‘But—’ she began.
‘Don’t worry about it.’ He interrupted her. ‘It’s nothing, I promise. It certainly won’t take more than a couple of hours to sort out. And thankfully they’re only in Miami. The last time this happened they were in Cannes.’
Addie gazed at him in confusion. ‘Are you saying we’re going back to Miami?’ she said hesitantly.
He looked at her in disbelief. ‘No. There’s absolutely no reason for you to be dragged into any of this. I’ll go on my own. If I take the helicopter and leave now I’ll be back this evening. Tomorrow morning at the latest.’
‘But—’ She frowned. ‘Surely it would be better if I came with you.’
‘Better?’ he repeated. ‘In what way would it be better?’
‘I don’t know. I just thought you might like to have a bit of support. Maybe I can help—’
‘You want to help me with my parents?’ Shaking his head, he laughed harshly. ‘I see. I should warn you they’re both tone deaf, so they might not be that responsive to music therapy.’
Addie stared at him, her breath hot in her throat, anger balling in her chest. It was like talking to a stranger, she thought wildly. A handsome, detached stranger. Instead of the man she had let inside her body.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said slowly.
His face didn’t alter but his eyes narrowed fractionally. ‘You don’t need to. This is way beyond your pay grade, sweetheart.’
She stared at him in silence, breathing unsteadily. Her whole body was suddenly trembling with anger. ‘Is that right?’ she said icily. ‘Then maybe I should ask for a raise, because you’re certainly not paying me enough to put up with that kind of remark.’
His face stiffened. ‘You’re overreacting,’ he said softly. ‘As I said before, there’s no need for you to come to Miami with me.’ His eyes met hers. ‘If you really want to help, stay here—and then we can go to Caracas together as planned.’
‘So you want me to come to Caracas but you don’t want me to meet your parents—’ She broke off, suddenly too angry and frustrated and upset to speak. ‘If you’re so ashamed of me, then maybe I shouldn’t be here in the first place.’
He frowned, his face darkening. ‘I’m not ashamed of you.’
‘Then what’s the problem?’
‘There is no problem. Except you. You’re making it a problem.’
‘How? By wanting to meet your parents?’
‘This—us—it has nothing to do with them.’
‘Is that why they didn’t come to our wedding?’
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. The question he had refused to answer five years ago. His parents’ absence at their wedding had always mattered to her. But now she knew that it had mattered to Malachi too, for she felt the change in him even before she saw it in his eyes.
‘They didn’t come because I didn’t ask them.’ His voice echoed harshly between them. ‘You wouldn’t understand. But then I’m not asking you to.’
‘But you are asking me to go and watch you open your new casino?’
He stared at her. ‘Please try and be reasonable, sweetheart. The two aren’t in any way connected—’
‘If you say so,’ she snapped. ‘Just go, Malachi.’ Picking up her towel, she stalked past him. ‘I’m going for a swim. Have a nice trip.’
Wading into the lagoon, she stared fixedly ahead, too furious even to register her beautiful surroundings. But the water felt cool against her skin, and the soft breeze and faint scent of frangipani was soothing, and slowly her anger started to fade.
Malachi was impossible. Rude and secretive and— ‘“Please try and be reasonable, sweetheart!”’ she muttered.
It wasn’t the most convincing impression of him, but it made her feel better, and suddenly determined not to let him spoil everything she began to swim with strong, firm strokes. Ten minutes later, smoothing the damp strands of hair away from her face, she glanced back at the beach, frowning. She was sure she had left her towel just under that palm tree...
And then her pulse gave a jolt as she saw Malachi standing at the edge of the sand, the towel in his hand.
Her footsteps faltered but then, lifting her chin, she marched towards him.
‘Aren’t you supposed to be on your way to Miami?’ she snapped.
He didn’t reply, just held out his hand. Pulse quickening, she stared at him warily.
‘I know it looks like a towel,’ he said quietly. ‘But it’s actually an olive branch.’
She didn’t reply.
