Chapter Nine
Carly
My hand trembles as I brush a piece of hair out of my face and I frown, shaking it at my side like that might somehow expel my nerves. Glancing back up at my reflection, I dab some concealer on the dark rings under my eyes. The stress of this past week is obviously taking its toll on me and I’m not in the best shape to go plunging back into the world I hate. On top of that, I have to deal with my mother, which is trying, even on my best day. There is a small part of me that is really relieved Chance will be there with me but mostly, I’m just annoyed that he seems to be winning this unspoken battle we’ve been participating in.
I woke up this morning wrapped in his arms and my first reaction was not to get away from him. Instead, I snuggled closer and smiled when his arms tightened around me. Then, he convinced me to do something I’ve never allowed another guy to do before – take me out for breakfast. This isn’t me. I don’t become the sentimental girl anymore or put emphasis on things that mean nothing but when Chance comes around, it’s like he erases my past. I’m a sixteen-year-old girl again and he’s just a boy who makes my heart race. Of course, as soon as he leaves, the spell fades and I hate myself for being so weak. Nothing good can come from this – I know that – but it does nothing to stop me.
The real problem is I have no idea what is happening between us. I’m trying so hard to keep things casual and then as soon as he comes around, all that flies out the window. We’ve only had sex twice, but it feels so much more significant than that. Maybe the problem is me. Maybe along with losing my mind this past week, I’ve also broken boundaries that were there for a reason. I need to find a way to stop it; I just don’t know how.
A knock at the door pulls my attention away from the mirror and I take one last look, sighing as I run my hands down the front of my dress. After slipping my heels on, I grab my clutch and march to the door, determined to get control of this situation again. Swinging the door open, I pause, my eyes widening as I take in the man in front of me. Chance grins as my gaze travels down his body, appreciating the way that he wears the hell out of his black suit.
“See something you like?” he asks, winking at me with a knowing smirk on his face and I take another moment to look him over before shrugging.
“Not bad. Although, I half expected you to show up in jeans, so anything is an improvement.”
His brow arches and he shakes his head as he slips his hands into his pockets, looking casually cool and hot as hell. “If we had time, I would haul you inside and fuck some of that sass right out of you.”
“Sure, you would.” I chuckle, trying to cover up my desire. My hand trembles for a whole new reason now, remembering the way he controlled my body Tuesday night and I contemplate dragging him inside instead of attending this gala.
“Keep it up, Princess. I’d love to prove you wrong later,” he assures and heat rushes to my cheeks as I bite my bottom lip and drop my gaze to the floor. Taking a step toward me, he nudges my chin with his finger, guiding my gaze back up to his and I’m met with a triumphant smile.
“I thought we had an agreement about the lying.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t.” He chuckles as he holds his hand out to me. “Ready to go?”
I nod and he reaches forward, gently grabbing my hand and lacing his fingers through mine before guiding me out of my apartment. He doesn’t release me as I lock the door and unwelcome warmth spreads through my chest as I peek over at him. A smile teases his full lips, but he doesn’t meet my eyes as we walk down the hallway to the elevator. I hate that he knows he gets to me despite all my efforts to keep our relationship casual. There’s a certain helplessness, which accompanies it that I hate. Stopping in front of the elevator, he presses the button and moves behind me, holding my hips in his hands as his warm breath fans out over my neck. A shiver winds down my spine as I struggle to keep my eyes open.
“You look even better in this dress than I remember,” he whispers and my heart pounds in my chest as I fight back a moan. How the hell can he make me feel like he’s touching me everywhere with just his words?
“Thank you.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing it drop to the floor later.”
The air punches out of my body and my eyes flutter closed as I savor his touch. “You say that like it’s a sure thing.”
The ding of the elevator drops me back in the present and my eyes open just as the doors slide back, revealing an empty car. We step inside, taking up the exact same position as before against the back wall. He feels so solid against my back and it’s difficult to not just melt into him. His grip on my hips is tighter this time as he presses his lips to the bare skin of my shoulder.
“Tell me something,” he prompts and I peek over my shoulder, meeting his eyes.
“What?”
“What do you have underneath all this lace?”
Turning away, I stare at the doors again with a smile on my face. “Maybe nothing. Maybe more lace. Guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Fuck that,” he growls, grabbing the fabric by my thigh and dragging it up my leg as I glance up at the panel to see how much time we have before we reach the lobby. It ticks down slowly as my heart races and I pant in anticipation.
“Chance,” I whisper as cool air hits my thigh and he groans when the red garter comes into view.
“Did you wear this for me, Princess?” he asks, teasing me with feather light touches around the scrap of lace. He continues pulling the dress up and I moan as he crouches down behind me and pushes it up over my ass. The numbers tick down and I wish I had something to grab on to.
“How did you know red is my favorite color?” he asks, smacking my ass hard and I cry out and reach behind me to grab his shoulder. “I’m going to be rock hard all night until I can get you back here and rip these off.”
