by Rhian Cahill
“Then they’re fucking blind. Or stupid. Both.” He squeezed her tighter then pushed her to arm’s-length. “Let’s get this dinner on and then we can sit and relax. I’ll even massage your feet.”
“I have a hair and nail appointment at four. I’m already cutting the timing fine. I’ll have to fix the salad and the dessert after I get back and before I get dressed.”
“Oh. Why don’t you leave me instructions on what to do and I’ll get those done for you while you’re out being fancied up.” He grinned and went back to slicing eggplant.
She watched him for a moment and wondered why he was doing this. He hadn’t once tried to get her clothes off, and while she’d been aroused all day just being in his company it wasn’t an unbearable discomfort. And she knew he still wanted her. The bulge in his jeans was proof of that.
“Carter?”
He turned towards her. “Yeah.”
“Don’t you have somewhere else you’d rather be?”
Carter put the knife down and took the two steps to stand in front of her. He cradled her face in his hands. “I told you before. There isn’t any place I’d rather be than here with you, Princess.”
He kissed her then. A slow, soft kiss that fired all her nerves and reminded her of the way they usually spent time together. She moaned when he thrust his tongue into her mouth. But he didn’t increase the pace. Didn’t touch her anywhere but her face and Virginia knew this kiss was different. That what they were doing now had crossed another line.
They’d gone from one night of hot, sweaty, no strings sex to exclusive fuck buddies to…this.
And Virginia had a sinking feeling that this was going to rock her world far more than Carter already had.
***
“Is this your wedding photo?” Carter asked. He’d noticed it while she’d been out getting her hair and nails done. He glanced over his shoulder at Ginny. She had one hand on the back of the couch while she slipped her foot into the sexiest high heel he’d ever laid eyes on.
“Mmm?” Ginny looked his way. “Oh. Yes.”
“Why is it still on the wall?” He knew she didn’t have any feelings for her ex. Knew she wasn’t pining after the man, but why had she not taken down the picture of them on their wedding day?
“I, um.” She shrugged one bare shoulder—the thin strap of her dress, the only covering on her bronzed skin, slipping off. “I had the place decorated just after we were married and the decorator put it up. I don’t ever notice it.”
Carter turned back to the picture and studied the woman in the fluffy white dress. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“What?”
“The dress. It’s not you.”
She moved beside him. “Yeah, well, a lot about that day wasn’t me.”
“What do you mean?” Didn’t every bride plan and execute the wedding of their dreams?
“My mother and father paid so things were done their way.” She nodded at the picture. “Including the dress.”
He didn’t understand this Ginny—the one who let others dictate what she should do. “And you didn’t think to argue? It was your wedding.”
Ginny laughed. “And what a waste it was.” She turned towards him. “I’m glad it wasn’t my dream wedding because Colin certainly turned out to be anything but my dream man.”
“And what’s your dream man?”
Her head tilted to the side, her eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to get the inside scoop?”
He just grinned at her.
“Mmm. Well, he’d want a lot of what I want. The usual: house, kids, dog. And he’d want me—love me—with everything he had. I’m not settling for second best ever again.”
“You deserve that and more, Princess. And I’m just the man to help you get it.” Carter reached up and took the picture off the wall.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m helping you.”
“What? How?”
“By removing reminders of a past you never should have endured.” He leaned the frame against the wall at their feet then turned towards her and grabbed both her hands. “You might think this is quick and really, it is, but then it isn’t. We’ve known each other over two years now. You’ve told me things I don’t think you’ve told anyone else. We’ve done things I know you’ve done with no one else.”
Her fingers trembled in his and he held them tighter.
“Virginia May Wexworth, I want to marry you. I want to help you buy that house, and make those kids, and choose a dog. I want to love you with all I have and more.”
Ginny’s mouth dropped open, flapped a few times before she snapped it shut again.
Carter grinned. “I want those things, and I’m going to want those same things from now until the day I die. With you. Starting now.”
“Oh my God are you insane?” she breathed out in a rush.