Malachi watched her face shift, saw her swallow and breathe in sharply. He could see the conflict in her eyes; the longing to believe his words, the hurt holding her back.
He was on the verge of trying again when abruptly she looked up at him and said, ‘What do you want, Malachi?’
He cleared his throat. ‘I want you to come with me. To Miami. If you still want to, that is.’
She held his gaze. Her blue eyes were no longer glazed and drowsy, as they had been earlier, after they’d made love on the beach, but dark and stormy. And hostile. Very, very hostile.
‘I thought that was above my pay grade.’
Sighing, Malachi ran a hand over his face. His head was pounding, his stomach knotted with tension. Watching her walk away, he had felt a savage and unreasonable anger. Anger with his parents for messing up his time in paradise, anger with himself for letting his guard down. And anger with Addie for—
For what? For wanting to help him? For caring?
Picturing her face, he had felt his rage give way to shock as he’d realised what he’d seen but chosen to ignore. That she was worried about him. That she cared.
‘I shouldn’t have said that. It was rude and I’m sorry. It’s just that I never— I haven’t—’ He stopped. Things were getting so complicated. How much should he say? There was so much she wouldn’t understand.
She took the towel from his hand. ‘I know,’ she said quietly. ‘I do know what it’s like to have things inside your head you don’t want to share. After my accident I got sick of people asking me what I was thinking. You don’t have to tell me everything. Or anything. Not if you don’t want to. I just didn’t want you to have to deal with whatever it is on your own.’
He stared at her. ‘Then come with me. That way I won’t need to tell you. You’ll be able to see it for yourself.’
‘Okay. I’ll come.’ She gave him a small, tight smile as he reached out, his hand drawing her to him. ‘But I’m warning you: if you start with that pay grade stuff again I might just push you out of the helicopter.’
* * *
Aside from the noise of the rotor blades, inside the helicopter cabin it was quiet—sombre, almost. Watching the lights of Miami grow closer, Addie was aware of nothing but Malachi’s still, silent presence beside her.
It was clear that his parents were alive and well, and she wondered what was serious enough to drag him over to the mainland. But, sticking to her word, she hadn’t asked him any more about the phone call and he hadn’t told her anything. However, he had held her hand during the entire three-hour flight.
After the peace of the island, downtown Miami felt crowded and noisy. But at least it was crowded with ordinary people, she thought nervously, staring out of the window as the limousine slid to a stop in front of the Marlin—one of Miami’s swankiest and most exclusive Art Deco hotels. Malachi’s parents were anything but ordinary. Having furtively searched for them on the internet, while he was talking to the pilot, she had been horrified to discover that Henry and Serena King were not only fabulously wealthy, glamorous and beautiful, they also hosted some of the most decadent parties around the globe.
Glancing at her reflection in the window, she felt a rush of panic. Her dress was short, black and cute, and it showed off her long legs, but it most certainly wasn’t decadent. Maybe she should have worn the dress Malachi had given her instead. Her pulse shivered. Or maybe she should have just stayed on the i
sland.
‘Are you okay?’ Malachi glanced down at her, his eyes roaming over her face.
‘Yes. Why?’
He winced. ‘Because you’re cutting off the blood supply to my hand.’
‘Oh, sorry.’ Loosening her grip, Addie felt her heart start to thump loudly.
His eyes were dark and flickering with excitement, and there was a strange almost nervous energy about him that reminded her of how she had felt before playing in front of an audience: a mixture of fear and bravado and restlessness. But surely he didn’t need to feel like that. After all, they were his parents.
Glancing away, she looked up at the smooth, curving hotel facade and frowned. ‘I suppose I’m a little tense. It feels like I’ve been away for ever,’ she said carefully.
He studied her face in silence, and then slowly pulled her up against him. ‘Let me guess. You’re worried about meeting Henry and Serena?’
She met his gaze. ‘A little.’
‘They’re charming—and great company. I’m sure you’ll fall under their spell. Everyone always does.’
He was smiling, but there was an undertone to his voice that she couldn’t quite identify.
