by Tessa Bailey
It hadn’t been a working stable in years. After Royce’s mother died, the horses were sold, and the barn became a storage space. The collection of people in formal dresses and tuxedos were gathered nearby at a patio table under a tree, having their own mini-party away from the critical eyes of their parents.
As I walked up, there were cheers and smiles from the group. Most of them seemed to be drunk or high, or both.
“Emily, when’d your sister get so hot?” one of the guys asked in a too-loud whisper. A few of the girls snickered at him.
My sister was the only sober one among the group. She was stunning in her violet dress and the mermaid style hugged her curves, but her expression was like it had been earlier. Pained. I nodded my head to the side, gesturing I wanted to get away from the group and talk privately.
When we were on the far side of the house and out of earshot, she grabbed my left hand and jerked it up to stare at the ring. Her voice was filled with dread. “You did it.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, my God.” Her face cracked. It split between anguish and fear. “Are you okay? Was it awful?”
“I’m fine,” I said quietly. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Jesus, Marist.” Her eyes filled with tears and her gaze ran from me. “It’s all my fault.”
“What are you talking about?”
Her focus snapped back to mine. “It was supposed to be me.”
I bit down on my bottom lip to prevent it from trembling. “Stop it. You can’t—”
“I got pregnant on purpose.” She said it in such a rush it was a blur of words, and by the time her admission soaked in, she’d begun to cry. “I didn’t want anything to do with the Hales. You know how Macalister is. He thinks he’s entitled to whatever he wants, and that includes people. He owns everything, but he wasn’t going to own me.”
I took in a sharp, painful breath. I’d given Macalister so much power over me, he’d become my master.
She wiped at a tear. “Royce told me at the end of our date that it didn’t matter what either of us wanted. Macalister wasn’t going to give up unless I married someone else or got pregnant by the time I graduated.” A wrinkle creased her forehead. “I thought it was my only way out. I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you’d have to take my place.”
When more tears welled up in her eyes, I went on autopilot. My sister was hurting, and I needed to comfort her.
“It’s okay,” I soothed. She shook as I hugged her. Or maybe I was the one shaking.
Not with anger, but with fear. Her words rang terribly true. I’d negotiated myself away from Macalister tonight, denying him what he clearly thought was his right. Was he eventually going to want to claim it anyway?
“It’s going to be all right,” I said, trying to convince us both.
When the worst of her tears seemed to subside, she pulled back and gave me a firm look. “Promise me.”
How could I? I opened my mouth, but she cut me off.
“Just be careful. I don’t trust any of them. This town is full of liars, and I think the Hales might be the worst of all. And the Marist I know would hate this life you’re signing up for.”
My phone chimed with a text. I ignored all the social media notifications on my screen and went to my messages. It was Royce, wondering where I was. I put on the bravest face I could muster. “I’ll be careful.”
She looked resigned. “Good. You might be marrying into that family,” her tone was grim, “but please don’t become one of them.”
* * *
The conversation with Emily churned in my head as I made my way back toward the party. I took off my torturous shoes and clutched them by the heels in one hand, and since I was walking barefoot, I took the longer, grassy route to head back.
Beyond the backside of the maze, the grass stopped and gave way to the woods. The sun had just set, and under the cover of the trees, it was dark. But a stick snapped underfoot and alerted me that something was moving in there.
No, not something. Someone.
A pleasured sigh—distinctly male—echoed amongst the trees.
“What’s got you so worked up?” I could hear the smile in his rich, vaguely familiar voice. “Thinking about Marist?”
At the sound of my name, I went stock still. I couldn’t see much of him, only a sliver of his outline between two tree trunks, which meant it was unlikely he could see me.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” He gave a short laugh, and there was rustling as he moved. “Please don’t stop.”
I moved as stealthily as possible, careful not to trip over the roots as I ducked behind one of the bigger oak trees.
“I’m just saying, usually you want to go straight to fucking.” He let out a staggered breath. “Fuck, yes. Suck it.”
“Hmm,” a woman purred. Her voice was too low to distinguish. “Like this?”
“Yeah, just like that.”
I put a hand on the rough, furrowed bark and peered around the side of the tree. My eyes hadn’t adjusted to the darkness, but I saw outlines. Wicked shapes hidden among the trees. He was slumped back against one, and she was kneeling, her bulbous dress around her as she bobbed at him.
When his arms moved, she slowed. “What are you doing?”
Her voice was much clearer and terribly familiar.
“I want video of you taking me deep,” he said.
She hesitated but didn’t object. When her figure resumed moving, he unleashed a long moan. The phone in his hand lit up, shining down its overly bright light, and Alice blinked rapidly up against it. I could see the shaft of the thick dick in her mouth, wet with her saliva.
She slid all the way until her petal pink lips were flush around his base.
And because he was videoing, the lit screen cast enough light upward so I could make out his handsome face.
Holy shit.
I backed away, stumbling over the uneven ground, and almost dropped the shoes in my hand, but thankfully my hasty retreat had been silent.
