by Nikki Sloane
He lingered longer than he probably should have because Macalister strolled to the chair and plucked the coat off of it. The heat of Royce was gone as he retreated and hurried to pull up his pants. He took the offered coat from his father, opened it, and laid it over my body. He covered me, and his action was almost tender.
The silk lining felt decadent against my sensitized skin.
“Congratulations.” It wasn’t clear for whom Macalister meant it. He adjusted the way his tuxedo sat on his shoulders, tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves. “We’ll leave you two to get sorted. Don’t keep your guests waiting too long. I’m sure most have already arrived, and I’d like to make our entrance soon.”
Dismissed, the board shuffled toward the door, some of them adjusting their dicks in their pants as they filed past the table. Macalister was the last to go, waiting for something.
It was privacy. He cast a harsh look at his son. “Jesus, Royce.” His tone was scathing. “Next time try to last longer than a minute. She’s supposed to enjoy it, but not if you don’t give her a chance.”
A muscle flexed along Royce’s jaw and he bit the word out. “Noted.”
Macalister released a frustrated sigh, and although I kept my focus squarely on Royce, I felt his father’s gaze stroke over me before he turned and went.
The click of the door closing flipped the switch on Royce, activating the other side of him. He launched over me, his hands cradling my head. “Are you all right?”
I opened my mouth, but the words lodged in my throat. His semen was dripping out of me between my legs, and the sensation was weird.
“Marist.” Worry turned his eyes a stormy blue. “Fuck, please say something.”
My voice was almost silent. “I don’t want to live here.”
He sighed with relief and dropped his head into the crook of my neck. “You are amazing. You know that? Ever since you made the deal, I’ve fucking tried to get us out of this. Every day, I tried. I even went to the board, but they wouldn’t vote against my father.”
I was verging on overload and tears stung my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I should have said no. At the very least, I should have told you.”
That was true. However, Macalister had said I was an equal and my opinion mattered, but only if I expressed it. And I couldn’t deal with anything right now. The shock was still in my system, numbing me from processing it. I only knew what I needed right this second.
“Would you just shut up?” I pleaded. “And fucking kiss me?”
Surprise rippled through him and was gone in a flash. He crushed his lips to mine, and his kiss was all-consuming. I was grateful not to be standing when he gave it to me because I went softer than the melted wax puddling on the drip catchers of the candelabras.
He pulled his coat away, not wanting anything between us. His bare chest was tacky with sweat like mine, and I enjoyed how our skin clung to each other. Like every part of me wanted to be connected to him. He planted kisses against my lips and dipped his tongue into my mouth, coaxing me to slide mine against his. It was exactly the kind of kiss I’d craved when he’d first pushed inside my body.
Better late than never.
The kiss ended slowly and reluctantly. We both wanted more, but knew time was running out.
“You didn’t answer me,” he said softly, pulling me up in his arms until I was sitting. “Are you okay?”
I honestly didn’t know. My emotions were on lockdown, so nothing was getting in or out. “I think so.” I climbed to stand on my unsteady legs. “What about you?”
“Me?” He considered it with a dubious expression. “I’m sure it’s nothing a few decades of very expensive therapy can’t fix.”
I wanted to laugh, except I didn’t find it particularly funny.
He grabbed his coat and dug around in the interior pocket, producing a stack of tissues. My breath clung, sticky in my throat, as he gently wiped one between my legs, cleaning up the mess. It was oddly caring, yet sexual at the same time.
He disposed of the tissues as I stood naked next to the table, one hand on it to support myself. When he came back to me, he picked up my underwear and attempted to help me put it on, but I shooed his hands away. It’d be faster if I did it. We dressed ourselves quickly and quietly, him buttoning and redoing his bowtie and me pulling the heavy dress back on.
“I need your help,” I said softly, turning to show him the unlaced dress.
“Of course.”
