by Linda Verji
Judging by the number of luxury cars that circled the driveway leading up to The Mark Barnett Gallery, Claire and her family were obviously popular with the upper echelons of the Portland society. Several valets stood at the bottom of the entrance stairs waiting to open doors for the VIP guests.
As soon as Sin and Worth stepped out of the car, several eyes were on them. Whispers followed them up the stairs and into the building, but it was only when they entered the spacious gallery that an elderly couple approached them.
“Bill, Fay.” Worth greeted the couple with a smile.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Junior…” Bill pumped Worth’s hand enthusiastically. “Where have you been hiding yourself?”
“I’m the one who’s hiding?” Worth grinned. “I hear you two have been gallivanting around the globe.”
“Ah! You know, retirement, old age.” Bill shrugged. “Gotta get your fill of the world before the Grim Reaper comes for you.”
“You’re not ready for the Grim Reaper yet.” Worth turned to Bill’s partner with an appreciative smile. “Fay, looking beautiful as always.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Fay’s lined face broke into a grin as she patted Worth’s arm. Her sharp gaze turned to Sin. “And this beautiful young lady is…”
“My assistant, Sinclair,” Worth introduced.
“Hello,” Sin greeted them with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Naughtiness gleaming in her eyes, Fay teased Worth. “You’ve never brought anyone to one of these things. Must be a special assistant.”
Sin didn’t have time to get embarrassed by the accuracy in the older woman’s statement because just then Claire swept into the room.
Oh no! Nervousness tied Sin’s insides into a tight knot as she covertly watched Claire circle the room, greeting her VIP guests. Please don’t come this way.
Claire didn’t come their way. Unfortunately, Sin wasn’t the only one who noticed Claire’s presence. Worth did too.
“Ah, my sister-in-law just walked in.” Worth’s gaze followed Claire. The smile he gave was almost wolfish as he said, “I should go say hi.”
“Sure, sure. Just don’t leave without talking to me again. You and I have a few things to talk about,” Bill said even as he and Fay started to walk away.
“Come on.” Worth grabbed Sin’s elbow as soon as the older couple left. “Let’s go say hello to our hostess?”
“Why don’t you go first?” Somehow managing to keep her voice from shaking with nervousness, she added, “I need to drop by the ladies room.”
“You can go later,” Worth insisted before firmly guiding her towards Claire.
Please don’t out us. Please don’t out us. Sin mentally begged Claire while simultaneously strategizing over how she’d act if Worth caught on to their knowing each other. Easy, she decided. She’d just reveal that she and Claire had crossed each other’s paths in New York then act like she was surprised yet delighted to meet her again. Maybe she could even pretend that she didn’t know that Claire was Worth’s sister-in-law.
As it turned out Claire had more acting chops than Sin expected. Her gaze didn’t even flicker towards Sin, let alone glimmer with recognition. The bright smile she offered was directed towards Worth alone. If Sin didn’t already know that Claire couldn’t stand Worth, she would’ve believed that the lady was genuinely glad to see her in-law.
“Worth,” Claire greeted happily. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“You sent me an invitation, remember?” Worth countered with raised eyebrows.
“Ah, that invitation!” Claire tapped her forehead. “We sent it, but I know how you are. I didn’t expect that you’d actually accept it.”
“Well, I’m here.” Worth nudged Sin forward and with a grin added, “And I came with someone.”
“Oh?” Claire finally turned to Sin. In her gaze there was no recognition or shock, just curiosity. “Hello!”
The look in Worth’s eyes as it moved from one woman to the other was expectant as if he was waiting for something. The knot in Sin’s stomach tightened. Did he already know about them?
No, not possible, Sin immediately decided. If he did, she wouldn’t be working for him. It was more likely that he was waiting to see how Claire would react to her presence. In fact, there was a good chance that he’d brought Sin here just to inspire jealousy from Claire. Yeah, that made more sense.
“Hello.” Careful to maintain the façade of just meeting for the first time, Sin smiled and held out her hand. “Sinclair Johnson.”
“Claire Barnett-Ransom.” Claire touched Sin’s hand briefly before turning to Worth. “I didn’t know you were dating again.”
“I’m not. She’s just my assistant.”
“Hmm.” Claire shrugged before giving them another bright smile. “Well, it’s great to see both of you here. Have a great time and don’t forget to bid high.”
Sin could’ve sworn that she saw disappointment flash in Worth’s face as he watched his sister-in-law walk away, and it left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. She knew why he was disappointed; he hadn’t gotten the reaction he expected from Claire. It took supreme effort for Sin to keep from slapping his face. Not only was he using her as his sex-toy, now she was also a tool to make other women jealous. Bastard.
After Claire’s exit, Worth seemed to have lost complete interest in Sin. He wandered off to greet other guests while leaving Sin to her own devices. Since she didn’t know anyone here, she was reduced to awkwardly starting conversations with strangers just so she wouldn’t be a wallflower.
