Page 113 of Unleashed
I don't feel it. I feel like a fraud in this silky silver dress, with this obscenely expensive engagement ring cutting into my finger like a reminder of every lie I'm telling.
"Thank you."
Hudson hands me a glass of champagne and presses a kiss to the side of my head. His lips linger half a second too long.
"Chef said our first course will be ready in five. Shall we take a seat? Dad's already in there."
I nod and follow him and Audrey through to the dining room.
For the most part, dinner is painless. Almost normal. Hudson and his father talk business. Audrey and I discuss the latest celebrity scandal that blew up the tabloids this week. She's funny. Warm. The kind of woman who asks follow-up questions because she actually cares about the answer.
Every now and then, Hudson places his hand over mine on the table. Every time, I resist the urge to snatch it back.
My phone buzzes in my purse. And again. And again.
I slide it out under the table and open Ace's message. One text and one image. My cheeks flush before I've even hit open.
Acey: I'm home and safe. While you're playing pretend, I'll be thinking of you.
I tap the image. My screen fills with abs, the hard outline of him straining against his boxers, one hand gripping himself through the fabric.
I nearly drop my phone on the floor.
I lock the screen. Clear my throat. Press my thighs together under the table and try very hard to remember what a normal facial expression looks like.
What I'd give to teleport out of this dining room and run my tongue along those abs.
"Are you okay?" Hudson whispers.
"Yeah. Good."
The chef brings out dessert, a beautiful plate of strawberries, chocolate brownies, and gold leaf. Audrey laughs, looking at her son. "You and your chocolate brownies."
She loves him so much. If only she knew the truth. The lengths he would go to steal their family business from his dying father's hands.
I look at Hudson, arching an eyebrow. "Hudson has a sweet tooth?"
He chuckles. "Brownies are my kryptonite."
I nod. I thought it was pussy. But I guess I'm learning new things every day.
Hudson's dad claps his hands, commanding the table.
"Now, how does July sound?"
I frown. "Sound for what?"
"For the wedding. I've spoken to some of my contacts at the club. They had a last-minute cancellation."
My stomach drops through the floor.
"I— " I turn to Hudson.
His jaw is tight. "We wanted to surprise you, sweetie. My dad wants to see me get married before—" He pauses and lets the silence do the work.
I stare at him. Is this man seriously trying to gaslight me into a marriage using his dying father?
"It's so soon," I say quietly. "I thought we wanted to just be engaged for a while."
