by A. M. Myers
“Listen, about my mother… I’m just going to apologize now for anything she may say or do tonight. She’s not going to be happy that I brought you.”
He nods. “Is that why you asked me to come?”
I should tell him yes, but I can’t even force myself to say it. “No. I don’t really know why I invited you.”
Chance is quiet for a moment. “I think you do.”
Before I can say anything else, a valet opens my door and offers me his hand. Smiling up at him, I climb out of the car as Chance hands the keys off to the other valet and I walk around the car and meet him in front of the entrance to the hotel. He links his fingers with mine and pulls my hand up to his lips before kissing me and my heart skips a beat in my chest. He has to stop doing stuff like that. We walk into the opulent lobby and follow a group of women in designer dresses to the ballroom entrance. As soon as we step inside, I spot my mother by the bar and almost as if she senses me, she turns and locks eyes with me. She starts moving in our direction and I suck in a breath.
“I’m so sorry.”
Chance glances down at me, his brow furrowed, before he follows my line of sight. Leaning down, he presses his lips to the side of my head and whispers, “Stop apologizing. I deal with assholes far scarier than her everyday. Besides, it’s worth it to be here with you.”
His voice and words soothe me and I smile even if, in my head, I’m telling myself that I should hate his words. I just can’t do it though; no matter how hard I try.
“Carly, dear,” my mother says as she approaches us, smiling like she’s actually happy to see me. Whatever I think of my mother, I have to admit that she is gorgeous. Of course, that’s required if she’s going to snag herself another husband but even so, she looks good for fifty. The gold dress she’s wearing matches the hair that is artfully twisted into an elegant up-do and she’s wearing just enough jewelry to look sophisticated but not like she’s trying too hard. “I knew that dress would look magnificent on you.”
I force a smile to my face as I step forward and give her an awkward one-armed hug. “Thank you, Mother.”
She glances down at my hand, still clasped in Chance’s before turning to face him. “And who are you?”
“Mother,” I chastise her, already regretting my decision to bring him tonight. I never should have subjected him to my mother. She doesn’t even spare me a second glance as she inspects Chance from head to toe. He plasters a charming smile on his face and extends his hand.
“My name is Chance, ma’am. It’s very nice to meet you.”
She stares down at his hand for a moment, like it’s something dirty she doesn’t want to touch and when he shifts, part of one of his tattoos peeks out from the cuff of his shirt. Her eyes widen and she takes a step back. Humiliated by her behavior, I take a step back as well, ready to just say “screw it” and leave. Chance squeezes my hand and slips the other in his pocket when it becomes apparent that my mother is going to continue to act like a stuck-up bitch.
“What are you doing here with my daughter, Chance?”
He turns and meets my eyes, a warm smile on his face and I melt, mirroring his expression. “She asked me to come and to be honest, there isn’t much in this world I wouldn’t do for her.”
Mother smiles, a condescending look in her eye that raises my hackles. “I’m afraid you misunderstood me. What I meant was, what are you to Carly? Are you friends?”
“No, ma’am. I’m her boyfriend.”
My heart seizes in my chest and I’m about to object when I see the look of horror on my mother’s face. So, maybe I will let her think that we’re actually a couple because the expression she’s wearing now is priceless. It’s impressive, actually, with as much Botox as she’s had, that she can have any expression at all. She places her hand over her heart and her mouth opens briefly before closing again like she’s struggling to find her words. Honestly, I have no idea how the hell Chance is being so damn polite to her. After a second, she regains control of herself and forces a smile to her face but there is nothing genuine about it.
“Chance, was it?” she asks and he nods. “Would you be so kind as to go to the bar and grab us some champagne?”
He glances over at me and I love that he wants to make sure I’m okay before he leaves me with the demon also known as my mother. I squeeze his hand, giving him a little nod and he smiles before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips.
