Turning in a circle, she wished she could have worn some underwear and a bra, but the dress was so tight they would have left lines. She’d never worn a dress quite so revealing, even the dress she’d gotten for the dance had more fabric than this one.
Taking a deep breath and hoping that she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself, she opened her door and stepped out into the hallway. She stumbled a bit on her first few steps, but by the time she reached the ballroom, she was steady on her feet.
Standing in the doorway looking in, she gasped at the beauty of the room, with its soaring ceiling and intricate woodwork; it was like being in a fairytale. She looked at the crowd milling around with drinks in their hands, the women with diamonds and precious stones dripping off them, the men in their tuxedos.
But then she realized that none of the women were dressed like her, that even the youngest of the women present were wearing sedate, full-length ball gowns. Horrified, she started to turn and flee back to her room, sure that Gordon had played a terrible joke on her.
Before she could flee, he was there in front of her. “Oh my, you look very beautiful tonight. I knew that dress would be perfect for you,” he said, tucking her arm into his.
She looked out over the ballroom, then pulled the dress down again. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too… revealing?” she said, feeling eyes beginning to turn her way.
Gordon shook his head. “Nonsense, it’s perfect for you. Just because these stuffy people insist on dressing like this is a funeral is no reason for you not to have a little fun.”
Natalie wasn’t sure, but she let him lead her into the room anyway. She could feel eyes on her as they made their way to the front of the room and a raised platform. It was a relief to sit down behind the table, especially since people had begun to whisper and stare at her.
Her face flaming, she tried to pretend it wasn’t happening, that nothing was wrong, but she felt the tears building. To her relief, Gordon picked up his wine glass and tapped it three times with his knife and the room fell silent, all eyes on him.
She took a few careful deep breaths to slow her heart and turned to listen to Gordon, who was talking about his daughter. “Many of you have had the opportunity to meet my daughter Bethany,” he said, looking down at the pale beauty sitting next to him. “Tonight, it’s my great pleasure to not only introduce her to you socially, but to announce her engagement to Count Joseph Webber.”
***Dillion***
Dillion’s focus had been on Natalie, who looked so out of place in the scarlet dress and stiletto heels that he wanted to take off his jacket and cover her up. It wasn’t that the dress looked bad, in fact, his body was humming with desire just looking at her, but it wasn’t the right dress for this occasion.
But when his father made his announcement, he turned his attention to his sister, who looked shocked. Her already pale face paled even further when she saw the old man her father introduced as her fiancé come hobbling up the stairs. And he was sure he saw her tremble a little when he sat down next to her, picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.
He knew instantly that he’d made a mistake not telling her, that again he’d chosen wrong and cursed himself for keeping silent. Bethany was sitting stunned between the two men, her face pale, all the excitement gone from her eyes.
It was clear that she was unhappy, but her betrothed was looking at her like a starving man, and it made him shudder. When he scooted his chair closer to Bethany and began whispering in her ear, her eyes got big and her face filled with alarm and he decided that it was time he did something.
Working his way through the room, he stepped up behind his sister and said, “Count Webber, I’m Dillion Mathews.”
He held out his hand, but the count didn’t take it right away. Instead he looked Dillion up and down several times. Finally, he took his hand off where it had been resting on Bethany’s and shook Dillion’s hand.
“So, you’re Gordon’s wayward son, the one who’d rather live the life of a working man than take advantage of all your father has given you,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “It’s just terrible how ungrateful your generation is.”
Dillion knew that the old man was trying to bait him, but he only had one thing on his mind. “Um, well, yes, sir. I was wondering, that is, Bethany promised me a dance,” he said, purposely stumbling over his words when inside he was boiling with anger.
The count looked at Bethany, then gave her an indulgent smile. “Would you like to dance with your brother, sweetheart?” he asked, making Dillion grind his teeth.
Bethany nodded at him but didn’t say a word. Dillion could see that she was trembling but trying to hold it together, and he was proud of her. “Well, then off you go. I’m afraid I don’t do much dancing anymore,” the count said.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Bethany said, “I can’t marry that man; he’s old and gross.”
Dillion tried not to laugh, “No, I don’t think you can,” he said, sweeping her onto the dance floor. “But now isn’t the time to talk about it. I’ve got a plan though.”
He felt his sister relax in his arms. “I knew you would,” she said, putting her head on his chest and letting him lead her around the floor, so sure of him that her fear had vanished.
Dillion hoped that her faith in him was warranted; he’d been making so many mistakes lately, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself. But Bethany needed him, and he wasn’t going to walk away from her like he had all those years ago.
***Natalie***
Natalie watched Dillion dancing with his sister and wished that it was her out there in his arms. She’d been watching for him since she sat down, and then he’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but he hadn’t even glanced at her.
Gordon was sitting much too close to her, and her dress was riding up her thighs so that every few minutes, she had to reach down and tug on it. Several times, his hand had brushed across her thigh, and she’d glanced over at him, but he was deep in conversation with someone. But eventually the slight brush turned into a caress, and she stiffened in her seat and pushed his hand away.
