Page 104 of Perfect Liar

“You mean it was the men coming after us?”

“It was a warning. We’ll leave right after this cocktail party.”

A cold rush of anxiety slithered through my body.

“They’re getting closer,” I whispered.

He tightened his embrace.

“Make no mistake, Elle, they’re coming after us. You’ll be safe at Eastridge, I promise.”

“But what about you? Are you coming back to London?”

“James is maturing into his position quite nicely. He can manage most business on my behalf, but clients do expect to see me. Investors expect to deal directly with me. And I need to look into questionable transactions Ethan made while I was away. The stakes are high in this business, baby. Our success depends on aggressive leadership.”

“Okay, yes, I get it. Who is James?”

“I’ll introduce you inside. He and others want to meet you.”

“Could I see your office sometime, Will?”

He grinned.

“Yeah, I don’t think the boss will mind.”

His smug little smile, his wink…it made me ache for more, and he knew it.

He slid his hands down to my ass.

“I won’t come back until I’ve had you a full night in my bed.”

Then he led me inside, where more people had gathered.

The room became pin-drop quiet, and everyone just stared.

CHAPTER 30

Will and I went straight to the bar, where he put champagne in my hand and grabbed his glass of whisky without letting go of my other hand.

I shifted my weight and squeezed his fingers.

“Ease into it, Elle. They’ll adore you.”

I was so nervous.

“But why are they staring like that?”

“Who wouldn’t? Christ, you’re amazing.”

Damn him. I needed more than an expression of ego-driven pride. I lifted my chin, narrowed my eyes.

“Will.”

He took a drink of his whisky.

“Maybe it’s a poorly mannered society compared to your politically correct upbringing, but you’ll get used to it. People are just curious.”

His gaze moved over my shoulder, and he nodded at someone as he pulled me by his side.