Always Be True

by Alexis Morgan

  Tino gave her a quick kiss before heading around to the other side of the table to talk to her parents. Natalie watched as her mother accepted the hand that Tino held out to her and then followed him out onto the dance floor. Her father shot Natalie a quick grin and then turned to watch the pair.

  The song had a fast beat, but Tino and her mother quickly found their rhythm. Wow, she’d never realized that her mom was that good, but then she’d seen her dance only with her father.

  Her dad had angled his chair to watch his wife, but then he looked in Natalie’s direction. “You know, I’m not sure whether to be grateful to Tino for showing your mother a good time out there or to hate him for showing me up like that.”

  She knew her dad well enough to know that he wouldn’t really begrudge his wife having a bit of fun, but she decided to give him a little grief anyway. “I could always give you a set of dance lessons for your birthday next month.”

  He looked horrified by the prospect. “Very funny, little girl.”

  But he winked at her before turning his attention back to the dance floor. Meanwhile, Benton slid over into Tino’s seat. She’d been expecting him to do something of the kind since his parents had gotten up to dance, leaving the two of them alone. She also wasn’t surprised to see him refill his wineglass. When he’d emptied the bottle in front of him, he reached over to avail himself of the one she and Tino had been sharing.

  “So how have you been, Natalie?”

  She turned her gaze back to the dance floor as she answered. “I’ve been good. Busy as usual.”

  Benton moved on to another subject. “And your grandfather? Is he well?”

  The man might be asking all the right questions to show he was concerned about her, but they sounded as if he was reading them off cue cards. “He’s grouchy as ever. I’ll tell him that you were asking about him.”

  Not that her grandfather would care.

  She turned the conversation back to Benton’s favorite topic—himself. “And how about you? Is work at the law office keeping you busy?”

  He perked right up. “Yes, it is. Recently, I’ve been doing some work for one of the energy companies. Not contract work, but interceding with local officials on their behalf.”

  “Sounds interesting.” Not really, but she could see how he’d love being a lobbyist for big-money companies.

  Benton leaned in closer, enough so that his alcohol-laden breath brushed across her skin. “I’d love to tell you more about it over lunch next week. I think this could be my first real step toward getting involved in politics. With the right support, I could test the waters in next year’s elections.”

  And she could guess exactly what kind of support he was hoping for. She hated to tell him, but there was no chance he’d ever get any money from her grandfather’s foundation to fund a political campaign. This wasn’t the time or the place to start an argument, so she continued to watch the dancers, hoping he’d take the hint that she wasn’t interested.

  At least he was smart enough not to push her on that subject, but he continued to press her on spending time together. “Come on, Natalie, it’s just lunch. We could catch up on things. You can even tell me more about what’s going on with the community center project. Pick a time and place, and I’ll be there. My treat and everything.”

  She finally glanced in his direction. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think that would be a good idea, Benton.”

  The thin veneer of his charm slipped a bit as his gaze momentarily shifted from her to her mother and Tino out on the dance floor. “What circumstances are those?”

  Did she really have to lay it all out there for him? She didn’t want to rub his face in it, but eventually he and his mother were going to have to accept the fact that she wasn’t going to come to heel no matter how hard they tried to convince themselves otherwise.

  “I’m obviously seeing someone else now, Benton.”

  He stopped short of rolling his eyes, but his expression was clearly dismissive. Clearly, he thought Tino was nothing but a momentary blip on their radar. “Come on, Nat, we’ve known each other our whole lives. I see no reason we can’t go back to being friends even if we aren’t lovers for the moment.”

  And that was exactly why she had no intention of seeing him outside of these occasional, unavoidable social obligations. “I hope you’re not looking to rekindle something more than simple friendship with me. I’ve already made it clear that’s not going to happen.”

  His grip on his wineglass tightened to the point she feared the crystal would shatter. “Of course it won’t, not if you won’t even give me a chance to make things right between us. You owe me that much.”

  She didn’t owe him a darn thing, and she’d grown tired of having to remind him of that fact. But before she could come up with a response, Tino returned to the table with her mother. Benton immediately rose to his feet.

  He held out his hand to her. “We can continue this discussion out on the dance floor.”

  “No, we can’t. I promised this one to Tino.”

  She brushed past him to walk around to the other side of the table to where Tino stood talking to her parents. His smile faded when he saw her headed for him. After glancing across the table to where Benton sat watching their every move, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her in close.

  “What’s up?”

  There wasn’t enough privacy to explain things, not with her parents sitting right there and Mrs. Humboldt and her son glaring at the two of them from across the table.

  “I want to dance.”

  “All right.” Tino paused to smile at her mother again. “Maybe we can squeeze in another round before Natalie and I have to leave.”

  Her dad was the one who answered. “One more and that’s it. Too much of a good thing, and she’ll never be satisfied to shuffle around on the dance floor with me again.”

  Her mother only laughed. “Oh, yes, I will. In fact, let’s dance now while the orchestra is playing a waltz.”