“Be right back,” he whispers and I nod as he releases my grip and starts winding through the crowd toward the bar. As soon as he’s out of earshot, Mother wraps a hand around my arm, her grip painful, as she drags me to the corner of the ballroom.
“What the hell are you thinking?” she hisses, her face morphed in anger and I arch a brow.
“About what?”
Her grip tightens and I try to pull away from her but she won’t release me. “You cannot be serious about this man, Carly Rae.”
The shock and disgust on her face annoys the hell out of me and I find myself feeling defensive of Chance. Whatever it is that we have, whether it’s casual or not, I know he’s a good man. And he sure doesn’t deserve this shit. “I am serious about him.”
“He’s covered in tattoos!”
I scoff and try to pull away again, but she grabs my other arm and pulls me closer. “You saw a peek of one tattoo, so I don’t think you’re qualified to decide if he’s covered in tattoos or not and what does it matter? He’s a good man and he treats me right.”
“Do you know what a good man gets you? Absolutely nothing. There is no future with a man like that. I thought I taught you better than this,” she rages, lowering her voice so anyone who ventures closer won’t hear her rant.
“Oh, don’t worry, Mother,” I seethe, ripping my arm out of her grip. “I’ll never forget the lessons you’ve taught me.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
I level her with a glare. “You know what it means.”
Memories are flooding my mind faster than I can bury them and I turn away from her as tears start to fill my eyes. Weaving through the crowd, I crash into a solid chest and gasp.
“Whoa there, Princess.” Chance’s voice quiets my roaring mind and I feel like I’m able to breathe normally again. “You okay?”
I bury my head in his chest and grip the lapels of his jacket as I take a few calming breaths and try to blink the tears out of my eyes. His scent surrounds me and I finally pull away, feeling in control again.
“Sorry. It’s just my mother.”
He glances over my head, a frown marring his features. “Yeah, she’s a gem.”
A giggle slips out of my mouth and he looks down at me, a wide smile on his face. “You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard your cute little giggle.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I tease and he shakes his head.
“Now you’re just laying down a challenge, Darlin’.”
Rolling my eyes, I pull away from him. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, but you like it.”
“Whatever.”
His gaze lifts to the crowd again and I peek over my shoulder as my mother slinks past us, her eyes never leaving us. “I have to say, I expected her to be more… villain-y with how much you were apologizing. She actually looks pretty good when she’s not looking at me like I’m the scum of the earth.”
“She has to look good. All the better to fool some poor unsuspecting man, my dear.”
His gaze falls to me and a smile teases his lips. “Did you just compare your mother to the big bad wolf?”
“If the paw fits,” I mutter, shrugging and he laughs.
“You are something else, Carly Mills.”
Ignoring his comment, I grab one of the champagne flutes out of his hand and down the entire thing before handing the empty one back to him. “I’m really sorry she treated you the way she did. All she cares about is money and if you don’t have any, she can’t be bothered with you. I mean, hell, she drove
my own father to suicide after she left him for a wealthier man, so this is just par for the course, really.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to smack myself in the face. Talk about a complete brain to mouth filter malfunction. I never talk about this stuff to anyone and he has me spilling my guts without any effort. He stares down at me, his eyes softening in understanding and my stomach turns. If he thinks he’s got some insight on why I am the way I am, he’s wrong. The silence stretches between us and I feel sick as I wait to see what he’s going to say. After a moment, a wry grin stretches across his face.
“Damn, Princess, you sure know how to ruin a moment, don’t you?”
It is exactly the last thing I was expecting to come out of his mouth but also, somehow, exactly the right thing to say. Slapping his chest, I roll my eyes and turn away from him to hide my smile. Goddamn it, he just might be perfect.
“You’re an ass.”
He shrugs and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. “Yeah, maybe but how bad could it be? I’m here with you.”
