Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30316 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30316 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 152(@200wpm)___ 121(@250wpm)___ 101(@300wpm)
When we were far enough away to not be overheard, Norris turned his back to the guests and glared at both of us. “What the hell are you wearing, Keaton?” he hissed.
“A dress, Dad,” she replied drolly. I kept my expression hard as I stared at Norris, but inside I was smiling from ear to ear. I loved her sass.
“You look ridiculous,” he snapped. Keaton tried to fight it, but I saw the wounded look in her eyes. I clenched my hands into fists, fighting the urge to slam Norris up against the wall and make him apologize for upsetting my wife.
“I’m trying to maintain a certain image, and having you show up dressed so completely inappropriately is damaging.”
Keaton’s face blushed pink, and she blinked rapidly to hold back the moisture gathering in her eyes. I lost the last vestiges of my patience and grabbed Norris’s arm in a painful grip. He winced before looking at me, and I found satisfaction at the glimmer of fear in his eyes. Yeah, he, of all people, knew I had a reputation not to be fucked with.
“Let’s talk outside the room,” I seethed. He painted another insincere smile on his face before turning around and making his way to an exit.
Chapter Nine
KEATON
It didn’t surprise me that my dad thought I looked inappropriate, since he’d always been super strict about what I wore, but it still stung to hear him say it out loud. Even more so because he did it in front of Garret. My cheeks heated, and my eyes filled with tears before I looked down at the floor. I was afraid to see pity, or even worse, agreement, in my husband’s eyes.
But I needn’t have worried, because when my gaze jerked back up at his deep growl, I found his hazel eyes filled with fury and his hand wrapped around my dad’s arm.
I stroked my hand down Garret’s back to get his attention.
His eyes softened when he turned his head to look at me. “It’s okay, beautiful. You stay in here. I’ve got this.”
I hated the idea of Garret being forced to deal with my dad. I wished it wasn’t necessary. That we could both turn around and walk out of here without ever needing to see him again. But that wasn’t possible. Not without my dad causing all sorts of trouble down the line. That was the absolute last thing we needed, especially with a baby on the way. But I also loved it, because I’d never had anyone protect me the way Garret did. “Okay.”
He kissed my forehead gently after I nodded my agreement. My dad snorted and opened his mouth, except he didn’t get the chance to say anything because Garret strong-armed him toward the banquet hall entrance and down the limestone stairs into the hotel lobby. I found myself following after them, drawn by the way my father didn’t struggle in Garret’s hold.
“That’s odd,” I muttered to myself. My dad wasn’t one to make a scene, but he also wasn’t the kind of man who let anyone else tell him what to do. Ever. I was stunned by how he seemed a little afraid of my husband. But also…smug. As though he held something over Garret’s head. And I didn’t like that. Not even a tiny bit.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that he’d gotten some security firm to run a deep background check on my husband and found something he thought would keep Garret in line. That was his go-to solution, after all.
Several people stopped to stare at me with worried looks as I stomped down the stairs while muttering to myself. Or at least that’s how the women looked at me. The men, on the other hand…they didn’t look too concerned by my behavior. If anything, it seemed to make them more curious about me. One guy in a tuxedo broke away from his group of friends at the bottom of the stairs and moved toward me. I shook my head and flashed the giant rock on my finger at him as I followed after Garret and my dad. He was lucky my hubby hadn’t seen his approach, because he would’ve found himself being hauled out of here instead of my father.
It only went to show how pissed Garret was at my dad, or else he’d never have left me alone at a party while I was wearing this dress. Or in any outfit, really. My husband was beyond possessive of me and pretty much never left my side when we were out in public. Or at home in private. Oddly enough, it never made me feel trapped. Instead, it was kind of empowering to know such a dynamic man wanted me near all the time.
The ease with which he’d left me behind didn’t bode well for my dad. I quickened my pace to try to catch up with them, since they’d already gone through the glass doors and I wasn’t certain which way they’d headed. The heels I’d chosen to wear tonight were gorgeous, but they didn’t allow me to move very fast, and I ended up a few minutes behind them by the time I made it outside.