He turned and looked at her, then leaned forward. “Since I can’t seem to figure out if there’s anything between you and Dillion, I’ve decided to go on the presumption that there isn’t,” he said, caressing her leg again. “You don’t think I’ve invested so much time in you for nothing, do you?”
Natalie wanted to jump up and run from the room, but Gordon was holding her leg down in a grip she was sure would leave bruises. “I don’t… I mean I’m not...”
“What, Natalie? You’re not that kind of girl? It sure looks like you are to me; look around you and look at yourself. I picked that dress because it was perfect for you. Low class, up for the highest bid; you think I didn’t figure that out the minute you walked off that plane?” Gordon said, narrowing his eyes at her.
“You can just forget about Dillion; he’ll never marry you because you’re a plaything and nothing more,” he said, then signaled a man who had been standing behind him. He lifted his hand off her leg. “Go dance with Steve here; he wants to meet you.”
Natalie got to her feet, her legs shaking, pain radiating from where Gordon had gripped her leg. Steve grabbed her hand and pulled her down the steps and onto the dance floor, pulled her into his arms and grinned at her.
“Tonight is full of surprises,” he said. “Glad my wife had to stay home; now we’ll have a little time to get to know one another. I’m next in line, you know.”
Natalie was doing her best not to freak out right there on the dance floor. “I’ll be going home tomorrow,” she said, hoping she was right.
“Oh, that’s funny because Gordon said that once he’s done with you, I get to have you,” he said, a wicked grin on his face. “He owes me a favor.”
“You can’t; you wouldn’t,” Natalie said, fear surging through her.
“Oh, we can, and we will. There’s a small group of us that like to share things, and we’ve
all decided that you are one of those things,” he said, grabbing her butt and grinding his hips against her. “You can go along with it like a good girl, or you can fight. Doesn’t matter to me; I like it both ways.”
Natalie stared at him horrified, then pushed away from him and turned to run from the dance floor. But when she turned to flee, there were men everywhere, grabbing at her breasts, slapping her butt. One leaned in and whispered, “I can’t wait until it’s my turn. Do you like pain?”
She finally managed to break free, and laughter following her; she headed for the door. On the terrace, she found a dark corner and leaned against the wall, sucking in huge breaths of air as panic rose inside her. She had to get away, had to find a way to escape the nightmare she was in.
Chapter Fifteen
***Dillion***
Bethany was the first one to notice the commotion on the dance floor. “What’s going on over there? Isn’t that the woman who was sitting on the other side of father at dinner?”
Dillion followed her gaze, saw Natalie trapped in the middle of a group of men who were groping her. He grabbed Bethany by the shoulders and said, “Go back to the table and don’t leave until someone comes and gets you. Don’t go anywhere with the count.”
She looked up at him, alarmed. “But, Dillion, what’s going on? Who is that woman?”
“I’ll explain later, just promise me you’ll stay at the table,” he said, shaking her.
She nodded. “I promise.”
Dillion turned back to where Natalie had been trapped, scanning the crowd for her scarlet dress, but didn’t see her. The men were standing in a group, pointing to the door to the terrace, laughing and slapping each other on the backs.
He headed for the terrace doors, frantic to find her, his anger at a level that was barely manageable, someone was going to pay, and he knew exactly who. This had to be the work of his father; whatever had happened on that dance floor, he was sure that he’d put his friends up to it.
When he stepped onto the terrace, it looked empty, but then he heard quiet sobs coming from a dark corner. He followed the sound, calling Natalie’s name quietly until he was standing in front of her. She was crouched against the wall, her face covered with her hands, and when he said her name again, she shook her head.
“Go away. I don’t want to see you or anyone else,” she said, her voice trembling.
Dillion reached out to touch her, but she shrank back, so he sat down next to her. He didn’t say anything, just sat there and waited. Finally she looked over at him. “Aren’t you going to tell me I told you so?” she asked.
“Nope, I don’t do things like that; besides, it’s my fault you’re here,” he said. “You were right when you said you didn’t ask to come. I’m sorry, Natalie, I should have told you sooner. I screwed up.”
Natalie studied him for a second. “I didn’t give you the chance to explain. I’m sorry, Dillion.”
They were both silent for a second, not sure what to say, then Natalie began to shiver. Dillion got to his feet and pulled her up off the ground, then took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.
He stood looking at her, mascara running down her cheeks, her hair coming down, and thought that she’d never looked more beautiful. A huge sob racked her body, and he could see her bottom lip trembling.
“Come here,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
She was stiff in his arms, her muscles tense as she fought the tears. “It’s okay, let them out,” he said, rubbing her back. “You’ll feel better afterward.”
Sobbing in his arms, she said, “It was awful, Dillion, you were right. I didn’t see your father for what he was. He said that he was going to share me with those men, and then that one took me out on the dance floor, and then they were all there…” she trailed off, the sobs making it impossible for her to speak.
