Page 2 of Wicked Lord

“Sure, we may come here for a week or two in the summer, but that’ll be the extent of it. You’ll have to remain in Houston, managing the manor and staff. And eventually when we have children, they’ll keep you busy.”

It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to keep the fake smile spread across my face.

“Anyway, I think it would be beneficial for us to spend some quality time together before the official engagement announcement.” He paused and sucked on his bottom lip. “To make sure our interests align, if you know what I mean.”

No, I had no idea what he meant. Then his gaze turned downright predatory as it skimmed my plunging neckline. “Oh, you mean like sex?” I blurted like an idiot.

His eyes widened as he pressed a thick finger to my lips. “Lorelei, I’m not sure how these things are handled among college students, but in the adult world, a little discretion is in order.”

That now-familiar freaking heat raged up my neck, blossomed across my face and ran all the way up to the tips of my ears. It was a damned good thing I’d decided on leaving my long, wavy locks loose so I could hide behind the blond curtain.

“Right, of course, sorry.”

He leaned in close, and his warm breath drifted over the shell of my ear. “Perhaps, you could meet me in the ladies’ room in a bit.”

“Oh… like today?”

“Yes, Lorelei, today. I’ll be traveling for the majority of the summer, and besides the week we have scheduled on my privateyacht, I doubt I’ll be able to see you much before the official announcement in August.”

My lips must have screwed into a pout because he released a frustrated sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“I guess I assumed we could get toknow each otherbetterwhen we spent that week away on your boat.” And it would give me a minute to process my entire life being turned upside down.

“But if we alreadyknoweach other now, we’ll have an idea of what to expect for our time together next month.” His lip curled into a creepy grin.

Maybe the rumors I’d heard about Brock’s frequent visits to high-end escort servicesweretrue. I never thought he’d make such a big deal about getting laid in the bathroom of a fancy private event. Not that I’d ever been shy in that department before, but the desperation in his eyes had red flags waving like mad.

“Um, would you mind getting me a glass of champagne?”

He heaved out a breath of annoyance but nodded all the same. “Of course.” That plastic smile returned, and the moment his hands fell from my waist, I sucked in a breath.

Shit, what was it about this guy that had me so out of sorts?

I was fucking Lorelei Battenberg, and I did not cower in front of anyone. Snapping my spine straight, I marched back to the table we shared with my parents and the Havershams. The great Senator Grayson Battenberg puffed on a cigar with his arm hung lazily across my mother’s chair. She chatted with Mrs. Haversham, both of them giggling like schoolgirls while the men discussed oil stock prices.

Was this my future?

If my father was so adamant about tying us to this family, maybeheshould just marry Brock. Surely, he wouldn’t beopposed to giving him a quick blowjob in the men’s bathroom. A wicked grin curled the corners of my lips at the visual.

It wasn’t that I hated my father. I just despised what he was making me do. It wasn’t fair to pin our entire family’s future onmyshoulders because our finances were a disaster.

“Hey, Lore, I thought that was you!” A girl in a deep emerald gown waved from across the ballroom.

Oh, God, no. I flashed my fakest smile as my sorority sister sauntered over. “Hi, Tate.”

Tate Astor and I had met in the Zetas during rush week and had been the bestest frenemies ever since. She stared me up and down, and I prayed to every god in existence that she wouldn’t notice my Chanel gown was from three seasons ago.

“That’s him, isn’t it?” She cocked her head over her shoulder as Brock returned from the bar with a champagne flute in each hand. “He’s even richer-looking in person.”

I barely repressed the eyeroll. “Yeah, he’s more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“Lorelei.” Brock handed me the glass and gave Tate a tight smile before returning his focus to me. “Shall we go do that thing we were supposed to do?”

“Sure, let me just introduce you to my good friend, Tate Astor. She lives at the Zeta house with me.”

“How lovely. A pleasure to meet you.” Brock took her hand, dropping a chaste kiss to the top of her knuckles.