Chapter Ten
Carly
The orchestra begins playing an instrumental version of some popular pop song that I vaguely recognize and I tap my foot against the barstool as I sip my champagne. Couples in expensive clothing dance on the floor in front of us as Chance leans back against the bar, watching them. Some of them look like they are actually enjoying themselves but mostly, they all look bored to tears. When Chance glances over at me, he smiles and his eyes fill with affection as I shift nervously in my seat. He takes one last look out at the dance floor before turning to me and extending his hand.
“Dance with me?”
I arch a brow and my gaze flicks down to his hand. “You dance?”
“I guess you’ll just have to take my hand and find out.”
Taking his hand, I slip off my barstool and mutter, “This I can’t wait to see.”
With a cocky smirk on his face, he tucks my hand in the crook of his arm and leads me out amongst the other couples. As we get to the center of the dance floor, he spins me out and I squeal as he spins me back into his arms and wraps his arm around my waist. Pulling me in close, he kisses me and after a moment, I pull away with a smile on my face.
“Well, color me shocked. Any other hidden talents?”
“Oh, I’m full of surprises, Princess. But are you sure you want to know? This sounds an awful lot like you’re trying to get to know me.”
My lips purse and he starts laughing.
“Told you that you wouldn’t be able to resist me.”
“You know what, forget it,” I grumble, trying to pull away from him but he keeps a firm grip on my waist, holding me close to his body. I turn my gaze away from him, but he releases my hand and nudges my chin to guide my face back to his.
“It was seventh grade gym class and I had a huge crush on this girl. Her name was Sylvie and I thought she was perfect. For about two weeks, they made us learn how to dance and I just knew it was my chance to win her over, so I paid attention in class and even practiced at home.”
“Did it work? Did she go out with you?” I ask, more invested in his childhood crush than I should be, but it reminds me of a time when I thought everything would work out for me.
“Nope. Turned me down flat but you seem to like my moves, so I’d say it was worth it.”
I beam at him before remembering that I really shouldn’t and I drop my gaze to his chest. “Stop it,” I whisper, more to myself than to him but he hears me anyway.
“Afraid I can’t do that.”
My heartbeat stutters, like a scratched record, and a blush stains my cheeks. It’s insane how easily he can do this to me. With one simple compliment, he can turn my world upside down. Clearing my throat and stepping back, I meet his eyes and force a smile to my face. “I need to use the ladies’ room.”
“Sure. I’ll meet you back at the bar,” he suggests, not at all phased by the internal conniption fit I’m throwing right now. Nodding, I retreat as quickly as possible, winding through the attractive couples dancing around us and as soon as I step into the hallway, I cut to the right and prop myself up against the wall. Pressing my hand to my warm cheek, I pull air into my lungs and try my best to not completely lose it in the middle of this fancy hotel. God, I can just imagine what my mother would say if she found me right now.
My mind drifts back to the ballroom a few moments ago and I smile, despite myself. How does he do this to me? I’m stronger than this or, at least, I was until I met him. No. I cannot be falling for this man but if he keeps this up, continues being this incredible every chance he gets, I’m afraid that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
No.
I can get a handle on this; I have to. There is no other option. One thing that I’ve always prided myself on was my determination. Even through the hell I went through when I was younger, I never let them win. They didn’t get to see how much they broke me and when my mother wanted me to drop out of college to find a “suitable” husband, I stood my ground and fought her until she relented. Chance Turner is not going to get the best of me. Try all he might, I will not let myself fall for him. No matter how perfect he seems.
Nodding to myself, I push off the wall and take another deep breath as I smooth my hands down my dress. After a few seconds, I feel more in control and I step out into the hallway and start making my way to the bathroom with my head held high. When I finish with my business, I study myself in the mirror – tucking a few stray hairs away as I remind myself not to give into his charms. Sex. That is the only thing I’m here for. Empowered, I step out into the hallway and I’m immediately greeted by the sound of a man yelling.
“She’s here with another man!”