Dillion held her tighter, his anger boiling through his blood, the need to shift and seek vengeance for Natalie so strong, he wasn’t sure he could fight it off. “I’m going to kill them all, starting with my father,” he growled.
Natalie looked up at him. “Dillion, I just want to go home,” she whispered. “I want to go home and have things go back to the way they were. I hate it here; I hate these people, I hate this place. Take me home, please.”
Looking into her eyes, the anger drained away, replaced by the driving need to protect Natalie. He lifted her into his arms and started back inside, then changed his mind. “I know a shortcut to your room,” he explained, then added, “We have to talk.”
Natalie nodded her head, then rested it against his chest. He carried her down the terrace steps to the side of the house, and the hidden door few people knew about. As he carried her through the secret passageway to her room, Dillion realized that he’d screwed up with Natalie.
Not only had he failed to tell her about his father, when he should have stood by her side, he’d left her alone. Left her with his father, a man who could manipulate even the wisest person in the world; he’d set her up to fail. He wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to see him again; in her shoes, he’d feel that way.
But part of him hoped that once he explained the situation, she’d understand, that somewhere deep inside her, her feelings for him were still alive. He’d have to take his time, give her a chance to trust him again, and he was going to have to introduce her to his sister.
***Natalie***
When they got back to her room, Dillion stepped through the hidden door and set her on her feet. She wobbled a little bit, and he reached out to steady her. “I’m sorry, but I have to go make sure my sister is okay; I promise I won’t be gone long. Lock the door and don’t let anyone in.”
It took her a second to make her brain work. “Is she really going to have to marry that terrible man?” she asked, her heart breaking for the young girl.
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Dillion said, then tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes, “Are you going to be okay alone for a little while?”
Natalie couldn’t hold his gaze, felt too many of the old feelings swimming to the surface. She looked down and tugged on the dress, realizing that it had crept way up her thighs. “I’ll be fine, I’m going to take this awful thing off and throw it in the trash,” she said, forcing a smile.
Dillion took his jacket off her shoulders, then leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “For what it’s worth, I think you look fantastic in that dress,” then kissed her on the cheek.
Desire was still throbbing deep inside her when the door closed, and she couldn’t help but smile. Maybe her never-ending attraction to Dillion was there for a reason; maybe it was the only thing keeping them connected when it felt like the world was trying to separate them.
Confused, but feeling more like herself for the first time in nearly a week, she headed for the bathroom. She planned to throw the dress away no matter what Dillion thought, but in the end, she stuffed it into her suitcase.
She put on the warmest clothes she could find, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch, and waited for Dillion, trying to keep her mind still. It was hard not to let her mind dart in all directions, not to let one scenario after another come to mind.
Some were good, ending with them back together, but some had a darker side, and those she forced out of her mind. One thing she knew for sure: she wanted to go home and stay there for a long time.
True to his word, Dillion wasn’t gone very long, but when he came back, instead of coming into the room, he held out his hand and said, “Come with me; I want you to meet my sister.”
Natalie got up from the couch and took his hand, smiling up at him. “I’m nervous. What if she doesn’t like me?”
Dillion laughed. “She’s going to love you,” he said.
They walked down one hallway after another until she knew she was impossibly lost, then through a set of big doors. “My father had these rooms built especially for Bethany,” Dillion explained knocking on a set of smaller doors.
“Come in,” a high-pitched voice called.
Dillion opened the door and held it for her to go through first. “Go on, she won’t bite.”
Natalie stepped through the door and was almost instantly enveloped in a hug from Dillion’s sister. “I’m Bethany. Dillion told me all about you,” she said, stepping back. “She’s prettier than you said.”
Natalie was surprised, and it took her a second to reply. “Oh, umm, thank you. It’s nice to meet you; I’m afraid I don’t know that much about you.”
Bethany took her arm and pulled her into the room. “We have plenty of time to get acquainted; father won’t come looking for me for a few hours,” she said, then a frown appeared on her face. “I’m sorry he was awful to you.”
“It’s okay,” Natalie said, looking over at Dillion who had joined them, “your brother saved me.”
Bethany nodded. “I think he’s good at that. I knew that he’d come back for me someday.”
Natalie was sure that she saw a blush spread across his cheek, “Bethany, dad kidnapped us and brought us here,” he said, setting the record straight.
Bethany thought about that for a second, then shrugged her shoulders, and said, “Well, you’re here; that’s all that matters.”
Dillion smiled at her. “You got anything to eat around here? I’m starving, and we have a lot to talk about.”
Bethany jumped up. “Sure we can make sandwiches, or I have frozen pizza,” she said, disappearing into the kitchen.
Natalie looked over at Dillion who was leaning against the fireplace mantle, still dressed in his tux. He’d undone his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, and she could glimpse just a thin strip of his chest, but it was enough to get her heart racing.
Their eyes met across the room, and she was sure that he could read her mind, see the desire racing through her blood. She looked down, unable to hold his gaze any longer, and stared down into her lap, willing her body to stop throbbing.
Restoration (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 4) Page 9
