I straighten my bow tie before tucking my free arm behind my back. “I’ve trained my whole married life for this. Bring it on.”
Holly smiles up at me before scanning the crowd. “First order of business: to see who I need to avoid and who I need to talk to.”
I lower my eyebrows, the smile falling from my lips. “Who are we avoiding, beautiful wife of mine? Do I need to play bodyguard? Do I need to play the fool? Tell me who you need me to be.”
Her eyes twinkle beneath the chandelier lights. She leans into me, nudging my side with her elbow. “Be yourself, Mateo. We’ll avoid any of my past dates, and if you see a tall man who looks like Alex, or a woman who looks like me, let me know so we can walk in the opposite direction.”
Wait. A man who looks like Alex and a woman who looks like Holly? Does she mean her parents?
I turn, blocking out the room as I unwind my arm from hers so I can grip her waist. Her hands come up and rest on my chest, as if we’re a couple in a romantic embrace instead of a couple talking about parents who don’t deserve the precious label. “Are your parents here? Are they coming? Ithought you didn’t have contact with them after you turned eighteen. At least, that’s what Alex told me.” My heart races at the thought of meeting the Kingston parental units.
Holly stares at my bow tie. “Alex hasn’t had contact with them since he bargained with them to gain custody of me when he was eighteen. I don’t purposely see them. What Alex doesn’t know is they occasionally are at functions I attend for other clients or for networking events.”
My mind races, any and all words and emotions a jumbled pot of soup. “Why?” It’s the only word I can get out. My tongue feels tied by the many questions I have about the Kingston parents' motives and actions. Adrenaline pumps through me as I imagine meeting Holly’s parents for the first time. There’s a flaming speech written out in my head, none of which would be appropriate to say in public, especially considering it uses my extensive knowledge of weed nomenclature—my PG alternative to curse words.
Holly’s fingers move across my chest, inching up toward my bow tie, which she straightens before smoothing down my lapels. “My parents made friends while we were younger. Their friends come to these events. The Kingston family technically comes from old money. It’s all about money for them. That’s why they had Alex acting in movies so young. They’d come to events to network and make underhanded deals to make more money.”
I’m sweltering in this tuxedo and the air around me is stifling. My chest heaves and Holly’s hands resting on my chest are possibly the only thing keeping me from hulking out and ripping the buttons off my shirt as I go to fight her battles.
I look around and spot doors to a courtyard in the middle of the building. I step back, lacing my fingers through Holly’s as I lead us through the crowd.
We walk outside and I spot a water fountain with few people around it. I drop Holly’s hand and walk over to the trickling water. There’s a smallbreeze and the misty water cools me down. It’s the first time I feel like I can truly breathe in the last minute.
Holly steps up next to me, her citrus scent wafting toward me. Her hand slips into mine as she closes the distance between us. Her voice is quiet and soothing like the tinkling water. “Mateo, are you okay?”
I turn and pull her into my embrace, lifting her hands to rest on my chest again. “Areyouokay, Holly? Why haven’t you told Alex they come to these events?”
Her cheeks go pink and her eyelashes flutter before she lifts her shoulders in a weak shrug. “What’s he going to do? He can’t have them banned from events because they’re horrible parents. I’m an adult. I can handle them. I’ve successfully avoided them for the past three years after the first few unfortunate incidents. What’s a few more years?”
“Is there anyone else we should avoid?”
“Jorge.”
I don’t growl, but I do let out a huff. “Jorge the Bull Thistle has a death wish if he shows up here.”
Holly flicks me in the chest and glares at me. “You can’t say stuff like that, Mateo.”
“I can’t say that the man has a death wish for touching my wife?”
“No, you can’t. We’ve done the paperwork, and now we just avoid him. He hurt me before we were married, anyway.”
“Semantics.”
Holly goes up on tiptoes, her face so close to mine that leaning down a few inches would have our lips touching.
My mantra for tonight runs through my mind.
I’m a gentleman. Kissing can come later.
Holly narrows her eyes. “Listen, mister caveman. I’ve got work to do. Are you going to sulk or be my protective knight?”
She’s right. I reign in my newfound caveman tendencies as I take a deep breath and exhale my pent-up frustration. I’m an older brother and anaturally protective person, but that’s not why I’m riled up.
Nope. It’s because I can’t get over that a Knotweed piece of a man dared to touch Holly and violate her boundaries. The anger has been simmering for weeks.
I pull Holly closer, and her hands travel up my chest before her fingers interlock behind my neck. I lean down and just hug her. I hold her and think of all the reasons why I’m so grateful I’m here at this event. Holly doesn’t know the hold she has over me, and my feelings tonight just show me how quickly those deep emotions are multiplying.
I move my head to speak into her ear, needing her close. “If I see Mr. Toadflax, you'll need to lead me away before I create a crime scene.”
