“Absolutely.You fuck me, I fuck you.Any time,” he drawls, and I growl, my palm throbbing at my side and I try to step away, but I’m not fast enough.
He grabs my wrist, drawing me flush to him, and his growing arousal is hard against my stomach.Bile gathers in my mouth.
“Get the fuck out.”I lift my knee, holding it so he gets my meaning.
His amusement never wavers but he does put distance between us, going back to his spot at the door.“I’ll pitch in some money, not as much as what the Husseys were going to but close, and in exchange, you go with me to the gala.”
“What?”I hate to admit it but there is a second where I actually contemplate his offer.As much as I hate him, a date to the gala seems like a small price to pay for what he’s offering.But that’s the thing, now, isn’t it?
“I’m not interested, but tell me how you know so much?How did you know about what happened with Reagan?”I push at his chest and he stumbles until his back hits the wall.
Curiosity is getting the better of me because I want him to leave but not until I’m able to fit all the puzzle pieces together.I don’t dare ask how he knew about my deal with Zach, but my guess is he’s getting all of his information from one source.
He winks slyly.“Reagan and I are very much alike.We go way back.She helped me snag Cecilia many moons ago, and now it’s my turn to help her bag Zach.”He folds his arms and leans lazily against the wall.
“Like me, Reagan isn’t marrying for love.It’s all about the power of the union.Why do you think you’ve never seen my darling wife?”For an instant something akin to pain flashes in his eyes, but just as quickly, it’s gone, replaced with malice.“Cece would rather be in hell than anywhere I am.We live separate lives but on paper we’re a formidable pair.Fuck, I thought dear old Dad would have gotten off my back after I married Cecilia Black.He should have been impressed…” He trails off, dragging his hand harshly through his hair before his tormented gaze lands back on me.“A Hussey-Rothwell union would be much the same and Reagan is nothing if not driven to be among the most powerful and richest.She was giving Zach time to cool off, build his desperation for his trust, or even her money, then she’d swoop back in and get his last name.But you fucked that up.”
He laughs and with each rumble, my stomach flips and twists with the knowledge that these people—wealthy, insensitive people like Donovan and Reagan—treat life and people’s lives like a game.Love, happiness, and any other emotion aren’t worth anything to them.While he’s given me a lot to think about, there’s still something I just don’t quite understand.
“So that explains Reagan’s motives, but what about yours?”
As if I’ve poked the bear, he springs to life, pushing from the wall to bump chests with me.I press my hands flat against his chest and he willingly backs away, but not altogether.His torso leans into my palms, and I want to release my hold but fear he’ll topple onto me and that would be worse than how we are right now.
“I’m fucking sick and tired of Zach ‘the great’ Rothwell getting everything in life.Successful in school, in business, and now in love—fuck him.When is it my turn to reap the sweetness life has to offer?”Now he advances so quickly and unexpectedly, he crushes my arms between us and wraps a strong arm around my waist.“I just want a fucking taste.”His tongue darts out as he lowers his head toward my mouth.
I clamp my lips shut, bucking and squirming, needing more room to use any of the self-defense moves I’ve learned.With my head turned to the side, I say, “Get out.”
He releases an eerie laugh at the same time he lets me go and it’s clear he is enjoying every minute of our exchange.I stumble back and his half-crazed smile snaps my control.Lunging at him, my hand curls into a proper fist and rotating my hips like I’ve practiced in my countless weekly drills, I throw a tightly controlled punch.
I hit him in the eye with a pleasing smack, causing him to stagger backward, and I seize the chance to thrust him out the door, slamming it in his face.My knuckles pulse but not in a bad way and his curse-filled groans can be heard through the wood.A satisfactory smile slides across my face as I shudder, grateful to have the barrier.He’s despicable and so driven to stick it to Zach by having me on his arm.
I might have my own problems with Zach, but I don’t want to see him hurt and even more so, I don’t want to be involved in anything that could hurt him.
Ialmost don’t go to the gala.The idea of missing Nuit Étoilée is saddening and foolish.Despite all the other reasons not to go—like Zach, Reagan, losing the Hussey donation and funding—grabbing a pint of Cherry Garcia and watchingTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Beforefor the tenth time isn’t enough to keep me home.
I can’t bring myself to let the stunning vintage dress Zach gave me go to waste.Lifting it from the bed, I slip the beaded gown on and the image of myself in the mirror makes me want to cry.It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.
The fitted silhouette hugs my curves with crystal embellishments, capped sleeves, a sweetheart neckline and scooped open back.Just below my knees, a fringe of sparkling tassels falls to mid-calf.With my head held high, I leave for the moment I’ve been working toward for weeks now.
The evening is bittersweet.It’s even more of a success than I imagined.One of the city’s most well-known and well-respected philanthropic reporters makes an appearance and asks to speak with Nan, who insists I be part of the interview.
Throughout the night, Donovan leers at me every time our gazes clash, and I’m unperturbed, responding with the smile of a victor.The sight of his big, ugly black eye does wonders for my mood and I can’t help but snicker at his lousy job at covering up his shiner.But any joy is easily squashed by Zach’s many attempts to get me alone.I thwart every one.If I decide to stay with the foundation, which I don’t think is a good idea, I need to make it clear Zach has to keep his distance.
I spend the entire evening, even when plastering on a smile and joining in idle chit-chat, thinking about how to save Project Miranda, and the only solution I can come up with is to reason with Reagan.I will go to her tomorrow and agree to leave so long as she agrees to reinstate their support.
I push through the night, keeping my distance from both Zach and Nan, refusing to break down or walk out.But I can’t lie.I won’t lie to myself anymore.This world and these people aren’t mine and as much as I’d love to marry Zachary Adam Rothwell, I won’t do it for anything but love.
As the night winds down, we surpass our donation goal and Nan takes to the stage for her wrap-up remarks.I’m smiling and realize there were moments of joy this evening.Moments where all our hard work, ideas, and imaginings paid off to see patrons laughing, smiling, and most importantly, writing checks.Those moments are outnumbered by those where I had to dig deep and push out smiles against my sadness.But the good exists among the bad, nonetheless.
“Good evening, everyone.I promise this is the last time you’ll hear from me tonight.Once again, I want to thank all of you for your extreme generosity this evening and your outpouring of support for Project Miranda and our commitment to helping sustain the earth’s most valuable resource—water.”Nan pauses and the crowd applauds.
“Those of you on our email list will get more details about the project in the coming weeks with more to come on our website.But tonight, I want to thank one donor for his significant contribution to Project Miranda.Without his support we wouldn’t be close to announcing a deal and location for our plant.”
She steps into the center of the stage, glancing to one side and then back to the crowd.“Because of his single donation, we’re fortunate to skip the initial fundraising phase, and all of this is thanks to Zachary Rothwell.”
My jaw drops and I clutch my stomach as Zach takes to the stage, standing next to his grandmother.Smiling, he waves to the cheering crowd and with his hand shielding his eyes from the bright lights, he scans the many faces until he stops on me and winks.
“Thank you.”He kisses his grandmother’s cheek and then finds me again.“I promise to keep this short because we’ve all had a fabulous night, but my dogs are barking.It’s been a long one.”He winks again at me and I can’t resist a smile.“And now that you’ve lightened your wallets, you’re free to go.”Laughter erupts throughout the gathering, and his smile widens and my chest aches.I will miss his smile.I will miss him.
