His words send my heart racing with warmth and as my blood circulates throughout my body, that warmth spreads until I’m completely overwhelmed by his love.
I reach across the table and find his hand already waiting. He gives it a gentle squeeze and just like that, I fall a little bit harder. Maybe Drix was onto something. Maybe I’m already there. The thought of completely giving myself to someone again scares the shit out of me but more and more, I'm starting to trust that he’s not going to break me.
We finish our dinner and before we know it, we’re standing out the front of the restaurant, waiting for the valet to return his Veneno.
“Let me get this straight,” I say, folding into his side. “You’ll let random valets drive your car, but you won’t let me even breathe near the steering wheel?”
Colton presses his lips into a tight line and I see the string of responses flying through his mind while he tries to decipher the right thing to say. “Well, umm … fuck,” he cringes. “I guess you’re right.”
“Damn straight I am.”
“Do you want to drive home?”
My eyes bug out of my head. I was expecting a lot of things out of this conversation but certainly not that. “Are you insane?” I shriek, stepping away from him only so I can stare at him properly. “I can’t drive that. What if I … I don’t know, what if I break it?”
“Are you planning on breaking it?”
“No,” I scoff. “I’m an incredible driver.”
His Veneno appears from around the corner and as it inches toward us, Colton raises a brow as his lips lift into a wicked grin, the challenge clear in his eyes. “Then what are you so scared about?”
My mouth drops. “Scared? I’m not scared.”
“Good,” he says as the Veneno stops right in front of us. The valet pours out of it with a satisfied smile on his face while Colton walks around and holds the driver’s door open for me. “What are you waiting for?”
Fuck yes.
I fly toward him, making sure to brush a kiss over his unsuspecting lips as I pass. I drop down into the Veneno and instantly adjust the seat while feeling the purring rumble of the smooth engine beneath me.
This is going to be good.
“Hurry up and get your ass in or I’m taking off without you,” I warn, watching him step back only to start salivating over the way the automatic suicide doors begin to close.
Colton makes his way around to the passenger side and I find myself smirking at the sight. He isn’t the kind of guy to sit shotgun. He likes to be in control so not sitting behind the steering wheel is a big gesture and I appreciate it more than he could possibly know.
Once he’s in, I prepare to get myself going when my phone chimes from my bag. I start digging through and laugh as I find a text from Mom.
Mom - I know what you two did. Ask Hendrix to come over in the morning. I need to have a little chat with the two of you.
Oh, shit.
Ocean - I don’t know what you’re talking about …
Mom - You’re a rotten liar but I can’t deny that I’m having a fabulous time.
Mom - Thank you. Love you. I hope you’re feeling better.
Ocean - Don’t worry about me. I’m miraculously feeling much better!
Mom - I should have known!
With that, I slip my phone back into my bag and dump it on Colton’s lap before finally hitting the gas and sending us roaring down the street.
Every nerve inside my body wakes and I feel more alive than ever before. I press harder on the gas and it’s as though the car reads my every thought. It was made for me. The way it reacts to my touch, my feel. It’s everything a car should be and judging by the way Colton watches me with a dark sparkle in his eye, he’s enjoying the ride almost as much as I am.
I'm in heaven.
“Was that your mom checking in?” he questions as I take a corner so damn smooth that I almost come in my pants.
“Yeah,” I laugh. “She figured out that we set her up and was demanding a private audience with me and Drix in the morning. I have a feeling we’re about to get our asses handed to us, but it’s so worth it. She said she’s having a fabulous time.”
Colton laughs. “Do you think she’ll actually hit it off with Roman? I haven’t dealt with him too much but he’s an alright guy.”
“I hope so. From what I’ve heard he’s been infatuated by her since the gatsby party and she deserves a man who’s going to put her up on a pedestal as if the sun shines out of her ass. I want her to be happy.”
“You know,” he says, thoughtful. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so selfless before.”
“Who? My mom?”
“No, moron,” he laughs. “You. You would do absolutely anything to make your mother happy. I love that about you.”
My eyes flick toward him before slowly scanning back to the dark road ahead. “There’s that word again.”
I don’t see his smirk but from his tone, I know it’s there. “Uh-huh,” he grumbles, not speaking any further on the topic. “But speaking of people getting together. I think Spencer is seeing someone.”
“What?” I grunt, flicking my gaze back to him again to see him deep in thought. “Why do you say that? Did he mention someone?”
He presses his lips into a tight line and softly shakes his head. “No, not exactly but he’s been MIA this week and when I asked him about it, he was really shady. Judging from the past, he’s only ever like that when there’s a girl.”
“No shit, really?”
“Yeah, I’m going to get him drunk after the business dinner tomorrow night. He tends to get a bit loose when he’s had too much to drink.”
A smile tears across my face at the thought of getting Spencer fucked up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like that, he’s always so put together. He’s like Colton in that way, in fact, while we’re at it, I might encourage Colton to let loose as well. Now that would be a fun night.
I store my plan away for safekeeping and find myself glancing at him again. “What kind of business dinner is it that has Spencer coming over?”
