends. Business partners. Most of them seem fascinated by Cameron being a firefighter billionaire hybrid. But somehow the attention keeps bouncing back toward me.
A woman touches my arm lightly, and tells me my makeup is gorgeous, another one says I have the looks of a star. It's all disorienting. I spent the entire drive over here convincing myself I'd look out of place.
His hand never leaves me once.
Every time someone talks to me, his fingers tighten lightly against my waist like subconscious reassurance. Or possession. Both make perfect sense for him.
We stop near one of the giant glass walls overlooking the city skyline when another voice approaches. "Well, Ralph certainly undersold this event."
I turn slightly at the sound of his voice. The man standing there looks around Cameron's age, maybe a little older. Dark-tailoered suit, and clean freshly shaven hair. Investor, probably.
His eyes land on me almost immediately, and then they stay there. "Well," he corrects smoothly, "perhaps not the event."
Cameron's hand shifts lower against my waist.
He smiles anyway and extends his hand toward me. "Nate Mercer."
I shake it politely. "Dixie West."
"Trust me," he says, "I already knew that."
"I've heard a lot about you."
"As one might say."
He laughs immediately. "I see why everybody's intimidated."
Nathan turns fully toward me now. "You're an attorney, right?"
"That's right, Mr. Mercer." I nod, smiling.
"One of the best in the city, from what I hear."
I glance briefly toward Cameron before looking back at Nathan. "People exaggerate a lot."
"Not from what I've seen tonight."
Okay- now he's laying it on a little thick. Even I can tell.
"You look incredible, by the way," Nathan adds casually. "That color was definitely made for you."
I glance down at my dress, smoothing the wrinkles down. "Wow, thank you."
"Hey, Nate," Cameron says finally, voice calm. "Keep it cool, buddy."
Nathan blinks once before chuckling lightly. "Can you blame me?"
I feel Cameron's fingers flex against my waist. Nathan keeps talking anyway..
"I'm serious though," he continues, towards me this time. "Your reputation and work alone is impressive, but tonight? Mrs. West, you might be the most captivating person in this room."
I open my mouth to politely redirect the conversation, but before I can say anything, Cameron suddenly turns me toward him. He's fast with it. His fingers slide beneath my chin gently, tilting my face upward.
Then he kisses me. It's a passionate kiss.
It's enough pressure to shut the conversation down. My eyes widen for maybe half a second before melting closed automatically.
Then along with that, my whole body melts. It's been a while since I've experienced a tingly sensation like that.
His thumb brushes softly against my jaw while he kisses me again, slower this time. He smiles slightly against my lips.
When he finally pulls back, I'm staring at him in complete disbelief. Some of my foundation and lipgloss got on him, but at this point I can tell he doesn't care about anything.
Nate looks overwhelmed. Cameron finally looks over at him calmly.
Nate clears his throat awkwardly. "Right."
"Well. Nice meeting you both."
Cameron smiles, but there's no warmth in it. "You can leave us alone now."
Nathan laughs nervously. "Understood."
"For the rest of the night," Cameron adds.
Nathan raises both hands slightly. "You got it, chief."
He then disappears into the crowd surprisingly fast for a man who seemed so confident thirty seconds ago.
I slowly turn toward Cameron. "What was that?"
His eyes stay on the crowd ahead. "What?"
"You know exactly what."
He exhales quietly through his nose.
"You kissed me to intimidate him."
That finally makes him glance down at me. He shoves his hands into his pockets. "I wasn't intimidating him."
"Cameron."
"He was irritating me."
I stare at him, expecting to see him crack a smile. His face remains completely serious.
"Jealousy looks great on you." I say, half-joking.
"I didn't like the way he was talking to you." He finally admits.
"What?"
His arm tightens around my waist again before he leans slightly closer. "He was looking at you like I wasn't standing right there. Swear I saw hunger in his eyes."
"That's a ridiculous statement," I mutter weakly.
"You embarrassed that poor man." That finally pulls a tiny smile from him.
"Well," he says smoothly, "you are my wife."
The warmth that creeps into my face immediately annoys me. I look away first naturally, though his eyes stay hard on me.
"He was right, you know." He murmurs quietly near my ear. "You really are the most captivating person in this room."
~
Polly swirls the champagne in her glass lazily, like this entire conversation is boring her when she was the one who walked over here in the first place. Jonathan stands beside her in a tiny navy suit, already halfway distracted by the chocolate fountain across the ballroom.