The act of him lacing the corset? It was infinitely more sensual and intimate than when he’d helped me take it off. His knuckles brushed over my back, and I suspected most of the time it was intentional. Which was silly.
“I’m yours, Royce,” I whispered. “You can touch me whenever you’d like.”
He set his hands on me, halfway between my shoulders and my neck, and eased me back against him. His solid chest at my back was comforting, and he used his hands to angle my head to the side. It made room for him to drop his head and nuzzle a kiss into the side of my neck.
It must have given him a reminder. He stepped away and went to the black box on the buffet table, retrieving my great-grandmother’s necklace. Or, my necklace now.
I shook my head. “Your father said it was too much.”
“I say it’s not.” He gave me a knowing look. “Which one of us would you like to disappoint?”
Oh. I smiled in understanding. Like the cat his father hated, this necklace was a small act of defiance, and I wholeheartedly approved.
Rather than go out into the entryway like the board had done, Royce unlocked the door leading to the enormous kitchen and ushered me through. It was bustling with the catering crew who ignored us. Alice had been lying in wait. She ambushed us, grabbed my wrist, and tugged me toward her while firing a glare at Royce.
“Leave us,” she said to him without a hint of warmth.
Her curt tone surprised us both, but he nodded. “I’ll be in the hall when you’re ready,” he said.
We watched him go, and then she focused in on me. “I needed to see if you’re all right,” she said softly. “I mean, to make sure everything is okay,” she drew the words out, “with your hair and makeup.”
My gaze dropped down to her hand still clinging to my wrist, and I understood the subtext. She was concerned about me. Her clipped tone to Royce was her being protective.
I gave her the best smile I could manage. “Yes. I think I’m okay.”
“Good.” She looked relieved, but her grip on my wrist tightened. “It’s over now. You don’t talk about what happened, not with me or anyone else. It stays in that room. You understand. Some people might find it . . . upsetting.”
I would think so. Like, maybe the board member’s wives. How was she okay with this? I wanted to ask her a million questions. And I wanted to tell her how her husband hadn’t participated in the initiation, but I couldn’t.
“I understand,” I said.
“Good.” She released me and scrutinized my face. It was impossible to tell if she was checking my mental state, or if my makeup needed a touch-up. Her voice went low. “The last thing I’ll say is no one was waiting for me in the kitchen afterward, and I did not handle it as well as you seem to be.”
“Oh.” My heart ached for her.
“When the time comes, I hope you’ll be there for whichever girl Vance chooses.”
I went still. Several thoughts ran through my head, and the selfish one was the loudest. Royce was a board member now. Would he be one of the men to ‘show his gratitude’ to the next woman the board wanted to approve?
I couldn’t think about it. One ordeal at a time, and right now I was facing down a party with a guest list of five hundred people, most of whom I’d have to talk to. The next five hours or so I’d have to pretend to be someone I wasn’t, and that was going to take all my remaining energy.
Alice seemed satisfied when I nodded, but then she gave me a final discerning look, her gaze trailing over my n
ecklace. “Luc is in the hall. Go see him about fixing your lipstick.”
Royce clasped my hand in his as we assembled with the rest of the Hales in the sun room at the back of the house, waiting to make our announced entrance. Macalister’s gaze landed on the diamonds draped around my neck and his lips went thin, but he said nothing. I squeezed tighter beside Royce, our joined hands buried in the folds of my skirt.
Vance didn’t have a date. When he got the nod from the event coordinator perched at the door, he flashed a carefree smile and went out. We heard the announcement and the smattering of applause, like he’d done something worthy of it rather than simply being born.
Alice took Macalister’s arm and lined up in front of us, but not before glancing over her shoulder at me. “Remember to smile with your eyes, Marist.”
I let out a tight breath when they stepped out onto the stone balcony and headed for the party, which was already fifteen minutes into the cocktail hour.
