I look across the hall and see Allen talking it up with a red head. Good that prick can stay over there, anywhere that’s far away from my girl is perfect for me.
I want to locate Peter so I can see what he’s doing. the night maybe formal but it’s informal in terms of how the evening will go.
There’ll be dinner in forty minutes in the other hall and then dancing back here. During the dinner Peter always gives a speech just to express his gratitude.
I plan to talk to him after the speech. I don’t want to upset him before.
I make my way on to the balcony that overlooks the river. That’s where I said I’d meet Rachel.
I don’t plan to look like we’re not together tonight. But I’ll do things properly. I won’t hold her hand or touch her until I’ve spoken to Peter. He’ll be here with his wife, Zara, and I don’t want her to hate me too.
Although I tend to think she might not. It’s just a feeling I have.
I continue over to the balcony and I see Peter standing by the table with canopies with his arm around Zara. They’re talking to a blonde woman.
When the woman turns to face me I stifle a groan. It’s Marie.
What is she doing here?
Fuck… this makes things awkward.
I gaze on and notice that Peter and Zara have seen me.
Zara waves me over and that’s the only thing that makes me go to them.
Although everyone knows Marie and I had an amicable split, I think it’s a given that I don’t exactly want to be talking to my ex.
I especially don’t want to be talking to my ex— who wants me back— when I’m meeting the woman I’m involved with in a handful of minutes.
Jesus please give me strength to get through this fucking night. Peter’s already eyeing me with daggers.
I reach them and put on my best professional smile. Zara gives me the usual hug and is the only person I feel warmth from in the circle. It’s funny how we met up like this several times last year on double dates. We aren’t, however, those people anymore.
“Hello everyone,” I say with a curt nod.
“You just get here?” Peter asks.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Hope you don’t mind but I invited Marie, she gave a sizeable donation to the charity.”
I’m sure I’m supposed to believe he just invited her out of the gratitude of his heart. I give him a stiff smile.
“Not at all. Thank you Marie,” I say turning to Marie. She looks uncomfortable I’m not sure what she thought it would be like here. other than me, peter and Zara she doesn’t know anyone here. And, she’s not a woman who’ll get dressed up the way she is and go anywhere by herself.
“I thought I would come to show my support,” Marie answers.
“Wonderful.” Now that I’ve seen Peter, I think I’ll make a move and blend in with everyone else until Rachel gets here. “Well it was nice seeing you all, have a great night.”
Zara narrows her eyes at me. It’s unlike me to say anything like that at an event like this. we’d all normally hang out together. She must think though that I’m dismissing myself because of Marie.
“Dante,” Marie says quickly taking hold of my elbow as I take a step to leave.
“Yeah?”
“Can I have a quick word. Just talk to you.”
“Yes, sure.” I try not to show my disdain. I don’t want to talk to Marie about anything more than we have. I don’t want to encourage anything more between us and give her hope where there is none.
I almost think she’s going to ask if we can stay friends then I see that desperate look in her eyes when she leads me out to the water fountain. It’s away from everyone and private enough to talk.
“What is it Marie?” I ask.
She brings her hands together. “Dante, I meant what I said the other night. I know you’re in a relationship so I have no right to cross the line but I can’t just give up like that. You asked me to marry you. That has to count for something. You wanted me to be your wife and I messed up big time. I can’t just accept that you no longer love me, not when I never stopped loving you.”
I try my best to think tactful here. this is the worse night for her to come to me with this plea. I understand her and I don’t want to be rude in anyway and hurt her unnecessarily but what am I left to do?
I already told her I’m in a relationship, so she expects me to jump ship and be with her?
“Marie, I gave you my answer. I already told you I moved on. Please don’t make this harder, or awkward.”
“Do you love her?” she asks and I find myself caught in silence.
I do love Rachel but I want to tell Rachel that. I don’t want to tell Marie first.
A shimmer catches my eye as I contemplate my answer.
I gaze on over her shoulder and see Rachel standing on the top of the wide steps leading back up to the hall.
She’s seen me and she’s seen Marie. I’m standing about fifteen feet away from her but I can see the recognition form in her pretty face. Then doubt.
I’m so lost in her beauty though that I can’t look away. She’s wearing a long sleeveless gold evening dress that flows elegantly down her body. Her hair is up, pulled back away from her face to show off her high cheek bones.
She’s beautiful and as she gazes on at me and I’m watching her, Marie turns to face her properly and looks from me to her.
Recognition dawns on her face too, and sadness brims in her eyes. I know, that she knows just from this silent moment all that I feel for Rachel.
As Rachel turns away to go back the way she comes, I’m sure it will become evident to Marie that I would only be going after Rachel if we’re involved.
It would be evident too that Rachel could only look as upset as she did from seeing me with Marie if we were more than what people think we are.
Tonight seems be proving to be everything except for the hopeful night I wanted it to be.
But then again I already prepared for a disaster.
