Page 12 of Enthrall Climax
Thanks to Henry, my family had accepted my fiancée after he’d proclaimed she’d been the one to save him from his reclusive life in Big Bear. A spontaneous visit from her had soothed his depression. From the way they’d been huddled together earlier I could see they were close.
The true miracle here was that Mia had survived a day of shopping with our mom with the help of Aunt Rose, who had been there to smooth out the afternoon in a high-end store on Fifth Avenue. Those kinds of luxury stores were not a natural habitat for Mia.
“You can’t go wrong with Vera Wang,” said Henry.
I froze mid-sip as that designer’s name screeched into my brain like a train derailing…
Shay studied me. “You okay?”
I spun around to face the bar as I replayed Henry’s words.Vera Wang.
A horrifying memory replayed in my head, a nightmare visage of lush white tulle slashed into pieces, scattered all over my Beverly Hills bedroom.
“Finally sinking in?” Henry downed the rest of his drink. “My little brother’s getting hitched.”
I raised my hand toward the barman. “I’m gonna need something stronger.”
THE PARTY ATTHEMANDARINended at midnight and we all shared our sleepy, alcohol-hazed goodbyes. I held back as my friends and colleagues poured out onto the curb.
Feigning being single was not only hard because I wanted to be able to show heaps of PDA to Cameron all night, it was also flooding me with guilt for seeing how it was affecting him. Still, in a few more weeks I’d have the chance to establish myself as a legitimate employee and not be seen as a woman who had merely used her connections.
Although we had left the hotel separately, we were soon together again and snuggling in the back of the SUV as Ben drove us away. Resting my head against Cameron’s chest and feeling safe with his arm wrapped around me, I drifted off.
“Mia.”
His voice stirred me from sleep.
I rubbed my tired eyes, expecting to see the entrance to The Walker Tower that led to our penthouse, but I recognized nothing around us. “Where are we?”
“Detour.” He peered up at the immense office building. “Chelsea.”
It was really happening…
I followed his gaze toward the modern brick and glass structure, unsettled that he’d chosen such a late hour. We both had work tomorrow, but after the way I’d begged for this I shouldn’t be surprised. “Will there be others?”
Will they watch us?
He removed something from his jacket pocket and opened his palm.
Staring down at the silver key, I muttered, “You’re not leaving me here?”
He closed his fist and tapped the glass divider. “Ben.”
Our chauffeur got out and opened the passenger door for us and I followed Cameron onto the curb.
He gave Ben a nod of thanks. “Wait for us.”
That was my first clue this wouldn’t take long—whatever it was. Cameron was always conscious of his driver’s time, even if he was paid well.
We headed into the foyer, its modern chrome and sleek design contrasting vastly with the exterior. The place was deserted and the lights had been dimmed to fit with the late hour. We threw a wave at the night manager sitting behind the sprawling reception desk as we hurried toward the elevator.
“Is it a private party?” I held the rail, trying to shake off my sleepiness as we ascended. “Are we meeting someone?”
He shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. “No.”
Warmth soaked into my bones as I snuggled into his tuxedo jacket. A waft of his cologne made a rush of excitement slither up my spine. “How did you find this place?”
“Did my research.” He tucked his hands into his pockets with sophisticated style and gave me one of his affectionate smiles. That was another clue. Cameron hadn’t slipped into his dominant demeanor yet so there was still time to ask questions.