Royce squeezed my hand. “When we get out there, we’ll do a round and then you can go find your family.” His smile was sort of sweet. “Don’t run off on me or anything, but if you need some time to get away, I get it. I have to mingle with some old board members, and you probably don’t want to be around for that.”
“No,” I said.
“Have you been in the maze?”
I stumbled at his question. “The hedge maze? Not in years.”
“It’s closed tonight because alcohol and disorienting mazes aren’t a great combination. But,” his tone turned smooth, “since I have special privileges tonight, you’ll meet me at the fountain in the center in forty-five minutes.”
My chest tightened, and a flush raced through my body. He’d acted like he was issuing an order, but it was absolutely a request, and one he was hoping I’d agree to.
“All right.”
His smile was devious and sexy as hell.
But the excitement in me died as the event coordinator waved us through the door.
“Ready?” Royce asked.
“Nope.” But out we went.
Attached to the back of the Hale house was an enormous stone balcony, and steps led down to the gardens where tables had been set up on the grass lawn. Strings of globe lights hung overhead, an artificial glowing spider’s web.
We strolled across the balcony, moving as quickly as my dress and heels would allow, and when we reached the top of the stairs, Royce pulled me to a stop. I looked down at the kingdom before us while my heart raced in my chest. There were a million faces staring up at us, all dressed to the nines and glasses of champagne in their hands. It wasn’t just the cream of the crop of Cape Hill, it was celebrities and socialites from across the globe.
“The man of the hour, and the newest addition to the Hale Banking and Holding Company’s board of directors.” The voice boomed from speakers discreetly hidden behind potted plants that had been brought in. “Mr. Royce Hale, accompanied by Miss Marist Northcott.”
The applause was loud, filled with cheers and whistles.
Royce let go of my hand, only so he could slip it around my waist and hold me close. I stared up at him as cameras flashed, reminding me of all the press who’d begged me for an invite.
The prince at my side waved to the crowd. He legit waved to his adoring subjects, like it was an everyday occurrence. It looked like they were all eating it up too.
How many of them knew the version of Royce I did? Probably none of them.
“Chin up,” he said under his smile, his lips barely moving.
My chin lifted, I pulled on my smile, and swung my attention toward the audience at the base of the steps. A few of the people from my high school years were dispersed in the crowd. Sycophants to the Hales who’d looked down on me. Yet I was the one looking down now, wasn’t I? Did Royce’s arm around my waist puzzle them? Did it make the girls who’d been merciless bitches to me green with envy?
My smile grew wider.
Done posing at the top of the steps, he offered his arm to escort me, and I took it, grasping my skirt with my free hand. It was a regal march down the stone staircase that had been temporarily covered in red carpet as Alice had insisted the party be themed ‘Old Hollywood.’
We’d barely finished our descent before people rushed at us, congratulating him on his promotion and gushing about my dress.
It turned out to be easy to mingle when I was attached to Royce. No one wanted to talk to me. Hell, they didn’t really want to talk to Royce either—they wanted to talk at him. Because the party was so huge, they knew their face time with him was limited and they needed to make an impression.
He played his role flawlessly. He stayed engaged in the conversations and was witty, while I just smiled and nodded, offering nothing but my ability to turn oxygen into carbon dioxide.
“You better go while there’s a break,” Royce said when the couple he’d been talking with left to get another drink. “I see more people incoming, and I don’t have an exit strategy.”
I didn’t want to abandon him, but I was eager to escape. “Are you sure?”
“Go.” He brushed a kiss at my hairline in a gesture that seemed like we’d been doing it for years. “I’ll see you in a few.”
I’d spotted my family standing near the rose garden, and in my haste, I wasn’t paying attention to the faces around me.
“Marist.” A male hand grasped my elbow, pulling me to a stop. “Hey.”
The first thought I had when I saw him was that I couldn’t run in my dress, no matter how badly I wanted to. “Richard.” It came out forced and too-bright. “How are you?”
