“What? No! Of course not. I just want a little gossip. That’s what girlfriends do.” Colette smiles sharply.
“There’s no story. I saw her, and I wanted her, and I took her.” Graham’s deep voice booms behind me.
Colette gasps.
Piper fans herself. I kick her.
Graham’s expression stays dark. “I think your fiancé is looking for you.”
“Colette! Pictures!” someone from the marketing department calls. “Where’s Piper?”
“Oh shoot!” Piper pulls out her camera, rushing off. “Coming!” She waves to her boss.
“Here. It’s another St. Clair Reserve—the same one you drank all of at my house.” Graham shoves a glass in my hand.
“Get me a straw and the whole bottle.”
“Then maybe you’ll be tolerable.”
“Excuse me,” I snap. “I didn’t know it was going to be you flirting with other women all night.”
“I knew it.” He grabs the bunch of lace on the front of my dress, dragging me to him.
The wine sloshes.
“I knew it.” His face is inches from mine. “You do want me to fall in love with you. It’s some delusional fantasy.” He scowls. “A normal woman doesn’t just make herself at home in her kidnapper’s lair. They get upset, they cry, they beg for mercy.”
“You served wine with a twist top. You don’t scare me, buddy.”
“Take the money,” he orders.
“Or what?” I retort.
“Or maybe I’ll just sleep with one of your friends. Hm?” He turns me around. “Bet you thought I’d think you were hot in that dress, didn’t you?” He looks me up and down.
I hate him.
“You think just because I kidnapped you that I fell for you.”
“Hardly. Maybe I have a work crush I’m trying to impress.” I cross my arms and turn up my nose.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Kraig.
The security guard’s staring at me.
Graham’s eyes flick up. He moves, circling me, blocking my view of Kraig. He works his jaw. His mouth thins.
“Take the money, and let’s call it. You’re not fooling anyone.”
“I told you we have a number of wedding events on the schedule.”
“No one at this party believes we’re really boyfriend and girlfriend.” His chin jerks. “Tell them we broke up. Tell them I’m an abusive piece of shit. Tell them I wanted to make you do things in bed you weren’t comfortable with.”
“I cannot tell my mom I broke up with a fake boyfriend because he’s too adventurous in bed.”
“Not adventurous.” His teeth almost nip my ear. “Violent.”
12
