But did I want it because it was forbidden? So close I could touch it but always just out of reach? Or was it because ofhim, specifically.
I sighed. It was him.
And fucking Rumi wants to ruin it.
“What are you thinking?” Henry asked, breath soft and warm against my temple. His closeness soothed me, even though I knew he was probably just as agitated as I was about our ex-girlfriend situation.
“I’m wondering how I can avoid staining this borrowed outfit when I smash a champagne flute and stab Rumi in the throat with it,” I snarled under my breath.
Henry let out a bark of shocked laughter that was loud enough to draw the attention of several people nearby … including the one I was fantasising about murdering.
“That’s bloodthirsty of you, Mrs Baxter,” he chuckled, leaning closer and lowering his voice. “But I have to admit, sometimes inflicting imaginary violence on my foes is the only thing that gets me through the day.”
I snorted into my mostly full champagne flute. “What foes do youhave?” I asked, teasing but curious. “Who’s pissing you off in the app development world?”
Henry’s smile dimmed. “You’d be surprised at how cutthroat it can be, Catnip.” He sipped his drink. “I’ve created my own proprietary algorithm, and everyone else wishes they could stick a syringe into my brain and siphon out the code so they can emulate it within their own programs.”
I winced. “Sounds brutal. I didn’t realise tech bros were so ruthless!” Wrapping an arm around his waist, I stepped closer until his firm chest brushed against my breasts. He sucked in a breath, green eyes wide and bright. He looked at me more than he used to. It was addictive, having this level of his regard.
“Don’t worry, Hubby,” I purred. “I’ll protect you from the evil nerds.”
“Ooh, we’re discussing evil nerds! How … immature.”
My blood froze in my veins at the cultured voice behind me. I glanced up at Henry. His jaw was suddenly tight, as was his grip on my waist, and we turned to face Rumi and Cadence.
“What did you think of the show?” Rumi asked, eyes latched on Henry, her expression as if she had a rancid smell in her nostrils.
“It was … colourful,” Henry replied coolly, saving me from having to answer. “But it was hard to get a good look at the pieces in that lighting.”
“Fluss is an absolute inspiration!” Rumi gushed, eyes flicking to me before returning to Henry. “Clearly it takes a certain … type to appreciate River’s genius.”
A smirk flitted over Cadence’s face, although her eyes were scanning the crowd as if this were all beneath her. My hands itched to bitch slap the pair of stupidscroafa. One hand for each of them.Pow,pow!
Henry’s fingers pressed against my hip, probably to remind me not to inflame the situation. I covered his hand with mine, to reassure him that I’d be on my best behaviour. Rumi’s eyes dropped to our hands and caught on my sparkly ring, mouth twitching downwards even further.
Pizda, it was so hard not to say something bitchy! I bit the inside of my cheek. I didn’t want to ruin River’s event by making a scene, but more than that, I needed to work out what they were up to. And itwas easier to catch a mouse with cheese … or whatever the saying was.
I was going to be as cheesy as they came.
“I’m Rumi Zheng …” She let the silence stretch, no doubt waiting to let Henry make the connection to Zheng Holdings, Rumi’s father’s company, which owned the three biggest luxury hotels in Sydney, as well as a list of real estate a mile long.
“Oh … well, it’s nice to meet you, Rumi. Ri’s told me all about you.”
His voice was formal, which wasn’t unusual for him, but I was learning his tells. It was the tone he defaulted to when he was feeling very uncomfortable in a social setting.
That makes two of us, Hubby.
“I’m sure she has—Ri and I go alongway back!” Rumi snarked, giving my forearm a squeeze. Her blood red acrylics dug into my skin, and my stomach sank.
She wouldn’t have approached me if she didn’t have something she intended to either hurt or threaten me with. And now she was embarrassed and angry to top it off. This was not going to end well.
“I heard that congratulations were in order!” Rumi added, snatching up my left hand and admiring my ring with cold eyes. “Such a whirlwind romance, and you both kept it so under wraps … it’s almost like you weren’t even together.”
“Yes, we eloped back in January,” Henry said, plucking my hand out of Rumi’s and giving it a squeeze.
Rumi’s eyebrows shot up into her blunt fringe. “January, you say?” She smiled sadistically, and my stomach knotted. “That night out at the club … and afterwards … that must have been your hen’s do, and you never even told me? I would have given you … well, I was giving you something that night anyway, wasn’t I?”
“I don’t recall a ‘something’, to be honest,” I snapped, unable to help myself. “It was a whole lot of nothing … that night, andeverythingthat came before it.” So much for cheese.
