Page 82 of Sugar Baby Mine

“Nothing,” Cora says dismissively. “I’m sure we’d all enjoy ourselves very much.”

I’m not sure what she’s cooking up, but the way a grin takes over her face tells me that there’s something happening in that brain of hers. And her plans usually involve some form of getting black-out drunk. She’s fucking handsy even with me when she’s wasted.

I cast a glance at Fred and Ben.

“Don’t even think of the wordswapright now, or I will throat-punch you.”

She cackles exactly like an evil witch, head thrown back and everything. Naturally, everyone in our vicinity turns to look at her. She tosses the red curtain of her waves over her shoulder, soaking up the attention.

“What’s so funny?” Fred asks, turning his attention to her fully and pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she teases, curling her hand around the scruff on his chin and pulling him in for a kiss.

I’m not sure why my cheeks heat so much, but they’re a pretty picture. The dark red of Fred’s hair and copper of Cora’s is a stunning image, and they know it. At least Cora does.

“Fred mentioned that Cora is your cousin, is that right, Emme?” Julio turns toward me, lifting his champagne glass to take a sip as his gaze flickers between us.

“Unfortunately.”

Cora lets go of Fred and snaps her arm out to curl aroundmine, reeling me in until I’m smushed into her side. “Oh please, you’re blessed to be related to me,” she says, dipping down the few inches that separate us to press her cheek to mine. “Too bad you didn’t get the McCarthy red hair or we’d be fucking unstoppable.”

“Would be kind of weird considering it’s our mothers who are sisters.”

She blows a raspberry into my skin and I cringe, jolting away from her and into the welcoming embrace of Ben’s arms as he soothes a palm down my spine. His thumb swipes away the glossy print of her lips on my cheek.

I drag my gaze up, watching the shine of all the twinkling lights from the ceiling reflect in the way he looks me over.

“You all right?” he asks softly, only for my ears, and my heart beats slow and fast all at once.

“Yeah, don’t—”

“Benjamin?” a voice calls from our peripheral.

Words die in my throat as we both turn to look at a woman in a dark emerald dress as she eats the rest of the distance between us.

Ben straightens up immediately, but his hands remain around me and his throat bobs in a swallow when I look back at him. His jaw ticks, muscle jumping under the hard press of his teeth.

“Marissa,” he says, the name feeling like ice in my veins. “What are you doing here?”

My fingers curl into Ben’s jacket, reluctantly turning back to the woman.

She’s gorgeous in an effortless way, even with the air of arrogance that wafts off of her as she looks down the angle of her slim nose at me. The corner of her lip lifts in a sneer, her eyes lingering on the high slit of my dress at the top of my thigh before she brushes the blunt edge of her dark hair behind her shoulder.

“Well, as surprised as I am to see you here”—considering Ben told me he’s been going to this gala annually for the last four years, I’m sure she knew he’d be here—“my boyfriend, Johnnie Darrow is an extremely large benefactor.”

“Your lawyer?” Ben sounds so fucking defeated as he says the words, like it’s a punch to his heart. I know without a doubt that this is his ex-wife.

His hand grips harder around my hip, and I lean into him. My mind wanders, wondering if that’s who she cheated on him with and for what godforsaken reason.

“Yes, my lawyer.” She examines her nails, like the subject is boring, before tucking her clutch underneath her arm and popping her hip out as her eyes roam over me again. “And who’s this?”

“This is my date, Emme.”

I give the politest smile I can muster, considering her glare feels like I’m staring down the Wicked Witch right now. Kill ‘em with kindness, they say.

“How nice to run into you tonight. I haven’t heard much about you, but it’s still nice to put a face to the name.”

If it hurts her at all, she doesn’t let it show.

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