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Thenightstretchedontoo long. Another dinner, another set of speeches, and more than my fair share of business talk from Frank Cartwright had left me agitated. Then there was Memphis. She’d been stiff and unlike herself the entire time. She’d barely touched her food during dinner and I thought I saw tears in her eyes after she realized she was using a different fork than everyone else at the table. I’d thought it was cute, seeing her flustered, until I saw how upset she seemed by it.
Boone was caught up on the other side of the room with a couple I didn’t recognize and Frank had finally taken a hint and moved closer to his wife. I took the chance to pull Memphis’s chair closer to me.
Her expression when her chair squeaked on the floor was horrified, so intense that I immediately stopped pulling her and leaned into her space. Her eyes were pinched, like she was in pain, and I hadn’t seen a real smile from her the entire night.
“What’s wrong, Memphis?” I glanced behind her to make sure Wells was okay, but he was talking to the founder of the charity.
“Nothing.” Memphis pouted when she heard my unhappy grunt. “I’m fine, Remy.”
“Liar. What’s wrong?”
Her jaw set in defiance. “I said I’m fine.”
“And I said you’re a liar. You’re not yourself tonight.” I brushed her curls over her shoulders and smiled to myself at the stubbornness radiating off of her. She didn’t have a clue how much that bratty streak in her turned me on. “Tell me.”
She crossed her arms under her chest and I held my breath while waiting to see if the dress was going to stay up. “You don’t know everything, Remington Hawke. If I say I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Her tone must’ve caught Wells’ attention because he leaned into Memphis’s space from behind. “Everything good?”
I didn’t break eye contact from her as I spoke to him. “No. She won’t tell me what’s wrong, though.”
“That’s because I’m fine.”
Wells grunted. “I’ve seen you be more social with a plot of grass, Memphis. Something’s wrong.”
The sound of her foot stomping brought a big smile to my face. “That’s a start. Let me have the rest of it. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I said nothing. That means nothing.” She moved to stand, but I placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and set her back down in her chair. She glared at me. “Remy, I once wrestled a pig to the ground with nothing more than my bare hands and sheer will. If you think I won’t do the same to you, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Boone chose that moment to appear. “Wait. Why’d you wrestle a pig?”
Wells grunted. “I don’t know, but she’s upset about something and swearing she’s fine.”
Memphis’s ears went red and I thought she might tackle me to the ground for a moment before she shook her head and sagged against her chair. “I don’t belong here.”
A hot fury shot to life inside me. “Did someone say something to you? Did they saythatto you?”
She quickly put her hand over mine and shook her head. “No, no. Nothing like that. I’m just…I’m so uncomfortable. I don’t want to pretend anymore. I’m not this kind of woman. I can’t stop thinking about what I should or shouldn’t do. It’s a miracle I haven’t embarrassed y’all yet. It’s only a matter of time before I make you look bad with something I do or say wrong.”
I sat back in my chair, shocked. “You’re serious.”
She nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap. “I never did these things. I’m more of an eat at home date. I don’t want to embarrass y’all. I’d hate myself if I did.”
Grabbing her chair, I jerked her as close to me as she could get and buried my hands in her hair before closing my mouth over hers. She pushed at my chest weakly and then clutched at me while I stroked my tongue into her mouth and growled. Her breathy little moan against my mouth nearly pushed me over the edge and I had to pull back before I said fuck it and took her on top of the table, in front of everyone.
“The only way I could be embarrassed with you at one of these things would be if everyone noticed how fucking hard I am for you at all times. There is nothing you could do that would make me regret dragging you here with me. I won’t do it again if it’s something that stresses you out so much, though, sweetheart. I selfishly wanted to steal time with you but I’ll find another way.”
She looked up at me with a starry-eyed expression on her beautiful face. “Wow.”
I stood up and held out my hand to her. “Dance with me.”
She looked around and saw that no one else was dancing. “You don’t have to prove anything, Remy.”
I took her hand and hauled her out of the chair and into my chest. Searching her face, I laid more of my cards out on the table for her. “I think you’re the best person in this room, Memphis. You’re smart, kind, and fucking hot. If I’m proving anything right now by taking you out on that dance floor and dancing with you, it’s that I’m man enough to have a woman like you with me.”
She looked down in an attempt to hide the wide smile on her face, but I’d already seen it and felt the matching surge of happiness at having put it there. “Okay. Let’s dance.”
I took her to the center of the dance floor and held her close, too close for proper society. The slow beat of the music filling the room had me moving my hips against hers in a maddening way. Her fingers played with the hair at the back of my head, tugging it and raking her fingers through it. Her eyes never moved from mine and I dug my fingers into her hips at the challenge. I needed more. I needed to feel her fully submit to me or I was going to lose my mind.