“Chance,” I hiss in warning, rubbing my legs together to try and relieve the ache between my thighs. He groans and sinks his teeth into my ass. I don’t even get the chance to react before he stands up again and lets the dress fall to my feet. The doors slide open, revealing the lobby and I can feel his grin as he presses his lips to my neck. Then, like nothing at all happened, he links his fingers with mine and leads me outside on shaky legs.
“My lady,” he practically purrs as he opens the passenger door of my car and gestures for me to get in. After sliding into my seat, I watch him walk around the front of the car, looking better than should be legal in his suit.
“So, I’m curious,” I question as he slips behind the wheel and turns the car on. “Did you just happen to have a suit laying around or…”
“Or what? Are you asking if I went out and bought a suit just for you?” He watches me for a moment before grinning. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I scoff, turning away from him as I cross my arms over my chest. “Never mind.”
“And what if I did, Carly?”
Our eyes meet and the mood in the car shifts, his playfulness falling away and I don’t know what to say. A part of me, the part that I’m trying desperately to bury, likes the idea that he spent money on a nice suit to go to this gala with me, but I know better. I know it’s a recipe for disaster that he can so easily knock down my defenses.
Shrugging, I look away from him. “It’s a shame to waste money on something you’ll only use once.”
Silence falls over us once more as he pulls out of the parking space and begins driving us to the hotel where they are holding the gala.
“You have a tell,” he says after a few minutes and I glance over at him.
“What?”
“I always know when you’re lying because you have a tell. So I know that most of what comes out of your mouth is bullshit. I just don’t know why.”
“Stop digging,” I whisper, my voice haunted as I look out the window to avoid his questioning gaze.
“Why?”
“Because you won’t like what you find.”
He sighs and I turn back to look at him. “I’ve liked everything I’ve found so far.”
I jerk my head away from him, sucking in a deep breath as I focus on the white line on the pavement. He can’t say things like that to me because I just might start to believe them. The hotel comes into view at the end of the block and I’m thankful for the distraction.
“Listen, about my mother… I’m just going to apologize now for anything she may say or do tonight. She’s not going to be happy that I brought you.”
He nods. “Is that why you asked me to come?”
I should tell him yes, but I can’t even force myself to say it. “No. I don’t really know why I invited you.”
Chance is quiet for a moment. “I think you do.”
Before I can say anything else, a valet opens my door and offers me his hand. Smiling up at him, I climb out of the car as Chance hands the keys off to the other valet and I walk around the car and meet him in front of the entrance to the hotel. He links his fingers with mine and pulls my hand up to his lips before kissing me and my heart skips a beat in my chest. He has to stop doing stuff like that. We walk into the opulent lobby and follow a group of women in designer dresses to the ballroom entrance. As soon as we step inside, I spot my mother by the bar and almost as if she senses me, she turns and locks eyes with me. She starts moving in our direction and I suck in a breath.
“I’m so sorry.”
Chance glances down at me, his brow furrowed, before he follows my line of sight. Leaning down, he presses his lips to the side of my head and whispers, “Stop apologizing. I deal with assholes far scarier than her everyday. Besides, it’s worth it to be here with you.”
His voice and words soothe me and I smile even if, in my head, I’m telling myself that I should hate his words. I just can’t do it though; no matter how hard I try.
“Carly, dear,” my mother says as she approaches us, smiling like she’s actually happy to see me. Whatever I think of my mother, I have to admit that she is gorgeous. Of course, that’s required if she’s going to snag herself another husband but even so, she looks good for fifty. The gold dress she’s wearing matches the hair that is artfully twisted into an elegant up-do and she’s wearing just enough jewelry to look sophisticated but not like she’s trying too hard. “I knew that dress would look magnificent on you.”
I force a smile to my face as I step forward and give her an awkward one-armed hug. “Thank you, Mother.”
She glances down at my hand, still clasped in Chance’s before turning to face him. “And who are you?”
“Mother,” I chastise her, already regretting my decision to bring him tonight. I never should have subjected him to my mother. She doesn’t even spare me a second glance as she inspects Chance from head to toe. He plasters a charming smile on his face and extends his hand.
“My name is Chance, ma’am. It’s very nice to meet you.”
She stares down at his hand for a moment, like it’s something dirty she doesn’t want to touch and when he shifts, part of one of his tattoos peeks out from the cuff of his shirt. Her eyes widen and she takes a step back. Humiliated by her behavior, I take a step back as well, ready to just say “screw it” and leave. Chance squeezes my hand and slips the other in his pocket when it becomes apparent that my mother is going to continue to act like a stuck-up bitch.
“What are you doing here with my daughter, Chance?”
He turns and meets my eyes, a warm smile on his face and I melt, mirroring his expression. “She asked me to come and to be honest, there isn’t much in this world I wouldn’t do for her.”
