11. Liana
— ? —
Liana
The lawn glittered with people I had spent months organizing this party for.
White tents dotted the grass, champagne flutes catching the light from the strings hung between the old oaks, the harbor stretching out behind it all.
I had chosen the flowers, approved the linens, mapped out the foot traffic so rival families wouldn’t have to cross paths on their way to the bar.
The Regatta Gala was ours this year. The Costa name on every invitation. And I had made sure it would be perfect because perfection was the only thing I had left to give.
“Liana, this is stunning.” Madison Harrington stopped beside me near the terrace steps, her hand light on my arm. “You’ve outdone yourself.”
“I had help.” I touched her hand briefly and nodded toward the tents. “How’s Ford holding up? I saw him escape toward the water earlier.”
“He’s hiding from the Calabrese, I think.” Madison glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “He’ll resurface when the food comes out. He always does.”
“The crab cakes should be circulating soon.” I lifted my glass slightly. “That usually brings everyone back.”
“I’ll let him know.” She tilted her head, her eyes moving over my face.
“We missed Greer and Graham this year. Strange not seeing them.”
“They’re vacationing with Grace. Greer sent her regrets last week. Anyway, I should go rescue Ford before he makes a break for the boat. We’ll catch up later?”
“Of course.”
She moved off into the crowd and I kept walking. A woman brushed past me and complimented the flowers. A man I vaguely recognized from the club raised his glass in my direction. I nodded, smiled, said the right things.
Across the lawn, Spencer Moore stood with a group of men near the bar. Dominic was with them, his back to me, his shoulders broad in his jacket, his head bent toward whatever Spencer was saying.
I watched him longer than I meant to.
He turned, and his eyes found mine across the crowd. Spencer said something and Dominic nodded without looking away from me, his gaze steady, intent.
Spencer glanced in my direction and a small smile crossed his face before he turned back to the other men.
Dominic started walking toward me.
I busied myself with adjusting a napkin on one of the cocktail tables, smoothing a crease that didn’t exist. His footsteps grew closer on the grass. His cologne reached me before his voice did.
“You’re avoiding me.” He stopped just behind me, close enough that I felt the warmth of him through the thin fabric of my dress.
“I’m hosting.” I straightened the napkin again. “Someone has to talk to all these people.”
His hand found the small of my back. “Take a break.”
“The senator’s wife is expecting me to come back and finish our conversation about the harbor commission.” I still didn’t turn around. “Apparently there’s a vote coming up.”
“The harbor commission can wait.” He stepped closer, his chest nearly touching my back. “Turn around.”
I turned.
He was right there, inches away, those deep eyes fixed on my face. His hand stayed on my back, his thumb moving in a slow circle against my spine.
“You look incredible.” He said it low, just for me. “I’ve been watching you all night.”
“You looked pretty focused on Spencer.” I kept my voice even. “Important business?”
“Spencer was telling me I’m a lucky bastard.” His free hand came up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his fingers trailing along my jaw. “I told him I already knew that.”
“Did you now?”
“I did.” He tucked the hair behind my ear, his touch lingering. “I also told him my wife is the most beautiful woman here and he agreed without hesitation.”
“Spencer’s always been smart.”
“Smarter than me, apparently.” His fingers trailed down the side of my neck, feather-light over my pulse. “It took me too long to remember what I have.”
His thumb brushed the hollow of my throat and my breath caught. He leaned in, his lips finding the spot just below my ear, warm and soft against my skin.
“Dominic.” I meant it as a warning but it came out breathless.
“I know.” He kissed my neck again, slower this time.
His arm slid around my waist and pulled me closer against him. My hands came up to rest on his chest without my permission, feeling the steady beat of his heart through his shirt.
“People are watching.” I said it but I didn’t pull away.
“Let them.” He pressed another kiss to my neck, just above my collarbone. “Let them see that I can’t keep my hands off my wife.”
The senator’s wife appeared at my elbow with a wide smile.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt you two.” She clasped her hands together in front of her chest. “But I just had to say what a lovely couple you make. It’s so nice to see a marriage that still has that spark after all these years.”
Dominic’s arm stayed around my waist, his hand spread possessively across my hip.
“She’s the spark.” He looked down at me with an expression that almost looked real. “I just try to keep up.”
“My husband says the same thing.” The senator’s wife laughed and touched my arm lightly. “Behind every powerful man, isn’t that the saying?”
“I don’t know about that.” I made myself smile back. “I think beside is more accurate.”
“Even better.” She beamed at both of us. “Now, Liana, I was hoping we could finish our conversation about the harbor commission vote. There are some concerns I wanted to raise before the council meets.”
“Of course.” I started to step away from Dominic but his arm tightened around me.
“Five more minutes.” He said it to the senator’s wife but his eyes stayed on my face. “I’m not done with her yet.”
“I can see that.” She laughed again and waved her hand. “Take your time. I’ll be by the roses when you’re ready.”
She drifted off into the crowd and Dominic turned me to face him fully, both hands on my waist now.
“Where were we?” He pulled me closer.
“You were making a spectacle of us.”
“I was showing everyone here that my wife is the only woman I see.” He dipped his head and kissed the corner of my mouth.
I felt myself softening against him despite everything.
A murmur rippled through the crowd near the bar.
I didn’t notice it at first. Dominic’s mouth was on my jaw and his hands were pulling me closer and the noise of the party had faded to a distant hum. But the murmur grew louder, and heads started turning, and I looked past Dominic’s shoulder toward the bar.
Angela stood with one hand pressed to her temple, her face pale under her makeup. Her other hand gripped the edge of the bar, her knuckles white, her body swaying.
“Angela.” Someone near the bar said her name, sharp with alarm.
Her knees buckled. She folded in on herself, crumpling toward the ground, and a woman nearby gasped and stepped back.
Dominic’s hands left my waist.
He was gone before I could speak, crossing the lawn in long fast strides, pushing past guests who stumbled out of his way.
He dropped to his knees beside Angela and lifted her against his chest in one smooth motion, her head lolling back.
He stood up with her cradled against him and turned toward the house.
Toward our house. He didn’t look back at me. He didn’t call for the staff standing frozen by the tents.
He just carried her into our home and left me standing on the lawn.
The whole party watched him go. Then, slowly, the whole party turned to look at me.
Madison stood near the roses with her hand pressed to her mouth. Everywhere I looked, faces turned toward me, eyes wide, phones sliding out of pockets and clutches.
They were all waiting.
Waiting to see what the wife would do.
My hands wanted to shake but I locked my fingers tight around the stem of my champagne glass and held on.
I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip.
“Too much champagne, I imagine.” My voice came out steady, light, pleasant. “She’s been running herself ragged helping with the family business.”
The senator’s wife moved toward me, her face soft with concern.
“Should someone call a doctor?” She reached out and touched my arm gently. “She looked quite ill.”
“We have a doctor on staff.” I smiled at her and patted her hand. “He’ll take care of her.”
“Are you alright, dear?” She searched my face for the crack. “That was quite alarming.”
“I’m perfectly fine.” I took another sip of champagne and smiled wider, felt my cheeks ache with the effort. “These things happen at parties. Someone always overdoes it.”
She didn’t look convinced. No one looked convinced. Behind her, I saw Madison watching me with wet eyes. Spencer had turned away, his jaw tight. The whispers were spreading through the crowd, rippling outward, and by tomorrow the whole coast would know what happened here tonight.
But that was tomorrow.
Tonight I had a party to finish and a role to play and a husband upstairs with another woman in his arms.
“She’ll be fine.” I kept my smile fixed in place and turned back to the senator’s wife. “Now, you were talking about the harbor commission.”