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Sadly, I had the distinct feeling that the man of the hour would attempt to track me down. I rushed off the makeshift stage, weaving my way through the crowd.
“Where are you going?” Jackie said, confronting me. “You’re a star. This is incredible.”
“Are you out of your mind? I’m not spending five minutes with that prick.” I refused to allow her to stop my progress. There had to be a side door where I could escape unseen.
Then what, smart girl?
“Give me a break. Any man who spent five million on my favorite charity deserves a few concessions, if you know what I mean.” Her glee irritated me almost as much as the rest of the evening. “Besides, you might enjoy being wild for a little while.”
Wild. My idea of wild was staying up past my bedtime. God. I had a boring, useless life. The space behind my eyes began to ache.
“Then you sub… date him.” Oops. The small slip was just enough that Jackie opened her eyes wide, trying to keep up with me as I continued to barrel toward the closest exit. The noise was incredible, my mind still spinning.
When I made it to the hallway, she grabbed my arm, yanking me back. “What did you start to say?”
“Nothing. You heard me.”
“Uh-huh. You were going to say submit. Did something happen between the two of you?”
“Not a thing.”
“That’s bullshit. What happened? You were up in his office for a long time. Did he give you a spicy tour? Did you succumb to his dark desires?”
I gasped for air, trying to find an exit. There it was. “Stop it. I would never do such a thing. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Fine. Don’t tell your best friend but never say never. I see the connection the two of you have. You’re not leaving.”
Connection. Did she mean the burning desire I’d seen in his eyes? It was twisted, filthy.
“Yes, I am.” I took long strides down the corridor, managing not to glance over my shoulder a single time. Thank God there was also a wedding reception going on at the same time, the ballroom close to where I’d been paraded like a prima donna princess.
Before I had a chance to slap my hand on the door, Jackie swung in front of it, throwing her arms out to the side. “You’re an adult. You agreed to this. If you don’t go with that man, do you know what they’ll say about you tomorrow on channel eleven?”
“I don’t care.”
“Don’t be an idiot. You’ve already probably appeared on twenty-five different TikTok videos seen racing out of the room. You wanted to make a mark for yourself, but I doubt it’s to the tune of senator’s daughter seen running away from the most eligible bachelor in DC. Now, the animals will suffer.”
I groaned, snapping my hands on my hips. “You’re a terrible person.”
“Maybe so, but I’m looking out for your best interest. Or trying to. You’re going to be a social media darling, but for all the wrong reasons. Get your ass back in that room and smile. I don’t care if it’s plastic, fake it.”
Jackie had never talked to me so harshly. While a part of me wanted to scratch out her eyes, she was right.
Damn it.
“I can’t handle a week,” I told her, hating the whining in my voice.
“Well, why not try it for a little while. The charity will already have the money in their account. Then give him a reason to send you home. Okay?”
Hmm… That wasn’t a bad idea. If he tossed me aside, then I’d happily leave without question. As I pondered the suggestion, it suddenly dawned on me that a man like Lachlan would never give up that easily. His arrogance alone would prevent him from doing so.
I glared up at the ugly ceiling of the hotel, questioning why the universe hated me. As suspected, there was no answer. While the entire situation was disconcerting, the real reason for it was the way my stomach had responded when I’d realized who’d bid the ungodly sum.
Being unable to take my mind off the man and what had occurred was beginning to take a toll. A single day had passed yet I was still in a crazy, almost hypnotized state of mind.
Because of him.
“Come on, before the reporters and sexy man who owns you misses you. We’ll just say you were freshening up. They’ll want pictures.”
