Marriage of Convenience (The Raven Brothers 1)

Rage fired through me, although I wasn’t sure which I was pissed about more; that this man just called Sara a whore and gold-digger, or that she might have duped me.

22

Sara

When I imagined all the things that could go wrong at this party, having my professor show up and demand sexual favors hadn’t been on my list. I thought I’d say something stupid or spill on my dress. My worst-case scenario was that I’d embarrass and disappoint Chase.

I could only hope Chase didn’t believe what my professor was saying. I glanced at him and my hopes drop.

I stepped out of his arm that just a few minutes ago made me feel safe.

“I’ll never learn.” I murmured and was about to walk off but decided one more time to stand up for myself. I pointed at my professor. “How dare you, you fucking pervert?”

Chase flinched at my words. I wasn’t one to use the f-word, but this seemed like an appropriate time for one.

“How many students have you helped in return for a blow job, huh? News flash!” I briefly looked at Chase before turning my attention back to my professor. “Just because I’ve got tits doesn’t mean I want to fuck you. Or anyone.”

“What’s going on?” Chase’s father stepped up to join us.

“It’s nothing dad,” Chase said through gritted teeth.

“Your new wife sells her body to get ahead. She’ll take you for everything you’ve got,” my professor said.

“How dare you,” my father-in-law said. He leaned toward the professor. “What’s wrong with you, taking advantage of helpless young women just to get your rocks off?”

Tears formed in my eyes at his support. I wished Chase could do that.

“She offered,” my professor said.

“So what if she did,” my father-in-law quipped. “You’re an asshole for agreeing to it.” His face turned dark. “I suspect she’s not the only one you’ve taken advantage of. You can be sure that won’t be happening anymore.” He turned to Chase. “Get your wife out of here, Chase.” Then he turned back to the man. “Hold on tight, professor, I’m going to ruin you.”

My professor sneered. “And I’m going to ruin the Raven name by what I know?”

Oh God. I didn’t think this could get worse.

Chase’s father stepped closer to the professor, until they were nose to nose. “Did you just threaten me?”

“What’s going on?” Hunter’s voice came up from behind us.

“This man is trying to extort Sara,” my father-in-law said. He looked at Chase. “Why are you still here?”

Chase wrapped his fingers around my arm and I had a flashback to when Glen had done the same.

I yanked my arm free. “I can walk by myself.” I moved through the crowd, mustering a smile at the people as I worked my way to the door.

“She’s not feeling well,” Chase said when our guests asked.

“Chase!” Kade rushed toward us. “Dad’s limo is outside. He says for you to take it.”

Chase nodded and followed me out the door. The last thing I wanted to do was get in the car with him. I started walking up the street.

“Sara. Get in the car.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Jesus.” He trotted up next to me. In my periphery vision I saw the limo creeping alongside of us, as horns honked behind him. “Let’s not do this in public.”

“Why not?”

He leaned sideways toward me as we walked. “Because you’ll come off looking bad. If you don’t want the press to print unsavory things about you, we talk in private.”

I whirled on him. “You’d do that? Say that to the press?” I didn’t think he would. No one knew me, but everyone knew Chase Raven. He wouldn’t want to look like he’d been conned by a college student.

“I wouldn’t have to.” He nodded over his shoulder where people were watching. I didn’t know if they were reporters, but I supposed they could be.

“Fine.” I walked to the limo. Chase opened the door, and I slipped in as far to the other side as I could.

Chase got in, shut the door and told the driver his penthouse address. Then he closed the partition.

“What’s the deal with your professor?”

“He’s like every other man who looks at a young woman with tits. He thinks they belong to him.”

He flinched and then gritted his teeth. “Did you seduce him to get your internship?”

“Like I said, he sees boobs he’s likes and thinks the woman likes him too. They pervert everything to think a woman is coming on to them. They miss parts where the woman is squirming in revulsion and dying a little inside that no one sees them as a person.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No. He expected I’d repay him and I didn’t dissuade him because I saw the internship as a lifeline. My one chance to escape my life.” I leaned my head against the window, wondering if I should give up, go home, and live the sad life my parents wanted me to.