“Yes. Insanely in love with you.”
“But…”
“What?”
“It was meant to be just hot, sweaty sex—”
“Oh, there’ll still be plenty of that.” He grinned.
“Carter.”
He could hear the regret in her voice and he wasn’t about to accept it, besides they didn’t have time to really hash this out now. Her guests would start arriving in minutes. “I’m not expecting a yes now, Princess. All I want is your promise that you’ll take this ride with me. I can already see the destination but you’re a little behind me so I’ll wait for you to catch up.”
“This is crazy. We’ve only being together, if that’s even what you can call it, for two weeks!”
Carter couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. “I know. Crazy. Insane.”
“No one even knows I’m divorced.”
“Doesn’t matter what anyone else knows or thinks. This is just between you and me.” He tugged her closer until his cheek bushed against hers in a light caress and whispered in her ear. “C’mon, Princess, get crazy with me.”
A chime echoed through the room. The melodic sound matched the woman beside him perfectly.
“Oh God. They’re here.”
Carter let go of her hands and bent to pick up the picture. “So much for escaping before anyone saw me.”
“That’s not—”
He placed a finger over her lips. “I know it’s not why you were ushering me out. You got a TV in your room?”
“Yes, but I’ve never used it.”
“I’m set then.” He leaned over and planted a kiss on her. “See you after your guests leave.”
Carter didn’t give her time to argue. She’d given him a tour earlier in the day so he knew where he was going. He headed for the hallway and the other side of the penthouse, where Ginny’s bedroom suite was.
***
Virginia surveyed her surroundings. Her living room was filled with women dressed in designer clothes and diamonds. Of course, there were varying degrees of flash to them. Nella, the veteran of the group, was in her usual impeccably tailored outfit, her diamonds sparkling enough to blind the unsuspecting bystander. But she wasn’t ostentatious. She wore her wealth elegantly—regally.
How would Carter fair under Nella’s upper class gaze? How would he look decked out in a tux at Nella’s Sapphire ball? Virginia shivered. Stupid question. He’d be devastatingly handsome.
She moved her gaze to the flash that was the extrovert of the group, Lana. The older woman wore a skin-tight cherry-red dress that plunged between her breasts and barely covered her rear end. She’d been bragging about her latest boy-toy conquest from the minute she arrived.
Virginia smiled. Lana would certainly be her flirtatious best if she knew a hot young stud was hiding out on the other side of the apartment. At eight years younger than Virginia, Carter was exactly what Lana went for.
Meagan and Jorja were huddled in the far corner, deep in discussion, while the latter kept glancing over at Emma. Virginia didn’t need to hear their conversation to know that Jorja was once again saying something disparaging about th
e other woman.
Would she herself become the victim of Jorja’s cutting tongue if her secret were revealed?
On the couch, Camilla chatted with Willow. Both were smiling and it was obvious Camilla was divulging yet another happy moment spent with her new husband. Virginia was happy for the younger woman, even if the sight of her joy filled Virginia with an unfamiliar ache.
Envy? Is that what she wanted? The blissful rush of true happiness with a man? With Carter?
The last of tonight’s group, Sienna, Christa and Emma, were refilling their glasses while Lana regaled them with her latest exploits. Youth and the eternally youthful. While Christa’s work was understated, Lana’s was easily discernable.
Were her looks what attracted Carter? Her money? Colin had coveted both once he’d discovered who she was. Virginia frowned at the thought. How had she not realised that before? Shaking herself free of that depressing revelation, she let her gaze wander the room once more.
They were an eclectic group and even with the occasional animosity, catty sniping and new attendees, they’d been gathering for dinner the first and third Thursday of every month for years. Women came and went and the varying personalities hadn’t managed to ruin any meal Virginia could remember. And she’d been coming since she’d turned eighteen and her mother dragged her along.
Of course the women, other than Nella and Lana, were different now. Her mother had long since given the dinners away due to the lack of attention given by her favourite life observers—the paparazzi.
