Page 128 of Sweet Wicked Vows

“I need another drink.” I left my friends to bicker and headed to the open bar. Several people stopped to congratulate me, many of them comparing my drive for business to my father’s. It saddened me as much as it made me proud.

I needed to learn how to not just forgive Jaxon, but my own dad, too.

“Can I get a glass of…”

“Champagne for thebellewoman and a double bourbon neat.”

My stomach tumbled into a freefall. Jaxon, dressed in a black tuxedo, making him more lethally handsome, appeared at my side.

“You’ve got to be kidding.” I frowned. “You realize when I said we needed space, I meant more than ninety-six hours.”

He handed me the glass, my fingertips touching his and sparking a jolt of electricity through my nervous system. His lips parted as if he felt it.

Why did everything about him call to me?

Clicks of a nearby camera snapped me back to reality. “Seriously, what are you doing here?” I stepped away, creating as much distance as possible. “This is an invite-only event.”

“You invited Olivier,” he said. “I am his plus one. He wasn’t particularly happy about it, but I can be quite persuasive.”

I shook my head. “Unbelievable. Is there a single one of you Dade men who can be trusted?”

He smiled, dimples piercing his cheeks and knocking the wind from me.

I missed those smiles.

“Where is Olivier?” I glanced at the sea of bodies. “I’d like to have a littlechatwith him. One where it ends with my hands around his throat.”

“So deliciously violent,ma douceur.”

Ma douceur.

Those two little words were enough to bring the haphazardlybuilt walls around me crumbling back down brick by brick.

“It’s your big night.” He stepped closer. “You’ve achieved what you always dreamed about. There wasn’t a chance I was going to miss it and tell you how unbelievably proud I am of you.”

Jaxon had an uncanny way of saying everything my heart wanted to hear. Deep down, I knew he was sorry and regretted what he did. Deep in the empty depths of my soul, I knew he wanted to make it work.

But my heart and soul were still too bruised.

I forced myself not to react.

“I appreciate you stopping by to tell me.” I walked to a nearby sculpture, studying it aimlessly. Whatever it took to keep my eyes off him. “You can tell your brother he’s permanently struck off my guest list for future events.”

Not true.

I liked Olivier, and secretly, I was happy Jaxon forced Olivier to bring him.

Jaxon chuckled. “I’ll be sure to pass on the news.” He inspected the bronze sculpture from the corner of my eye. “What is it meant to be?”

The hell if I knew.

Art wasn’t exactly my strong suit. I could appreciate a beautiful painting, or photograph, but everything else was lost on me.

I pointed to the plaque beneath. “The tortures of a man in love, apparently.”

His lips thinned. A deep line cemented between his brows as anguish flashed in his eyes. “Ah, of course. I see it now.”

I opened my mouth and closed it again.

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