‘I don’t know if that’s made me feel better or worse,’ she said lightly. She squeezed his hand. ‘Anyway, this isn’t about me. It’s about you—and I just want you to know that I meant what I said before. I’ll be there for you.’
She glanced up at him, half expecting him to pull away or change the subject. But he didn’t do either. Instead, after the briefest of hesitations, his fingers tightened around hers.
‘I know.’ His face softened and, lowering his mouth, he kissed her gently.
‘Promise you’ll stay close to me.’
She stared at him dazedly. ‘I promise.’
It took nearly half an hour for them to make it up to the twelfth floor, where Malachi’s parents were staying in the penthouse suite. Most of that was spent calming down the hotel manager, a tall, balding man who looked as though he was about to collapse but who eventually ended up offering them a magnum of champagne.
In the lift, watching the numbers counting up, Addie felt Malachi’s gaze on her face.
‘You look beautiful,’ he said softly as with a slight shudder the lift came to a stop.
And then the doors opened and she caught her breath. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn’t this. The suite was huge, with high soaring ceilings. Six massive chandeliers swayed gently above a marble tiered fountain. But it wasn’t the decor that had made her breath stop in her throat.
It was the people. Despite the room’s size, it was packed. Women dressed in sequins and lace and men in dark suits were lounging on sofas or leaning against the walls; others were sprawled over chairs or one another. But all of them were wearing masks. Masks!
She glanced up nervously at Malachi but he was already leading her by the hand, weaving through the laughing, dancing crowd to the other side of the room to a table where two huge gold bowls sat side by side, each one filled with a selection of masks.
‘I don’t know which one to choose,’ Addie said slowly. For some reason she couldn’t bring herself to touch them.
‘Then don’t.’
His eyes were glittering and she could feel his body pulsing with that same nervous energy she had felt in the car, but his voice was surprisingly gentle.
‘We don’t have anything to hide.’
As they pushed their way through the mass of people, Malachi reached out and grabbed two glasses from a passing waiter. Holding the glasses up to the fountain, he let them fill with the bubbling liquid.
Tentatively, Addie took a sip from hers. ‘It’s champagne!’
Malachi nodded and stared away, across the room, his face twisting. To a casual observer the party might seem to be in full flow, but given the ratio of alcohol to people he knew it was just getting started. His skin was crawling. What was he doing here? And why had he brought Addie with him? Glancing over at her huge, shell-shocked blue eyes, he felt his stomach tighten painfully.
‘Sometimes it’s champagne and absinthe,’ he said flatly. ‘Then things get really out of hand.’
Nodding, Addie glanced round the room, sipping her drink nervously. ‘Who are all these people?’
Malachi shrugged. ‘Serena probably invited them. She hates small parties and she likes new people. And anything outrageous or forbidden.’
‘And where are your parents?’
His face didn’t alter but his eyes seemed suddenly to glitter more brightly.
‘They’ll be in one of the private rooms, having a party of their own.’
There was a crash behind her and a man wearing some kind of feathered headdress toppled over, hands flailing, his glass smashing to the floor.
Malachi reacted immediately. In one swift movement he had pulled her behind him and yanked the man to his feet. ‘Get some air,’ he said coldly, giving the man a little push, and then turning back to Addie, he said quietly, ‘Come on. Let’s go find Henry and Serena.’
They found them easily enough. At the end of a corridor four huge men wearing dark suits stood barring a door marked Private. And whatever was happening behind them, it was a lot quieter and more civilised than at the main party, Addie thought with relief. But as the door opened she felt her heart lurch. The room was dimly lit, and there were far fewer people. But most of them appeared to be in a state of undress and some of them appeared to be...intimately joined.
She barely had time to take in what she was seeing when a beautiful blonde woman, wearing a shimmering dress that rippled over her body like molten silver, let out a scream and sashayed across the room towards them. Beside her, stumbling slightly, was a very handsome man with lipstick on his face and on his dress shirt. The woman gave a little wriggle, sending rainbows of light into the dark corners of the room, and kissed Malachi on both cheeks.
