Page 38 of Divine Sense

My mother was standing in the foyer fluffing the fresh stems that had been delivered for the luncheon that my father was hosting today as a campaign fundraiser. I had been told I was expected to be here and be on my best behavior.As if I have ever publicly misbehaved at these types of events, I thought when my mother called to remind me of today’s events for the fourth time.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I turned my palms up at my hips and looked at my outfit. I had decided to wear a deep navy blue dress with short sleeves that buttoned down the front. I’d sent it to be pressed this morning, so the collar was sharp and the belt that looped around my waist wasn’t wrinkled in the slightest. On my feet were a pair of my favorite white kitten heels that matched the clutch I was carrying. I thought I looked professional and appropriate for the luncheon setting, but apparently I’d thought wrong.

“Magnolia, your father is running a Republican campaign and you’re wearing blue. You cannot seriously believe this is okay,” she hissed, taking a few hasty steps towards me. I winced when she grabbed me by the elbow, digging her freshly filed nails into my skin, and dragged me towards the staircase. “I figured you wouldn’t be able to dress yourself appropriately so I had something purchased for you. It’s laying out on the bed in your bedroom. Go put it on, now.”

“No, I want to wear this.” I yanked my arm from hers and furrowed my brows at her.

“Magnolia, you promised you would be on your best behavior. Now go change and don’t come down until you do or you can see yourself out. I will not have you embarrassing your father today. This is a very important day for him, some of his biggest campaign supporters will be here and they will not see how blatantly disrespectful his daughter is. Do you care about this family at all?” The shooting pain that matched that of a quick slice of a scalpel ran across my heart at her words.

“Of course I care, there’s nothing I care about more than this family.” I tried to swallow the lump that was slowly growing in the back of my throat.

“If you really cared, you would do as your parents ask of you. And right now, I’m asking you to go and change before our guests arrive,” she lamented, as if the way I was behaving was soiling the family name for the rest of eternity. I paused for a beat before dropping my shoulders and walked up the stairs in defeat.

An hour and a half later,I was weaving through the crowds of people who had accepted the invite to our Sunday luncheon. Itwas more of an afternoon party than a luncheon, as there were close to a hundred people here and our private chef had called in his catering team to provide for everyone. My mother had pulled out all the stops. A string quartet sat playing classical music in the main living room while waiters wearing white bow ties and black suit jackets walked around with silver trays full of shrimp puffs and deviled quail eggs.

Several times I’d been stopped by some of the guests and asked about how I felt about my fathers run for the senate seat. My answers were cordial, professional, and nothing but supportive. I might not have the best relationship with my father, or either of my parents really, but I did support him in his run for office. My father, while not the best at playing daddy, was a good man. A strong man. And a man who I believe could do a lot of good if he won.

Plus, if I acted anything short of enthusiastically supportive, my mother wouldn’t hesitate to write me out of the will and hang me out to dry.

As I exchanged polite niceties, my mind wandered to other places. One place really. The place where I spent New Years Eve and the person I spent the night with. It was the third Sunday of January and just a few days after he’d texted me asking about if there’s any place I’d like to visit that I haven’t been already. We’d texted on and off since I left his place the morning of New Years Day but we haven’t gotten together again. Three weeks is a long time to sit and think about things.

How he pinned me against the wall as if I weighed nothing.

The way his strong hand felt soft, yet hungry as he ran it down my waist.

The wave of ecstasy I felt as he?—

“Hello, Miss Sinclair.” The voice ripped me out of my daydream and brought me back to the present. I turned my head to follow the smooth sound of his voice and when I saw him,my breath got caught in my throat. He was wearing a perfectly tailored, tan glen plaid suit that accentuated the deep umber tone of his skin. He must have gotten a haircut recently as the sides of his head were now shaved and faded. He gave me a handsome smile that showed off his teeth and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into me.

“Hello, again, Mr. Vesey,” I answered, trying to stifle the smile that was attempting to paint itself across my face.

“Did I interrupt something? You looked like you were deep in thought.”

My hands came to his chest and I straightened the wool tie he was wearing, breathing in his signature Tom Ford cologne.

“Oh, it was nothing. I was just thinking about this amazing night I had a few weeks ago, on New Years Eve. I went home with this guy and the things he did to me.” I moaned just loud enough for the two of us to hear. “It’s something I’d like to happen again, if I’m honest.” I looked up and batted my lashes at him before he cleared his throat loudly and took a step back.

“It sounds like a good time,” he offered, wiping his hands down the front of his jacket.

“It was agreattime,” I cooed, closing the gap he had created between us. “The best time I’ve had in a long time. I’m not sure about him though, he’s been pretty distant since. I’ve tried to get together with him again but he’s always avoided the offer. I’m worried I did something wrong or he doesn’t like me.” My arms crossed in front of me as I waited for him to reply. He looked around the room and smiled at some of the guests who were moving throughout the house before he brought his glance back to me.

“I can assure you that it has nothing to do with not liking you and everything to do with needing to try and keep things professional. I would imagine a relationship like that is a verydelicate thing.” He was keeping his words loose and nondescript incase anyone passing by overheard our conversation. He brought his face closer to mine before speaking. “I can also assure you that he hasn’t stopped thinking about that night either and has had to help himself along a few times at the memory of it all because not having you on him like that since is causing all sorts of discomfort.”

My lips pressed together before pulling back into a coy smirk. Hearing that he’s gotten himself off to the thought of our night together, just like I had done in my own time, made my cheeks flush. I squeezed my thighs together under my dress and started to open my mouth to say something when an older gentleman approached us.

“Sorry to interrupt, are you Kolbi Vesey?”

“I am, yes.” Kolbi gave the man his hand to shake and brought the other to his core and nodded his head.

“Hello, Mr. Vesey, my name is Mark Jones. My business partner and I would love to discuss a potential working relationship with you.” The man waved his hand toward another man who was standing across the room.

“Of course, I’d love to meet him.” He turned to me and gave me a small smile before walking away with the man. “I will talk to you soon, Miss Sinclair. You take care now.” He winked at me before he was gone.

Over the next two hours, I mingled with party guests and chatted with wealthy powerful figures from around the city. One after the other, I touted my father like the dutiful daughter he wanted me to be and encouraged people to support him at the polls. Whenever I could, I tried to sneak a peek at him from across the room, but every time I tried, I would find that he was already looking back at me. Each time I would find his hooded eyes scanning my body, the internal heat inside of me climbed a little more. My desire for him was starting to take the reins ofthe logical parts of my brain and it was becoming more and more difficult to focus on anything but my thoughts of his bare skin against mine.

“Would you excuse me?” I bowed my head and excused myself from a dreadfully boring conversation between two men I couldn’t remember the names of and walked steadfast towards him. He was standing just inside the foyer talking to a woman wearing pearls that were at least a hundred years old.

“Mr. Vesey, excuse me, there’s a very important matter I need to discuss with you.” I tried to keep my voice level and flashed a smile at the old woman. “Nothing to worry about, just something I need to discuss with Mr. Vesey. His security firm is top notch, you really must consider him for any personal needs you may have.” The older woman smiled back as I patted him on the arm and looped my hand under it. The feeling of my hand wrapped around his bicep didn’t help to dispel my hunger for him. He gave me a sideways glance as I pulled him from the conversation he’d been having, dragging him towards the back part of the house that we always closed off during public events like today’s luncheon.

---