Page 90 of Lovers' Dance

My smile got tighter as I lied. “It’s not fake and stop being bossy.”

Matt held an arm out for me, and I took it without hesitation as we began to follow the other guests. I couldn’t help staring at his ex. She was wearing a sophisticated black cocktail dress that hugged the lines of her figure. Her accessories: diamonds—and I knew they were the real thing. A pair of Louboutins finished her attire. I patted my wild curls self-consciously after noting the sleek chignon of blonde silkiness gracing her head. If she wasn’t a supermodel, then she was Aphrodite. And she was Matt’s ex.

“How long were you two together for?” I murmured as we walked through the massive double doors. We were the last ones to leave the salon.

“Long enough, poppet.”

I squeezed his arm and he twisted his head to arch that eyebrow at me.

“Bullshit answer, Matt.”

He nodded, jaw clenched tightly, before he sighed and shrugged. “Longer than I was happy with and this is not the time, nor the place, to have this discussion.”

He was wearing that aloof expression on his face, the one that signalled he was done talking about it. Whether or not I wanted the conversation to continue didn’t matter. I sighed and mentally prepared myself for the upcoming ordeal. It was bad enough I had embarrassed myself in front Matt’s family, although that situation wasn’t of my own doing. An unlucky twist of fate and Satan’s hounds were wholly responsible for my pool dunking.

Now I had to deal with the fact Matt’s ex was here. Why was she here? Why on earth would she be invited when his parents knew he was bringing me to dinner? It couldn’t be deliberate…could it? No, no, I wouldn’t think that way. Matt had mentioned their families were close. Just having close friends over for grub, friends whose daughter used to screw your son.

It had to be deliberate.

“Stop frowning, poppet,” Matt hissed between clenched teeth as he led me along a hallway with paintings lining the walls. I jerked to a stop in front of one. Matt tugged me forward. Impatiently.

“Is that a—”

“Matisse, yes,” Matt supplied quickly as I dragged my feet. “It’s a copy. The real painting is in one of my father’s vaults somewhere with all the others. Hurry up, poppet. I don’t want us to be the last ones seated.”

I hurried. When we entered another humongous room, I had to pause to take in the grandeur. I knew Matt’s family was loaded, but damn. Crystal chandeliers that wouldn’t look out of place in an exclusive hotel hung from the high ceiling. Ten formally dressed staff waited at designated points around a huge dining table, which glistened and gleamed from the dinnerware. The floor in this room was marble, like the foyer. There were columns, marble columns that matched the floor. And the softest hint of background music—classical, of course.

“Bollocks,” Matt muttered under his breath, eyeing the table with trepidation.

“What?” I muttered back, smoothing a hand over my curls before tugging my t-shirt nervously.

“Place cards, poppet.” Matt glared at the table as the other guests started taking their allocated seats. “Your name better be next to mine.”

I noticed little white cards placed neatly in front each seat on our approach to the fancy table. I echoed Matt’s annoyed words in my head.

“Madi,” Natty called, with a hand beckoning me over. “You’re seated with us.”

I looked to where she and her sister stood. It was at one end of the large table, the end where Grumps sat. Oh shit. I prayed Matt’s name was next to mine. Obviously God was busy dealing with another more important crisis the moment my prayer went through, because there was only one free chair next to the girls. Matt and I exchanged a look.

“It’ll be fine, poppet. I’ll swap with Trouble. I promised not to leave your side tonight.”

Look how well that turned out, I thought, remembering the pool water closing over my head as I stared a canine-induced death in the eye.

The other guests were almost seated when Matt and I walked over to Natty. I could feel Grumps’s beady gaze on me, watching me with eyes so similar to Matt’s.

“Trouble,” Matt murmured, tweaking Natty’s nose. “Let’s change seats.”

“Matt, darling. You’re next to me.” A sultry, feminine voice called from the other side of the table. My head snapped around.Aphrodite.Matt was going to be seated next to Aphrodite. Her presence here had been deliberate, I decided in irritation. Matt sitting next to his hot ex was not happening.

Matt flashed her a quick smile as he replied, “Louisa, you can’t possibly want to be subjected to me boring you all through dinner.”

“You could never bore me, darling,” she shot back, with a seductive fluttering of eyelids.Was she insane?Did she not sense danger? Did Aphrodite not fear a duel of epic proportions where only one of us would emerge bloodied and victorious?

Wow. Jealousy was a bitch. Never had I experienced such an obliteration of logical thought. All I wanted was to sock her in the face and wipe that smirk off her mouth. This was nothing in comparison to watching Dante with his girlfriends. This was the seething green of jealousy, mingled with the vivid red of anger clouding my vision. Matt better swap seats if he knew what was good for him, and what the hell was up with her calling him ‘darling’ in her posh voice? This was not happening.

“Matthew,” Grumps barked from his end of the table. “Sit down. I’m hungry and you’re making everyone wait.”

Matt sent me a resigned look, then made his way over to the other side of the table. I silently took my seat next to Natty, in shock over Matt’s immediate compliance to his grandfather’s command. My Matt, who always did what he wanted, was sheepishly sitting down next to his ex. It reminded me of the twins’ behaviour earlier. It seemed Grumps was the big dog in the Bradley clan, and I was seated way too close for comfort to him. There was one couple on my right between Grumps and me. I was beginning to think one couple wouldn’t be enough. I looked up and down the table. Matt’s dad, William, Jr, was at the other end. His wife, Portia, sat smiling confidently next to him. Matt’s siblings were down the other end, too. I was interspersed between the guests I hadn’t yet had a formal introduction to.

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