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When she tries to lift from my lap, I clamp my other arm around her and hold her against me. “Listen, princess. We came here to prove you’re not marrying your ex. It went further than I planned, but mission accomplished. And the crowd got the show they wanted. So we’ll leave when we’re ready, but we’re not skulking out like we’ve done something wrong.”
“But this must be all over the internet.” She shoots me a frenetic glance, clearly hoping I’ll refute her.
I don’t say a word.
Tears fill her big eyes. She presses trembling lips together. “What have I done?”
“What needed to be done. Don’t beat yourself up.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You didn’t orgasm in public.”
“It was pretty fucking close.”
Corinne shakes her head like my answer isn’t good enough. “Please. The sooner we leave here, the sooner I can start living down this embarrassment.”
Clearly, her exhibitionist leaning is nothing compared to her good-girl sensibilities. She’s working herself up. I need to talk her down. For her sake, I hope Riley has slinked away, hat in hand, but that’s probably wishful thinking.
Personally, I hope the gawking jackass sticks around so we can “chat.”
“Princess, look at me. We didn’t break any laws. You didn’t show any additional skin. The table blocked everything from your waist down. There’s a wall on your left and a row of plants on your right. At most, people saw you move and shake. You did that on the dance floor.”
“Yeah, on the dance floor. Not on your lap! Everyone must think I’m a whore.”
I grab her chin and force her to look at me. “No, and don’t you ever suggest that again. To all those people, you got a little hot with the man you’re going to marry. So what?”
“But you’re not,” she whispers, looking crushed.
I want so badly to tell her we can fix that right now. If she’s willing, I’ll marry her tomorrow. Yeah, I’m that far gone. I barely knew her five days ago. Now I’d take on her burdens, deal with Parker, shield her from the world…if she’d say yes.
This isn’t the moment to ask her to be my wife.
Instead, I caress her cheek. “Let’s not give anyone watching a reason to think there’s anything wrong, okay?”
“I’ll try.” Her voice sounds so small.
It hurts me. She’s probably felt ground down and helpless under Parker’s iron-fisted rule for too long. I never want her to feel that way again.
“We’ve got this,” I promise. “Now kiss me. If you can’t muster more, a peck will do.”
She blinks down at me. “I’m so sorry. This isn’t just about me. It affects you, too. You’re a professional. You have to maintain a reputation in the financial community—”
“Shh. I’ve always had one, princess. Anyone whose money I manage didn’t choose me for my good behavior. Kiss me.”
Slowly, she leans in and skims a gossamer brush over my lips, bitter with fear. I give her back reassurance.
Riley’s glare is all over me; I feel it. But fuck him. I’m ignoring the bastard until I’m ready.
When she pulls away, I cup her face and settle my mouth at her ear. “Good, princess. All we have to do is make a splashy exit, but if we don’t brazen this out, then everything we’ve done tonight is for nothing.”
Her smile says she’s trying desperately to be brave. “You’re right. We did what we had to. If the crowd got what they were after, all the better.”
I dish up a sly grin. “And maybe it felt good?”
Her cheeks turn rosier. “More than a little bit, but I’m not feeding your oversized ego.”
That makes me laugh. “I’ll just have to make you beg later.”
“There you go, corrupting me some more,” she banters back. “Now how do we get out of here?”
I’d prefer to put her on her feet and walk out, head held high. My gut tells me that with Riley Stephens here, that’s impossible. If she sees him, the likelihood that her embarrassment makes another unscheduled appearance is high. And if she’s still in love with the douche, guilt will probably turn up as a sidekick.
We can’t afford that. The cameras the crowd wields would capture her reaction. Parker knows his sister, and that would only encourage his shit-stirring.
I’m going to have to get creative.
“Put your face in my neck.”
She blinks at me. “Why?”
“Do you really want to see the crowd?”
“They’re still staring?”
“Yeah.”
She wrinkles her nose. “People are so nosy.”
But she settles her cheek on my shoulder. I feel her hot exhalation at my throat.
It’s now or never.
Moving with my still-stiff cock demanding attention is a bitch. But the greedy fucker is going to have to wait.
I slide around the semicircular booth with her still straddling my lap, then stand, her legs around my waist. We approach the crowd. It parts for us again, like butter yielding to a hot knife. More cameras roll. I shield Corinne’s face with one hand and head for the exit with my best I-don’t-give-a-fuck swagger.
