Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
“L il?” I called out from the foyer of my penthouse. “The car is almost here.”
“I’ll be ready in a sec!” she yelled from down the hall. “Promise.”
I chuckled to myself. We’d survived the ordeal on Knox’s yacht, and now we were attending a charity event with Nate and Emerson to benefit an LA animal shelter. It was a cause I was passionate about, but I didn’t fucking want to go.
I wanted to stay home, drink my whiskey. And putter around in the garden with Brooklyn. But Lily and I were leaving for France soon, and this was a good opportunity to show off my wife.
I heard the click-clack of high heels, and then Lily emerged from her bedroom. Fuck me. My wife was stunning.
I drank in the sight of her. Those gold sandals that showed off her perfectly painted lilac toenails. A white dress clung to her curves, a cape draping over one shoulder. The other was bare. The cut was relatively modest, and she looked elegant, graceful, and refined.
I imagined the dress pooled on the floor at her feet. Wondered what she was wearing beneath it. Wondered if she was naked like she had been on our wedding day.
Stop. Just stop.
We’d agreed this was just business despite our momentary lapse of judgment, and I needed to remember that. But every day I spent with Lily, every moment I spent in her presence, was like a cruel kind of torture. I wanted her, but I couldn’t have her.
“Is this okay?” Her cheeks were the most alluring shade of pink. “I’ve never attended one of these events as a guest before.”
“Yes,” I choked out. More than okay.
She stepped closer, and I felt as if I might combust. It had been days since the incident on Knox’s yacht, and I couldn’t stop thinking about that night. Not just the sex, though that was definitely on my mind more often than not.
But also, the things she’d said to me. Even now, Lily’s words continued to rattle around in my head. Her insinuation that I was the one who needed convincing that I wasn’t cold and heartless.
She adjusted my bow tie then smoothed her hands down my lapels. “What are you going to do tonight?” Lily asked. Her touch made it difficult to think straight, let alone speak.
Was there something I was supposed to do tonight? Because all I wanted to do was stay home and lose myself in her.
I didn’t want to show her off; I wanted to keep her to myself. And that was a problem. That was the whole point of this arrangement.
“Graham?” she prompted, and her commanding tone took me right back to that night. Fuck.
“Hm?” I asked, eager to do whatever she asked. Anything she asked.
“At the gala?” she added.
Right. The gala. I tried not to outwardly sigh.
“Make a spectacle by publicly donating a fuck-ton of money?” I asked, trying to will away my hard-on. Knowing that if she stepped even an inch closer, she’d feel how much I wanted her.
“Yes, and …” She tilted her head. “What else did you agree to do?”
Right. That . Fuck.
“Show some emotion,” I said, trying not to groan. Of all days to have to show some fucking emotion.
“Exactly. You’ve got this.” She gave my chest a pat. “It’s the perfect event for you. I hear there will be animals there. Maybe they’ll even have a chicken for you to cuddle.” She winked then turned to walk off.
“Not so fast,” I said, grabbing her wrist and spinning her back to face me. She hadn’t expected that, and she almost twirled straight into me. “I have something for you.”
“You do?” she asked, breathless.
I want her. I stared at her lips—pouty, pink, begging to be kissed. Again and again and again.
I released her and grabbed the velvet box from the coffee table. “For you.”
She frowned down at the box. “What’s this?”
“Open it and see,” I said.
She opened the box and gasped. “Wow.”
“They’re French. From the same time period as your chateau.”
“They…” Her eyes darted to mine. “What?”
“Try them on.”
“I don’t think my ears can handle the weight,” she joked. Though, honestly, they had to be a bit heavy.
Each earring had a huge pear-shaped diamond encircled by smaller diamonds, which hung from a short diamond link that connected to a triangular-shaped stud. They were magnificent, a statement.
“You don’t have to wear them if you don’t want to. Or if they’re not your style.” I’d just wanted to do something nice for her. Surprise her. And I was fucking this all up.
“Are you kidding?” she asked. “They’re incredible.”
“Nate loaned them to me from his private collection.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you serious?” She pushed the box back toward me. “I can’t wear those. They’re his mom’s.”