“I’m great. I was just accepted into the Leadership Fellows program at Randhurst, actually.”
“Oh,” I said. My gaze flicked to my parents, who seemed miles away. “Congrats. That’s awesome.”
“Thanks. I’m excited.” Richard’s curious gaze swept over me. “How about you? You look so different than the last time we saw each other.”
Was that supposed to be a compliment? “I’m starting my final year in economics at Etonsons.”
“Wow, cool.” He didn’t bother to make it sound believable. “Hey, so you and Royce?” He leaned in as if we were going to share a secret. “How’d that happen?”
I didn’t have time for this. “I seduced him.”
Richard laughed like it was the most ridiculous thing he’d heard, but when I didn’t crack a smile, he sobered. “No shit. Really?”
I sighed. “If you’ll excuse—”
A man stepped in and joined our two-person circle, making my exit impossible.
Richard brightened. “Dad. This is Marist Northcott. I don’t know if you remember her. We went to homecoming together one year.”
Liam Shaunessy extended a hand and a smile to me as if all the shit he’d done in the darkened dining room an hour ago had never happened. “Hello. Liam Shaunessy.”
It would be rude not to shake his hand, so I had no choice. “Prom,” I said.
“I’m sorry?”
“It was the prom,” I repeated. “Richard and I . . . Not homecoming.”
Richard clapped his hands together, suddenly remembering. “Oh, yeah.”
“I have to go. I’m sorry,” I blurted out.
Mr. Shaunessy’s smile was normal, but I felt his words were loaded with double meaning. “It was nice seeing you, Marist.”
I wove my way through the crowd, and when I finally made my way to my family, I began to regret my decision. My father was deep in conversation with one of his co-workers, my sister stared at me like I’d been diagnosed with cancer, and my mother’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“You look gorgeous,” she said. She reached out, her fingers tracing the diamonds at my throat. Her voice fell to a hush. “Is that my necklace?”
Technically, no, but I was happy she was happy. I nodded.
“But Mr. Costolli said he’d sold it.”
“He did. He sold it to Royce.”
Her fingers paused. “Oh
.” Her face fell. “Royce owns it now?”
“He, uh, gave it to me.”
She drew back like the icy diamonds had suddenly scorched her fingers. “What?” Disapproval splashed on her face. “No, Marist. It’s too much money.” She tipped her head down and looked at me with seriousness. “A man who gives you something like that is going to expect a great deal in return.”
Emily looked like she was going to be ill.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “We’re way past that point.”
My mother froze. “What?”
I shouldn’t have said anything. “I’m kidding.” I tried to deflect. “Have you had any of the food yet? I’m starving.”
I still had no appetite, but perhaps Royce’s ability to lie was rubbing off on me.
My mother looked at me dubiously, but then gave up. “I liked the spring rolls better than the caviar.”
I wanted to talk to Emily alone, but as our mother prattled on about her friends and their dresses, my window closed. I only had a few minutes left before I needed to meet Royce at the fountain. Who knew who might stop me along the way? Hopefully no more board members.
“Find me later,” she whispered and clutched me tightly when I said my goodbyes.
Tables covered in white linens were dotted with black cloth napkins and surrounded the temporary dancefloor. Since it was not yet in use, I cut through it and made my way toward the entrance to the hedge maze. I was nearly there when Sophia Alby stepped in front of me, blocking my way with a smile that was as plastic as her nose.
“Marist, hey! Can we take a selfie together real quick?” She scrambled to pull her phone from her clutch which perfectly matched her gold sequined dress.
Of all the mean girls at Cape Hill Prep, Sophia had been the queen. When Royce said I was a ‘nobody’ all those years ago, he’d been talking to her. He’d created the virus of my social disease, and she’d been the one to disperse it far and wide.
“You want a selfie?” I wrinkled my nose. “With me?”
“Um, yeah.” Her silly laugh was tinny and grating. “You look amazing, and we’re friends.”