Chapter 39
I was just comingout of the ladies’ room as Bones put his cell phone away.
“Everything okay?” I asked, taking his offered hand.
“Everything’s fine,” he said. “I’m starving. You never did tell me what I’m eating for dinner.”
“Quail in a red wine reduction with garlic mashed potatoes and haricot vert and shallots,” I stated.
“Doesn’t sound bad,” he remarked.
“It won’t be,” I assured him.
“So, if I’m eating tiny, weird birds tonight, what are you eating?” he asked.
I chuckled. “They’ve prepared another dish for me.”
We re-entered the ballroom and I was glad to see that no one paid us much attention.
“Another drink?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said as we headed for the bar.
An all-American blond man was standing at the bar, waiting for his drink when we approached. He turned when he saw us.
He smiled. “Hayden.”
I paused. “You must be Walker.”
“That’s me.” Walker looked to Bones, his pleasant expression remaining.
“Walker, this is Royce Dalton, my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend.” Walker laughed and shook his head. “No wonder you said no to dinner. Nice to meet you, Royce.”
“You too,” Bones said. I looked at his face to determine if he was being authentic. There was no tension in his shoulders or jawline.
“I came here without a date. Thanks,” he said to the bartender who offered him his drink. “But I’m kind of glad because there’s a gorgeous woman in a red dress that I want to meet. You wouldn’t by any chance be able to introduce me?”
“Gorgeous woman in a red dress,” I repeated with a smile. “She’s my best friend, Charlie. And I’d be glad to introduce you. Actually, there’s a spot open at our table. I can do some last-minute re-arranging so you can sit next to her if you’d like?”
“Absolutely. I don’t think my father will miss me,” he said with a rueful smile. “He’s in his element. Shop talk, you know?”
“I know. Believe me, I know.”
“Well, great. I’ll see you both in a bit,” Walker said as he left the bar.
We stepped up to order.
“Nice guy,” Bones said. “For a politician’s son, anyway.”
I grinned. “I appreciate you reigning in the jealousy.”
“Nothing to be jealous about,” he said easily, taking his scotch from the bartender.
“But you were jealous of Tyler,” I said. “Why? That was years ago.”
“I was jealous,” he admitted, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me toward him. “But it was more of wanting to flatten his ass for how he treated you. Two entirely different things.”
“I think you’re turning me into a heathen,” I quipped. “Because I kind of like the possessive alpha thing. Just don’t club me over the head and haul me over your shoulder. Oh, well, actually…you could throw me over your shoulder if you wanted.”
His booming laughter turned heads and I enjoyed that people saw us happy together.
If I had Bones at my side, how many of these events could I live through? The idea that he’d get to wear the tux more than once had my insides cartwheeling.
“I have to speak to my mother real fast about inviting Walker to sit at our table,” I said.
Bones’ phone buzzed in his trouser pocket. He let me go to pull it out. “I have to take this. I’ll come find you in a bit.”
I nodded and watched him put the phone to his ear and walk toward the exit.
My mother was in the middle of a conversation with Imogene Oglethorpe, a wealthy socialite who’d recently married an even wealthier cattle rancher.
I smiled and sidled up to my mother’s side. “Sorry to interrupt,” I said. “Hi, Imogene.”
“Hayden!” She beamed. “You look incredible! You’re positively glowing.”
Mom examined me and raised her brows. I shot her a warning look and smiled.
“It’s good to see you,” I said, embracing Imogene.
“And you,” she said. “I just got a new thoroughbred. You should come out and ride him. And see the solarium I just had remodeled.”
“Love to,” I said. “How’s married life treating you?”
She waved her left hand, flashing an extravagant ring that didn’t look at all too big for her finger. “Pure bliss.”
“I’m so glad,” I said.
“Hayden is actually dating someone. Where is Royce, darling?” Mom asked.
“He had to take a phone call,” I said. “Actually, I need to talk to you about the seating arrangements. Do you have a moment?”
Mom looked at Imogene. “Excuse us?”
“Of course,” she said with an understanding smile. “A hostess’s job is not done until the caterers are paid.”
“You understand it well,” Mom said.
Imogene took her glass of wine and whisked away, leaving me alone with my mother.
“That empty seat we left open at our table? Walker Anderson is going to join us.”
“Fabulous.”
“Next to Charlie,” I specified.
“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she said with a wide grin.
“Don’t say anything to Dina, okay?” I said. “You know she’d support it and once that happens Charlie will do anything to sabotage it.”
“You’re right.”
I had my own reasons for wanting Charlie and Walker to hit it off. She wasn’t going to forget about Savage until a new man entered her life. As much as Charlie claimed she wanted a bad boy, I knew she’d get tired of her rebellious stage and eventually settle down.
“Where’s Arnold?” I asked.
Mom frowned. “I don’t know, actually. The last I saw him he was taking a phone call, but he hasn’t come back yet.”
“When were you going to tell me Tyler was coming?” I asked.
“Tyler’s here?” She looked around. “I had no idea. You were there with me when we finalized the seating chart. He wasn’t on the list.”
“Maybe he’s crashing the party.”
“I can get security,” Mom insisted.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t want your event ruined with scandal. Leave him be.”
“I would’ve told you if he was coming. I never would’ve clobbered you with that out of the blue.” Her expression clouded. “I’ve never forgiven him for how he treated you after the funeral.”
“It’s done now,” I said. “I don’t want to think about that time in my life. Not when I’m…”
“Happy?” she supplied for me.
