Isaac just stared at me, an entire unspoken conversation passing between us that made me want to puke.
Carter’s gaze was unforgiving as he stared Isaac down, and when Isaac finally looked up at Carter, his eyes flared with the realization that I was here with someone. Isaac immediately postured. Great, we were going to have a dick-swinging contest. Yippie.
“Um, what are you doing here?” I asked, attempting to keep my voice steady while I ignored how good Carter’s fingers felt, curled around my hip, how sensual his thumb stroking the small of my back felt.
God, I could hardly stand up straight with him touching me like that. Did he have any idea what he was doing to me?
“I have a couple of pieces showing.” Isaac explained, “And you?”
I nodded breathlessly as Carter continued his caress.
“Which ones are yours?” Isaac asked, and I hated every second of his gaze on me—the judgment as he dragged his eyes over me.
When Carter had just done the same, his gaze was steeped with adoration and longing—and it felt so wildlydifferent from the way Isaac was currently looking at me. In that moment, I knew—I had been wrong to second guess what had happened at Isaac’s apartment that night. I wasn’t just being sensitive about what had happenedbeforeI’d even discovered that camera. He’d crossed a line. I knew it, because Carter had never ever made me feel the way Isaac had that night—like my voice didn’t matter. And the fact that he’d tried to record it, well, that was just the icing on the cake.
With Carter like a guard dog, ready to attack at any second, I cleared my throat, finding my voice again. “I’m the main one.” Why was I downplaying it?
“You’re the feature?” Isaac asked, shocked. Ouch, if that didn’t hurt.
I nodded, my voice getting caught in my throat as a lump formed. I hated that he was here. I hated it so much. Just when I was finally starting to enjoy myself for once.
“How the hell did you manage that?” Isaac asked, and then he looked at Carter suspiciously. “Never mind. It looks like you had a hookup. I see you found anotherfriend.”With benefitsis what he didn’t say, but I could practically feel the words sitting on the tip of his tongue.
That fucking prick assumed Carter was my benefactor. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much. Lots of incredible artists had them, but I had earned my place tonight, all on my own. I had gotten here with literal blood, sweat, and tears. It was the only thing of note that I’d achieved this year, and him reducing it down to—well, it didn’t matter. He was an ass. An ass disguised as anice guy. Ugh! My heart thundered as his words looped in my mind over and over.
I tried to find that kernel of accomplishment, that pride for what I’d created, but it felt so far out of reach now.
Carter’s grip released as he stepped into Isaac’s personal space, a full head above him. “Let’s see if your pieces are worth their salt.” Carter said, pretending he was, in fact, an interestedinvestor. I mean, in reality, he could have been. He could support the entire gallery if he wanted, let alone a single artist.
“What?” Isaac asked, taking a step back.
“Unless you’re not pursuing a benefactor.” Carter mused, becoming mildly disinterested. Something was different about him tonight. Whatever it was, it was hot as fuck. “Perhaps itwouldbe a waste of my time.” Carter droned, and casually checked his watch as if he had other more important things to do—I smiled to myself, catching a flash of pink.
Carter was basically ripping Isaac to shreds with his eyes, and I jabbed him in the side as subtly as I could, but Carter was having none of that. He stepped forward and gripped Isaac’s shoulder. “What do you say?” Carter practically growled, and my stomach flipped at the sound.Damn.
I suppressed a smirk, kind of loving how protective he was being. I’d never seen him so—commanding, so intense. I tried to ignore what it was doing to my body. I failed. It was doing wild things to my insides. Feral things. Ungodly things.
Isaac winced under the grip. “Uh, sure, that’d be great.”
That’s when a whole new set of nerves hit me. I realized Carter was better educated about fine art than most people I knew. He wouldn’t even be pretending as he evaluated Isaac’s work… as he evaluatedmywork afterwards.
Oh God, I was going to puke.
Growing up, I’d seen the priceless pieces that had filtered through the Kensington Estate, one after another. Pieces that most people wouldn’t even dream of seeing in their lifetime, Carter had casually hung on the walls of his house.
Panic hit me like a freight train. This wasn’t just my friend looking at my art, this was someone whose eyes were trained to evaluate art for investment purposes. Someone who was trained to spot shit from a mile away.
Oh God.I should have tried harder to keep him away tonight. The worst part was I knew he’d be nice about it, even if hethought my collection was utter trash. How pitiful that would be. This was going to be humiliating.
“I’ll only be a moment, sweetheart.” Carter turned to me again, fingers trailing down my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps as he took my hand. He pressed a supple kiss to my knuckles, giving me a smoldering look that could only be interpreted one way.
I wasn’t wearing any underwear tonight because panty lines, and now I had an entire situation happening between my legs. I was panicked, I was turned on, I was a fucking mess. “Of course,sweetie.” I bit out in warning, shooting Carter my own determined look, but Carter was having none of that as his eyes flashed with something lethal. As if he fucking knew everything that had happened that night, without me ever saying a word. I swallowed hard as his gaze turned venomous and he slid his hands into his pockets, trailing Isaac like a shark who smelled blood in the water.
“You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.” Lila, perky as ever, materialized next to me, shooting me a wide-eyed jealous look.
No point in explaining. Not when Carter was practically acting like hewantedpeople to think he was my boyfriend. What the hell was up with him tonight? “It’s new.” I said, grabbing a champagne flute off a passing tray and knocking it back in one go.
“I’d knock back a few more of those if I were you.” She scoffed. “I think you’re in for alongnight.” Lila left, grumbling to herself. “I need to get back on the apps.”
