Natalie puckers her lips, peering at Ava with an owl-like curiosity.
Nate opens his mouth like he’s about to say something but then closes it again. He exchanges a surprised glance with his fiancé, then flashes his big Hollywood grin. ‘Right, who’s for a drink then?’ He rubs his hands together and turns to the bar.
‘Thank you.’ Ava mouths up at me, her thick lashes dusting her chiselled cheekbones. My solid frozen heart officially begins to thaw.
ChapterSeventeen
AVA
The party is a huge success, primarily down to a few shared Instagram posts from my super famous brother. Nate and Holly are a walking, talking advertisement for true love. Which is why the HeartSync website crashed from an enormous influx of new clients.
This business is my baby, but I’ve always sought the support of my family. Asking Nate to invest was as much about having another adult to defer to, as it was for financial reasons. I’m the youngest of the Jackson siblings. The one they tease and rib for being naive. And because of that, it kind of became instinctive to look for an adultier adult when things got tough.
But tonight, I’m starting to see how much I’ve actually achieved on my own. And I’m proud.
‘You must be pleased with the turnout.’ Bonnie scans the crowded room, before returning to her iPad where she’s tapping out an email to our IT guy.
‘Of course.’ Though all I can think about right now is the one man in the crowd who’s ‘turned out’ better than most.
In a ridiculously well-tailored designer suit, Cillian emits wealth, power, maybe even arrogance to someone who doesn’t know him. My eyes are drawn to him like a magnet. He still radiates the same presence that sucked the oxygen from my lungs when I used to watch him walk by my office window. Only later, I’m going to get the chance to suck it right back.
Though I get the impression that, no matter how much I breathe him in, I doubt I’ll ever be right again. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take because I’ve thought about nothing else since Friday night.
And when he defended me tonight, I realised it’s not arrogance he emits, it’s integrity. Sure, he’s still a grumpy, cynical divorce lawyer, but there’s also an underlying honourability to him.
He’s loyal.
Lascivious.
And about to get laid.
No one has ever stuck up for me before. Even though my siblings’ teasing isn't malicious, it hurts. Josh’s ankle tag might be a long-standing joke. But the hurt on his wife’s face when she arrived at my front door wasn't funny at all.
If my family knew the truth, they’d hunt Josh down and flog him.
I don’t want that. I don’t want their pity.
But I don’t want their incessant ribbing either.
I have a feeling after tonight, I won’t have to worry about either. Cillian’s sizzling stare said more than ‘cut her some slack’. It said, ‘She’s under my protection now’ and it was hot as fuck.
If we hadn’t already decided to take our fake relationship to a real bedroom, I’d be dragging him to one anyway.
‘Cillian is hot as fuck.’ Bonnie voices my exact thoughts.
‘Yep.’ I take a swig from my glass of champagne and watch as he converses with my mother and father like he’s known them for years. While he’s still unable to crack an actual smile, he appears at ease with them anyway.
‘Are you going to sleep with him tonight?’ Bonnie hits send and shoves the phone back in her metallic clutch bag.
‘Yep.’
‘Fan-fucking-tastic. It’s about time your lady parts got shocked back to life. For a while there I was worried I was going to have to buy a defibrillator.’ She snorts, grabbing a cracker slathered in caviar from a passing waiter. ‘Just remember the plan. Donotget attached. He’s thenextone, notTheOne.’
‘I know, I know.’ I make a show of rolling my eyes to hide the fact I get a zinging sensation every time he so much as looks my way. Bonnie’s right to offer caution. Because if I were to confuse this as something more for even a second, Cillian Callaghan would run a mile. With my foolish romantic heart tucked tightly in his possession.
‘Nate’s bought it anyway.’ Bonnie’s eyes follow Nate as he claps Cillian’s back and joins the conversation.
‘Good. We need that investment.’ A ripple of guilt flares in my stomach. Then I remember my siblings’ teasing and it subsides.