I nodded.
“I’m happy that you’re happy,” she said, squeezing her hand.
Tears prickled my eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Let’s find our seats. And watch Walker fall head over heels in love with Charlie.”
We strolled to our table. Patrick helped us with our seats since Bones and my stepfather were both MIA.
Charlie waved off her father and took her seat. She drank from her champagne flute, looking bored and in need of a distraction.
Walker Anderson swooped in, not taking his eyes off Charlie.
Charlie couldn’t take her eyes off Walker, either.
“Walker, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Charlie. Charlie, this is Walker.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said, boldly perusing him.
“Nice to meet you, too,” he said. His eyes lingered a little too long and Patrick cleared his throat.
While my mother was making introductions, Charlie met my gaze and fanned herself and pretended to swoon.
I bit my lip to stifle my grin. Walker took the chair next to Charlie and the two of them immediately jumped into conversation.
I looked at Dina and held up crossed fingers.
She blew me a kiss.
Bones returned to the table and slid into the chair next to me. “Have I missed the weird, tiny bird yet?”
I shot him a grin. “They haven’t even served the salads.”
He set his arm on the back of my chair and leaned closer to whisper, “How long do we have to stay before we can leave? I want another taste of you.”
Shivers danced down my spine. I turned my head to reply, pitching my voice lower. “There’s a break between dinner and dessert. We can slip away then.”
My stepfather returned to the ballroom just as they were serving the salad course. His face was chalk white and when he reached for his newly poured glass of white wine, his hand shook. I tried to catch his eye, but he never met my gaze. He was quiet, letting my mother direct the flow of conversation.
At some point during the main course, Bones placed his hand on my thigh and let it wander toward the juncture of my legs. I glared at him in warning, but he looked remarkably composed as he ate his food, like he wasn’t tracing circles on my thigh and tantalizing me.
Dina and Patrick were regaling us with tales of their early courtship.
“He was a complete and utter ass,” Dina said with a laugh. “There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to get my attention.”
“Like streaking across the football field at Notre Dame’s homecoming game with her name painted on my behind,” Patrick said with a wide smile.
“I could’ve been happy never knowing that story,” Charlie said, causing a round of laughter at the table.
“Kellen tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t be deterred,” Patrick said. “We were roommates at Notre Dame. Thick as thieves.”
The words were out of his mouth without any thought and a pall fell over the table. I glanced at my mother to see how she felt about my father’s name being mentioned.
“It was one of his favorite stories to tell at Christmas, after one too many glasses of sherry,” she said with a fondness I rarely heard from her. Not because she didn’t love my father, but because the mere mention of his name usually made her clamshell.
“How did you two meet?” Bones asked my mom, gesturing to her and my stepfather. He took his glass of wine and held it to his lips while he waited for the story.
My mother looked to Arnold, waiting for him to explain, but he was lost in thought, not paying attention. He lifted his drink to his mouth and downed half of it.
I frowned. My stepfather was a social drinker, but tonight he seemed to be hitting it hard.
“Kellen and Arnold went to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business together, and he’s been a long-time friend of the family,” my mother finally expounded. “And he was my rock after Kellen died. After a while, it turned into more.”
“Hmm.” Bones took a drink and then set his glass of wine down.
I looked at him, but he just picked up his fork and began eating his meal again. I glanced at Charlie. She gave me a strained smiled and shrugged before turning her attention back to Walker.
The servers cleared away our plates as Dina and Patrick started talking about where they were going to spend Christmas.
My mother picked up her glass of wine and said, “I need to make the rounds.”
“I’ll join you.” Arnold wiped his mouth on his black napkin and rose, placing a hand on the small of her back and ushering her away.
“The Selzinks just bought a place in St. Moritz. I want to ask them about it,” Dina said. “See you kids in a bit.”
“Don’t get into any trouble,” Patrick said, pinning a stare onto his daughter.
“Why are you looking at me?” Charlie asked. “I’m an angel.”
“More like a fallen angel,” I muttered under my breath, which caused Bones to laugh.
Once Charlie’s parents left the table, Charlie turned to Walker and said, “I just got a tattoo. Do you want to see it?”
“Yes,” he said, not taking his eyes off her. “Should we get some fresh air?”
“That sounds perfect,” Charlie said.
They rose from the table and without a backward glance, left the room.
“And then there were two,” I said.
“Let’s get out of here.” Bones downed the rest of his red wine and rose.
He held out his hand to me and I grasped it. He hauled me up, his hand going to my waist as we walked toward the exit.
We were stopped along the way by friends of my mother’s. I introduced Bones, we shared a few jokes, and then we politely extricated ourselves. When we were finally in the limousine on the way back to my house, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I wasn’t sure we were going to make it out of there,” I said with a laugh. “Everyone was so curious about you. No doubt they’re gossiping now as we speak.”
“Let ‘em.” Bones pressed a button and raised the partition between us and our driver.
He undid his tie and set it aside and then he removed his tuxedo jacket.
Then he crouched on floor of the limousine in front of me.
“What are you doing?” I whispered.
His hands inched up my calves, raising my dress as he went. Bones’ grin was wicked and full of promise.
He tugged at my thong.
I lifted up and allowed him to ease it down my legs.
And then he spread my thighs. “I’m going to eat this pussy the entire way home. Keep count of how many orgasms I give you.”
He bent his head to his task.
I lost count after four.