“I’m going to put it on Instagram and show them how talented you are,” Vance teased in a seductive voice.
I hurried away before they saw me, trying to wipe the image from my mind. Did Royce know? Did Macalister?
When I returned to the party, I found my fiancé chatting with Noemi and her husband Joseph about the perks of eloping. I slipped in beside Royce, struggling to catch my breath.
There was pride in Noemi’s voice. “The press didn’t find out we’d gotten married for weeks.”
Royce laughed. “Yeah, that wouldn’t fly in my family. Alice says the only way to control what the press says is to feed it to them.” He glanced at me and did a double-take. Whatever expression I was making caused concern. “Hey. Everything okay?”
My heart was still thumping rapidly in my chest. “Yeah.” I tried to act natural, and not like I’d just seen his brother’s dick halfway down his stepmother’s throat. “My dress is heavy, and the hill was steep.”
Worry lined his eyes. He saw right through me, but hopefully he also saw it wasn’t the right time to talk about it.
“Congratulations,” Noemi said, derailing us.
“Thank you,” we answered at the same time.
“I love the pictures Alice posted.”
“Pictures?” I asked.
Noemi showed me her phone, scrolling through the feed, and Royce and I leaned in to get a better look. There were three pictures on the post. The first was us trying to sneak out of the hedge maze right after his proposal, where Royce and I were holding hands and my gaze was locked onto him.
Anxiety crawled up my back.
Maybe Alice had gotten lucky and captured the photo at the perfect second, but I doubted it. It was nearly impossible not to think the girl pictured there was in love with the man she was gazing at.
Was that how I usually looked at him?
The second picture was the engagement ring.
My anxiety shifted, leaning toward excitement when she swiped
to the final photo. It was right after his father’s announcement. Royce’s hand cupped the spot where my neck met my body, his gaze was on me, and I was grinning. He’d whispered for me to pretend I liked him just a second before it had been taken.
In this picture it looked very much like he was in love with me.
Noemi glanced up from her phone and straightened abruptly. “Mr. Hale, it’s nice to see you again. Thank you for inviting us.”
I should have sensed the cold breeze, but Macalister had appeared from nowhere. He gave a polite smile. “Please, it’s Macalister. Thank you for coming.” He motioned toward her pregnant belly. “I hope traveling wasn’t too difficult.”
She shot a wary smile to her husband. “Some of us wanted to have a doctor onboard the jet, but,” she emphasized her words, “we were fine.”
A muscle along Joseph’s jawline ticked. He didn’t seem to like her teasing, but then again, the guy seemed rather serious.
She leaned into him as she turned toward Macalister. “Oh, I’m sorry. This is my husband, Joseph Monsato.”
Joseph extended a hand. “We’ve met before, a few years back. Nice to see you again, sir.”
Noemi’s smile froze, and as the men shook hands, her expression was oddly empty. “Of course, you have.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Macalister’s attention drifted to me, “but I came to borrow my future daughter-in-law.”
“For what?” Royce sounded as if he didn’t like that any more than I did.
His father’s chilly gaze made me shiver. “For a dance.”
I stiffened and floundered to come up with an excuse, but my mind went blank as Macalister extended a hand to me. Even though I was dressed now, I felt just as naked as the last time he’d done it.
I couldn’t decline or negotiate my way out of this, and I’d rather deal with it now than delay the inevitable.
His icy hand clasped around mine, and I exchanged a look with Royce as I was led away, one that asked him to rescue me as soon as possible. He stood utterly still, an elegant sculpture, powerless as his father took me away.
Under the crisscrossing strings of lights, the dancefloor was mostly empty. A few couples swayed to the fading slow song, and as Macalister brought us onto the hardwood, the next song began. Norah Jones pleaded in her smoky voice to come away with her into the night.
“Do you waltz?” he asked.
I needed to start a list of things I never thought I’d hear him say to me, and add that one. “Uh, I know how, but my dress—”
He adjusted his hold on my hand and lifted it as he stepped into my space. His other hand slid behind my back, pulling me up against him and into the dance frame. “You’ll do fine. I’ll keep my pattern tight.”
Apprehension corded my muscles like rope twisted to the breakpoint.
Macalister was an imposing man in every aspect. Not just his dominating personality or his striking eyes, but with his physical size. He was broad and tall, and kept himself in excellent shape. He demanded perfection in everything, including himself.
His dancing was no exception. He was confident at leading, making his steps easy to follow, which I needed. I hadn’t danced the waltz since I’d learned to years ago. On one hand, it was surprising he knew how, because this dance was soft and artistic. But on the other, it was elegant and refined, and a precise partnership. I knew how much he liked those things, didn’t I?
I stared up at him as we moved in the boxed pattern, rising and falling with our steps. I could feel his wedding ring on his finger. Did he know where Alice was? That his partner was betraying him right now with his own son? There was a microscopic tug in my chest. I felt bad for him, just a little.
But I had to fill the small space between us with something other than tension and Norah Jones’ sultry song. “Where did you learn to dance?”
“Julia taught me for our wedding.”
