Page 59 of Vicious Seduction
“We could run over there.” Oran looked at me. “If you’re up for it.”
I wasn’t tired and the club had been intriguing. I hadn’t been able to spend much time there at the masquerade. “Absolutely.”
“Appreciate it, man. I spent three hours over there today and was hoping to be done.”
“No problem at all.”
We said our goodbyes to Conner and his wife, promising to have dinner together again soon. I wanted that to happen way more than I should have. I wanted all of it. The close-knit family. The lighthearted conversation. The security of a devoted partner. Those sort of luxuries weren’t easy to come by, but once you had a taste, everything else paled in comparison.
I spent the short drive over to the club trying not to think about how I would manage once it was all gone. Oran must have been lost in his head as well because he was equally as distracted. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, however, and within minutes, we pulled up at the non-descript building I’d ventured to weeks earlier. I hoped that this time my visit to Bastion would be far less dramatic.
“Mr. Byrne, so glad you could join us tonight. It’s been awhile.” A beautiful woman smiled broadly from behind a counter in the lobby. Too broadly. I didn’t like it.
“We’re just popping in for a few. Ashleigh, this is Lina.”
I extended my hand and spoke before he could continue. “Oran’s fiancé.”
The woman’s eyes rounded as she shook my hand.
That’s right, little miss. You can tone down the wattage on your fuck-me smile.
I took Oran’s arm and prompted him to continue to the elevator, wordlessly dismissing the hostess. An amused chuckle rumbled from deep in Oran’s chest. I chose to ignore it. Yes, I’d acted childish, especially considering the man wasn’t really mine, but I didn’t care. If I was trying to make this look real, like he’d wanted, then I couldn’t tolerate such obvious flirtation. It was all part of the act. Obviously.
Oran’s eyes heated to molten steel when the elevator doors closed behind us. Was that part of the act as well? It had to be, right? I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to tell.
The way his eyes licked down my body felt as real as my thundering heart pounding in my chest.
“I was wondering if I’d get the chance to hear you say it.”
“Say what?” I asked breathlessly.
“Introduce yourself as my fiancée.”
I lifted my chin and asked with as much disinterest as I could muster, “And how did it feel?”
“Ill-fitting.”
My spine stiffened reflexively. His unexpected response pierced straight past my armor to the soft insecurities beneath. “Sorry to disappoint,” I said with forced calm, eyes dropping to the floor.
“I suppose I’ll just have to be patient because I suspect it won’t sound right until you’re calling yourself my wife.”
The elevator came to a stop, jarring my already shaky equilibrium.
Did he say what I thought he just said?
How incredibly presumptive and patriarchal. I should have been outraged. I should have balked and told him how absurd he sounded or laughed at the sarcasm in his tone. Only … the comment didn’t sound absurd, and I couldn’t detect an ounce of sarcasm. And when I met his steely gaze, I knew without a doubt that he was 100 percent serious.
CHAPTER 31
ORAN
This time,Lina was the one to hit the emergency stop button right before the doors could open.
“Why would you say that?” she demanded, eyes searching mine.
“Why? Because I meant it. I would marry you tomorrow if…”
“If?” she prompted, her voice a whisper of disbelief.