Page 27 of Layne Closure Ahead

“Tell me how to make this comfortable for you. I have already promised that you would never be without anything you ever need. We can rise together and establish a chokehold on the other factions who are threatening to overthrow your family and everything it’s ever stood for.” His hand moved under her chin and gently lifted it so he could remove her focus from her beverage.

Hesitation was not just in her voice, but in her body language as well. “It’s a big decision, and I don’t want to make it lightly.”

“I don’t expect you to.” He nodded and then decided to switch up his strategy. He eased the wine glass out of her hand and placed it on the ledge behind her. “Dance with me.”

“I don’t dance, Eric.” Her heartbeat sped up with panic over the idea of sharing a close space with him on the dance floor in front of so many pairs of eyes.

Despite her reluctance, he took her hand and led her back inside and onto the dance floor. “I do, and I make a point to share at least one dance with a beautiful woman during these parties.” He found a spot in the middle of the floor turning to face her with a look meant for a predator to lure in its prey.

He slid his hand around her waist onto the bare skin on the small of her back and forcefully pulled her in toward him until the fronts of their bodies were touching. His other hand by contrast lightly held onto hers.

Intuitively, she rested a hand on top of his shoulder as she found the space between them entirely gone. The music playing in the room transitioned over to a slow and haunting tune. One that seemed to tell a sad yet dark love story with its minor notes and dramatic crescendos and decrescendos.

Eric took the lead by beginning to move them across the dance floor, never once easing up his hold on her. His captivating blue eyes bore down on her, intent on maintaining all of his focus on her. Seeing the way he seemingly ignored everything else around them, Layne never once thought about her feet.

He brought his mouth to her ear as he whispered, “You promised me an answer tonight.”

Briefly, she closed her eyes as the moment she had been dreading finally arrived. Layne had to make her choice. A choice she had never wanted to make for herself. A choice the person she was years ago would have never considered.

Her mind recounted each struggle up until this point. Liam’s incompetence. The lost ranks of employees. Financials circling the drain. Clients flocking to other organizations. The warning shots that had been fired. Everything was piling up. How much longer before it was game over?

When she opened her eyes back up, revealing the depths of her green hues, he granted a moment of air from their tight hold as he raised her arm and twirled her around in a slow and elegant circle before drawing her back up against him.

When she came back into his hold, she saw a familiar pair of eyes watching from the depths of the crowd. Eyes that tugged heavily on her heart. Eyes that were full of darkness at what they were witnessing. Joey stood back, but even from where Layne was, she could feel the heat radiating off his emotions.

“I know what I promised.” That was all she could respond to Eric with, trying not to allow herself to get distracted.

His hand inched lower along her back until it reached where the smooth material of her dress began at the top curve of her ass. Boldly and without hesitation or permission, he continued his exploration with his fingers. His fingertips slipped down between her skin and the dress grazing over the hem of her seamless thong just underneath.

His voice had a rasp to it as he spoke quietly to her. “That’s not an answer.”

With his fingers still lingering inside the back of her dress, her mind struggled to stay in the moment. Layne felt a warmth in her core begin to spread underneath his touch. Her nipples strained against the fabric of her dress as they stiffened into peaks.

She knew her world was crumbling and she couldn’t stop it on her own. It felt as though she was a frightened mare out in the wild and a lasso was already tied around her throat.

Layne glanced past Eric’s shoulder while they continued to move slowly together to the tender notes of the song. The invisible mask she attempted to maintain broke and her eyes betrayed her as they filled with dread and panic. She searched for any sign of Joey in the crowd.

Whatever was reflected in her eyes, Joey didn’t like it the moment he saw it. He abruptly began to push towards them, creating a path for himself through the crowd.

Not realizing that she and Eric had gradually come to a standstill as the song faded to the next, his hand released its hold on hers and turned her face to force her attention back to him. “Look at me and give me an answer. No more stalling.”

His demand held something new in it, something laced with a promise of death. It was a tone she was very familiar with in all her years in this lifestyle. The promise may not have been a threat from him, but there was no mistake that death was knocking on the O’Reilly door. Eric was just the one offering her a way to chase away the nightmares.

Her words felt like they were choking her while getting lodged in her throat. “Yes.”

Eric tilted his head inquisitively looking for clarity. “Yes, what?” The man wasn’t stupid, he just wanted to hear her say it in no uncertain terms.

The sinking feeling in her stomach grew heavier. “Yes, to the merger and this alliance.” Layne swallowed down her stubborn pride. “I’ll marry you.”

A victorious smile curved over his mouth as whispered against her lips. “You’re all mine now, my little harpy.” He leaned forward so his mouth could territorially claim her lips while his arm squeezed tighter around her.

Things were abruptly broken apart when an arm came between them prying Layne and Eric away from one another. Joey protectively pulled Layne back, putting himself between her and Eric.

Joey held his ground there with his eyes filled with a level of possessiveness Layne had never seen before. Fury was simmering underneath the surface as he kept it aimed at Eric. His jaw was tightly clenched as he spoke through his teeth. “Miss O’Reilly unfortunately needs to leave for the evening. A business matter has come up requiring her attention.”

As the reality of what she had just done sank in, she made a futile attempt to shake off all the feelings that were crashing like relentless waves into her. The room began to feel too crowded. Layne backed up a step, nearly knocking into another guest before she turned and quickly headed for the exit while Eric was otherwise distracted by Joey.

As for Joey, when he went to follow after her, Eric’s hand clamped down on his arm. An equally vile look was directed at Joey. “Let’s get one thing straight. As of right now, she’s mine to handle as I see fit. What she does is my concern, not yours.”

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