Nate’s mom had collected rare jewelry. Knox had inherited a few pieces, but Nate had the bulk of it.
“God, I can’t even imagine how much these earrings must be worth,” she said. “Shouldn’t they be in a museum or something?”
“Beautiful objects are meant to be enjoyed,” I said, thinking of the art I’d inherited from my grandfather. “Besides, they’re insured.”
“Yeah, but they’re one of a kind. Irreplaceable.”
“ Things can be replaced.” I removed one earring from its spot, nestled on velvet. “People can’t. And Nate’s happy for you to enjoy them for the evening.”
“Really?”
“Does that surprise you?”
“Yes. He barely even knows me.”
“You’re my wife, and I won these. For you.”
“What do you mean, won them?” She narrowed her eyes.
“My brothers and I play a weekly game of poker. Jackson joins us when he’s in town. Pierce sometimes too. We typically wager things or experiences, not money. Borrow jewelry or box seats to a big game or the chance to drive one of Jasper’s classic cars.”
“Huh.” She tilted her head, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s just hard for me to imagine having that kind of relationship with my siblings.”
“I’m sorry that hasn’t been your experience with your siblings, but you know mine are more than happy to welcome you to the family.” At least they had been after they’d gotten past their initial shock that night on the yacht.
Since then, they’d invited us to so many dinners and events, I could barely keep up. And Kendall and Emerson had been eager to include Lily in their weekly yoga sessions, among other things. I was grateful to them for welcoming her into the fold.
Lily smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. “I feel bad, though. Knowing that I’m lying to your family.”
“You’re also helping them.”
She scoffed, clearly doubtful.
“You’re helping me,” I said. “Fuck. You know how much I hate attending these events. Having you by my side will make it easier.”
She arched a brow. “You don’t usually admit stuff like that.”
“I’m trying this new thing my brilliant wife told me about. It’s called communication.”
She laughed, seeming a little lighter.
“May I?” I asked, holding out the earring.
Lily turned so her back was to me, sliding her hair away from her ear. I placed the earring through the hole in her lobe then slid the back on. She shivered, and I moved to the next ear.
“Are you cold?” I asked. “Nervous?”
“A little,” she said, and I wondered if she was both.
“Don’t worry,” I offered. “Most people will be too dazzled by Nate and Emerson to pay us much attention.”
“Yeah, but we’ll be seated with them. And didn’t you say some of the board members will be there?”
“Mm-hmm.” I guided her closer to the wall of windows overlooking my garden and the terrace, letting her see her reflection. “What do you think?”
“I think…” I could hear the smile in her voice. “That I look the part—wife of a billionaire.”
“You look beautiful,” I said, not sure why her words grated on me.
“Thank you.” She met my eyes in our reflection in the glass. “You really think people will buy this? Us?” she asked.
“You did a good job with my family. And I promise to do a better job pretending tonight too.”
“Good. I’d hate to have a repeat of what happened on Knox’s yacht.” Her eyes widened as soon as the words had left her mouth. Her honesty felt like a punch to the gut. “What I meant was?—”
My phone buzzed. “Our driver is waiting downstairs.”
“Right, um. Right.” She seemed flustered, and my good mood evaporated with her words.
I’d hate to have a repeat of what happened on Knox’s yacht.
Was she referring solely to our fight or also to what had come after? To the intense, passionate way we’d claimed each other? Fuck. My head was such a mess over this woman.
I usually had no problem sticking to my rules. And yet with Lily, I found myself wanting to break each and every one of them.
* * *
“Oh fuck.” Nate turned away from where Emerson stood across the room, a determined look on her face as she scanned the crowd for him.
I twisted my wedding ring on my finger. People were everywhere . I hated attending these types of events, but Nate had always thrived in the spotlight. I envied him for it—for the way he so easily interacted with people in social settings. When I’d rather be anywhere else.
“What?” I asked as he grabbed my elbow and dragged me toward the bathroom. “What are you doing?”
“Quick. Hide.”
I followed him, no questions asked. Had he spotted a fan he wanted to avoid? And where the hell was his bodyguard?
Nate pulled me around the corner, hiding us in an alcove. “Is she coming?”