“Oh.” It was all I could find to say. The mention of Royce’s mother pulled another string around my heart.
There was no emotion in his eyes, or it was hidden too far back to be seen. His expression gave nothing away. “I’d like to think she would have been very happy tonight. She wanted nothing more than to bring our families together. It may not have happened the way anyone expected it to, but I’m pleased to welcome a Northcott girl into my home.”
I stumbled my steps, and he tightened his grip, preventing me from falling.
“Smile,” he ordered. “People are watching us.”
I did as he asked but couldn’t keep the plea from my voice. “I need a little more time. I’m working to fix my family’s finances.” I didn’t like throwing them under the bus, but could my parents’ reputation really get any worse in Macalister’s eyes? “I need to be home, because my parents have been hiding statements, and they still spend like they’re not . . .”
I wouldn’t say the word ‘broke’ since there were other people around, but I didn’t need to. He obviously understood.
I firmed up my tone. “I’m the only one there willing to deal with reality.”
“I see.” His smile seemed abruptly real. “I understand needing to have control over other people to save them from themselves.” The grip on my hand relaxed and softened. “Especially when you know what’s best for them. You remind me a bit of myself.”
I sucked in a deep breath to keep from ordering him to take it back.
“The financial advisor will take care of all of that, but I’d like you to be comfortable. I’ll have him update you on his progress, and you can discuss your concerns with him at any time. All right?”
He wasn’t about to let me renegotiate. I deflated and my voice lost its power. “All right.”
“Good.” He lifted our clasped hands and pressed his palm on my back, urging me under his arm. As I rounded the turn and came back to him, his expression changed. “I also wanted to take a moment to apologize.”
Apologies typically followed mistakes . . . but surely Macalister didn’t make those.
“For what?”
“I have underestimated you repeatedly.” His hand on my back was higher this time, and his thumb was above the top of the dress, resting against my bare skin. “You’ve proven yourself to be a smart, capable young woman. One who doesn’t buckle under pressure. I respect that.”
Before I could respond, he dropped another bomb.
“And you’re very beautiful, Marist.”
His thumb edged the top of the dress, sliding subtly against my skin. No one would notice it except for me.
“Thank you,” I choked out, making it seem like I was thanking him for his secret touch and not the compliment that made panic pour into my stomach.
“My son is also smart, and capable, and attractive. I would think for most girls, he’d be easy to fall in love with.” Danger lurked in Macalister’s eyes. It simmered in his words. “It’s unlikely a smart girl like you needs a warning, but I will give it anyway, because you already seem quite enamored with each other. Falling for Royce will only end badly.”
Macalister and I moved together, neither needing to pay attention to the steps any longer. We were both locked in each other’s gaze.
“Is that so?” I asked.
“He’s capable of many things, but loving someone else is not one of them.” I must have made a face, because he looked determined to convince me. “Are you already in love? You poor thing. You fought for him today, and yet he’ll sell you out the first chance he gets.”
I knew what this was. Royce had warned me his father was going to screw with us, but I wouldn’t let him.
“I don’t love him, and he doesn’t love me. We’re just playing the roles you gave us. I doubt he even cares about me.”
“I’m glad you can see through to what he’s doing. He’s exceptional at manipulating people and telling them exactly what they need to hear. He’ll lie shamelessly to get what he wants.”
It sounded exactly like something Royce would say about his father.
>
Macalister’s fingertip brushed once more on the bare skin of my back, and this time his thumb circled one of my vertebrae. “Forgive me.” His voice dipped low. “This happens to be my favorite place on a woman’s body.”
I jolted. Royce had said the same thing a year ago. Was it just coincidence?
Macalister ignored my discomfort, and heat ignited in his eyes, melting the ice and revealing something far more disturbing.
“I should probably get back, Mr. Hale.”
“It’s Macalister,” he said. “You didn’t seem to have an issue saying my name earlier.”
Royce appeared at the edge of the dancefloor, but Macalister shot him a look that dictated he needed another minute.
His tone lowered like it was wrapped in velvet. “You should know I’m quite impressed with you. That’s twice now you’ve forced me into negotiations. However, I always get my way in the end.” A dark look smeared across his face. “You may have spared yourself two minutes with me, but now I want more.”
His words dripped with desire.
“I own you, Marist. And eventually I will have you.”
I gasped and jerked free from his arms but couldn’t escape the horror he’d caused.
He smiled like this was all fine and what he’d just said was perfectly acceptable. “Thank you for the dance.” He nodded, a gentleman biding adieu. “We’ll see each other again soon.”
Chapter Nineteen
I didn’t tell Royce what his father had said that night.
In fact, we had been engaged for three days before we saw each other again. He’d been on the board less than twenty-four hours when a software update broke the HBHC site, preventing US users from doing any online banking. It was an ‘all hands on deck’ crisis. My father slept in his office every night until it was resolved.
While Royce was focused on the company, it seemed like the rest of the world was focused on us. My feed was full of pictures from the party. It was beyond bizarre to see Royce and me lumped in with the real celebrities who had been there.