Page 192 of Scandalous

“Thank you all for being here. This whole thing started as a way for my friends and me to connect with the world in a way we hadn’t been able to before. We all met at boarding school and became fast friends. We turned that friendship into something you guys enjoy following through our many posts. Then we met Aurora and added her in, and you guys welcomed her with open arms.” Ezra turns to look at me, standing off to the side of the stage.

I smile at him, blowing him a kiss.

“Aurora was a surprise, but not one that we would ever change. It’s only been months of us being together as a unit, but it feels like it’s been ages. That’s how you know you’ve met the one. When you can’t imagine your life without them. Well, I can tell you that we cannot imagine our lives without Miss Blake. She’s the missing piece we had been looking for our entire lives.”

He looks back to the crowd. “That’s why tonight is so special. This is usually our last party of the season. We end it with a bang with London, my home city. Instead, we are changing things up this year. You heard it here first. Starting this year, we will be adding a fifth party. This party will represent our beautiful Princess Aurora and will be set in New York. More information will be forthcoming, but we wanted to announce it here. Aurora is here to stay and we could not be happier. As for the charity she has chosen for her party, how about we have her come up and talk about it?”

The entire room claps, making me nervous, but I still manage to make it to Ezra’s side.

He smiles at me before he kisses my lips. Then he steps back but stays close in case I need him.

I love that about him. He’s always trying to anticipate my needs.

“Thank you.” I smile as the crowd quiets down. “Instead of picking an established charity, I decided to start a scholarship fund. When I was growing up, my parents were middle-class farmers. When I turned eighteen, they told me they couldn’t help me with school. I was on my own. I took out loans to put me through college, which I’m still in, by the way. So when the guys asked me who I wanted to help, I decided I wanted to help others like me. So my scholarship fund will be for those eighteen-year-olds who don’t qualify for federal assistance because one or more of their parents make too much money, but the parents will not help them pay for school either. It happens too often. The state expects the parents to continue to pay for the child even though the child is eighteen, but there is no real obligation for them to do so. In the end, the child gets screwed on this. It happened to me, and I know it happens to others. So everyone coming to my party will pay an entrance fee which will go to this fund and any extra donations will be appreciated. Know that I will be reviewing the applications and talking to applicants myself, so I’ll be sure our money goes to helping those who truly need it.”

The room starts clapping again as Ezra moves up next to me. “Isn’t she so smart? Well, enough talking. Let’s get to the partying.”

As we step back together, the lighting dims as the DJ turns up the music.

“You did great. You’re going to help so many people.” Ezra kisses my cheek.

“Only because you guys started all of this. London is the biggest yet. You didn’t tell me how big it would be.” I push his shoulder playfully.

“It was the first one we ever did. We grew it from here. I guess people still like the OG,” he teases.

“Aurora, darling. How wonderful to see you. I always knew it was you.” I turn to find Elizabeth, Ezra’s mom, standing behind me.

“You always knew what was me?” I ask her, leaning in to hug her.

“That you were it for them. I told Ezra time and time again that you were his soul mate, but he refused to listen to me. What does an old woman know? I saw the way he would light up when I’d talk about you though. He was smitten.” She leans over, squeezing his cheek.

“Mum, please. You are bloody embarrassing.”

I chuckle. “Don’t stop. I like seeing him off balance.”

Ezra pulls me to his side, kissing the side of my head. “Mum, can we catch up later? I really need to get Aurora to the other room for her gift.”

I turn, looking up at Ezra. “What gift?”

He smirks. “You’ll see.”

“Of course. You children go play. I saw the prime minister over in the corner. I’m going to go say hi.”

Ezra wastes no time pulling me off as his mom leaves us. Once in a side hall, he stops.

“Trust me,” he demands, pulling out a blindfold.

I smile, nodding.

I close my eyes as he ties it over my eyes. Then he pulls me down the hall. I hear noises from behind doors until he finally stops. It sounds like he brought me back to the party.

“On your knees, slut,” he whispers, making my body respond.

I love the way he degrades me so beautifully.

I’m a little nervous, but I do as he asks. When he takes off the mask, I see that there is a long curtain separating us from the rest of the party.

“You need to be quiet, otherwise you’ll get us caught, then I’ll have to punish you,” he demands.

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