Chapter Seventeen
Rachel
I looked stupid rushing off like that. Juvenile maybe.
I don’t know and I don’t care.
Maybe it’s pregnancy hormones making me do all kinds of shit already.
I feel like hell and God knows how much make up I had to put on my face to try to look somewhat normal.
I was sick all day again. I went to work and I think I stay more in the ladies than at my desk. It was such a shame that I was with Allen for most of the day. He knew something was up with me but never said.
He just kept looking at me weird. I prayed he didn’t guess.
I’ve known that I’m pregnant now for two days now, and I’ve kept it to myself. I desperately wanted to talk to my friends about it but I don’t want to until I speak to Dante.
Now I just don’t know. What the hell is Marie doing here?
When last I checked she didn’t have any sort of affiliation with the company. So why was she here?
How would she even know about the event if Dante didn’t tell her?
That woman has always looked at me like shit and just now was no different. Although admittedly she looked like she knew something was going on between me and Dante.
I wasn’t exactly close to see her face all that clearly, but I think I saw enough. It was something in the way her body language shifted.
None of that matters though if I don’t know what’s going on.
I can’t catch my breath. I just need to get away and think. I head past the hall and go out to the terrace. It didn’t look like there were many people out there, everyone seemed to love the garden or the hall itself.
I want to believe that Marie’s presence here is nothing. She’s just here for the event, but that same body language that told me she knew something was going on between Dante and me, told me she’s not done with him yet.
And why would she be?
I don’t know who would be idiot enough to give up a guy like him.
I guessed it didn’t work out between them but I was never given specifics and he didn’t say. He never said why they broke up and even though I’ve been with him I still didn’t think it was my place to ask.
I still don’t and as far as I knew Marie was supposed have left state and gone back to LA. When did she get back?
“Rachel.” It’s Giselle. I stop in my tracks when I see her strolling up to me with Josh, her husband.
The two of them look like they just stepped off the cover of Vogue. It’s so nice to see them together that even I can push aside the morning sickness and my upset over Marie.
“You guys made it,” I say with a smile .
“Yes,” Giselle answers and gives me a hug .
Josh shakes my hand with both of his and resumes holding his wife’s hand. It’s a thing I notice. They’re always holding hands wherever they go and I imagine them to be like that for a long time to come.
“We just got here,” Josh says looking about the place. “Great set up you guys have.”
“Thank you. It’s good to see you guys,” I tell them.
“Where are you going?” Giselle asks.
“Um… just out for air. I’ll be back soon.”
She looks me over and I can tell she knows something’s up with me. Something she’ll be undoubtedly planning to ask me about later.
She doesn’t get to say anything else because Dante comes up to us and he surprises me by slipping his arm around my waist when he gets to me.
“Hi,” Dante says to Josh and Giselle.
“Hey pal, good to see you. We should meet up for Cuban cigars,” Josh says and Dante nods extending his hand to him to shake.
“Absolutely,” Dante agrees. “Just say when.”
“You bet.”
“We’ll see you guys in there. I just have to speak to Rachel,” Dante says.
He wouldn’t like to know that his arm around me is the only thing holding me up right now.
My damn legs have that jelly like feel again and my chest is tight like someone’s stretching a band over it.
“See you in a bit,” Josh answers.
Dante then ushers me away to where I was heading, out on the terrace, and I’m glad to see I’m right. There’s no one out here but us.
We walk out to the stone balcony and he releases his grip from my waist and steadies me by setting his hands on my shoulders.
I look at him and the gravity of my situation hits me. I’m pregnant. Three weeks pregnant with his child and he doesn’t know.
How am I going to tell him and what is he going to tell me about Marie?
Marie the woman he asked to marry him. Marie the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with.
He’s made no such promises to me.
“Rachel, I wasn’t with Marie… please don’t think that,” he begins.
I open my mouth to say something but I feel hot and cold at the same time. “I didn’t know she was coming. I guess she’s entitled to come but I … didn’t know.”
“Me neither. Your father invited her because of the donation she made and she wanted to talk to me.”
He releases his hold on me and the loss of support makes me even more unstable.
“Why did she want to talk to you? Maybe it’s none of my business to ask but it looked like she was talking to you about something important.” I saw that much. When I first saw them Marie looked like she was in the middle of telling him something heartfelt.
The tentative look that’s crossed his face is a tell that I’m right.
“She was. It was important to her. Rachel I didn’t tell you this before because I didn’t think I needed to, but tonight shows that I should have. I saw her a few weeks back and she came to ask me if I’d give her another chance.”
I hang my head down when I hear that, willing myself not to cry. It’s hard to command such a thing when I feel like shit already.
“Rachel,” he says my name but I can’t look at him. I can’t look at him and remember him saying he can’t be with me because the love of his life just came back to him and he wants her instead of me. I can’t do it. “Rachel, Princesa.” He cups my face and guides my gaze back to his.
I can’t stop the tear that tracks down my cheek, and I can’t stop the rest from falling either.
