"People should mind their own damn business."
He twirled her towards the outskirts of the dance floor, giving them space, and her foreboding increased. "They're also saying that's the only reason you'd marry a thug like Jax Maroney, for a cash injection to saveSeaborn."
She stopped and shoved Otto away, not caring what the couples nearby thought, until she realised alienating an old family friend at her wedding reception wouldn't stop the rumours, it would only fuel them.
She snagged his hand and tugged him towards an empty nook behind a towering marble pillar. "What else are they saying? Tell me everything."
Otto hesitated, before his sigh alerted her to incoming news she wouldn't like.
"They're saying your husband has been trying to set up meetings with a few mining power-brokers but they're going tostonewall him at every turn." He touched her arm. "Just because you've married the guy, Ruby, don't expect people to start liking him."
He gestured at the ballroom. "People haven't forgotten that his father was responsible for ruining the lives of several prominent families here. They have long memories—"
"Jax isn't his dad," she hissed through gritted teeth, her anger rising exponentially with her indignation.
Didn't these people believe in second chances? In giving anyone the benefit of the doubt? Jax had done nothing wrong, apart from being born Denver Maroney's son, and they persecuted him for it.
What if marrying her changed nothing for him and he walked away from their deal, taking her chance at savingSeabornwith him?
Otto shrugged. “I know Jax isn’t his father, but you can't expect people to have faith in a guy who rocks into town after being away for a decade and expects to do high-end money business, not after what happened with old man Maroney."
Rage blinded her for a moment and she blinked several times before replying. "Maybe not, but I expect them to have faith inme. Inmyjudgement. I married Jax, and if they trust the Seaborn name, they'd better start trusting him too."
Leaving Otto gaping, she whirled around and almost sprinted for the door, where she caught sight of Jax hovering, an outsider at his own wedding.
Damn these people for their narrow-minded bigotry.
"What's wrong?" Jax snagged her arm as she attempted to brush past him, needing air before she marched back into the ballroom and kicked some snobby butt.
She searched his face, expecting anger or concern. What she saw affected her far more. Stoicism. He knew what they’d haveto face, the judgements they'd have to conquer, but rather than upsetting him, he accepted it.
She'd be damned if she would.
She slid her hand into his and tugged him back towards the ballroom. "I'll tell you what’s got me riled later. For now, we do what newlyweds do at their reception. We party."
To his credit, Jax played the role of a doting groom perfectly for the rest of the evening. They cut the cake, made brief speeches, danced some more, before skipping the goodbye circle and making a fast exit.
Five hours after they strolled into the Palladium ballroom as husband and wife, they left, hand in hand.
But Jax still hadn't lost the glower.
She squeezed his hand as they headed towards the lifts. "We pulled it off, so why do you look like we failed?"
"It's nothing—"
"Like hell." She stepped into his personal space, toe to toe. "Let me put it this way. If you don't tell me right this very second, there won't be much happening beyond sleeping in that decadent villa penthouse."
The corners of his mouth twitched. "You certainly drive a hard bargain."
"Cut the small talk and spill."
He sighed, his reluctance obvious in the rigid neck muscles, the clenched jaw, the shadowed glance.
"I won't judge you, I'm here for you," she said, cupping his cheek, stroking the worry lines bracketing his mouth.
To her surprise, her simple touch soothed Jax. He visibly sagged, the tension draining away as he cleared his throat.
"We didn't fool anyone,” he muttered, with a scowl.
