Page 53 of Close Your Eyes
The staircase is roped off, and the outside has many more people mingling about out there. Twinkling lights glitter against the night sky, and I spot Posey out there, standing all alone, looking out across the light-blue waters of the ocean. Just moments ago, she was standing with Bane. Now, he remains behind, engrossed in conversation with some government officials.
“You’re Ledger Thorne,” the woman says beside me.
I nod at her. “You’re correct. Congrats. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” I say, walking away, heading outside right to Posey.
She’s like a magnet, and I can’t stay away from her.
I should go say my hellos to Bane. I should mingle. I should be watching his crew to see if anything looks out of the ordinary, but instead of all of that I find myself wanting to steal one minute alone with Posey.
“Hi,” she says before I’ve even gotten to her. She faces away from me, her long brown hair in waves down her back.
I want to reach out and touch it. Like spun silk.
“Hey,” I say, trying to sound casual, but feeling anything but. The last time we were alone together I kissed her.
I fucking kissed her and loved every second of it.
Her kiss is forever ingrained into my memory. The taste of it. The way she leaned into me. The way her lips felt pressed up against mine.
“Are you enjoying the party?” She spins around to face me, and the look in her eyes takes my breath away.
“Sure. Are you?”
She looks away, the sadness in her eyes shining through. “Yes, now that you’re here.”
There’s something not right about her engagement to Bane. Why would a woman like Posey ever want him?
“Are you with him because of money? Because he’s got it?”
She gazes up at me with wide eyes. “What?”
“I went by your father’s place and I just…” my words fall away when I see how visibly upset she’s getting.
She parks her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me? You went to my father’s house?” She drops her hands as she paces the small space between us. “And what? You saw what a dump I grew up in and you figured I’d marry my way out of it? You think I’m a gold digger?” Tears well in her eyes, and I want to swipe them away.
“I’m sorry,” I say, at a loss of words. “I didn’t mean…” I don’t finish my sentence, because I don’t know exactly what I mean.
If she was a gold digger I could understand it more. I could understand why a woman like her would ever marry a monster like him.
She pokes a finger into my chest, her anger clear on her face. “You don’t get to ask me questions like that. How dare you? Do you really think that’s the type of person I am?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know.” I guess I don’t know what type of woman she is.
She studies me for a beat, and then huffs as she storms away.
Fuck.
“Hey,” Devereaux says, walking up to me as I watch Posey retreat. “Did I interrupt something?”
Devereaux and Chloe step closer toward me.
“Where’s Posey going?” Chloe asks in a green ball gown that matches the color of her eyes.
“I don’t know,” I whisper, still watching Posey as she removes the rope from the staircase and heads upstairs.
“Did you two get into a fight?” Dev asks, wearing his tuxedo.
“No.” I shake my head, trying to erase the past five minutes. “What are you two doing here? Where’s the baby?”