Mother smiles, a condescending look in her eye that raises my hackles. “I’m afraid you misunderstood me. What I meant was, what are you to Carly? Are you friends?”
“No, ma’am. I’m her boyfriend.”
My heart seizes in my chest and I’m about to object when I see the look of horror on my mother’s face. So, maybe I will let her think that we’re actually a couple because the expression she’s wearing now is priceless. It’s impressive, actually, with as much Botox as she’s had, that she can have any expression at all. She places her hand over her heart and her mouth opens briefly before closing again like she’s struggling to find her words. Honestly, I have no idea how the hell Chance is being so damn polite to her. After a second, she regains control of herself and forces a smile to her face but there is nothing genuine about it.
“Chance, was it?” she asks and he nods. “Would you be so kind as to go to the bar and grab us some champagne?”
He glances over at me and I love that he wants to make sure I’m okay before he leaves me with the demon also known as my mother. I squeeze his hand, giving him a little nod and he smiles before leaning down and pressing a kiss to my lips.
“Be right back,” he whispers and I nod as he releases my grip and starts winding through the crowd toward the bar. As soon as he’s out of earshot, Mother wraps a hand around my arm, her grip painful, as she drags me to the corner of the ballroom.
“What the hell are you thinking?” she hisses, her face morphed in anger and I arch a brow.
“About what?”
Her grip tightens and I try to pull away from her but she won’t release me. “You cannot be serious about this man, Carly Rae.”
The shock and disgust on her face annoys the hell out of me and I find myself feeling defensive of Chance. Whatever it is that we have, whether it’s casual or not, I know he’s a good man. And he sure doesn’t deserve this shit. “I am serious about him.”
“He’s covered in tattoos!”
I scoff and try to pull away again, but she grabs my other arm and pulls me closer. “You saw a peek of one tattoo, so I don’t think you’re qualified to decide if he’s covered in tattoos or not and what does it matter? He’s a good man and he treats me right.”
“Do you know what a good man gets you? Absolutely nothing. There is no future with a man like that. I thought I taught you better than this,” she rages, lowering her voice so anyone who ventures closer won’t hear her rant.
“Oh, don’t worry, Mother,” I seethe, ripping my arm out of her grip. “I’ll never forget the lessons you’ve taught me.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
I level her with a glare. “You know what it means.”
Memories are flooding my mind faster than I can bury them and I turn away from her as tears start to fill my eyes. Weaving through the crowd, I crash into a solid chest and gasp.
“Whoa there, Princess.” Chance’s voice quiets my roaring mind and I feel like I’m able to breathe normally again. “You okay?”
I bury my head in his chest and grip the lapels of his jacket as I take a few calming breaths and try to blink the tears out of my eyes. His scent surrounds me and I finally pull away, feeling in control again.
“Sorry. It’s just my mother.”
He glances over my head, a frown marring his features. “Yeah, she’s a gem.”
A giggle slips out of my mouth and he looks down at me, a wide smile on his face. “You know, I think that’s the first time I’ve heard your cute little giggle.”
“Don’t get used to it,” I tease and he shakes his head.
“Now you’re just laying down a challenge, Darlin’.”
Rolling my eyes, I pull away from him. “You’re impossible.”
“Yeah, but you like it.”
“Whatever.”
His gaze lifts to the crowd again and I peek over my shoulder as my mother slinks past us, her eyes never leaving us. “I have to say, I expected her to be more… villain-y with how much you were apologizing. She actually looks pretty good when she’s not looking at me like I’m the scum of the earth.”
“She has to look good. All the better to fool some poor unsuspecting man, my dear.”
His gaze falls to me and a smile teases his lips. “Did you just compare your mother to the big bad wolf?”
“If the paw fits,” I mutter, shrugging and he laughs.
“You are something else, Carly Mills.”
Ignoring his comment, I grab one of the champagne flutes out of his hand and down the entire thing before handing the empty one back to him. “I’m really sorry she treated you the way she did. All she cares about is money and if you don’t have any, she can’t be bothered with you. I mean, hell, she drove my own father to suicide after she left him for a wealthier man, so this is just par for the course, really.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to smack myself in the face. Talk about a complete brain to mouth filter malfunction. I never talk about this stuff to anyone and he has me spilling my guts without any effort. He stares down at me, his eyes softening in understanding and my stomach turns. If he thinks he’s got some insight on why I am the way I am, he’s wrong. The silence stretches between us and I feel sick as I wait to see what he’s going to say. After a moment, a wry grin stretches across his face.
“Damn, Princess, you sure know how to ruin a moment, don’t you?”
It is exactly the last thing I was expecting to come out of his mouth but also, somehow, exactly the right thing to say. Slapping his chest, I roll my eyes and turn away from him to hide my smile. Goddamn it, he just might be perfect.
“You’re an ass.”
He shrugs and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. “Yeah, maybe but how bad could it be? I’m here with you.”