“Why keep it a secret?” Pushing at his shoulders, I try to regain my physical space, but he remains rooted to the spot.
“My ex-wife wanted to keep it a secret. Apparently it didn’t do anything for her image to have a stepson from an affair.” He rolls his eyes. “But now she is out of my life. I can be the father Ezra deserves.” I huff out a laugh and shake my head. “You and my boy were together for a long time. Shame it ended. It could have been you I would get to call my daughter-in-law.” His eyes darken, causing an ice-cold shiver to run through me.
“Yes, such a shame.” I push at his shoulder again, and this time he moves.
“Have a lovely evening, Mrs. Brent,” he says menacingly as I quicken my step to get away from him, rushing so quickly I don’t pay attention to where I’m going. All I know is I need to get away from Dale fucking Lucas.
“Ooff.” Colliding into a hard wall of muscle, I’m thrown off-balance.
“Hey.” Leo steadies me. “Where’s the fire?”
“Sorry.”
“Ria?” His eyes soften as he looks me over. “What happened?”
Scrunching my eyes closed, I try to rid myself of the way my skin crawled when Dale had his hands on me. “Can we leave?”
“Of course. But Ria, look at me.” Focusing my gaze on him, I know he can see right through me and sees my desperation. “Let’s get out of here.” Taking hold of my hand, he pulls me to tuck me under his arm. My shoulders relax, and the tension rolls off me just by having him wrapped around me.
We don’t speak the whole way to the suite. Not in the elevator when he kisses the top of my head tenderly or when he refuses to release his hold on me while he takes the ornate key to the suite out of his suit jacket, opens the door, and guides me to sit on the plush couch.
“Here.” Placing a generous glass of Macallen in my hand, he gives me a small smile before discarding his tux jacket and tie.
“Thanks.” I track his movements as he rolls his shirt sleeves up, showing me his tanned, toned forearms, and the tattoo he got in Vegas grabs my attention. “I still can’t believe we got those.” I point at his tattoo as he sits down next to me.
“I can’t believe you got one.” He traces his thumb over the delicate skin of my wrist. “Do you have any others?”
“No,” I whisper. “This is the only one.”
“It suits you.”
“Thank you.”
“Enough deflecting, Ri Ri. What has you so rattled?”
Sighing, I look down at my glass. “Dale Lucas.”
He tips my chin up with his finger, and his warm eyes connect with mine. He speaks calmly, but I feel his hand twitch in mine as he says, “What did he do?”
“He stopped me outside the ladies’ room and…”
“And what?” His grip on my hand tightens as I swallow the lump forming.
“He knows we know that he is Ezra’s dad.”
“Okay, we can cope with that. But that’s not what’s got you so upset.”
“He just made me feel really uncomfortable.” Slipping my hand out of his and swiping it down the fabric of my dress, I bunch the fabric up in my fist before releasing it.
“How?”
Taking a long drink, I put the glass down on the table in front of the sofa. “He crowded me and got in my space. I was blocked and pushed up against a wall; he just gave me the creeps.”
“He put his hands on you?” His nostrils flare as I nod. “Ri, I will ruin him if he hurt you.”
“He didn’t hurt me—just rattled me.” I rub my hands up his arms, and the muscles are coiled tight. “I’m okay.”
“I don’t want you alone with him again.”