‘Look, Henry! I’d said he’d come. I know you said we weren’t to contact you, darling, but I don’t deal with rude little men telling me what to do.’
‘He’s the hotel manager, Serena.’ Malachi frowned. ‘There’s nearly two hundred people here. And the other guests are complaining.’
‘How boring of them. And mean. Trying to spoil our fun.’ Leaning forward, Serena ran her hand slowly over the lapel of Malachi’s jacket. ‘Not like you, darling. You can never resist a party, can you? And besides, you’re so much better at managing those sort of people than Henry and I.’
Suddenly noticing Addie, she stopped.
‘What exquisite hair! I had a red setter once, with fur that exact colour. It was my favourite dog. Mal, aren’t you going to introduce us?’
Addie swallowed. These were Malachi’s parents. Her heart began to pound. They were gorgeous. He had clearly inherited his high cheekbones from his mother and from his father his dark hair and those gleaming grey eyes.
‘This is Addie.’ She felt his hand on her back. ‘Addie Farrell. Addie—this is Henry and Serena King.’
‘What a sweet name,’ Serena purred, and then, clapping her hands excitedly, she waved at one of the waiters. ‘Four Brandy Alexanders. Make them doubles!’
Sipping her cocktail, Addie tried to look as though she was enjoying herself. Inside, though, she was in shock. All around her she was aware of the other guests, of bodies merging and soft moans, and of Malachi’s taut profile and his hand gripping hers so tightly that she could feel her fingers going numb.
There was no love or tenderness in this room, just greed and narcissism and lust, and her heart contracted as she tried to imagine what it must have been like to grow up surrounded by these people. If this was his version of intimacy, it was no wonder he struggled so much to understand hers.
Watching Addie’s hand tighten around her glass, Malachi tried to relax. He barely registered the other guests, or what they were doing; he’d seen it too many times before. Usually at his parents’ parties he could find a place inside himself, somewhere to retreat. But with Addie
beside him he had no choice but to stay focused, and it was as if he was seeing it all through her eyes—every sordid detail magnified and spotlit—and it sickened him.
As his gaze shifted from Addie’s face to her tight fists, he felt her disgust too. Rage clawed at his stomach and reluctantly he let go of her hand. ‘I’ve just got to talk to Serena and Henry for a minute,’ he said slowly.
‘Do you want me to come too?’
Meeting her gaze, he shook his head. ‘I’ll be right back. Just wait here.’
He turned to where his parents were draped over one another on a chaise longue, their eyes glittering like dark stars.
His mother smiled up at him mockingly. ‘Malachi! Henry and I were just talking about you.’
Taking hold of his hand, Serena pulled him down onto the cushions beside her as his father stood up unsteadily.
‘Darling,’ she murmured. ‘We love your little redhead.’
‘Her name’s Addie,’ he said slowly.
‘And it was so clever of you to find her. Henry is absolutely smitten.’ Slowly, Serena ran her finger along his jawline. ‘And you do look so like your father, don’t you...?’
Malachi felt his skin grow taut; his pulse was pounding in his ears.
‘She’s with me, Serena.’
‘Of course she is.’ Her face hardened. ‘It’s just a bit of fun.’
He stared at her in shock. ‘It’s not fun. It’s sick.’
His mother shook her head. ‘Oh, dear. Somebody’s having a tantrum.’ She smiled at him coldly. ‘And after all we’ve done for you.’ She shrugged, her fingers curling under his chin. ‘How very dull you are. Well, don’t expect me to do your dirty work. You can tell Henry yourself.’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘If it’s not too late.’
Glancing past her, Malachi felt his heart jolt. Across the room, his father was smiling at Addie, his face soft but his eyes dark and predatory. With the blood suddenly buzzing inside his head like a swarm of angry bees, Malachi pushed his mother’s hand away from his face, stood up and crossed the room.
‘Serena always likes the drinks too strong,’ he heard his father say confidingly. ‘Why don’t you come with me? I can find you something soft to drink. Or maybe you’d like to lie down for a bit—’
Claiming His Wedding Night Page 13