Page 35 of Vicious Titan

24

Victoria

“It’s just a date,” I mumble under my breath, attempting to calm my anxious nerves. But the closer it gets to the time he’s picking me up, the more unsettled my mind gets. It’s Elliot. It shouldn’t be this nerve-racking. But I think the fact that it is Elliot is exactly what has me in an uproar. There’s more at stake. It’s obvious that Asher is less than thrilled because he’s given me the silent treatment all day. I figured it was better to leave him alone to digest the info. It is a lot to take in, even for me, and I’ve been working to digest it for a while now.

My hands smooth down the soft fabric of the long-sleeved emerald minidress I’d selected after trying on three others. I have no clue where we’re going, so I really don’t know what to wear. At least, that’s what I’m blaming it on.

There’s a soft knock at the door and when I pull it open to see him, all my nerves vanish. Wearing a white button-down shirt and charcoal-gray slacks he’s the perfect mix of formal and casual, putting my mind at ease that this was going to feel awkward.

He outstretches his arm, offering me a single pink peony. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

Accepting the flower, I respond, “Thanks.”

Swiftly moving forward, he loops his arm around my lower back. “Let’s get out of here before it’s too late, because the only thought in my mind is getting that dress off of you.”

Yep. Still Elliot. Snickering, I follow him out into the hallway as he takes my hand in his, leading me down the staircase. I feel his grip tighten a bit at the same moment I notice my dad standing at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes on our adjoined hands. Elliot makes no attempt to release or hide the PDA, and that’s not like Elliot at all, but I’m more than okay with that part. I’m unsure what my dad thinks because his expression remains emotionless as we approach him.

“What’s all this about?” he asks, looking to Elliot.

“We’re heading out for our date,” Elliot replies flatly. He’s never been friendly with my dad, but I always figured he was feeding off of Asher’s vibe. Now I know the reason for both their attitudes.

His eyes drop back to our entwined fingers before he looks at me with displeasure. Turning a tight expression to Elliot, he says, “Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.” Elliot smiles. My father does not.

“Let’s go,” I say, tugging Elliot away. “Bye, Dad.”

His eyes snap to me, and with a forced smile, he says, “Bye, sweetheart.”

Elliot’s grip tightens as we hurry out of the house. Leading me to his car, he opens the door but looks away from me.

Stopping, I face him. “What’s wrong?”

His expression softens, his hand releases mine as he steps forward. My back presses against his car as his lips meet mine, kissing me tenderly before he leans back slightly, whispering, “Everything is perfect.”

I sit in the passenger seat and he closes the door for me then jogs around the front of the car before dropping into the driver’s seat. Then the NSX’s engine roars to life.

Elliot places one hand on the steering wheel, dropping the other to rest on my bare thigh, gently squeezing as he gives me a sexy smirk. Damn. I can’t wait to get this dress off either.

Quickly, I look away as heat rises in my cheeks. I peer out the passenger window and my smile vanishes when I spot my father on the front porch. His arms are folded across his chest; his angry glare aimed directly at us. Had he been watching the entire time?

A sickening feeling sails through me, lingering even after we drive away from my house. I finally manage to push it out of my mind as the car comes to a stop in a busy parking lot. Elliot hops out of the car, moving to open my door in a flash as he offers his hand to assist me as I step out of the NSX. “Where are we?” I ask, glancing around the parking lot.

“You’ll see.” His mischievous grin reassures me that he is up to something, and I can’t wait to see what it is.

He leads me to a building, pulling open its glass door before we step inside. I know exactly where we are. It’s the local painting party studio. I’m not much for painting, but the fact that he picked something art related—which he usually complains about—thrills me.

A lady greets us, showing us to a table set up with a canvas for each of us and everything we need to paint our work of art.

An unexpected pang of guilt rises inside of me when Olivia pops in my mind. I can’t wait to tell her Elliot voluntarily signed up for a painting class. When will I be able to talk to her again? When will I be relieved of keeping yet another secret regarding Olivia from Elliot? He’s going to hate it. Hopefully, he just doesn’t hate me. Even if he does, his safety is more important, and Olivia’s too. She’s literally trapped in a place with no escape. If Richard wants to harm her again, he probably could.

Pretend.Pushing the grave thoughts out of my mind, I decide to enjoy my first date with Elliot. That’s one thing I won’t have trouble pretending to do. “I can’t believe you actually signed us up to paint.”

“Sure did. And it’s only the first stop of the night.” He winks, leaning forward to give me a quick kiss. The instructor addresses us from the front of the room, introducing herself and showing us a seahorse picture that we’ll be attempting to paint tonight.

It’s not long before she starts relaying the basic steps to begin the painting. Glancing over, I watch Elliot stroke the paintbrush up the canvas with precise concentration. He looks to me, and leaning over, whispers, “Stop cheating.”

Rolling my eyes, I turn my attention back to my masterpiece in progress. “We’re painting the same thing.”