Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,83
I find him looking back at me – what do you think I should do?”
“Jesus – don’t ask me, ‘Leste. If anyone knows nothing about romance then it’s me.”
“But you’ve got Dale and you’ve been married forever – surely you must be able to give me some advice? I’ve never felt this tongue-tied around a guy before.”
Deciding that she really had to come clean with Celeste, at least on some level, she steered her friend a little away from their group to an alcove adjoining the main ballroom and restaurant area.
“’Leste,” she began “There’s something you need to know – something that I’ve been meaning to tell you for ages but the time has never been right.” She swallowed and then carried on.
“Dale and I – it’s not all as rosy as you may think. Things between us are strained, have been for some time now and I honestly don’t know what the future holds for us. There is more – much more that you need to know but now is not the time or the place. Suffice to say that my marriage is not all that it seems and I will tell you more when I can. For the record, apart from yourself, there are only two other people that know the truth – Cole and Vaughn. I would really like to keep it that way.” She glanced up to see her friend’s eyes wide with shock.
“Shit, Elise – I never would have known. Why the hell didn’t you tell me before? Are you OK? Can I do anything?”
Elise held up a hand to stop her friend’s questions. “I am fine, honestly. This isn’t anything new, things have been falling apart for a long time. It’s only now that I’m beginning to think they may be irreparable.”
“This has something to do with last week, doesn’t it? The fight with Cole and Dale? I knew there was something off then but you just seemed to suggest it was all fine and like the fool that I am, I believed you.”
“’Leste – you were meant to believe me, that’s the point. I’ve been lying to you just like I’ve been lying to everyone else and I am truly sorry. When you know the full story, you’ll understand why it is so hard for me to talk about it but I really want you to know – it’s just that we can’t do it here, now. I’m fine, honestly, and when I can, I will tell you everything – I promise.”
“Ok – if you’re sure?”
Elise nodded “I’m sure – and thank you, Celeste. You don’t know how much of a relief it is to have finally told you.”
Celeste hugged her again. “I am always here for you, Elise, I promise. And I swear on my life that I will never tell a soul. If you need me, you know where I am.”
With one more quick squeeze, she headed away from the alcove and back to the group, leaving Elise alone to gather her thoughts.
“I can’t tell you how much I wished it was me giving you that hug,” whispered an unmistakably sexy voice in her ear, “especially the squeeze at the end. I got hard just thinking about how that would feel.”
Elise turned and came face to face with Vaughn - his dark eyes, deep enough to drown in were on fire - and she had to swallow to formulate any conscious thought. He was standing close to her, almost indecently close, and she could smell his usual musky scent, which always turned her legs to jelly. He was wearing a dinner suit and she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Whilst Sam and Roger had stuck with the traditional suit, Vaughn had gone for a full dinner jacket with bow tie and tapered trousers that hugged the lines of his legs to perfection. Elise felt her mouth begin to water. The affect this man had on her was out of this world and judging from the looks that some of the other women were giving him, she wasn’t the only one afflicted.
“Hell Elise,” he continued, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen – you do things to me that I never knew were possible. That dress........” His eyes began a lazy inspection taking in the detail of the high collar all the way down to her calves and then coming back to rest on her face again, holding her gaze for a few minutes longer