Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire #1) - Tracie Delaney Page 0,28
later.”
“You’ll be busy later,” a rasping voice snapped next to my ear. Ryker clutched my arm, holding on tighter than was comfortable. “Your guests are waiting.”
I shrugged him off. “They’re not my guests. They’re Mom’s guests.”
“Get your ass off that chair and work the room,” Ryker bit out, his tone brooking no argument.
Except I wasn’t in the mood to obey.
“Or you’ll what?”
A nerve ticked in his jaw. “Trust me, you don’t want to find out.”
“Don’t you have a date to fondle?” Try as I might to remain nonchalant and keep the bitterness out of my tone, I failed miserably.
Ryker smirked. “So that’s your problem. Grow up, Athena. Your mom has put an enormous amount of effort into this evening. The least you can do is pretend to be grateful.”
He spun on his heel and marched across the room, leaving me feeling like a total bitch. Ryker always managed to get to me, even when I promised myself I wouldn’t let him. A harsh word here, a sharp glance there, and I always came off worse, no matter how much I tried to defend my corner.
I flashed a wavering smile at Ben, picked up my drink, and made a beeline for Sebastian. He always made me laugh, and I could do with someone to cheer me up.
Twenty minutes later, we were all seated for dinner. I groaned. Mom had put me right across from Ryker and his stupid date, Lissie. What a dumbass name. I’d already decided to hate her—for no other reason than she had Ryker’s arm nestled around her shoulder—when she hit me with a friendly smile.
“We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Lissie. Thank you for inviting me to your homecoming party. I absolutely adore your dress. I wish I could pull off something as spectacular. Sadly, I don’t have a figure, or a face, as beautiful as yours.”
I returned her smile. Well played, Lissie. Well played.
“Thank you. And you’re very welcome. Any friend of Ryker’s is a friend of mine.”
Ryker made a sound remarkably like a snort.
“Sorry, Ryker, I didn’t catch that,” I said, my voice carrying enough sugar to turn the entire room diabetic. “What did you say?”
“Nothing important.” He picked up a bottle of white wine, glancing at the label, then at Lissie. “Would you like a drink, sweetheart? It’s a great vintage.”
“How do you two know each other?” I asked, ignoring the burning sensation in the pit of my stomach at the endearment he’d laid on her.
“Ryker saved me from an embarrassing situation at the grocery store a couple of days ago,” Lissie gazed up at him with adoration. “I went to pay for my items and realized I’d left my wallet at home. He came to the rescue.”
“Aww, would you look at that,” I said. “A regular superhero. We must get you a cape, Ryker.”
“I’m so glad you’re home, Athena,” Ryker drawled. “I’ve missed your grade-school banter.”
Lissie chuckled, completely missing the undertone. “You two are hilarious. Ryker said you were like a sister to him, given you’d grown up together and all.”
How I held back from yelling, well, in that case, it makes what we did incest, because he took my virginity when I was seventeen, I will never know. Luckily for me, I was saved from answering as the appetizers arrived.
Somehow, I made it through dinner, although swallowing was a challenge owing to the enormous lump lodged in my throat. Even drinking copious amounts of wine didn’t shift it. By the time the entrée plates were cleared away, I was ready to throw in the towel, make my excuses, and escape to my room, except Mom wouldn’t stand for that. I’d have to stick it out to the bitter end, but if I didn’t get a break from Ryker whispering sweet nothings in Lissie’s ear soon, I’d throw up all over the table.
“I’ll go help Dora with dessert,” I said to no one in particular.
The kitchen was rammed with the external catering staff Mom brought in to help Dora. I smiled to myself as I watched our housekeeper manage the food preparation like a military operation.
“Do you need any help?” I asked her.
She smiled. “All getting a bit too much, is it?”
“You know me too well, Dora.”
She hugged me. “He’s an idiot, but he’ll figure it out sooner or later.”
I gave her a wan smile. “And here I was thinking I hid it so well.”
“You do, sweetheart. But I’m an old woman, and with age comes wisdom.”