Page 67 of Made For You
Honestly, the deal was sealed when Gigi learned Colton Crawford was Aurora’s brother-in-law. She’d always been a big hockey fan.
Beside me, Aurora leaned her head on my shoulder as I spoke with Dean about the auction prize he won. A trip for two to Edinburgh, Scotland. When she yawned for the third time, I knew it was time to end our night.
We’d done what we came to do. Eat, dance, and show the world we were married. Even in her sleepy state, Aurora was spinning the large diamond around her finger. Though it was big and what I imagined anyone marrying a billionaire so he could gain control of his family’s hotel would wear, her sister was right. It wasn’t Aurora’s style at all.
We said goodnight to Dean, who was taking a flight back home tonight. I thanked him for what he did. Not just tracking me down but keeping me calm while making sure Aurora smiled and had a good time during the evening. He was growing just as protective of her as I was.
Gigi left an hour after the dancing started and went up to her room.
As Aurora and I made our way over to the elevators, I could tell she was dead on her feet. Just as I pressed the button to call the cart down, a hand came down heavily on my shoulder, knocking me off balance. Aurora nearly fell to the ground, as her weight had been resting against me.
I turned to find my uncle standing behind me, looking disheveled and drunk. His tie was askew, his shirt half untucked from his pants, and his jacket had a tear along the shoulderseam. His face was red and glossy. Sweat poured down it like rain. He looked… terrible.
“Uncle. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
He tried to reach out to me again but missed his mark by a foot.
“This is still my hotel, boy, and you’re damn sure not taking it from me,” he slurred.
“Yet I’ve been running your hotel for the last year. Before that you relied on your VP who retired. I’m pretty sure grandfather will have something to say about that.”
“Pssh, you think your little slut here is something special? I know what you’re doing, and I’m going to make sure everyone else knows too.”
“Security is coming,” Aurora whispered beside me as the uniformed men stomped down the hall toward us.
Then my uncle made the biggest mistake ever. He leaned over and cupped Aurora’s face. Not gently, but gripped it in his meaty fingers.
“You are a pretty little thing,” he said, leaning into her.
Without a second thought, I wrapped an arm around his neck and tugged him backward until he released his grip. “You will never,everlay your hand on another woman. Especially not my wife,” I said as I locked my arm at his throat. He struggled to breathe. “Do you understand, old man?”
He couldn’t speak but smartly nodded as the security guards approached with the police in tow. They cuffed him for assault after they witnessed him putting his hand on Aurora, while I still held him in place. The second they yanked him away, I rushed over to my wife, whose face was growing red where his fingers clenched.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” I said as I held my arms open for her. She quickly fell against me, her silent sobs shattering me.
I ignored the crowd that had grown around us. There was a good chance pictures of the incident would be on social media within minutes. Rumors would swirl, likely painting all of us in some sort of bad light.
We were the world’s favorite form of entertainment.
“Let’s get you upstairs,” I told her as her whimpers began to subside.
Back in the room, she stood in front of the bed while I stripped her out of the dress. Earlier, I asked her if she wanted to keep it. Then, she’d said yes, but now, I wasn’t so sure. I draped it over the chair in the corner in case she changed her mind.
Kneeling at her feet, I unhooked the strap that wrapped around her ankle and helped her step out of the silver shoe, then repeated the process with the other. She’d worn no bra with the backless dress, and it surprised me when she covered her breasts with her crossed arms.
It wasn’t hard to tell she was upset about what happened tonight with my uncle, but the fact that she was feeling vulnerable with me was poignant.
I stood before her, leaving her skin-toned lace panties in place. I stripped out of my tuxedo, all while Aurora watched with tired, red-rimmed eyes. Wearing only my black boxer briefs, I bent and lifted her into my arms. I was worried she’d ask me to set her down, but instead, she curled against me, resting her head on my shoulder as I carried her over to the side of the bed she slept on last night. Not wanting to be separated by the massive mattress, I slipped under the blankets right behind her. My ass hung off the side, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was that she let me wrap my arm around her waist and hold her close.
“I’m sorry about tonight,” I whispered. I knew it wasn’t a good time to talk to her about everything Dean found. That wassomething we could deal with in the morning. “It looks like my uncle has returned from whatever bender he’s been on.”
Her body shook against mine, and my heart broke. On the tip of my finger, I could feel the drip of her tears as they fell across the bridge of her nose.
I pressed my lips against her exposed shoulder and apologized again for my uncle’s behavior. Really, formostof my family’s behavior. All I kept thinking was that Aurora was too good for all of us, too good for me. All because of my family and their misconstrued views, this beautiful, innocent woman was about to have her world flipped upside down.
“I’m so sorry, Aurora. What can I do to make it up to you?”
With a speed that surprised me and a glare that spoke volumes, Aurora turned around to face me, and I instantly quieted.