  Tino plowed their way through the other couples, holding Natalie’s hand as she followed in his wake. He waited until they were lost in the center of the crowd before taking her in his arms. She’d been concerned that the difference in their heights would make dancing in close quarters awkward, but she’d worried for nothing. Within seconds, they were swirling across the floor as if they’d been dancing together for years rather than this being their first attempt.

  Rather than bring up the problem with Benton, she lost herself in the beauty of the music and the warmth of the man who held her in his arms with such ease. For the moment, Tino seemed content to enjoy the dance, but she knew him well enough to know that eventually he would demand an explanation.

  Sure enough, when the song ended and the orchestra immediately launched into a slower melody, he tightened his hold on her. “So what did our resident jackass say to upset you?”

  “He wants to have lunch with me. Something about finding our way back to being friends again.” She rested her head against Tino’s chest, taking comfort in the soft beat of his heart. “He clearly wants more than that. I don’t.”

  Tino muttered something unintelligible under his breath, and his hold on her tightened. “After this dance, I’ll have a talk with him.”

  The last thing either of them needed was to make a huge scene. “No, please don’t. It’s my problem.”

  She smiled up at him, hoping to quench the angry fire burning in his eyes. “Well, actually, it’s his. I doubt that many people have ever refused to give Benton something he wants, especially his parents. They think he’s perfect in every way and can’t imagine why I don’t see him the same way they do.”

  “Well, just know I’d be glad to escort him outside to have a personal discussion with him on the issue.” He turned a predatory smile in the direction of their table. “You know, the kind of discussion I used to have on a regular basis with soldiers who needed a hands-on reminder on how to behave in public. Maybe nursing a sore
jaw and a few bruises will convince him that things are over between the two of you.”

  Was she a bad person for even considering his offer even if only for half a second? Probably. Besides, Benton was an attorney and wouldn’t hesitate to either press charges or file suit if Tino made a move against him.

  “Eventually he’ll give up. I’m guessing his pride is hurting more than his heart. Looking back, it’s not like things were ever all that hot and heavy between us. Not like it is with you and me.”

  What was Tino thinking now? If she had to guess, she’d say he was looking pretty pleased with himself. “What?”

  “I think there was a compliment for me buried somewhere in what you just said.”

  She replayed her words in her head. “There was? Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, unless I’m mistaken, the bottom line is that you said I’m good in bed and he wasn’t.” He spun her around on the dance floor. “I’m not wrong about that, am I?”

  She laughed. “I hate to feed your already well-developed ego, but you’re right. However, to be fair, I’ve only had that one evening with you as a basis for comparison.”

  Tino was obviously a man who enjoyed a challenge. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to form such an important opinion on insufficient information.”

  His eyes darkened to the color of bittersweet chocolate. “Why don’t we make our excuses and head back to your place? Once we’re there, I promise to make every effort to provide you with a lot of hard data to support your hypothesis.”

  His teasing went a long way toward restoring her good mood even if he had her blushing. “I look forward to examining your, um, hard data quite thoroughly, but I’d rather not leave quite yet.”

  “So Benton doesn’t assume that you’re leaving because of him.” Tino’s dark gaze shifted back toward the table. “You don’t want him to think anything he says or does has the power to influence what you do.”

  “Got it in one guess. Is that all right?”

  “Fine with me. I wasn’t kidding about loving to dance, and I don’t get many chances like this.”

  Then he whispered near her ear, “Especially when it’s really foreplay for what comes later when I get you home.”

  She shivered from the surge of hunger that danced along her skin. “I can’t wait.”

  They spent the next three songs out on the dance floor. When the orchestra launched into a salsa, Tino’s face lit up. “Are you up for this?”

  “Show me what you’ve got, soldier.”

  He recognized that for the challenge that it was and led her through a series of fast steps that had her laughing and at the same time trying to catch her breath. She refused to let him outshine her, though, and took pride in keeping up with him. Almost, anyway.

  By the time the final strains of the song faded away, she was more than ready for a breather and maybe a cold drink. Natalie followed as Tino led the way through the crowd back to their table. When he abruptly quit moving, she had to lean to the side to see what was going on that brought him to a stop. One glance had her wanting to curse.

  Not only had Benton remained in Tino’s seat, but if she and Tino wanted to sit down, they’d be stuck sitting on either side of him. Darn the man, anyway. Why did he have to act like this?

  And if she was aggravated, it was unlikely Tino was any happier. Rather than continue directly to the table, he slowed their steps as he looked around the ballroom. “Want to check out the bar? I’d like a shot of something stronger than wine. Besides, right now I’m not sure I could resist the urge to kick the bastard’s ass for him.”

  There was no doubt he meant every word. She tugged his face down for a quick kiss. “I’d love a soft drink. Then maybe we should think about leaving.”

  At least the line at the bar was long enough to give them both time to rein in their tempers. “I’m sorry, Tino. He’s never acted like this before.”

  “It’s not your fault he can’t figure out how to let go.” He paused to sip his bourbon. “So, assuming you still don’t want me to school your ex in acceptable behavior, how do you want to handle this?”

