“Don’t play dumb. I asked if you caused this. I can’t believe you’d do something this evil over a stupid slashed photo and a dead rat. It was just a prank!”
Emily felt like she was splashed in the face with cold water. “Repeat that.”
Adrianna rolled her eyes. “Are you really acting like you don’t know? Okay, let me humor you. My aunt and I wanted to scare you, so we sent you thatlovelypackage. I guess it worked because you were spooked out for weeks on set. I couldn’t resist and had that paint bomb planted in your bag while filming. You were way too cocky, publicly still dating Jake, living this happy life while my aunt was forced to be the mistress.”
Because she is,Emily wanted to snap.She cast herself in that role.
Instead, she stared at Adrianna, releasing an exhausted sigh. “I didn’t cause her to get hospitalized. It was an accident,” she repeated Nicolas’s words she’d chosen to trust. “Jake can give you all the details.”
Emily wanted to be angry at her. At them. But she just couldn’t bring herself to be.
Not after everything that has happened.
Taking ahold of Nicolas's hand, Emily shook it, indicating to the exit with a nudge of her head. “Let’s go.”
52
“You look ravishing.”
Emily whirled around, falling off-balance in her gown, but firm hands held her by the waist.
“You scared me,” she whispered.
Nicolas’s lips wore a coy smile. “Did I? My apologies.”
He dragged his eyes down the length of her body and back up to her face with no subtlety whatsoever.
Emily cocked her head at him. “Really?”
He shrugged. “It’s not my fault you look breathtaking.”
Look who’s talking.
He looked devastatingly handsome in his tuxedo, the crisp black tailoring hugging his frame, bow tie knotted and polished shoes catching the light.
Emily leaned back with sparkly eyes. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
Nicolas choked up laughing. “Hey, that’s my line!” he playfully scolded after taking a short breath.
“Now it’sours.”
“Whatever your pretty little heart desires.”
She grinned and leaned back into him, her heart steady against his chest. His hands found her hair absentmindedly, fingers threading through the softness like they belonged there. “You’ll have to ride to the party in a different vehicle,” he murmured. “We haven’t gone public yet so it’s a precaution, but just know I’ll be your biggest supporter tonight. I’m so proud of you, Em. You deserve this and a million more moments like it.”
Like a cat being petted, she snuggled up to his embrace and placed her head beneath his chin. “I love you. Thank you.”
He let out a wistful sigh. “I love you even more, baby.”
She responded by kissing him at the most accessible spot which was his neck. It seemed to be the wrong move based on how he instantly stiffened.
With furrowed brows, she pulled back to look up at him. “Is there somethingwro?—”
The air was knocked out of her lungs when his mouth eagerly found hers. She grappled at the front of his suit, all the emotions inside of her on overdrive. Her skin prickled when his lips broke from her to make a trail down her jaw to her neck, running his hands down over her exposed shoulders, until they landed on her waist again. His fingers gripped the gown’s material as if they were angry at there being a layer between them.
As if reminding himself this wasn’t the time nor place, Nicolas closed his eyes momentarily, reining in his desire. “Fuck me,” he whispered before running a hand through his hair.
Emily could feel her heart slamming against her rib cage at their heated moment.
