Stalking His Bride - Lucy Darling Page 0,32

same way she looks when I get her into bed.

Am I angry? I’m not sure what this is I’m feeling right now.

“Can I cut in?” my mom asks.

“Of course.” Carly steps back. I reluctantly let her hand go.

“I want you to calm down,” my mom says as we start to dance together. I watch Carly’s mom motion for her to come over.

“I’m calm.”

“Ah.” Mom laughs. “If this is calm we’re about to have a very big problem then.”

“What?” I pull my gaze from Carly down to my mom's concerned face.

“I overheard Carly’s parents talking.” Now she has all my attention. “I thought you might need a heads-up. They invited a man here to meet her.” I stop dancing. Oh, one of the fucks her mom is always trying to set her up with. Mom grabs the front of my suit. “Remain calm.”

Calm? When my eyes find Carly again I see it for myself. A man stands next to Carly’s mom, who is gushing over him. His eyes are all over my girl. He looks familiar but I can’t place him.

“He’s an Astor.”

“An Astor? The fuck.” I never met an Astor that wasn't a piece of shit. That’s who Carly’s mom thought would make for a good husband? He shouldn't even breathe the same air as her.

When I watch him reach out to touch her, I’m done. I hear my mom call after me, but I don’t stop. I walk right past my father, who doesn't try to stop me because he fucking gets it. He had been the same way when it came to my mom all those years ago.

She must sense me because Carly looks my way when I get closer to her. Those big blue eyes go wide. I don’t say anything. I only grab her wrist and pull her away.

“What are you doing? Carly,” her mom starts to say. She doesn't scream, though. I had a feeling she wouldn't want to cause a scene. When I glance back, I see my mom rushing in to talk to her. I have no clue what she’s saying, but I have no doubt she’s stalling to give me time.

“What are you doing?”

“We’re leaving,” I inform her.

“Already? But we—”

“Reed and Tinsley slipped out when we were dancing. Wedding is over.”

“I’m not staying at the hotel. My parents are here. I think I should go home. Alone.” We’ve already made it to the hotel lobby. Her words stop me dead in my tracks. Did she just say alone?

Because I could have sworn that word slipped past those pretty lips of hers. I almost want to burst out laughing like a crazy person. There is no fucking way in hell that she’s going anywhere without me. I have said since the moment I met her that I’d do anything to make her happy, but leaving her alone is where I draw the fucking line. I’m done tiptoeing around the fact that I’m obsessed with her.

18

Carly

I suck in a breath at the expression on James' handsome face. I can feel the air around us change the same way it did the other night in the back of that bar. His hand holding mine tightens. My body lights up with excitement that we are finally getting some sort of reaction from him.

“You want to go home?” His voice is deep, rolling across my skin causing me to break out in goosebumps.

“Carly!” I hear my mom hiss my name. The click of her heels is getting closer.

“Please.”

“Yeah, I’ll take you home.” It almost sounds like a threat. He looks over my head. “Astor. You stay away from my girl or I’ll rip you and your daddy’s world apart. You know I can, motherfucker. Don’t try me. It won’t end well for you.” My mom’s gasp is so loud it echoes through the now quiet lobby. Before I can think too much about her reaction, James is pulling me again. Leading me somewhere besides here.

We exit out the front doors of the hotel. “Town car,” he calls to the valet girl. She rushes over to one opening the back door of a car for us. He ushers me inside, getting in behind me. He says something to the driver that I can’t quite make out because my mind is still stuck on what just happened. I look back to see my mom rushing out of the hotel. She looks both ways but doesn't see us as the car pulls away.

The car is silent as we make the