AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, dear. It would be better to call Will directly from now on.” A knowing wink shot my way. “We don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
The wrong idea? Oh, God, I might faint.
“I need some water. Excuse me.” I quickly stood and went to the buffet table adjacent to where we were seated. My damn hands wouldn’t stop trembling. She knew about the call, which meant Eva had told her about our dinnerdate.
Was she okay with it? I didn’t claim to understand wealthy people's intricate dealings, but were affairs an everyday occurrence? The way Claire patted my hand, was it a silent approval? It felt comforting, gentle.No.Her consent didn’t matter to me. I would not be the other woman.
A breeze passed over me as I sipped the soothing ice water.
“Sorry I’m late. My London call ran longer than planned.” William blew through the door.
I froze, unable to turn around. He wasn’t listed on the agenda. In and out, I slowly breathed to regain my composure.Shit.
“No worries, we haven’t begun yet,” Claire replied.
I sipped more water, willing myself not to throw up or cry with each swallow.
“Morning.” His breath grazed my cheek as his hand passed in front of me to grab a croissant, then another. The sleeve of his designer blazer left a trail of goose bumps on my arm as his cologne teased my nose.
I stepped back, turning on my heel and returning to my seat.
Hold it together. Hold it together. You can do this. You can do this.
William sat across from me. Every movement he made, I struggled to ignore. The way he blew on his coffee before sipping it made me shift in my chair. He chewed robustly, finishing both croissants before I reviewed the chosen color palette for the gala.
Silver and black were the base colors, SJI colors. Claire had yet to decide on blue or violet… or a variation of the two. I hoped she’d pick marine blue, but neither were my picks.
He cleared his throat and irritation seared my senses. I didn’t acknowledge it as I stared down at Claire’s iPad. The blur of blues and purples made me dizzy. William drummed his fingers on the table, each soft thump echoed in my ear.
I shifted in my seat again.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Claire asked, eyes on the iPad.
“No.” He rose from his seat and went to the buffet table, returning with a carafe. “Water?” Narrowed dark eyes stared down at me.
“Yes, thank you.”
He nodded, refilling my glass.
I heated up again like a damn furnace. What was he doing to me? Ignoring him didn’t seem to faze him. Or maybe it was me? The connection I’d felt in the club, in the elevator, in the car—I wanted him. A married man. Pathetic.
“Water, Mother?”
“Yes, please. I just don’t know. Blue or purple?” She directed her question toward William. He leaned between Claire and me, invading my personal space. His hip bumped into my shoulder, rattling my every nerve and turning me on more than a benign touch should.
I hated that I enjoyed it.
I sensed his displeasure with me—no, anger. Good, be done with me. I would never be his mistress. For all I knew, he probably had a few on the side—a harem perhaps. It disgusted me. He likely returned to the club with his pithy friend to find another woman to use.
The thought infuriated me. The cheating asshole.His poor wife.No woman deserved to be cheated on. Disrespected. Made a fool of.
A rage ignited in me.
Will
“I see your quandary. Both colors would be stunning. What about both?” I shrugged. What did I know about selecting colors for a party? Two colors were better than one, right? “Why pick when you can have both? The more the merrier.”
“That’s your answer? The more the merrier?” Miranda gaped, utterly shocked. “How about we pick four colors or a dozen. Why even have a color scheme when you can have all the colors of the rainbow? Because… the more the merrier!”
