He should have known there was a reason for this visit. They wanted something from him like everyone else had.
His father wasn’t the only one making comments about his wealth today. He’d gotten a few jabs from cousins. No oneoutright asking for money, but insinuating how lucky he was, that it must be nice to pick up and leave or do what he wanted any given day, even one person proposing a business idea they had, if they could just gather the seed money.
He’d taken off fast when that came up.
“What do you think I can say that will make a difference?” he asked.
Aunt Beth sighed and looked onto the floor where Brandi was rubbing her ass against his father’s crotch in a fast song, her arms in the air, her tits staying in place with no bra on, nipples pointing at those in front of them.
“He needs to grow up,” Uncle Justin said. “There is a time and place for everything.”
“You invited him,” he said.
“See,” Aunt Beth said. “I told you to keep him off the list.”
“I would have,” Arik said.
“But he would have shown up anyway and caused a bigger commotion,” Uncle Justin said. “If you don’t do it for Nick, then do it for your grandmother. She’s suffered enough embarrassment from his actions.”
His aunt and uncle departed after those words.
“Well now,” Natalie said. “That was rude of them to dump that on your shoulders.”
“It’s not the first.”
“Are you going to do anything about it?”
“Nope,” he said, picking up his beer. His last one. He’d had two and Natalie was reaching for her third glass of wine.
He hadn’t expected that, but she was having a good time, all things considered. One of them needed to keep a level head and it might as well be him.
Then maybe she wouldn’t compare him to the family circus acts around him.
When the music slowed, he held his hand out. “Yes?” she asked.
“May I have this dance?”
She laughed and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “It wasn’t in the contract that we couldn’t dance, so I supposed I could.”
His cheek rubbed against hers on purpose. Any excuse to touch his skin to hers.
He didn’t miss the tremble that ran through her body, small but unmistakable, betraying every ounce of the control she was trying to hold on to.
Glad to know he wasn’t alone.
He pulled her up and guided her to the dance floor, his large hands claiming her waist, fingers splaying possessively as if he couldn’t touch enough of her.
She didn’t pull away. Not once.
In his perfect world, she never would.
“I hope you’re having fun,” he said.
“You’re delivering as expected.”
They moved to the song, their feet shifting in a circle like two people at a middle school dance.
But unlike a middle school dance, there was no awkwardness. Only a perfect, breathless rhythm. No urge for it to end. No wish for anyone else to interrupt what felt like something unfolding just for them.