“Who?” I asked.
“Emerson,” he gritted out.
I peeked my head around the corner, feeling like we were fourteen again and not in our forties. “No. She got sucked into a conversation with someone.”
“Good.” He panted.
I turned to him, brow creased. “What’s going on? Why are you hiding from your wife?”
“Because she wants to adopt another puppy.”
“You just can’t say no to her, can you?”
“It’s not that.” He glanced away briefly. “I’ve already arranged for us to adopt it, and I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Oh my god,” I groaned under my breath. He was such a sap when it came to Emerson, but I was glad he was so happy. I thought back to what Pierce had told me about their relationship starting off as fake. I wondered what had changed. How they’d gone from dislike to disgustingly in love.
“Oh, come on,” Nate said. “You’d do the same for Lily, wouldn’t you?” He shook his head. “I don’t even have to ask. You’re splitting your time between LA and France. That says it all.”
“I’m excited to see the chateau in person,” I admitted.
“You’ve never visited?” He gawked at me. “I thought you’d been doing the long-distance thing.”
Right. Shit.
“Yeah. We have, but we usually tried to split the distance.”
“I bet that was exhausting.”
I lifted a shoulder. “You know how it is to travel,” I said, not wanting to outright lie any more than I already had.
“I can’t believe how quickly everything is changing. Our family is growing.”
I glanced back at Emerson, eyeing her flat stomach as she led Lily out to the dance floor. First Sloan was pregnant, now Emerson?
Nate elbowed me. “I was referring to you marrying Lily and my new dog.”
“Right.”
He clapped a hand on my shoulder and leaned in. “A word of advice from one married man to another.”
“What’s that?” I asked, following his gaze to where Emerson and Lily were on the dance floor. I’d never seen her let loose like this, have fun. A smile lit up her face, and she shook her ass in a way that was undeniably tantalizing.
“Women love the big, romantic gestures, but the small ones are just as important.” He took a swig of whiskey. “Like dancing. I get the feeling Lily would love for you to ask her to dance.”
“I don’t dance.” Correction—I hadn’t in a very long time.
“But you will for her. Especially since I’m guessing she didn’t get a first dance at your wedding.”
Fuck. He was right. I really hoped he wasn’t going to lecture me about not having family at the wedding.
“Look,” he said. “I know I owe you for what you did?—”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I said, though we both knew exactly what he was referring to. I’d never admit that my hacking had led his ex-wife to drop her custody battle and her demand for something she didn’t deserve.
He held my attention, unwilling to let me look away. “I just wanted to say thank you. Will you let me thank you? You don’t have to admit to anything,” he huffed.
I nodded, swallowing back my emotions. “You know I’d do anything for Brooklyn. And you.”
He draped his arm over my shoulder. “I know. But sometimes, you should let us return the favor. Let us be there for you. That’s what family does.”
I grunted my assent.
He chuckled. “And here I thought marriage might help you get in touch with your feelings,” he teased.
“I may not wear my feelings on my sleeve like some people—” I gave him a meaningful look “—but that doesn’t mean I’m not in touch with them.”
“Touché.” He tilted his glass at me before downing the rest. “I’m glad you found Lily. Em might be a pain in my ass at times, but I can’t imagine my life without her.”
“You should mention that in your next award acceptance speech,” I deadpanned.
“Oh, I will. But more importantly, I tell her that every damn day.”
I moved to leave, but he placed a hand on my shoulder, steadying me. “I know I’m being sappy, but fuck.” He smoothed a hand over his hair. “It’s the anniversary of…” He trailed off. We both knew exactly what today marked, even if we weren’t willing to say it aloud.
The day his parents and mine had died in a plane crash. The day that had changed the entire trajectory of our family’s lives.
“I know.” My tone was solemn. As if I could forget.
“Come on,” Nate said. “Let’s go celebrate the fact that we’re alive with the people we love.”
Love. I was incapable of love. But Nate didn’t seem to think so.
Was Lily right about me? Was I the one who needed to alter my thoughts?