“Don’t… don’t say it. I get it.” I nod and try to move away but he takes my shoulders again.
“Rachel, no. You don’t get it. I’m not going back to her. If I were to… we’d break up for the same reasons we broke up before,” he says and I see the flicker in his eyes of something I’ve always wanted to see.
It’s like he’s opened the door and I need to go inside. He’s given me a clear path to ask a question so I do.
“Why? Why did you break up?”
“Because she could see I was in love with you. I love you Rachel,” he answers and my heart soars. The tears become ones of joy. I can’t believe I got my dream. Just hearing him say those words mean everything.
“I love you too,” I tell him and it feels like a weight lifted off my soul.
“You do?”
“As if you didn’t know.” I pretend to pout and he pulls me in for a kiss.
I kiss him back with everything inside me forgetting where we are. Nothing matters to me right now.
I want to tell him that I’m pregnant. Courage comes to do it then it’s stolen away when someone clears their throat loud and exaggerated. It’s then I remember where we are.
We look on ahead to see Allen holding a bottle of wine in his hands. The smile on his face is broad and deadly. Full of venom.
“Well hell, no wonder you threatened to kill me,” Allen states looking at Dante holding me. “The old man was getting all the goods.”
Dante releases me and Allen is stupid enough to come closer. He walks right up to us and looks from Dante to me then focuses on my breasts and licks his tongue over his lips.
“Get gone Allen, you don’t want any trouble with me and not when your drunk,” Dante tells him.
“Please, you think you’re all high and mighty, you can’t handle me. look at you with the bosses daughter trying to get pussy at a charity event. I hear she’s been around the office I was hoping to get some and –”
Dante lands a fist in his face and knocks him right to the ground. Allen falls so hard the bottle in his hand slips from his grasp and smashes.
He’s not that drunk that he can’t get up and I shriek when he lunches for Dante, coming at him with full strength like he’s ready to kill him.
Dante on the other hand barely moves. He takes the hit and lands another a one two punch in Allen’s face that does more damage this time.
Allen wails as he falls to the ground and people start coming out to look at what’s going on.
Mom and Dad come out and see them. Dante doesn’t see them though. He’s not finished with Allen yet. He places his foot on his chest like he’s ready to crush him like a bug and stares him down with fierce eyes. I’ve never seen him get so mad before.
“Motherfucker, don’t you ever talk about my girl like that again. You hear me!” Dante balks and Allen recoils, cowering and covering his face. “Fucking apologize now.”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry,” Allen says.
I’m looking at Dad though who looks furious. Mom looks dazed.
“Dante!” dad snaps and Dante turns his attention to him.
It’s too much. Everything. I’m so overwhelmed and my head feels so light. I take a step to reach for the balcony ledge but it moves.
It’s like it moves several feet away from me and I can’t reach it. One more step and I’m on the ground. Darkness takes me as I close my eyes.
Chapter Eighteen
Dante
I’ve been asked to wait here in the waiting room of the hospital.
They’d only allow family inside.
I remember when Rachel was ten and we went camping and she broke her arm, Peter classed me as family. He called me his
brother and we all went in and sat with her while the doctors checked her out.
Today I’m nobody.
I’m going crazy with worry because I have no idea if Rachel is okay. We couldn’t wake her up. We couldn’t get her to open her eyes or do anything. Apart from the pulse at her neck, the faint beat of her heart, and the rise and fall of her chest, she was unresponsive.
I can’t begin to guess what could be wrong with her and I’ve been waiting here for over an hour. I followed the ambulance and came. I don’t even think her friends knew what happened.
Tonight was surely some kind of disaster. I didn’t prep for this part. not this, sitting in a hospital worrying over Rachel while Peter keeps me out.
Shit. It’s all fucking shit.
I draw in a breath and lift my head when I hear footsteps. I’ve been doing that at the slightest sound.
This time it’s him.
Peter comes around the corner, face like thunder looking like he’s ready to beat the crap out of me. it’s funny he looks younger today.
Not so wound up like he has a stick shoved up his ass.
“She’s awake,” he says.
“I want to see her,” I answer and stand up. I won’t sit down and let him talk down to me. No fucking way am I doing that.
“No. She’s awake, that’s all you get to know. Now fuck off and go home.” He’s definitely pissed.
“No, I’m not going home and you won’t fucking order me around like I’m some school boy.”
“That’s what you’re acting like isn’t it? You,” he say pointing at me. “You were with her weren’t you?”
It’s time for the truth. Time to spill secrets, time to talk and tell him the thing I set out to tell him.
“Yes.”
He sends a punch to my face and I take it. I’m mad as fuck for the whole night but I’m man enough and friend enough to take it because he’s just acting like any father would.
I take the other punch he gives me too and thank fuck he stops when he sees I’m not retaliating like he thought I would.
Tempt: A Dark Billionaire Romance (Dark Odyssey Club Fantasies Book 2) Page 11