The auction started at around half-past eight. The bids being tossed around were breathtakingly high. This wasn’t a place for broke people and Sin, who was definitely a broke person, felt even more awkward being around these highfliers. Thirty minutes later, she escaped to the ladies room. She was in there debating the pros and cons of ditching Worth and taking a cab back home when she heard voices outside the door. Instinctively, she darted into one of the stalls to hide herself.
By the tapping of heels it was obvious that more than one woman had entered the bathroom. A sudden rush of water filled the room as if someone was washing their hands. A moment later, Sin heard a familiar voice.
“What?” Claire said. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Are you happy?” A second woman’s voice echoed in the room.
“Happy about what?” Claire sounded almost bored.
“About this little event,” the other woman retorted. “I hear you’ve already made more than I did last month.”
“It’s not a competition, Mallory,” Claire countered. Sin could’ve sworn that she heard a smile in the lady’s voice as she added, “But yes, I’m very happy.”
“You poor thing.” Mallory’s tone was dripping with sarcasm as she taunted, “You probably think that Daddy will be impressed by your hard work.”
“That again?” Claire sighed. “Mallory, I’m not doing this for Dad’s approval.”
“Please! You do everything for his approval,” Mallory scoffed. “But you’re wasting your time. You’ll never get it until you get him what he wants.”
By Claire’s silence it was obvious that she knew what Mallory was talking about.
“How’s that going by the way?” Mallory asked.
“Why should I tell you?” Claire retorted sulkily.
“I could help you,” Mallory said. “If you’d let me help you when you were trying to seduce Worth, maybe you’d have been married to him instead of Second-Best.”
Sin waited for Claire to deny that she’d tried to seduce Worth, but all Claire said was, “Don’t call Baron that.”
“Girl, you’re the one who gave him that name!” Mallory’s laughter rang in the room. “So? Have you figured out a way to steal Worth’s shares?”
“I’m working on it,” Claire bit out.
“How?” Mallory paused then gasped. “Don’t tell me… no… you’re no
t thinking… no… you’re not thinking of killing him so Baron can inherit his shares, are you?”
“If it was that simple, I would’ve done it already,” Claire retorted with a coldness that sent a chill down Sin’s spine. “But if he dies, his shares go to Louisa or the closest blood relative. I have to get those shares through legal channels while he’s still alive.”
It was at that moment that Sin realized that she’d been duped. Shock ricocheted through her as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. So Claire’s story was just a collection of half-truths and lies?
Oh no! What had she gotten herself into?
Sin felt both foolish and betrayed. She’d been so blinded by the fact that the other women who’d approached her were genuinely in need of her help that she hadn’t even considered the possibility that Claire was lying to her. She should’ve looked into Claire’s story instead of gullibly inserting herself into a feud she knew nothing about.
“Well, you better work fast,” Mallory urged her sister. “Because if Worth joins RGC like Senior wants you, it’s over. You and your cash cow will be out on your ass. Then you’ll really know what it means to be in Daddy’s bad books.”
“Worth isn’t coming back to the company,” Claire said curtly.
“That’s what you wish!” Mallory fired back. “Chap, chap, Baby Sis. Your gravy train is about to run out of gravy.”
The two sisters exited the restroom moments later still bickering. After they left, Sin staggered out of the stall, still dazed by the conversation she’d just overheard. Oh what an idiot she’d been!
SIN WAS UNNATURALLY quiet on their way back home and seemed angry. Worth had to wonder why. Was it because of meeting Claire? Probably. But why? The ladies had put on such a perfect ‘never-ever-met’ act that if he wasn’t in on their deception, he would’ve believed that they were strangers. Sin had nothing to be angry about.
Or had something happened while he wasn’t watching them?
He snuck a glance at her and found her staring out the window grimly, her forehead furrowed and her lips drawn into a thin straight line. She was definitely annoyed. Wait! Could she be angry at him? Now that he thought about it, it was possible that he was the target of her ire. Not only had he ambushed her last minute and forced her to be his plus-one, but once they were in the gallery, he’d ditched her.
A surprising bolt of guilt threaded through him. Leaving her side had been difficult but necessary. She’d looked so beautiful tonight that all he wanted to do was keep her sealed to his side. But he couldn’t do that, could he? Not when he was trying to show her that he wasn’t wrapped around her pinky finger, that she’d chosen the wrong target.
Still, seeing her so angry left him feeling more uncomfortable than expected and before he could help himself, he broke the silence. “Did you enjoy the night?”
“Hmm?” Sin turned her gaze to him.
“Did you have a good time at the fundraiser?”
“I guess.” She shrugged then turned her attention back to the window.
“I guess? What does that mean?” he prodded. “Yes or no?”
Sin turned back to him with a frown. “Does it matter whether I had a good time at the fundraiser? I was there because it’s part of my job not because I wanted to be there.”
And with that the conversation came to an abrupt end.
Sin went back to staring at oncoming traffic like it was the most interesting show in the world. Meanwhile, he just watched her. Damn if she wasn’t the sexiest woman he’d ever met, even when angry.
When she dragged in a long breath in an obvious sigh, he couldn’t help the way his gaze lingered over her rising breasts. Without conscious thought, he licked his lips. When she crossed then uncrossed her legs, he couldn’t help following the movements and wondering if her skin was still as silky soft as he remembered.
