“Forget about him,” I told myself as I packed up my larger lights and pieces of gear as the partygoers began to arrive. “You’re about to escape this marriage unscathed and with an annulment.”
But a part of me started daydreaming about hanging out with Chris after this was all over.
He’s not going to want to be with you. He’ll want someone like Addison.
I forced myself to focus on my job and roamed around, taking pictures. The party was beautiful. The mom-to-be waddled around, accepting pets and treats. I snapped several adorable photos of guests with her.
Because this was a weeknight party, most people weren’t hitting the alcohol too hard, though there were always exceptions. I noted the men who were already sloppily drunk and tried to keep them out of the photos and away from me.
I set up a ladder in an empty corner of the garden to take some wide-angle shots of the partygoers spilling out into the beautifully manicured French garden. It was like a movie set, all the well-dressed high-society attendees mingling out among the flowers.
“Hey!” a man slurred down from around knee height. He gestured with his drink. “You should take a picture of me.”
I catalogued him—washed-up trust fund kid, most likely peaked in high school and was trying to reclaim the glory days.
He took another swig of his beer. Sometimes it was better to humor his type and then send them on their way. I climbed down the ladder.
“Sure, I’ll take your picture,” I told him, snapping a few haphazard shots.
“Okay, thanks for your help,” I chirped. “I’ve got to get back to photographing.”
Except that the guy didn’t take the hint.
“I wanna see them,” he slurred, grabbing for my camera.
“No,” I said forcefully, jerking away. I did not allow anyone to touch my equipment.
“I’m not going to break it,” he insisted, advancing on me.
I backed into something firm and large.
“My wife said no,” Chris snarled behind me.
I glanced up at him. His eyes were dark and dangerous in the low light.
“I have it under control,” I croaked.
Chris moved me behind him and advanced on the much shorter trust-fund kid.
“Shit, Chris,” Trust-fund kid said, backing away. “I didn’t know…” He swallowed. “That’s a hot-looking wife you got there.”
“I know,” Chris said, baring his teeth. “And I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
The trust-fund kid saluted and stumbled away.
I turned on Chris. “I don’t need you to come to my job and…and…”
“Rescue you?” Chris finished, taking me in his arms.
“We’re getting an annulment,” I reminded him as his hands drifted up to cup my face.
“Yes,” he said, “but not tonight.”
I should have pushed him away, but I was still holding my camera. And besides, he was a very good kisser. I moaned as his mouth claimed mine, one of his large hands tangled in my hair, holding my head steady so he could slip his tongue in my mouth. I whimpered against him, feeling dizzy as his other hand traveled down my chest to press briefly between my legs then slid under my shirt and under my bra to cup my breast.
I strained against his touch as he rubbed his thumb over the nipple. My pussy went immediately wet, and all my body wanted his cock in me.
Terrible, terrible idea.
“I’m working,” I gasped, struggling away from him and pulling his hands off of me.
Chris hooked two fingers around my camera-bag strap, pulled me back toward him, and rested his forehead against mine. His blue eyes were as dark as the ocean as he gazed at me, lips parted.
“I want you, Grace,” he said in a low, deep voice. “I’d fuck you if we weren’t in front of all these people.”
“One of us needs to maintain some self-control,” I whispered back.
He gave me a crooked smile. “I bet I could make you lose all self-control.”
32
Chris
Grace gave me a hungry look. She wanted me.
I had a very thin line to walk. I needed my grandfathers’ inheritance money, so an annulment was out of the question. But I also didn’t want Grace to clean me out in a divorce. Telling her there was money on the line meant she would rightfully ask for a portion of it, since she would need to stay married to me and keep up the act.
She might not want anything.
Or she might. I didn’t actually know her.
She seems trustworthy.
But so had Addison. I needed to tank the option of an annulment, but