Elias #2
It’s my turn to feel confused. “Your fiancé. You were looking for him when that guy came up to you. If you need me to, I’m happy to explain the situation to him.”
She blinks, snapping out of her daze and looks up at me with a sheepish grin.
“Oh.” She laughs uncomfortably. “I don’t actually have a fiancé.
I was just fucking with him. He was rubbing his wife in my face, and I panicked.
” A groan passes through her lips and if she wasn’t already as red as a tomato, she would be now.
“God, this is so embarrassing. I don’t even know what I was thinking. ”
I feel my shoulders drop in relief. I shouldn’t like the idea of knowing that she’s single but I do, and it sends a small buzz of excitement up my spine.
“I was prepared to explain myself to your fiancé for having my hands on you, but I feel marginally better that I get to leave here without a broken nose.”
She giggles and the sound has my ears pricking up. Out of the blue, she holds her hand out. “I’m Bridget, by the way.”
I take her slender hand in mine and give it a squeeze. “Elias.”
Suddenly, I feel a pair of eyes on us, so I lean forward and place my hand on her exposed thigh, humming in approval as goose bumps spread over the skin my hand covers.
“What are you doing?” she asks quietly, her eyes locked on my own and her brows drawn together.
Resting my elbows on my thighs, I run my hand up and down her leg in what looks like an affectionate manner. “I’m putting on a show for our audience.”
Her breath hitches ever so slightly as I rub small circles on the skin at the top of her thigh, and I almost miss the way her eyes darken before she blinks it away.
“Biddy?” a voice calls out, and the two of us look over at the blonde in the red dress. “Are you okay? Lorna just introduced me to her husband, and you’ll never guess who it is.”
Bridget moves her gaze from me to the woman who looks like her carbon copy. “Tom?”
The woman groans. “Oh god, please don’t tell me he’s already made a move.
” She sighs. “I’m sorry, Bids, I had no idea he was going to be here, let alone be her husband…
” It’s only then she notices my palm on Bridget’s thigh.
“Who the hell are you?” she asks, her tone anything but pleased as she narrows her eyes at me.
“And why the fuck is your hand on my sister?”
Bridget clears her throat, her eyes dropping to my hand that still rests on her leg. “Natalie, Elias was kind enough to swoop in and save the day, so stop looking at him like you want to cut his hand off.”
I chuckle, and that earns me an even deeper glare from her sister. “Could he not do that without touching you?” Natalie grumbles, her eyes still locked on my hand as it subconsciously plays with the fabric of Bridget’s dress.
“That wouldn’t make our engagement very believable,” I tell her, watching as her eyes widen.
Bridget’s face deepens in colour as her sister rolls her eyes and smacks a hand over her face. “Bridget,” she whines. “Couldn’t you have just been…I don’t know, normal?”
I sit up straighter at her tone, and grumble, “Hey, he was being a dick to her and she freaked. It happens. It’s not like you were there to save the day.”
Natalie looks like she wants to strangle me, and under any other circumstances I might be game—even if it’s not the sister I want touching me.
Bridget notices her sister’s hostility and she reaches for both of our hands, squeezing them both. “He was riling me up, Nat,” she says softly. “It came out of nowhere, and I didn’t have the time to think it through.”
Natalie sighs and places a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to deal with him on your own.” She looks reluctantly at me and rolls her eyes. “Thanks for being there to save her sorry ass.”
I mock salute, and that has her frown slipping.
Natalie takes the empty chair next to Bridget, and the three of us sit in silence for no more than two seconds before my brother comes bounding over with his wife-to-be in tow. He looks at my and Bridget’s closeness and his eyes jump between the two of us quizzically.
“Who’s this?” Oscar asks.
I lift my hand from her leg and stand from the chair. “I’ll explain to you later,” I say, just as someone taps on the microphone, and his eyes narrow in response. I turn to look down at Bridget and hold out my hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go to our table.”
She looks up at me and frowns. “What do you mean, our table?” Her voice is low and the question is for my ears only.
“My fiancée will be expected to sit with me at my brother’s charity event.”
Her eyes widen as she quickly reaches up and takes my hand. My brother claps his hands together and rubs them together giddily. “Oh, man, this ought to be fun.” He looks at Natalie with a roguish grin. “Looks like we’re gonna be related, Nat.”
The two of them chuckle and head to the table while I wait for Bridget to gather herself before I tug her in the direction of our table. I can’t stop the smirk that pulls at my lips when I see Tom and his wife are also sitting at our table.
Tonight is about to get a hell of a lot more interesting.