Suddenly his hands felt itchy, like they ached to touch her. He shifted closer to her. However, the sharp look she gave him was enough to still any further movements on his part. Still, he couldn’t help the sudden feeling of breathlessness that engulfed him or the heat that seemed to be slowly rising within him. By the time the car drew to a stop in front of her building, he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.
When she reached for the door handle, he leaned forward to grab her wrist, stopping her.
Already frowning, Sin spun around. “What are you doing?”
He paused, trying to figure out how to ask for what he really wanted. He decided to go with what had worked previously. “Should we go?”
The knowing light that immediately gleamed in Sin’s eyes left no doubt that she knew he was asking her to sleep with him again. Her response was as quick as it was firm. She shook her head. “No.”
Perhaps she hadn’t understood him. He clarified, “Would you like to come to my place?”
“No,” she repeated resolutely.
“No?” He couldn’t quite believe it. She’d never said ‘No’ before. “Why?”
“Do I need a reason?” She shook his hand off her wrist then opened the door. “Goodnight, Mr. Ransom.”
And with that she exited the car, leaving Worth staring at the closed door with more disappointment than he cared to admit.
CHAPTER 15
The moment Sin got home, she revealed, “We’ve been played.”
Ten’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Claire played us.” Sin lowered herself to the couch next to her friend with a heavy sigh. “Worth isn’t after her. It’s the other way round. She’s after him.”
“What? What?” Shock streaked through Ten’s gaze. “How do you know? Are you sure?”
“As sure as I’ll ever be.” Sin clarified, “I overheard a conversation between her and her sister in the ladies’ room and she spilled everything.”
“Well damn!” Ten was silent for quite a while before she said, “Can’t say I’m surprised.”
“I know. I know.” Sin sighed. “You told me so.”
“I told you so,” her friend agreed. “So I guess we should start packing, right?”
Sin’s heart sunk at the other woman’s words. Her shoulders slumped and her tone was hesitant as she questioned, “We should, shouldn’t we?”
“We should, shouldn’t we?” Ten mimicked. Her eyebrows raised, she offered, “You sound like you don’t want to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to leave.” Sin worried her bottom lip. “It’s just… just… Wouldn’t it be wrong to leave without telling Worth that Claire is after him?”
“I guess.” Ten frowned. “But there’s no way to tell him without confessing our part in the whole thing. Then who knows how he’ll react; we could end up in jail.”
“No, I could end up in jail,” Sin said. “He doesn’t even know who you are.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Ten eyed Sin like she was crazy. “It’s the same thing whether you go to jail or we both go to jail.”
“I know. I know but-”
“There’s no but about it,” Ten cut her off. “We’re not doing anything that will send you back to prison.”
Sin protested, “I won’t let him get screwed over by Claire.”
Ten studied Sin silently for an uncomfortable long while before she asked, “Why are you so worried about Worth? Anyone else in your position would be happy to see him taken down. I mean he treats you like crap.”
“Yeah, he does. But…” Sin’s words drifted off because she couldn’t explain the complicated feelings that swamped her whenever Worth was involved.
“But what?” Ten eyed her. When Sin still couldn’t answer, the other woman’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me. No… no way. No way.” She canted her head to watch Sin even more keenly. “Don’t tell me you like this guy.”
Sin wanted to deny it, but her mouth refused to voice the right words to reassure her friend. She’d never really thought about why she always seemed to surrender so easily to Worth. However
, now that she thought about it, it seemed like Worth had weaseled his way into her heart while she wasn’t looking.
But her silence was answer enough for Ten.
“Jeez! What do you like about the guy?” Ten stared at her like she’d lost all her marbles. “He’s a certified sadist.”
“I know, right? I must be a masochist,” Sin joked but she was also half serious. Only being a sadist could explain why she liked a guy who treated her like Worth did. Without conscious thought, she confessed, “I slept with him.”
“What?” Ten’s eyes widened so much it was a wonder they didn’t pop right out of their sockets. “Are you crazy?”
“I must be.” That was the only way to explain why she was so weak when it came to that man. If she wasn’t so shocked because of the conversation she’d overheard tonight, Sin would’ve fallen for his ‘should we go’ spiel again. That’s how twisted she was.
Both ladies were quiet for a while with Sin staring at her feet while Ten watched her with a concerned expression.
When Ten spoke, her tone was grave. “You know it won’t work though, right?”
Sin sighed. “I know.”
“If… no- when he finds out who you really are and why you came into his life, it’s over,” Ten reminded her.
“I know,” Sin agreed even as she felt a sudden tightening in her throat and itching behind her eyes.
Ten watched her for quite a while before scooting closer to her to pat her back. Shaking her head, she said, “What am I going to do with you?”
Sin forced a smile. “Love me?”
“You make it so hard,” Ten teased before her expression turned grave again. “We still have to cut and run though. Worth is a smart guy. I’m sure he’ll figure out that Claire’s after him even without us having to sacrifice ourselves.”