He got out them out of the ballroom, into a small side room where he turned and pulled her into his arms.
“What are you doing?” She laughed, spreading her hand on his chest. She could feel the heat of him through the cotton. “I was doing okay out there.”
“You might have been, but I wasn’t.” He brushed her hair back so he could kiss her neck.
She shivered at the heat of his mouth, the rush of kisses. Yeah, he was hot.
“You look so good, I want to... When you look at me...” He shook his head. “I should have made you come before.”
“Crazy man.” She lifted her hand to the side of his face. He was hot, looked so conflicted, something tugged hard in her chest. She gazed into his eyes. That damn beautiful blue. “You should have let me satisfy you.”
His arms tightened around her. “Hell, Min.”
Her heart thudded. His hands tightened, pulling her body flush against his. She felt the strain within him. The rigid length of his cock was only one sign of it. Instinctively she softened, leaning against him, letting him pull her as close as possible.
She wanted to tease, to tell him that all he had to do was ask. But there was something too serious in his expression for her to joke about it. The way he was looking at her?
Fear suddenly rushed. She couldn’t let herself think there was anything more to this pretense. “We’d b-b-better get... they’ll come looking... could be... disaster.”
He hugged her tightly to him and groaned. “You’re right.” He drew back and looked at her again. “I knew I could count on you to make this much more fun than it was going to be.”
Right. Yeah. Great.
That was why she was here. For the fun. The game. A sexy, easy, not-at-all-serious game that was going to end very soon. It wasn’t real.
“Go on.” She broke away from his embrace and pushed her hair behind her ears. “I’ll b-be there soon.”
He looked at her. “Promise?”
She waggled his flashy diamond at him. “Absolutely.”
But it wasn’t that soon. She needed to give herself a pep talk first.
Keep your head. Keep your heart.
She didn’t need to start believing her own lie.
She finally re-entered the ballroom, cast a quick glance about for Logan, but couldn’t immediately see him. But her mother spotted her and walked over.
“Araminta, I’ve been looking for you.”
“Sorry, mom. It’s been busy.”
“Of course.” Her mom smiled but as she looked Min over, her eyes narrowed. “The dress is a good color on you, but it doesn’t fit as well as it should around your hips.”
Oh. Good to know.
“Logan’s speech was nice. He obviously knows about your little stutter, but you need to get it together. These people have high expectations. Next time you’ll be standing up there beside him and you don’t want to embarrass him.”
Of course not. “I’ve no intention of embarrassing h-h-h-him.” Damn.
Her mother cast a sharp glance at her. “Carry on like that and you’re going to fail.”
Fail at what? Faking? Min squared her shoulders. She didn’t need her mom to exacerbate her vulnerabilities. “There was someone you wanted me to meet?”
Her mother straightened. “Yes. His name is Keith. Be nice to him.”
Sure she would be. She’d always tried. Because she’d wanted her mom to be happy. And she’d wanted to be happy herself. But couldn’t her mom could just try to be happy on her own for a while? “Where is he?”
“Gone to fetch drinks, he shouldn’t be long.”
“You think he’s the one, this time?” Min asked wearily. “Is he going to be faithful?”
Her mother’s mouth closed. “Maybe you’d better get back to your fiancé.”
Why? Because he was as much of a risk?
If her mother only knew.
Min reached forward and quickly pressed a kiss to her mom’s cheek. “I’ll bring Logan and come back and meet Keith. I’m sure he’s lovely.”
Her mother didn’t answer.
Min turned and scanned the room to find Logan. He was tall, but there were a lot of tall men in tuxedos here. She spotted Connor talking with Hunter. Chelsea and Xander talking to Rocco. No sign of Dani. Or Logan.
She walked deeper into the crowd. Where had Logan gotten to?
She noticed the people parting slightly for her as she walked forward. They were aware of her but polite enough not to openly stare. Even so, her self-consciousness increased. She lifted her hand, flashing the ring. Kind of grateful for it’s ostentatiousness. It helped her fit in here.
Because she wasn’t quite good enough. Her mom had that right.
And for Logan? She was nothing more than a diversion. A fun relief for the weekend.
As doubts circled, insecurity mocked.
She didn’t want to be his plaything just because she was at hand. And she didn’t want to be a second rate lover—after the women he usually had? She didn’t want him to laugh for all the wrong reasons.
Finally she spotted him. He stood in the far corner, talking with a woman.
Of course he was.
Logan had his back to Min, but she could see the emotional expression in the woman’s eyes. It looked like they were having a personal conversation.
Of course they were.
Min hesitated for a moment, then pushed forward. She wasn’t letting this happen.
“What are you even doing here?” Logan was asking the brunette. And he was harsh with it.
Oh there was so history here. Min’s throat tightened. But she was not being publicly humiliated like this. Not now. Not by him.
Rage flared. She was more jealous than when she’d watched his sex clip. She took the final two paces forward to stand by his side and wound her arm through his.
Staking her claim. Marking her territory. Call it whatever, but it was about the only weaponry she had. Because words? Right now they’d fail her.
She stared at the other woman.
“Oh, hello,” the brunette said, not answering Logan’s question when she saw Min. “You’re Min. The fiancée.”
Min didn’t answer. She actually couldn’t. But she kept on staring.
Logan didn’t bother to say anything either. Min’s throat constricted.
“I’m Cynthia.” The brunette offered a smile.
Min blinked.
“I worked with...” Clearly awkward, Cynthia broke off.
“Cynthia used to work with my father,” Logan said crisply. “But she no longer does.”
A flash of color in the background caught Min’s eye. Behind Cynthia, Logan’s mom was watching them. Was she eavesdropping? Concerned there was about to be a catfight?
She needn’t worry, Min wasn’t going to say a word.
“Okay, well. I’d better get going.” Cynthia’s face turned crimson. “It was...”
Cynthia didn’t bother to finish the sentence and Min didn’t even try to say goodbye.
But she looked at Logan.
He was watching the woman leave. “I never thought she’d show up.”
He was so obviously bothered. Did the playboy have a heart after all? He’d been hurt? He was too angry not to have had deep feelings for that woman at some point. He probably still had those feelings.
The little bubble that had been growing in Min’s heart burst. She was such a fool.
He turned towards her, but Min had had enough. She removed her hold on him and stepped back.
“Logan, I wanted to thank you—”
Min took advantage of yet another guest coming up to talk to Logan, to escape.
She really needed to escape.
“Min.” Elaine suddenly stepped in front of her. “I’d really like you to meet a friend of mine.”
Min had no choice but to pause. All she wanted to do was escape. There was a lump like hot coal burning—blocking—her throat. And her eyes were stinging. She so couldn’t cry. She blinked a
nd looked at the middle-aged couple standing beside Logan’s mom.
“Hello.” She tried to smile. “It’s l-l-l-l-l—” She broke off. She couldn’t even manage the much-practiced platitudes. She tried to speak again, only no sound emerged. She stood, straining, silent, her head nodding uncontrollably, her mouth open as she fought to say something. Anything. But no words came. No sound at all.
It took too long to stop herself and snap her mouth shut. Her skin sizzled, like she’d been dumped in a furnace. She couldn’t say a word. Totally seized. The worse block she’d had in ages. Here in public. In front of Logan’s family. In front of all their important connections. She had to get away.
Elaine shot her a look. “Did you want a moment, Min?”
A moment for what—to bury herself? To go away and pull herself together? She wanted more than a moment. And Logan’s mom wanted her to have it too—wanted her gone. Because she was making a fool of herself, and his family.
Carry on like that and you’re going to fail.
Thanks for the advice, Mom. But she already had.