A woman replies but her voice is too quiet to hear and I tilt my head to the side, staring down the hallway where the voices are coming from. I should really go back to the ballroom, but my curiosity gets the best of me and my feet start toward the noise instead of away. When I’m a few feet away from one of the service hallways, I freeze, my mother’s voice halting me in my tracks.
“Calm down. It’s nothing, I promise you that. She’s just trying to piss me off.”
“It damn well better be nothing,” the man from earlier snaps and I place my hand over my racing heart as I creep forward to get a peek. Oh, God, this is a bad idea, but I can’t stop myself. The hair on my arms stand on end and I’m not even sure that I want to know who my mother is speaking to, but I press on, as if I’m not even in control of my own body anymore. “Carly is going to be mine and I didn’t do all this so another man could have her.”
My eyes widen, my heart hammers in my ears, and I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my heavy breathing as I peek around the corner. I get a quick glance of the man in question before I pull back and sink into the little alcove with a large potted plant in the corner to eavesdrop without being caught.
Damian.
I just knew that my mother was behind his appearance in my life but the way he was speaking about me makes me uneasy. Her meddling has gone too damn far this time.
“I assure you this will not last, even if I have to end it myself. The man she brought tonight is not even worth your concern.”
“You had better fix this, Grace. I’m not playing around,” Damian growls and the sound of his footsteps fill the hallway. I slip behind the plant and hold my breath to remain hidden as he stalks past me, a look of murder on his face. A few seconds later, my mother follows behind him, her head held high and I’m not sure I’ve ever hated her more than I do in this moment. I know mothers are supposed to care about who their children date and if her motives were pure, it would be okay, but this will all boil down to the only thing she cares about – the one thing that rules her world. Money.
I wait a few more seconds before stepping out of hiding and striding down the hallway to the ballroom. My hand shakes violently as I replay their conversation in my head and all I want is for Chance to wrap his arms
around me. I’m not sure if it’s my anger or the nervous feeling twisting its way through my gut that is affecting me more but I’m ready to bail on this party. If I have another run in with my mother, I will lose it and I have no desire to ever see Damian again.
Stepping into the ballroom, I scan the bar and find Chance watching the doorway for me. As soon as he sees me, the smile melts away and his brow furrows as he sets his drink down. He starts making his way over to me with urgency and I could cry with relief. In this moment, I’m grateful that he can read me so well. When he reaches me, he wraps a hand around the back of my neck and my eyes meet his.
“What happened?”
I shake my head, looking away from him. “Can we go?”
“Of course.” There is no hesitation in his response and I pull him down to me, pressing my lips to his in a desperate kiss that shows him my gratitude. When I pull back, he stares down at me, questions filling his gaze but mercifully, he doesn’t ask any of them. Instead, he wraps his arm around my waist and holds me close to his body as he leads me out to the valet stand. It’s exactly what I needed but I don’t dwell on how he knew that again. I don’t have the headspace for it after what I overheard. So, just for tonight, I’m going to take advantage of Chance and his attention.
The valet brings my car around and Chance helps me into the passenger seat before jogging to his side and sliding behind the wheel. As we drive away, my gaze lands on Damian standing in the doorway to the hotel, waving to me with a smile on his face. Tears I don’t understand sting my eyes as I whip my head forward, focusing on the road ahead of us.
“You’re worrying me, Princess,” he whispers a few moments later, taking my hand and pulling it across the car to press his lips to my skin. “What happened back there?”
“Nothing.” My voice sounds shaky and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as I replay the situation in my mind again. Did I overreact? Maybe but I just couldn’t stand to be there anymore. Not to mention the slight creep factor with Damian showing up in a lot of the same places I do. Although, I guess it makes sense with my mother involved. In fact, it’s probably nothing, just her trying to play matchmaker, but something in his voice scared the hell out of me. My mind is spinning and the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced I flipped my shit when there was no need to. I hate my mother trying to set me up with a guy like Damian but there’s no reason for the reaction I had.