The song changed, shifting to something slower. A man approached Lily, and I shoved my hands into my pockets, watching, waiting to see how she’d react. She was smiling, but it was tight, forced. And even after she shook her head, the man didn’t budge. When he turned his head, I saw red.
Moretti.
First, he was trying to take my company, and now my wife?
I stalked over to them. “Lily.” Her name came out as more of a snarl. I wrapped my arm around her waist. “Sorry for the delay. You good?”
She nodded.
“Moretti.” I lifted my chin. “I see you’ve met my wife.”
“Yes,” he mused. “Congratulations. And I look forward to discussing the marriage of our two illustrious companies.”
Fucking Moretti.
I ground my molars, but before I could say anything, Lily jumped in. “Graham, it’s our song.”
I peered down at her, trying not to let my confusion show. Our song? Her eyes sparkled, and I found myself nodding. “That’s right. Dance with me.”
I ignored Moretti completely, sweeping my wife onto the dance floor. She placed her hand in mine and rested the other on my shoulder. I slid my hand over her hip. She smelled fucking delicious. It calmed me, but I could still feel Moretti’s eyes on us, watching us. I didn’t like it.
“Graham,” she said, placing her palm on my cheek and smiling up at me. “Relax.”
“I. Can’t,” I gritted out.
She laughed as if I’d said the funniest thing in the world. Then she leaned in, her lips grazing the shell of my ear. “Yes. You can.”
“You’re the one who told me to show some emotion.” I spun her out before pulling her back into me, holding her even closer than before. I cupped her hand over my heart, our pelvises kissing.
“You were definitely showing some emotion. You looked like you were going to rip his head off.” She arched her brow.
“He’d deserve it.”
“Completely agree. I was two seconds away from kneeing him in the balls before you showed up.”
“You were?” I asked.
“Fuck yeah. He wants to steal your company.”
I didn’t know why, but her words filled me with a sense of pride and satisfaction. It was nice to have someone in my corner, ready to leap to my defense.
“So, this is our song, huh?” I asked, finally calming down enough to listen to the lyrics. A man sang about loving all your imperfections and giving your all to a partner, and it was really quite soulful.
“I guess so.” Lily grinned, and I spun her again. “Where’d you learn to dance like this?”
“Many years ago, when I was a kid, a princess and her family stayed at one of our hotels for the summer.”
“Really?” she gasped. “Which one?”
“The Huxley Grand Luxembourg.”
She leveled me with a look. “No. Which princess?”
I shook my head, my lips sealed. “Doesn’t matter. The point is, she needed someone to practice dancing with, and my grandparents volunteered me.”
She gaped at me. “You’ve danced with a princess? How am I supposed to compete with that?”
“There’s no competition, ma reine .” I took a step back, holding her hand and bowing slightly at the waist.
Her cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink, like the peonies that blossomed in my garden in the spring and early summer. Oh, she liked that. She liked being called my queen, and I liked her reaction.
“Everyone’s watching,” she whispered, quivering in my arms.
I straightened and turned her so her back was to me. I wrapped her arms around my neck and cascaded my hands down her curves. I wouldn’t allow myself to touch her when we were alone—she didn’t want that. So, if this was my only chance, I was going to take full advantage of it.
I dipped my head, keeping my words low just for her. “Do you like that? Do you want them to watch?”
She sucked in a sharp breath, and I had a sudden vision of fucking her in front of a mirror. Her eyes locked on our reflection as I took my time to explore every inch of her. I bit back my groan.
“That’s what you want, isn’t it? You want them to watch us. To see us together. To believe. ” She kept her voice low, and it wove around me. Seductive. Alluring. “You’re really good at pretending when you put your mind to it. Very convincing.”
Convincing, right. I supposed I should be grateful Lily was pleased that I was playing the role of besotted husband. But that was the trouble, wasn’t it? She didn’t realize it wasn’t all for show. She didn’t realize how I felt about her. I wasn’t sure I’d call it love, but it wasn’t lust either. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and not just that night.
My mood soured, but I tried not to let it show. When the song changed to something more upbeat, I took the opportunity to excuse myself to get a drink.
As I sipped my whiskey and looked out over the room, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. This was exactly what I’d wanted, wasn’t it?