Fall From Grace

CARSON

What the fuck is she doing here? I know she is with him but he wasn’t on the guest list. No matter how much my friends and family avoid the topic. I’ve seen them together. I saw them together a month after we broke up and wondered if it had been going on for longer.

But that diamond on her hand has me seeing red.

“Tiffany,” I say as I walk up next to her.

A wide grin takes up her face, the same grin that made me fall for her. “Carson!” She leans in to touch me but I pull away.

“What are you doing here?”

She takes a sip of the wine the bartender hands to her. “It’s a charity event. I thought I would support it.”

“You weren’t sent an invitation.”

She sets her drink down. “Oh, well Michael’s brother had one and he had something come up and couldn’t make it so he gave us the tickets.”

“You knew I would be here.”

She gives me a flirty grin, and I could throttle her.

I look down at the gigantic ring on her finger. “I see you moved on quickly. Engaged even. He must be giving you a nice fat check every week.”

“Better than you gave me.”

“So you are just whoring yourself. Sex for money.” I chuckle. “You could do so much better than Michael. Although you’ve made your way through this town, so not much left. And he’ll fuck anything with three holes.”

“Carson Taylor, you better watch your mouth,” she seethes. “You have no idea the kind of power I have now.”

“Power? If that’s all you wanted, Tiff, all you had to do was ask.”

She frowns at me and for the first time I think she actually thinks she made a mistake. “You never would have given it to me.”

“I would have given—” I stop when I feel an arm slide across my back and Grace slips against my side.

“Hey, baby, who is this?” Grace’s words are soft, almost purring.

I don’t even know what happens for the rest of our conversation, my mind too caught up in the fact that Grace just saved me from whatever scene I am sure I would have caused. I didn’t miss her analogy about the house. And how I know she was comparing it to me.

I pull her aside, no doubt her brother is burning holes into my back with his eyes.

I want to kiss her. Hell, I would claim her on one of these tables where we are about to eat overpriced food, but I can’t.

Just like how she is telling me I can’t kiss her.

But I will, before the night is over, I will.

* * *

I watch Grace dance with some of the older ladies on the dance floor. She is a sight. That mustard dress clinging to every inch of her. Pieces of her hair falling out and framing her face. Her green eyes shining with laughter. Her flushed cheeks as she waves her arms in the air, no doubt from one too many martinis. I want to take her home. Apologize to her in the only way I know. Worship every inch of her body.

“I’ve let you play whatever game you’ve been playing.”

“What game?”

Owen raises a brow at me. “I told you to stay away from her.”

“And I have.”