“It’s all the partners. It’s some stupid tradition that my father put in place. Every few months or so, all the partners come together with their families and share a meal.”
I raise a brow. “All the partners?” I question. “That’s Charlie’s dad and Milo’s, right? So, they’ll be there?”
He nods. “Along with the rest of their families.”
“So, what you’re saying is that Charlie won’t be able to avoid us tomorrow night?”
A grin tears across Colton’s face. “Why the hell do you think I didn’t cancel that shit? I’m not exactly known as the guy to enjoy business dinners.”
I roll my eyes but find myself laughing. “The level of bullshit you’d happily sit through just to get the tiniest thing in return astounds me.”
A wide grin spreads across his face and not a second later, his hand presses down on my thigh, slowly riding up until it’s only a breath away from my promised land.
“If you want your car back in once piece, I’d highly suggest that your hand stops moving right the fuck now.”
His tone drops low and the rasp in it has me relaxing into Colton’s touch. “Or what?” he murmurs, moving his hand just that slight bit more and grabbing what’s his to take. He cups me over my pants and I find myself grinding against his hand, wondering how the hell he manages to set my body on fire so damn quickly.
I keep my focus on the road, terrified of actually hurting this precious car but I don't dare stop him as his hand begins to rub over me. “I should have let you drive this ages ago. Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are driving my car?”
A low groan pulls from deep within me, hearing his words wrap around me but the mood is quickly cut off by the shrill ring of my phone. Colton lets out a frustrated groan and grabs my bag from where he dumped it at his feet. He digs through it and pulls out my phone.
“Ugh, it’s Nic,�
� he says. “That motherfucker is such a cock-blocker. Does he have a fucking camera in my car too?”
I laugh as I glance at the phone but a seriousness comes over me. Nic has been giving me my space since showing up at the school. He hasn’t tried to call me like he usually does and for some reason, I feel compelled to answer it.
“Can you put it on speaker?”
“Fine,” he groans. “But as soon as you're done talking to him, you’re all mine. All fucking night.”
“Deal.”
With that, Colon hits accept on Nic’s call and his voice instantly sails through the Veneno. “O.”
“What’s up?”
“What are you doing? Turn on the news.”
“Can’t,” I say, flicking my gaze to Colton. “I’m driving. What’s going on?”
“Well pull the fuck over and bring it up on your phone. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this. I fucking know you, O. You’re going to be pissed if you find out through someone else.”
My brows furrow and I instantly realize what the hell this is about. My eyes go wide. “Thanks,” I say, grabbing the phone off Colton and ending the call. I drop my phone into my lap and hastily dart to the side of the road, bringing this magical beast to a startling stop.
“What the fuck is going on?” Colton questions, watching me in a panic.
I grab my phone and instantly bring up the news before turning the media volume right up. Colton leans over and together we watch as a reporter appears on the screen.
The wind brushes through her hair as she holds the microphone to her face with the Bellevue Springs Police Station right behind her. “Jude Carter, son of the wealthy business tycoon, Francis Carter, was arrested today at the Bellevue Springs Police Department, following his confession to multiple counts of rape and the murder of 16-year-old Mandy Johnstone.”
I suck in a deep breath and my eyes go wide, all while Colton sits beside me in confusion, thinking that Jude is still safely locked in his little dungeon. I guess I may have forgotten to tell him something.
The reporter goes on as the screen cuts to earlier footage of Jude showing up at the precinct and handing himself over. Next comes footage of his parents arriving with their many lawyers and the press going nuts with cameras. “Tonight, Bellevue Springs police are scouring bushland for the remains of Miss Johnstone who was reported missing by her parents nearly two years ago. Mr. Carter has not released any other names at this time. Police are urging the young lady to step forward to make a statement. More on this breaking news soon.”
The story cuts out and I remain staring at my phone as though it’s going to magically continue telling me every little detail.
“Ummmm … what the fuck?” Colton grunts, looking up at me in surprise. “Did you know about this?”
“Kinda,” I say with a cringe. “I was done. You said I could handle it however I wanted to handle it and all I wanted was to move on and be happy. With him in the wine cellar, it was always sitting on my mind so I called Nic and had him handle it. I figured he’d just put a bullet between his eyes but I think Nic knew that the guilt would eat at me so they must have had him hand himself over.”
“Fuck me,” Colton says with an impressed smirk. He rubs his hand over his face. “They must have done a fucking number on him to get him to voluntarily walk in there and admit to what he did.”
“Well, what can I say?” I grin. “The Widows certainly have a few impressive … skills.”
“I can imagine,” he says, still a little in shock. He shakes his head and a faraway look enters his hazel eyes. “He really did kill that girl.”
“Yeah, sounds like it,” I whisper, reaching over and taking his hand, hating the guilt that spreads across his handsome features. He links his fingers with mine. “There’s nothing you could have done, Colton. You couldn’t have known that he was going to hurt that girl again. You were only a kid yourself.”
His features fall and I have a feeling that a few lousy words from me isn’t going to do the trick this time. This is just one of those things that are going to sit heavy on his heart until the day he takes his final breath.
