Page 54 of Harvey

“Suit yourself.”

Kendra saw them coming and came forward to meet them. “I was beginning to think you abandoned me.”

“You seem to have acquired an ardent admirer.” He said coolly, looking over her head at the man behind her.

“Oh, this is Michael Addington, a long-time friend of mine. Michael, you already know Silas. This is my husband, Harvey.”

“I have heard so much about you,” Michael said, holding his hand in greeting.

“I have heard nothing about you.” Harvey clasped the man’s hand briefly before letting go. Turning to Kendra, he took her arm and rudely led her onto the dance floor.

“Is something wrong?” Kendra noticed the tension in his broad shoulders and the tautness on his handsome face.

“You tell me.”

Staring up at him with a frown, she searched his face. “He is just a friend; Harvey and you were rude to him back there.”

His brows lifted sardonically. “Was I? What? Should I go back and ask for his forgiveness? I am unfamiliar with settings like these, so the rules are unclear. Should I go back and apologize to the man who had his hands all over my wife’s body? Is that how it’s done?”

She stiffened at his tone, dark brown eyes flashing. “What are you implying?”

“Was I not clear? Well, allow me to clarify. This is your first time in this kind of society, so you might now know the rules. You are wearing next to nothing and are dancing with a man who is not your husband- a man who has his hand all over your naked flesh. People tend to gossip, and I will not be made to look like a fool. Clear enough for you?”

She started to pull out of his arms, but he tightened his hold, his expression wintry.

“Another thing that’s not done. You are not allowed to leave me on the dance floor.”

“Let go of me.” Her pleasure in the evening dissolved, and the humiliation of his words was almost suffocating her.

“Why, darling, when you were with the Michael fellow, did you seem to enjoy yourself? Why don’t you pretend that’s who you are dancing with?”

“I hate you.” She whispered huskily, eyes filling with tears. “You are despicable.”

“And you are lying.” His hand clamped around her waist as he brought her closer to his body, where he was already getting aroused by her nearness.

“You don’t hate me, and that little detail can be proven by dipping my fingers inside you. I can guarantee that you are now wet and ready for me. Lie to yourself all you want, but never lie to me. I can prove you wrong in a snap.”

Tearing her gaze away from his, she fixed it over his shoulder, and they spent the rest of the dance in tense silence. As soon as the music ended, he guided her back to where the wives were and left. For the rest of the night, he avoided her, and she saw him dancing with several women, bending his charming smile on them and openly flirting.

Feeling the pain twisting her heart, she concentrated on Michael and Silas, who had come over to claim two dances with her.

“He is acting out,” Silas told her quietly as she stared with acute misery at her husband. He was dancing his second dance with a beautiful blonde laughing up at him, her hand possessively wrapped around his neck.

“What?” Tearing her eyes away from the beautiful couple, she looked at Silas.

“Harvey. He is acting out.”

“He can do whatever he pleases.” She lied, lifting her chin and refusing to look at him.

“You make him vulnerable, and he hates it.”

“I hate him.” She hissed, sighing as he stared at her with that knowing look. “Sometimes I think I am getting through to him, and at other times, he behaves like a complete jerk.”

“You know his history, Kendra.” Silas pointed out quietly. “And like I said before, you make him vulnerable. He is trying to escape that and how you make him feel.”

“By hurting me.”

“Something like that.” Silas mused, feeling the anger churning as he glanced at his brother. The woman draped over him, and he did nothing about it or discouraged her. “He saw you with Michael, and I could see the furious look on his face.

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