Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,87
angry and she had seen him manipulative and part of her was scared that once he knew that she was leaving him for good, all of his previous behaviour would seem like a walk in the park compared to the reaction that this decision would receive.
Meanwhile, here in Swindon in a swanky hotel, she had a couple of days to herself. A couple of days with no one around to judge her – her work colleagues were no threat on that score – and plenty of time to think about her future and to begin to embrace the rest of her life.
She didn’t know whether that would include Vaughn Granger or not but she finally accepted that she would forever regret it if she didn’t take this opportunity to find the hell out.
Bending down, she slid her knickers off and out from underneath her dress and deposited them in the bin on the way out of the door. Feeling like a new woman, she strode back to the ballroom, to their dinner table in the corner and to the first evening of her new life.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The second that Elise entered the ballroom she could feel Vaughn’s eyes on her, as if he had been watching the door to see if she would return. Closing the door behind her, she looked across at their table and immediately their eyes connected. Reading the question in his, she gave a brief nod and made the rest of the journey across the room, outwardly showing a level of bravery that she was far from feeling.
This ‘going commando’ business was a completely new experience for Elise and she was still trying to get her head around whether or not she liked it. Even though she knew that she was well and truly covered and that there was only one person in the room that knew she was minus her underwear, she still couldn’t help feeling bare and vulnerable.
Aware of a pair of very dark eyes watching her entire journey, she made it back to the table in record time, keen to sit down before she did something stupid like tumble over a non-existent lump in the carpet and allow the majority of the assembled guests to witness her virgin commando moment.
Slipping into her seat, she noted the unmistakable glint in Vaughn’s eye and immediately began to doubt if she had done the right thing. What had seemed reckless and exciting in the solitude of the ladies room a few moments ago now felt slightly crazy and definitely more than a little dangerous.
“You’ve returned then, Miss Grayson – are you feeling ‘refreshed’ after your visit to the ladies room?”
Quickly Elise glanced around the table to see if anyone else had heard his comment and maybe read into the innuendo but they were all far too busy with their own conversations to take any notice of Elise and her lack of underwear.
“It’s a little cooler in here now, don’t you think?” Vaughn said deadpan, and Elise only just resisted the urge to punch him again.
As if sensing her awkwardness and enjoying every minute of it, Vaughn continued to tease her mercilessly until she was on the verge of getting up and walking right back out, retrieving her underwear from the bin on the way!
“Will you just stop it?” she hissed “I can’t believe you asked me to take off my underwear and now you’ve done nothing but tease me about it since. Can’t you see how uncomfortable I feel with all of this?! It’s not as if I make a habit of attending posh dinners without wearing any knickers!”
The instant the words left her mouth a feeling of complete terror hit her as she belatedly realised that they were no longer alone. The waiter was standing at her shoulder ready to deliver their main and he was standing so close to her, that there was no way he had not heard every single word.
Her ultimate shame now complete, she waited until the waiter had placed her food – he somehow managing to keep a commendable poker-face - and then she rose from the table walking as fast as her legs would carry her back out of the ballroom.
Her cheeks were on fire and she pressed the coolness of her palms against them as she headed back towards the ladies room to retrieve her underwear. Why, oh why did she think she could do this? Surely letting a man such as Vaughn dictate to her was exactly the