Page 23 of Tainted Promise

Vanna’s whole body shook in the face of my anger. She shrank in on herself, and my rage instantly fizzled, replaced by guilt. Taking a deep breath, I let go of the irrational anger and told her why I was there in the first place. “I need you to go to a gala ball tonight.”

Her head snapped back up. “Tonight? But it’s already five o’clock.”

“You have two hours to get ready. That should be plenty of time.”

Her mouth dropped open, and she ripped off the apron she’d been wearing, a cloud of flour puffing up around her. “Of course.”

Her steps were stiff, and I was surprised she hadn’t argued with me more. Part of me hoped she would. I enjoyed seeing the fire she so rarely showed. But instead of telling me how unreasonable I was, she walked away, not sparing me a second glance. I didn’t like her dismissal and refused to acknowledge why.

“You’re an asshole.” Jude snaggedyet another cookie. “At least pretend to be a decent human being instead of a grumbling ogre.”

Ignoring my brother, I walked into a room off the other side of the house, needing space to clear my head.

The room was bare, without so much as curtains on the windows. I realized with a start that I’d left my wife in a house without furniture.

Where has she been sleeping? I really am an asshole.Since there was nowhere to sit except in the kitchen, I spent the next two hours listening to my brother loudly chew on various baked goods while flirting with the housekeeper. I barely worked, my thoughts drifting to Vanna at every opportunity.

I was on the phone when suddenly everything went quiet, followed by Jude whistling. “Hell, if you weren’t my sister-in-law, I’d tell you how fuckable you look. But since you are, I’ll tell you how gorgeous you look instead.”

Reaching over, I slapped him over the head, nearly missing my target when my eyes fell on Vanna.

She wore a midnight-blue floor-length gown that was fitted around her breasts, then fell in soft waves around her body. It brushed the floor, but I caught glimpses of sparkling silver heels on her feet.

The gown fit her perfectly, emphasizing her figure. And once again, I couldn’t stop staring at her.

Buttoning my suit jacket, I stood up, then slid my phone into the inside pocket of my suit. My clothes felt tight, and it took all my concentration to ignore the urge to go to her and taste her again. “The limo is waiting outside. Let’s go before Mom blows up my phone.”

Jude shook his head at me, disappointment clear on his face. He held Vanna’s wrap as she slipped into it, then offered her his arm before leading her outside. I followed, trying and failing not to notice the sway of her lithe body, or the perfect curve of her ass.

Jude helped Vanna into the limo, then slid in next to her, leaving me to sit on my own on the opposite bench. I didn’t complain since it meant I could watch her more.

When did I turn into such a creep?

They talked about Vanna’s day with my mom and sister. Her throaty voice was addictive. I could listen to her little giggles at the ridiculous things that came out of Jude’s mouth for hours.

Neither of them looked at me once, making me feel like I was an intruder in my own damn car. By the time we pulled up in front of the museum, I was strung tight.

The driver opened the door, and once again Jude assisted Vanna, then offered her his arm.

“Jude,” I growled while smiling. There were still a lot of people outside, and I didn’t want to cause an unnecessary scene.

My brother stepped back, winking at Vanna. “Sorry, gorgeous. The caveman you’re now married to doesn’t want me walking you inside.”

Taking her icy hand in mine, I fought back the urge to put my arm around her to shield her from the wind. We made it inside, and she cleared her throat when we stood in front of the cloakroom, but I was still holding on tightly to her hand.

Forcing myself to release her, I reached for her wrap. “Right. Here, let me help you.”

Her wrap slipped off, revealing her bare shoulders. I covered the groan that escaped with a cough, earning myself a smirk from Jude and a puzzled look from Vanna.

The event was already well underway, the dance floor crowded, the bar overflowing with patrons. Taking Vanna’s hand, I steered her to the other side of the room. She looked around with wide eyes, taking in the glitz and glamour as if she’d never seen it before.

I hadn’t noticed her at any events, but that didn’t mean she’d never been.

Jude found us a high table to stand around and then went off to get drinks. I preferred sit-down dinners since I had better things to do than chase waiters around the room to get my food. I hoped Vanna had already eaten; the small portions they usually served at these events were tasty but minuscule.

Whoever invented hors d’oeuvres should be forced to only eat the tiny servings for the rest of their life.

My phone had been vibrating since we’d walked inside, and I finally pulled it out, frowning at the display. I excused myself to make a call, leaving Vanna by herself at the table. Jude would be back any minute, and I didn’t want to wait to sort this out. We had security all around the place, so she would be safe.

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