Chapter 53

Chapter 53
Before losing her courage, she walked out into the living room to Carl. “I’m ready.”

His eyes widened when he stood and turned to her. His gaze darkened immediately with lust. His lips parted as he sharply took in air. “Mandy! You. Look. Amazing.”

“Thanks,” she said, staring down at the floor as heat spread all over her body from his look. She wondered if her own desire was as obvious as his. She was sure it was. Probably worse.

“Are you ready to go?” Carl asked, his voice thick with desire.

She nodded. “Yes, let’s go before I change my mind. I think I’m going to need a mimosa.”

He chuckled. “I’ve sworn off those things. They leave you with a bloody, terrible hangover.”

They walked out to a long, black limo waiting with a driver.

Her jaw dropped. “For us? For breakfast?”

“I knew you were going to hate going to your sister’s wedding, so I wanted to make it as pleasurable for you as I possibly could.” He grinned, happy to have surprised her. “I figured a limo and breakfast would be a good start. My plan is to try and make you forget you’re even going to the wedding.”

“Or we could just skip it.”

He laughed. “Nice try.”

“What about the coffee?”

“That was to get me through the door.” He grinned at her and Mandy couldn’t help but smile back. He broke his gaze away from hers, only to open the limo door for her. He helped her in by holding her hand as if he needed any excuse to touch her. She got in and relaxed against the plush seats. It was the most comfortable car seat she had ever sat on. He slid in beside her and grabbed her hand again. As soon as the door closed, the limo pulled out onto the long drive.

“Carl, can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” he said, but his face grew guarded.

“Are you doing this just because I helped you through your father’s funeral?”

He hesitated, swallowed, and then shook his head. “No,” he said finally. “I have plenty of selfish reasons as well. Some include what you said to me that day we...” He squeezed her hand but didn’t finish the sentence. “It also has to do with what you said last night. I don’t want you to quit your job. I don’t want to lose you. I may have fucked up the chance to be with you, but you are the best damn personal assistant I ever had, and I’m a businessman. I’m not going to let you go that easily. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Was he talking about his heart or her job? She couldn’t seem to see the line between the two of them. Her heart rate stuttered as she forgot to breathe. She didn’t want to hope, but she couldn’t stop herself.

THEY ATE BREAKFAST in a lavish restaurant by an upscale local inn in the area. While they ate, they bantered and made lighter conversation, neither mentioning relationships, romance or business. Carl kept the conversation revolving around everything, from the weather, to style trends, and sports. He played his part perfectly, keeping Mandy distracted from thoughts of the wedding.

However, his eyes travelling down her body, hesitating over her cleavage, grew distracting, and despite keeping the conversation strictly platonic, Mandy couldn’t ignore the sexual tension between them. It grew so thick she was sure that if someone tried to cut it with a knife, the blade would break clean off. She was sure he felt the same by the way his hand lingered whenever it accidentally brushed hers and the way he held her gaze with his own intense stare.

When he held open the car door for her, Mandy’s stomach clenched tight with nerves, not just because of the wedding, but also because Carl was so close to her. Not wanting him to know what he was doing to her, she babbled nervously, “My mother is going to have a coronary when she sees this dress. I’m not sure going to the wedding is a smart idea. It’s Claudia’s day.”

“And she’d want you there.” He opened the limo door and reached for her hand again. “Relax,” Carl squeezed her hand gently, “it’s going to be okay. I’m going to be at your side the entire time. You also know your father’s also on your side, even though he might not show it.”

She nodded. She couldn’t blame her father. He had to live with his wife every day. “My mother is freakin’ scary.” When Carl’s eyebrows popped up, she laughed. “You know the evil stepmother in Cinderella?”

“Mandy!!” He tried to look horrified but the corners of his mouth curled up. He joked, “She’s not that mean.”

“No.” She squeezed Carl’s hand tightly. “I think she’s worse.” She laughed and winked at him. She straightened her shoulders and looked straight ahead, the fun of the moment fading. “Okay. Let’s get this thing over with.”

THE LIMO DREW PLENTY of stares when it pulled up in front of the little church. Almost immediately, guests from inside started meandering out to see if it was the bride. Mandy spotted her dad in the crowd and took a deep breath. Instead of letting Carl open the door, the driver went around to let them out.

“If we’re going to put on a show, we might as well do it right,” Carl murmured in her ear.

She giggled nervously. “We’re not supposed to show up the bride.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Relax. You look incredible. Unbelievably, undeniably, hard core sexy.”

The door opened and he slid out first, smiling politely at the crowd with all the confidence of someone who had done this a million times already, or owned millions of dollars. He held out his hand and helped her out of the limo.

Mandy kept her eyes on the ground and focused on not doing something mortifying, like tripping or accidentally giving the crowd a peek of her undergarments. Shit! I’m not wearing any. Murmurs rippled through the small crowd as they stared at Mandy and her rich date.

That’s right. The prodigal daughter returns... without panties. She smiled defiantly back at all of Claudia’s and Stephen’s friends. They could judge her all they wanted. She wasn’t going to care what they thought.

Her eyes rested on her father, who had a grin on his face, but he wasn’t looking at her at the moment. He was looking at Carl. She looked at her escort, who was smiling back at her father, and she immediately became suspicious. What the hell did they know that she didn’t?

Carl kept a firm grip on her hand as they approached the church. The onlookers parted, whispering behind their hands like middle schoolers.

“She actually had the nerve to show up her sister.”

“I heard she tried to seduce Stephen. It looks like the poor, desperate thing couldn’t contain herself.”

“It’s so sad that she had to hire an escort just so she would have a plus one. Is that an escort? He’s awful hot.”

“Idiot, that’s her boss,” some guy said loudly to his wife. “Why don’t you wear a dress like that?”

“Ignore them,” Carl whispered in her ear. “They’re all idiots. Except the guy muttering about the red dress. He’s right on that one.”

Mandy laughed and relaxed slightly.

Her father joined them on Mandy’s other side, acting as a shield between her and the other guests. “You look beautiful, Mandy,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m glad Carl could make it as well.”

“What are you two up to?” Mandy whispered. “Are you guys planning a robbery? You’re thick as thieves.”

“Yo
ur father and I have reached an understanding,” Carl said, a smile obvious in his voice.