Meanwhile, Cameron's arm is still wrapped around my waist firmly enough that I can feel the warm heat of his palm through my dress.
The music around us is soft and orchestral, people laughing too loudly in little millionaire circles while waiters weave between them carrying silver trays.
Jonathan brightens immediately when he sees me. "Hi again, Dixie!"
His little hands reach for me automatically before he pauses mid-motion, glancing nervously toward Polly like he's checking if affection is currently okay. That alone irritates me.
Still, I smile softly. "Hi, troublemaker."
He grins. "There's a chalkrat tower."
"A what?" I smile, leaning in closer.
"A chalkrat tower."
I look at him in confusion before Cameron clears his throat. "He means chocolate. Can't pronounce his L's."
Jonathan frowns at him like he told me his biggest secret. Oh, right. Cameron had told me about
Jonathan's speech problems before.
"I believe you." I tell Jonathan.
Polly exhales through her nose, focusing her attention on me now. "Jonathan, don't hover."
Hover? The child had spoken three words.
Jonathan, thankfully oblivious, points across the ballroom. "There's also mini burgers."
"That sounds delicious."
He laughs.
Polly smiles tightly. "Remember what I said, Dixie."
I already know where this is going and suddenly I myself want to launch directly into the chocolate tower.
"Excuse me?" I say flatly.
"About the children." She takes a sip of champagne. "Boundaries are important."
For a second, I just stare at her. What an insane sentence.
Cameron finally speaks, voice calm but a little tense. "Mom, you've gotta stop saying that."
Polly glances at him innocently. "What?"
"That she can't touch Jonathan and Molly."
"Oh, Cameron." She waves a hand dismissively. "Don't make this dramatic."
"You've said it twice now."
"And?" she replies smoothly.
"And she's my wife," he says evenly. "Not some stranger off the street. So treat her like it."
Polly's smile thins slightly, and she glares me down before flicking her eyes back to Cameron. "I wasn't aware I needed permission to parent my own children."
"All I'm saying is Dixie shouldn't need supervision to speak to her siblings-in-law."
Jonathan looks between them with wide eyes. I immediately crouch slightly beside him, lowering my voice.
"Go find Molly for me."
He hesitates. "Are you guys fighting?"
"No," Cameron says instantly.
"Yes," I say at the exact same time.
Cameron closes his eyes briefly, as Jonathan looks deeply concerned. A seven year old shouldn't be worried about their parents' business- that makes my heart break a little.
I sigh. "Go eat your tiny billionaire burgers."
That seems to help him. He nods once before darting off into the crowd. The second he disappears, Polly's expression hardens subtly.
"I think you're both overreacting."
"No, Polly," I reply calmly. "You're being rude."
Her eyes slide toward me slowly. "Pardon?"
"You heard me."
Cameron exhales quietly beside me.
Polly tilts her head, like she's unaware of all the horrors she's done only this night. "I've done nothing but welcome you tonight."
Wow.
"What part?" I ask politely. "The part where I wasn't on the guest list or the part where you act like I carry infectious disease around your children?"
Her face freezes, but she quickly plays it off. "You weren't on the list?" Polly repeats carefully.
"Oh please," I say immediately. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"The fake confusion thing. You're not good enough at acting for it."
Polly blinks once before placing a hand dramatically against her chest. "I would never intentionally leave you off the list."
"Mhm."
"There were over three hundred names submitted." She says, as that somehow justifies it. Spoiler alert Polly- it doesn't!
"And somehow my name vanished accidentally?"
"It was probably clerical."
"Right." I conclude.
Polly looks toward Cameron instead now. "You really think I'd embarrass you like that?"
His jaw flexes. "I think that whether it was intentional or not, it shouldn't have happened."
Polly's mouth presses thin. "Well, I apologized."
"No," I cut in. "Actually you didn't."
Polly takes another sip of champagne before speaking again. "You know, Dixie, not everything needs to become a fight."
"And everything doesn't need to become a competition."
Her eyes narrow just slightly. "Competition?"
"Yes." I smile tightly. "You keep testing me. I'm starting to think you want me to fail."
"Oh, don't flatter yourself."
"Mom," Cameron says firmly now.
She looks at him immediately. "What?"
"You're being unfair." He shuts his eyes briefly.