“Come on,” he finally says, squeezing my hand and lifting his chin toward the road. “Let’s get home. There’s bound to be a mountain of press waiting outside the gates wanting a statement from me.”
“Okay,” I say, releasing his hand. “But as soon as you’re done with that, you’re all mine.”
A soft smile lifts the corner of his lips. “Deal.”
Chapter 25
Mom’s heavy glare settles on me as she passes by the massive dining table that seats at least a hundred business partners and their families. It’s freaking huge but all that matters right now is not breaking and smiling at my mother.
Just the smallest little grin from me will have her storming through the room and removing me from the table by my ear before dragging me back to the pool house to curse me out. With the business dinner being a lot bigger than we anticipated, Mom has spent the whole day preparing and hasn’t had a chance to tell me and Drix exactly what she thought of our sneaky little plan, but whatever she has to say about it, it doesn’t matter.
There have been at least twenty times today when I’ve caught her smiling to herself. It’s almost as though she’s floating. I don’t think I've ever seen her like this. It’s like she’s a teenage girl again, experiencing the attention of a boy for the very first time. Her cheeks have been flushed all day and if there were music playing, I’m sure she’d be dancing around as though she stepped right out of a musical.
I absolutely love it. Her happiness is contagious. Hell, she can come and yell at me all she wants because, in the end, it will always be worth it. Unless Roman turns out to be some psychotic serial killer, only then will I admit that I might have been wrong.
Mom disappears through the service entrance with her arms full of plates and guilt soars through me. Under any other circumstances, I’d be out there helping her but instead, I’m sitting at the table as a guest while my mother slaves away. It’s wrong.
I insisted on helping but Colton wanted me with him while Mom also insisted that she was fine. She has a whole kitchen full of staff helping her with about twenty hired waitresses. I’d probably just be in the way but I can’t help the guilt that fills me. Maybe one of these days I might even get used to it. Who knows? With Roman digging his claws in and making her all shades of happy, she might be the one to have waitresses serving her one of these days.
The table is filled with bodies and I can’t help but scan my way around. The Bryant family is here, sitting just across the table, while Charlie does everything in his power not to look directly at us.
Milo sits with his parents just down from them, making rude gestures to me and Colton while Spencer sits with his father who I don’t think I've actually met. Judging by everyone else’s parents, I don't really care to get to know him either.
Laurelle and the twins are sitting on Colton’s other side as though they belong there. I was surprised to see a few more familiar faces. There are a few girls from school, and I recognize two guys that I used to go to BSA with. Though two faces that are noticeably not here are Jude’s parents and seeing as though their son’s charges are the topic of conversation, I'd dare say they were smart to stay away. Jude’s actions have the potential to destroy his father in the business world and I’m kinda excited to watch it all play out.
The business center of Bellevue Springs really is a small world. Everybody knows everybody and I have no idea why I seem so surprised by it. Maybe this is how Colton, Spencer, Charlie, and Jude became friends in the first place. They would have all been forced together at all of these functions since they were kids. It would make sense, and it’d make even more sense why Charles was so adamant to help Jude hide his rape charges the first time. His actions would have come down on his father which in turn, would have reflected poorly on Charles.
We get halfway through dinner when Laurelle stands beside Co
lton and slips out from behind her seat. The conversation is flowing but I find myself watching her like a hawk. As she walks around the table, her fingers brush across the shoulders of every man still seated. A few of the wives pick up on her subtle touches and glare as she passes by them.
Laurelle steps between a couple and dives headfirst into their conversation, touching the man as often as she can while his wife stares on in shock. The husband eats up her attention like a lion starved of food.
I elbow Colton and his head whips around to face me. “What the hell is your mother doing?”
Colton scans the room and I see the second he finds her shamelessly flirting with a married man. His lips lift in a disgusted scowl as embarrassment washes over him. “Fuck me,” he says under his breath. “I guess she’s trying to find a new husband seeing as though I cut her off.”
“You really have to get rid of her.”
“I know,” he says with a heavy sigh. “If I wasn’t just starting to build a relationship with Casey again, I’d have kicked her out already.”
I glance around him to where Casey and Cora are seated, finding both of them staring at their mother with matching looks of horror. “Can’t Casey just stay?”
He shakes his head. “She’s always welcome to stay but she won’t. Cora would go with Mom and Casey wouldn’t separate from Cora like that. I don’t know, maybe it’s a twin bond thing.”
“Then what—ugh,” I grumble, cutting myself off as I watch Laurelle slip the man her number before moving onto the next guy. A fight breaks out between the husband and wife, and suddenly, the whole table is watching the show while the wife calls out Laurelle for being a slimy hooker.
All eyes dart to Colton, waiting for him to put a stop to the catastrophe but he sits back and watches as his mother is publicly called out on her bad behavior, and I have to admit, I can’t fault him.
Laurelle laughs it off as though the wife is being dramatic which only infuriates her more. The woman rises from her seat and in a flash grabs her champagne flute and saturates Laurelle’s white Prada dress.
Barbie B*tch: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 3) Page 24