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I make a split-second decision. “Want to get out of here?”
Belle doesn’t answer. Her fingers continue to play with my hair, while her body stays pressed against mine. Shit, maybe I read the situation wrong.
“Annabelle?” My voice comes out questioning.
“I don’t want to break the spell, Declan.” She lifts her eyes to mine. “I’m scared if we walk off this dance floor, the spell will be broken. Right now, I’m your date. I’m having fun. A lot of fun. Right now, I’m anticipating all the ways you could make my body sing. And I’m scared the minute we walk off this dance floor, the bubble we’re magically in will burst and I’ll realize this isn’t my reality.” She swallows before adding, “And I want this to be my reality tonight. One night, Dec. That’s all I can give you.”
My thumb skims her cheek before I lean in and brush my lips over hers. Once. Twice. When I go in for the third time, she pushes me back and my hope comes crashing down.
“Declan.” Her voice is breathy. Needy. “Let’s go somewhere that cameras can’t follow.”
Cradling her face in my hands, I realize I’d completely forgotten about the cameras. “My place is closer.”
She nuzzles her cheek against my hand. “Just let me run to the ladies’ room.”
We walk off the dance floor together, Annabelle heading to the ladies’ room and me to the table. I tell my dad we’re leaving and turn to catch Murphy as he heads out of the ballroom. He moves the way Annabelle just left, so I follow. When I enter the hall, I see a smaller room set up with a fire roaring and a group of men smoking cigars. What I didn’t expect to see was Sabrina’s mom ripping into Murphy. I can just barely make out her voice from where I’m standing.
“Her father will sit in the White House one day, and Sabrina will be right there by his side. Who knows how far she will be able to go when it’s her turn? What I do know is that you will only drag her down.” Damn. The look on Murphy’s face as Mrs. Cabot lays into him makes me want to rip her to shreds.
Shit.
Instead, I look around until I find Sabrina near the door of the ballroom. Moving quickly and quietly, I grab her attention. “Sabrina, I need you to come with me.”
Her doe eyes look confused. “What’s going on, Declan?”
“I’m not sure. But I think Murphy might need your help.” I lead her into the smoking lounge just in time for us to hear Mrs. Cabot threaten Murphy.
“No, you are not going to be given the chance to destroy my daughter’s life the way he destroyed your mother’s.” Her mother’s words echo like a slap throughout the room.
Sabrina cuts her off. “Mother!”
I wait a few moments to make sure the situation is handled before I leave the room. Shooting off a text to Murphy, I ask him to let me know that everything’s okay and try to find Annabelle. She’s not near the ladies’ room. Walking through the ballroom, I find our table empty and scan the room. Annabelle’s on the dance floor with Becket. There’s plenty of space between them, and she isn’t smiling at him like she’s been smiling at me, but something primal in me still wants to rip his heart out. I don’t like his hands on her.
As I get to the dance floor to interrupt, my cell phone rings, alerting me to a text.
Murphy:Dec, can you grab Sabrina’s purse off the table we were sitting at? It’s silver and sparkly. She says Belles will know which one it is.
Declan:Sure. Where are we bringing it?
Murphy:We’re in the attached hotel. Room 104.
Declan:Okay. Be there in 5.
As I shove my phone back in my pocket, I see Annabelle and Becket crossing the room to me. “Hey, Dec. Is everything okay?” She reaches out and runs her hand down my arm before grabbing my forearm. “I couldn’t find you.”
I glance over to Becket and then back to Belle. “Hey, Becks, we’ve gotta get out of here. I’ll catch up with you next week, okay?”
Becks nods his head to me and smiles at Belle. “Ms. Hart, it was a pleasure to meet you. Dec, I’ll see you later.”
Linking my finger with hers, I pull Belles behind me, moving us toward Sabrina and Murphy’s table. “There was a bit of an issue with Sabrina’s mom and Murphy. I’m sorry you couldn’t find me, but I was trying to help avoid a scene.”
Annabelle gasps, “Oh, no! What happened?”
“Do you know which purse is Sabrina’s? Murph said it’s silver and sparkly.”
Her eyes scan the table before she picks up a tiny bag. “Got it. Now spill, Sinclair. What happened?”
I guide us out of the ballroom and down the long hallway. “I’m not sure exactly what caused it or what was said before I got there, but Murphy was getting attacked by Sabrina’s mom. I grabbed Sabrina. I can’t imagine that Murphy was going to speak up for himself to his girlfriend’s mother. Not here. Once Sabrina was there, she didn’t care who could hear her or what they thought. She tore her mother to pieces. I left the room. I felt like it needed to be a private moment and they didn’t need an audience.”
