Page 49 of Acquiring Ainsley
She recoiled. “You wouldn’t.”
“Don’t try me, Olivia. You won’t like the outcome.”
“But this is…” Her lip quivered. “This is our destiny. We’resupposedto be together, Trevor. This is how it is meant to be.” She placed her hand on my arm, but I jerked it out of her grip. “Don’t do that; don’t push me away. You don’t know what you are saying, or what you’re doing. You’re just fooling yourself.”
“Trevor, who is this?”
I whirled around to find Ainsley standing behind me with her hands on her hips. “Oh, my god.” I glanced back at Olivia, then toward the woman I considered my future. “I didn’t see you there…”
“I’m Olivia.” She stepped around me and held out her hand. “And I’m guessing you are Ainsley. I’ve heard a lot about you and seen even more photos.”
Ainsley didn’t shake the offered hand. Instead, she sneered at Olivia. “Oh, really? I’ve heard solittleabout you.”
God love this woman. She could turn on the snobby elitism in a nanosecond.
Oliva widened her eyes. “Oh, wow, insulting me right away, I see. And all I wanted was to come here and congratulate the two of you on your upcoming nuptials.”
I took a protective step toward Ainsley and hooked my arm around her waist. She didn’t pull away from me, and I liked that. I liked it a lot. “If you don’t leave now, then we’ll have security escort you out,” I said to Olivia. “Fifteen seconds.”
“But I don’t think—”
“Ten.”
“That was a fast five seconds.”
I nodded. “And getting faster.”
Olivia focused on Ainsley. “You probably have no idea what you’re getting into, and I pity you for that, honestly. It’s sad. If only someone had told you the truth about the guy that you’re marrying.”
“I’ve had enough.” I signaled a passing waiter, one who had an empty tray. “Can you help us remove this guest, please?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
“She’s not wanted on this property and wasn’t invited,” I told him. “And the sooner she leaves, the sooner we can get back to enjoying our evening.”
The server made a move toward Olivia, and she cried out. “I’m not leaving! I won’t go.”
She pushed him, and I stepped in, then grabbed her by both arms as if I held her in a bear hug. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go.”
Olivia kicked and cried out against me, rubbing her face into my shoulder. But I managed to yank her through the door and out into the pathway between the main house of the Flagler Museum and the entrance gate. Ainsley followed me, and we moved to the parking lot in front of the mansion.
The police detail working the front of the mansion saw us coming. He rushed toward us, asking several questions.
“I’m the man who rented this place, and I can assure you, Officer, that I didnotinvite this unruly woman,” I told hm. “I would like to make sure that she doesn’t come back to the party anytime soon.”
“You’re Mr. McNamara?” the officer asked. He studied me, then, as if he’d received some divine clarity, his eyes widened. “Oh, yes. I remember seeing your picture in tons of online articles.”
I nodded, continuing to hold onto a squirmy Olivia. “Yes, that was probably me. Now, could you please take custody of her?”
“Right away, sir.” The police officer moved toward her and took out some handcuffs. “Miss, if you don’t mind, please, let’s end this in a sensible and reasonable manner.”
“I am being sensible,” Olivia said.
“She isn’t supposed to be here,” I said, raising my voice a little. I glanced back at the glittering lights of the Flagler mansion pavilion. We needed to stop this from being a big scene, and we needed to stop itnow. “She’s not invited.”
“Miss, you need to leave.”
“No,” Olivia insisted.