Virginia stood by the wall of windows that overlooked the harbour, her back to the magnificent view. Next to her Darla was talking, but if someone asked her what they were discussing Virginia would be hard pressed to tell them. Her mind kept wandering to the man in the other side of her apartment.
“Virginia,” Darla snapped.
Heads turned in their direction. Virginia smiled to show there was nothing wrong. “What?”
“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”
“Oh, Darla, I’m sorry.” Virginia placed her hand on her friend’s arms. “The lead up to Christmas is such a busy time I’ve found my mind wandering a lot. Please, go on.”
“I was telling you that Julian’s new wife is pregnant again.”
“Already? Then again, dogs in heat usually can’t keep their tails down.”
“I know, right?” Darla smiled and sipped her champagne. “I hope she has huge stretch marks on her stomach and her breasts sag.”
“Don’t forget a stretched vagina,” Virginia murmured.
Darla grinned. “Well, of course. But I’d want Julian to suffer some horrible reminder too. Shame pregnancy doesn’t make a man’s penis shrivel—not that he can afford to lose anything.”
“You know it’s not healthy for you to keep dwelling on that arsehole.”
“I’m not.” Darla frowned. “Well, I wasn’t until I heard they got married before the ink was dry on the divorce and now she’s pregnant again.”
Her friend sighed and Virginia decided enough was enough. Time for an intervention. “First thing tomorrow morning I’m setting up an account at Exclusively Yours and you’re getting back up on that dating horse.”
Darla gaped at her. “No.”
“Yes.”
“Virginia—” Any argument Darla was going to make was interrupted.
“Virginia?” Nella called from over near the foyer. “Where is your wedding photo?”
Virginia froze. She hadn’t thought anyone would notice the missing picture. “Ah…”
“It’s always right here.” Nella pointed to the newly bare wall. “Are you having it reframed?”
“Um, no. I, um…” God, what should she say?
Of its own accord, her gaze moved to the hallway Carter had disappeared down not ten minutes ago. He’d asked her to be crazy with him and she couldn’t deny she wanted to. With everything she was she wanted to embrace this new relationship, no matter how wrong they seemed for each other.
“Well?” Lana asked moving in front of her. The woman was always able to detect the slightest whiff of scandal, and no doubt her nose for trouble was twitching right now.
“Well, I, um.” She glanced at Darla. Out of everyone here, her friend would be the only one upset by Virginia’s coming revelation. “I’m divorced.”
“What?”
“Since when?”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
Virginia couldn’t make out who asked what. They all spoke at once.
“It didn’t work out and we parted amicably.”
She wouldn’t reveal any more than that. The details of her shockingly short marriage and quickie divorce would remain a closely guarded secret lest it find its way into the papers.
Darla grabbed her arm. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. And here I am carrying on about my own divorce like I’m the only one to ever suffer through such horror.”
Virginia smiled. “Darla, you have every right to talk about it if you want to. I guess I was never affected deeply enough to speak of my own, which says a lot about the marriage, I think.”
“But still.”
“No. It was actually a relief to end it.” Virginia could tell Darla would want more details when they were alone, but for now she wanted to divert her friend and the other women. “Time for dinner, please bring your glasses with you.”
She made her way to the dining room where the meal was waiting for them. She’d set up the sideboard buffet style. Virginia smiled when she spotted the tray of smoked ocean trout that Carter had added to the menu. He had a good palate; the succulent fish paired with the baby spinach and rocket salad and vegetarian lasagne would be delicious.
The man had depths she hadn’t reached yet and suddenly Virginia wanted to sink to the bottom and discover every little thing about him right now.
“What has that smile on your face?” Darla asked.
“Oh.” Virginia lowered her voice and leaned closer so only Darla would hear. “I’ll tell you later. Actually, hang around after everyone else goes. I want to introduce you to someone.”
Time to get a little crazy.
The End
You’ve just finished Virginia in the Escape Publishing Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives continuity. I hope you enjoyed it!
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