Ceci
You’ve got to be kidding,” Ceci exclaimed as she stared at the ballroom while standing alongside Clarke’s brothers.
“Didn’t Leo tell you there’d be dancing after dinner?” Porthos asked.
“Yes, but I thought he meant someone would put on the sound system and people would just dance. I don’t know, maybe in that room we sat in when I first arrived.”
Aramis frowned. “The drawing room? We need a lot of space.” He slapped Porthos on the back. “Otherwise this guy could do some serious damage.”
Shaking off his hand, Porthos frowned while the rest of them laughed.
Ceci surveyed the room and spotted Clarke almost immediately. He was standing and chatting with three older women about the same age as Aunt Delilah.
Aramis grinned. “Leo always gets stuck charming the old dames. I bet one of them snagged him the minute he set foot in here.”
“Too much of a gentleman,” said Athos.
“Too nice,” agreed Porthos.
Too much of a gentleman and too nice doesn’t look too bad on Leo the lionhearted.
Their eyes met, and her breath suddenly came to an abrupt halt as if snagged on that gaze. She watched him unsuccessfully try to disengage himself. She could see he was frustrated, but there was something else. A hungry look in his eye.
She hadn’t had a moment alone with him except for that brief one just before the skeet shooting. During dinner, they were seated at opposite ends of the table. They had yet to talk about her being here—uninvited.
Suddenly her phone buzzed. She blinked when she looked at the caller ID.
Father? Calling me? Again? So soon?
Spying some French doors, she quickly excused herself, ran over, opened them, and stepped out onto a small balcony.
“Dad?”
His voice was cold. “I want the truth. Are you or are you not dating Leo Clarke?”
“What?”
“You heard me. Is your relationship real, or is it part of some scheme?”
Her lips parted but no words came out.
“I’d heard the rumors, but when he showed up for Timmy’s birthday and behaved the way he did, I thought the rumors were just unfounded gossip. But now I’ve just heard from a reliable source that those rumors may in fact be true. So you tell me, are you or are you not in a real relationship?”
She swallowed. “Well it—um—”
“Can I expect to see him at the Cape after this season is over?”
She drew one shuddered breath and released it. “No,” she heard herself say in a voice so small she didn’t recognize it as her own.
“Of course not. So it’s just some stupid PR stunt. Do you never consider the consequences of your disgraceful behavior? To bring him to my house, make a public display, make me a part of this.”
Her mouth was open, but the words wouldn’t come. It didn’t matter anyway, he wouldn’t hear them if they did. He’d already hung up.
Ceci leaned against the banister.
Why didn’t you tell him to go fuck himself?You didn’t even want to drive for one of his teams. Not at first. Not really. Why did you let yourself hope … think …?
I’m surprised he believed even for a second that a man like Leo Clarke would be interested in me.
