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I nodded. The driver opened the door, took my hand and helped me out. A second later, James stood by my side.
He took my hand in his, and he guided me up the stone steps. As annoyed as I was with him, I relaxed into his touch, secure and safe at his closeness.
A band played Christmas music, and if it were possible, the scent of money hung in the air along with the silver and blue decorations. Everything about this place and the people screamed wealth and entitlement.
I nudged James’s side. “Where are the orgies and whippings taking place?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “That’s Saturday night. Unfortunately, tonight is all about networking and business.”
Men and women stared at me, and I didn’t miss the whispers. A smile stretched my lips, and my jaw ached from forcing happiness. I felt like a total fraud. I looked all around for Lyla, but thankfully there was no sign of her.
“Drink?” he asked.
“That would be hell, yes. Make it strong and make it a double.”
James disappeared to the bar leaving me standing alone. There was still no sign of his dreaded ex. Perhaps he wouldn’t show. No one came to talk to me, but I didn’t try to talk to anyone either. I didn’t know what to speak to them about anyway. They were hardly Hallmark watching, cookie baking, BDSM trying kind of people.
I wandered to the window and gazed at the falling snow that melted on contact with the ground. It was almost like a heat forcefield shielded the house.
“This is where you’re hiding, huh?” I turned at the sound of James’s voice. He handed me what looked like a bourbon on the rocks.
“Not hiding. More like blending in.”
“Pet,” he whispered, “You’re too beautiful to blend in. You were hiding.”
“Maybe I was.” My cheeks flushed, and I took a sip of my drink, loving how it warmed my insides.
“This place is a total Christmas wonderland, apart from the no snow. It’s classy and exquisite.”
“Not as exquisite as you.”
“You can save the cheese. Can I tell you a secret?”
“You can tell me anything, pet.”
“You’re probably going to get lucky tonight without any effort.”
“I already am lucky. I meant it when I said I was the luckiest man at the party.”
My hands trembled at the level of earnestness in his words, and I hoped I wouldn’t spill my drink over my dress. The silky material would show every mark.
“Dance with me, pet.” He took my glass and placed it on a passing waiter’s tray. The band played Peace on Earth as James led me into the crowded ballroom. He curled his arm around my waist, and we swayed in time to the music. Our bodies pressed against one another. My breasts against his chest, his erection against my mound.
I giggled. “You seem happy to be here.”
“With you in my arms, I am,” he said. “And you should wear heels more often. We line up perfectly.” The hand he’d placed on my lower back stroked up and down. His touch was erotic and intimate.
“This is lovely,” I said with a sigh.
“Are you having fun?”
“In your arms, I am.”
A flurry of excitement caught my attention. The woman I’d dreaded seeing strutted in like she owned the place.
“Lyla’s here.” I buried my head in his chest.
“I can see that.” His entire body tensed.
“Don’t hide from her. She smells weakness.”
“I’m a minion, and if she recognizes me from the office, she’ll cut me down to size.” I guided him off the dance floor and we disappeared into the crowd. After a while, he said, “Will you be okay while I go to the bathroom?”
“You can find me cowering behind the Christmas tree,” I said, half-joking, half not.
I wandered to the ceiling-height spruce, not hiding but admiring the decorations. Many looked like heirlooms that were as old as the house. I wasn’t alone for long. Lyla seized her opportunity and sidled up to me. “Aren’t you the girl who works for James?”
I steeled my back. “I work in the same law firm as him.”
“What’s your name again? I lose track. Betty? Barbara?”
A smile strained my lips. “It’s Pearl.”
“You’re not his usual type.” Her voice was as frosty as the air outside.
“What’s his usual type?” I asked, gritting my teeth.
Her eyes flicked me up and down. “Not you. I know his mother. She wouldn’t like you.”
“She is my type, and my mother would like her,” James said from behind. Relief whooshed over me.
“James, darling, you would think with the business you’re in, you would know better than to get involved with a social climber.”
James curled a hand around my forearm. “Excuse us. I see someone else I’d like to talk to.”
“You’ll never find anyone like me again, James.”
I glared in her direction. Screw her and screw her insults. “I think you’ll find that’s the point.”