  Before she could answer, she spotted her father heading for them. “What now?”

  They moved a short distance away where it was a little less crowded to hear what her father had to say.

  “Natalie, your mother has developed a headache, so we’re going to leave. She thought you might like to walk out with us.”

  “Is it one of her migraines?”

  Her father shook his head. “No, it’s more of a big pain in the Humboldt region. Tino, we both want to apologize for the way Benton has chosen to behave tonight. I’ve never seen him act this way before.”

  “No need to apologize, sir. It’s not your fault.”

  “I know, but we’re the hosts at the table, and we certainly didn’t intend for you two to get stuck sitting between him and his parents. By the time we realized Benton had switched the place cards around, there wasn’t a way to change them back without causing a scene. We should have done it anyway.”

  He turned his attention back to her. “So, what do you say we all call it a night? Your mother is waiting over by the door for us.”

  Natalie set her soft drink down on a handy table and looped her arms through both Tino’s and her father’s. “I think that’s for the best. I just need to grab my purse.”

  “Why don’t you go join your mother while I get it for you?”

  She studied Tino’s all-too-innocent face for a second before nodding. It was hard to see if he was up to something, but she had no desire to cross paths with Benton again.

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Tino nodded and headed off through the crowd toward the table. From the set of his shoulders and the way his hands had just curled into fists, maybe she shouldn’t have left it up to him to fetch her purse. When she started to follow him, her father tugged her back.

  “Let him go, Natalie. He won’t do anything to embarrass you in public.”

  She reluctantly let her father lead her over to where her mother stood next to the exit. “You just met him, Dad. How can you be sure?”

  Her father shrugged. “I may have just met him, but it’s clear you matter to him. Assuming Benton won’t decide to be an even bigger ass than he’s already been this evening, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

  That was a pretty big assumption, but there wasn’t much Natalie could do about it now. She could only stand with her parents and hope for the best.

  Chapter 15

  Tino flexed his fingers, trying to control his temper for the next few seconds. He was damned protective of the people in his life, and he didn’t like the fact Natalie’s ex had decided to be a jackass this evening. Not only had Benton been obnoxious to the two of them, he’d also put her parents in a difficult position. If the jerk was smart, he wouldn’t say a single word when Tino stopped by the table to claim her purse. Unfortunately, while Benton might be well educated on paper, he obviously lacked street smarts, the kind that would keep him from shooting off his mouth to the wrong person.

  Making a scene was the last thing Tino wanted to do. This wasn’t the kind of affair that he normally enjoyed, but he wanted to fit in for Natalie’s sake. No doubt it wouldn’t be the last one he’d attend if the two of them continued to see each other on a regular basis. Right now, all he wanted was for the two of them to make good on their escape and move on to the real entertainment for the evening.

  It was nice of her parents to come up with a way for all of them to make a graceful departure. Granted, he doubted freeing him up to go have hot sex with their daughter was really their intention, but he was grateful.

  Meanwhile, he was back at the table. Mrs. Humboldt had made herself scarce, but her son was lying in wait. He leaned back in his chair and stared up at Tino over the rim of his wineglass. “Where’s Natalie? She promised me the next dance.”

  Tino didn’t bother calling him on the lie. Arguing with a drunk was never a smart move, and Benton�
��s speech was slurred enough to make it clear he was feeling the effects of all that excellent wine he’d been guzzling. Tino hoped Natalie would be proud of his forbearance as he did his best to remain polite. “I’m sorry, but we’re leaving. Her mother isn’t feeling well.”

  Benton sat his drink down, nearly missing the edge of the table. “Why does Natalie need to leave just because her mother has a headache? Besides, I bet you didn’t come in the same car as her parents.”

  And what did that have to do with anything? Rather than respond, Tino reached past Benton to pick up the small black purse lying on the table.

  Before he could get it, Benton slapped his own hand down over it. “So tell me, Gianelli, are you the real reason Natalie gave back my ring?”

  His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Because I’ve got to say, you two looked pretty damn cozy out there on the dance floor. I want the truth this time. Just how long have you two been seeing each other behind my back?”

  Damn, did the man really want to end the evening with a nice crop of bruises? It was bad enough that he was embarrassing the other people around the table, but he’d just insulted the honor of the woman he’d professed to love.

  “If you’re stupid enough to think that of Natalie, you don’t know her at all.” Tino grabbed the chain on the purse and yanked it free from Benton’s grasp. He glanced at the few people still at the table. “Now, if you’ll all excuse me.”

  Meanwhile, Benton lurched to his feet and made as if to follow Tino. “Natalie can’t leave until we have that dance. She won’t appreciate your hustling her out of here just so I don’t have a chance to enjoy a little alone time with her. We both know you’re just a stand-in until she comes to her senses. No way she’d give up a man of her own social class for an unemployed, uneducated guy like you.”

  Enough was enough. Tino stared at the other man as if he’d just crawled out from under a rock. “All things considered, Benton, I’d say she’s already done that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve kept the Kennigans waiting long enough.”