Page 5 of The Bourbon Bride

I shake the empty tumbler at Paige as she considers the question. I push off the short wall and walk the few steps back to the waterfall for the bottle. I bring the whole thing back to thetitan arumdisplay where she waits patiently and accepts the filled glass when I offer.

“Mostly, yes. It’s expected, and it usually doesn’t cost me much to swallow my pride to do whatever trifling thing she wants. There’s also plenty she doesn’t know about and that’s fine by me.” She punctuates the last statement by saluting me with the tumbler before drinking.

“Rebel red runs through your veins, I see.” The affection in my tone surprises me. I swallow it down with the sip of bourbon I take from the glass she hands back, marked with her lipstick on the opposite side.

She laughs. “I must have had too much to drink if you’re thinking I’m at all rebellious.”

Her eyes grow soft, and a small smile plays on her mouth as she sways back and forth, looking around the greenhouse. Her eyes sharpen and her body stills.

“Is that a pomegranate tree?”

I turn to follow her gaze and see the heavy red orbs nestled in the bright green leaves of a tree near the glass wall of the greenhouse. I stretch my arm out in the direction of the tree.

“My garden is your garden. Go have a look.” I follow behind her, enjoying the quickness of her steps as she eagerly moves through the plants to investigate.

“It is! I love them. They’re so hard to eat and make a huge mess, so Mama never brought any home. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actual real tree like this, though. This is beautiful.”

I reach into the branches and select a ripe pomegranate, plucking it with a tug. I pull out a small knife and flick it open, puncturing the fruit to remove the bottom and finish cracking the fruit in half in my hands. Juice spills onto my palm as I hold out half for Paige.

“Getting messy is the best way to eat.” I push out a few arils with my thumb. “Open your mouth, I’ll give you a taste.” My balls tighten with the innocent words that conjure what else this conversation could lead to, and I force my dick to calm the fuck down. She is absolutely off-limits. So not something I should tamper with. Definitely too young. And sweet. And innocent. And perfectly pliable.Fuck.

Paige bends forward at her waist, pushing the poofy skirt of her dress back, opening her mouth for me to push the pomegranate seeds onto her tongue. I bite my lip as her eyes close and she moans in pleasure. She has no idea the effect she has on me, watching her savor the taste.

She reaches up to brush the juice from her lips only to realize belatedly that she’s just pressed a lipstick mark to her gloved fingers. “Oh, shoot! Mama’s gonna kill me if I don’t get this out.” She starts plucking at the material, but her fingers are stuck and she makes a frustrated sound.

I drop the broken pomegranate and pull out a handkerchief to wipe my hands. “Let me.”

Her fingers still their frantic motion and she looks up at me expectantly, her hand hovering between us in acceptance. So willing.

I pull each finger of the glove until I’ve worked it free from her hand and slowly slide it off her arm. Seeing her skin revealed inch by inch gives me thoughts of revealing what is under her dress, and I repress a shudder of desire. She gives me her other hand as the French doors once again open and carry party noises into the still garden.

“Paige Fairchild, you better be in here somewhere or so help me!” a shrill, disembodied voice calls out into the darkness.

Paige jumps and instantly moves behind me, her hands going to my arms as she uses me as a shield.

“Mama,” she whispers. “She’s going to kill me for running out of the party. If she catches us, she’ll give me an earful, and you’ll probably get a dressing down, too.”

“I have a quick escape, if you need one,” I say over my shoulder with nonchalance.

The thought that I wouldn’t mind more time with her buzzes around my conscious with the threads of personal gain woven through. I could use a favor owed to me by this intriguing young woman. And I would love to keep her close a little longer.

She looks up at me with relief softening her stricken features. “Please, I’ll do anything to avoid this lecture.” She blinks big eyes at me reverently, the color washed out in the moonlight and alluding my knowledge. She has far too much trust, but I’m shameless enough to take it.

I grab Paige’s hand and pull her farther into the greenhouse and out of sight. She grips my arm with her other hand and follows trustingly. We wind through the lush botanicals, ferns tickling our legs and flowers perfuming the air until I’ve found the discreet door set into the stone wall of the building. I fish out a keycard and unlock the door. It opens on silent hinges, thanks to a meticulous maintenance crew. I hold the door for Paige and follow her into the dark beyond.

Who knew my night would end with the heiress of the very empire I want to take down running right into my arms?

three

Paige

Irushthroughthedoorway into darkness and fall back against the door once Hayes shuts it. I’m breathing heavily and the absurdity of the situation bubbles in my chest until giggles are spilling from my throat and I clap a hand over my mouth, which is still tingling from the bourbon I’ve been sharing with Hayes.

Oh lordy, have I ever made a mess of things. I ditched my own debutante ball to hang out in a garden with a stranger who makes my belly tighten and butterflies take flight with a simple look. Now I’m running from Mama with Nanny Fairchild’s stained opera gloves clutched in my hands. If I return the gloves to my Nanny in this state, she will give me the dressing down I rightly deserve for my careless act. I’m a mess in more ways than one. Who am I tonight, to go against Mama’s wishes so brazenly and act as recklessly as I have? I rather like this version of myself, messy and all.

When Alex left, I couldn’t take the scrutiny and having to be perfectly polite to people I know don’t even care about me. I needed to get away from the fake and find something real. Elysium was calling me, and I couldn’t resist the chance to see the renowned garden for myself, even if I had to sneak in when I knew it was entirely off-limits. Every garden club in town has spent the last season knocking down the door to get access to the greenhouse and all the tropical plants inside after everyone’s favorite magazine, Southern Home And Garden, did a spread on the urban oasis right under our noses, and the intriguing man who made it happen. I never expected to see anyone in the out-of-bounds greenhouse, let alone discover I prefer his quiet company to anything that was going on downstairs.

Meeting Hayes, the brilliant mind behind the garden and the exclusive club that manages to stay discreet, though whispered about frequently, is the cherry on top of escaping my obligations and the party.Mmm, cherries.I’d like to pop him in my mouth and tie his stem in knots, but that’s some real wishful thinking.

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