Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
Reese watched Knight’s gorgeous ass as he left the cab, and contemplated kicking it.
But she didn’t want to leave a dirty footprint on those nice pants.
He paid the cab while she got out and then took her by the elbow and guided her towards the door of the hotel where the reception was being held. For about a split second Reese thought it was polite and well mannered of him, then realized it was more likely he wanted to keep her close to him.
Probably afraid she’d corner Chatterton and whip out a microphone.
“Who are we supposed to be again?” Knight asked as they entered the majestic lobby and followed the doorman’s directions to the grand ballroom.
“I’m supposed to be the cousin of the fourth bridesmaid, Sharon Bismark. I’m still Reese and if they ask for a last name, I guess I’ll be a Bismark, too. You can be Dan Mitchell.”
She had pulled that name out of thin air and didn’t think it was that bad. She rubbed her arms again. “Geez, what is the air-conditioning on? It’s freezing.”
“Maybe you should have worn a dress with, I don’t know...sleeves.”
They turned a corner and had to stop as the wedding guests clogged the reception line to the ballroom. Knight said, “And I don’t like the name Dan, by the way.”
“What’s wrong with Dan? It’s not like Derek is so great.”
“What’s wrong with Derek?”
“Nothing.” She smiled to soothe him. “But I’ll stick with Knight, if you don’t mind.”
“You know, I don’t need a fake name. Chatterton has no idea who I am. He doesn’t know my name or what I look like.” Knight eased her forward as the line began to move again.
Trying not to inhale the obnoxious cloying perfume of the woman in front of her, Reese turned to face him. “Okay, fine, you stay Knight, then. Don’t go all cranky on me.”
Whatever response he was going to make was lost as they both heard a high voice exclaim, “Derek? Is that you?”
Knight winced and turned toward the voice with a very fake, hardly convincing smile. “Dawn. How are you?”
Reese followed his gaze and just a few feet away spotted a blonde with upswept hair moving in on them fast. She was also pregnant and accompanied by a staid-looking guy in his forties with gray at the temples.
“My ex-wife,” Knight whispered, his mouth still twisted in that serial killer smile.
“Oh, how fun.” Reese moved in closer to Knight, feeling an undeniable grip of territorial possession sweep over her.
Which was stupid. All Knight was to her was a good story and a couple of orgasms.
He lived in Chicago and she had a life in New York. A few days of fun, nothing more.
But she didn’t like the looks of Blondie wearing her designer zillion dollar black maternity dress. Reese wrapped her arm around Knight’s and snuggled up so her breast was brushing his bicep.
“Derek, what a surprise to see you at something like this. You were never one for big social events.”
Dawn reached out and took his hand in a big show of intimacy, as far as Reese was concerned. So she’d been married to Knight. Big whoop. She wasn’t now.
Reese inched in closer to Knight.