Under His Care (11 page)

“Hear! Hear!” someone shouted.

“That goes triple for the person who I value above everything, even myself,” Easton said, still looking into his new bride’s eyes. “She has made a fool of me,” he said, “but in the best of ways. She’s so beautifully true and real that I had to look at myself and see all the ways I’d been fooling myself. And because of her, I changed—and I think I changed in the best possible way, for the best possible reason. I did it for love, and my love for her is something I will protect and guard with my life.” He picked up his glass. “So for all of you dear friends who share this time with us, I thank you for being here and allowing Kennedy and I to take you into our lives. This is my proudest moment, and I am so honored you’re all with us. Cheers.”

Everybody cheered the couple enthusiastically, and then Easton Rather was kissing his bride and everyone erupted, and Grace turned away because she could hardly stand it.

***

Nothing of note happened again until later in the night.

The dancing and drinking had been in full swing, and with an incredible band that was like something from a movie, the party seemed like it would never stop.

But Scott came running over to Grace out of nowhere, panicking. He clutched at her cardigan, his eyes bulging. “Grace, you have to help me. The groom’s father just showed up drunk outside and he’s going to come in!”

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. I don’t even know how he found out about where the wedding was happening. He wasn’t told.”

“Send some big guys out there to keep him from getting in.”

Scott shook her. “I can’t have Easton Rather’s father restrained. What if the guy throws a shit fit and it blows back on me? I need you to go and run interference.”

“Scott—“

“Hurry up!” Scott whispered, his eyes looking like they might literally pop out of his skull. “I’ve got one of the valet’s trying to stall him. Just go and sweet-talk him. I’ll owe you forever.”

She considered telling him what he could do with his IOU, but decided that she might as well give it a shot. If worse came to worse, the crazy father would go inside and cause a scene and probably most everyone was too drunk too care anyhow.

So Grace quickly moved out of the reception hall and through the castle, out the front door to where an older, thin man in glasses was talking in a loud voice to one of the valets.

The old man was wearing a suit that looked two sizes too small for him and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

“Just take my keys, son,” the man said, throwing them at the valet’s feet.

“Sir, I just need to check with my supervisor, as your name is not—“

“I’m the goddamn father of the bride—no, not the damn bride,” the man said. “The groom. Check your damn list. Easton Rather? That’s my fucking son and I’m going inside now.”

Oh shit, Grace thought as she ran down the steps and intercepted him, her hand outstretched. “Mister Rather?” she said loudly.

He squinted at her through his glasses. “Yeah? Who are you?”

“I’m with the wedding planner, and I wondered if we could talk for a moment.”

He pulled up to his full height and stared down at her. “What do you want to talk about?”

The truth was, she had no idea. But she needed to find a way to get him headed away from the castle.

“Come with me, Sir, and I’ll explain.” She walked towards him, putting a hand on his thin arm, and noticed he was actually muscular, but it was hidden well. Grace gestured towards the path that led toward the gardens. “Let’s walk, shall we?”

He began following her, but he checked over his shoulder. “I need to go inside, little missy. My son’s making a huge mistake.”

She could smell the booze on him as though he’d been bathing in it.

“Be that as it may, sir, the wedding’s actually over. They’re now married, legally, so the time for any misgivings have passed. And if you don’t mind me saying, they appeared very happy together.”

The father spun and stared at her. “They’re married?”

“Yes,” she said, stepping backward under his angry gaze.

“That’s it. That is fucking
it
,” he said, moving to the side so quickly that she actually lost her footing trying to follow him. And then he was gone, heading back toward the castle steps.

“Don’t do that!” she cried.

Shit
, she thought.
This is it. Scott’s going to blame me when this maniac runs in there screaming and yelling.

Only, before he even reached the steps, the big heavy doors opened and Easton Rather emerged, with Kennedy at his side. It was strange, seeing the two of them come out of the castle when they were supposed to be inside partying with everyone else at the reception.

“Dad,” Easton said, coming down the steps. “I told you not to come here.”

Kennedy followed him down. She had changed from the wedding ceremony into a more streamlined dress, but even so, she was careful going down the stairs.

“Oh, good,” his father said. “The boy and his bitch. Coming to see me on my way, huh?”

Easton Rather’s face turned scarlet. “What did you just call my wife?”

“Easton,” Kennedy yelled. “Don’t do anything.”

“I tried to warn you about her,” his father said, pointing at the bride. “I told you she’d be your undoing. She’s not ever going to be one of us, boy. And she’ll ruin you, she’ll try and turn you against me and everything you ever learned from me.”

“Dad, I’m giving you one last chance,” Easton said. “Turn around and leave now or I’m going to make you very sorry you came here.”

His father stood still, and then began rolling up his sleeves, slowly and deliberately. “That’s it, boy. I used to whup you when you cracked wise with me. And you listened then. You’ll listen now, too.”

“You try and lay a hand on me,” Easton said softly, “and I’ll make you pay double for every time you hit me and Dean.”

His father cackled. “I’d like to see you try it, boy.”

“Okay,” Easton said, taking off his jacket and handing it to his wife.

“Don’t,” Kennedy said. “Please don’t do this.”

Easton glanced at her. “For what he just called you? I’m going to give him something to remember.”

He walked forward, and Grace screamed for them to stop, but nobody listened. As the father and son clashed, the doors opened and half the wedding party spilled out of the castle.

It was very quick, but at the same time, it felt like an eternity.

The old man wasn’t as drunk or as old and infirm as he’d looked. He was quick, and mean, too.

He threw too hard swinging punches at his son’s head, and Easton ducked out of the way of one, and the other caught him on the jaw. His head snapped back a little.

“I told you I’d whup you, boy,” the old man said, moving in a circle.

“Okay,” Easton grinned. “Try it again. And I’ll make you give us your blessing on our marriage.”

The old man swung again, and this time Easton blocked the first punch and then spun out of the way of the second. He grabbed his father and slapped him hard across the face—so hard, in fact, that his glasses flew off his head and landed at Grace’s feet.

In a flash, Easton had grabbed his father’s wrist and bent it backwards so that the older man cried out.

“You little bastard!” he screeched.

“Now you’re going to be nice,” Easton said calmly, as the wedding guests came down the steps, calling for them to stop fighting.

“Fuck you and your whore—ahhhhhh!”

Easton bent the older man’s hand backwards. “I’ll break your fingers and your wrist,” he said, smiling. “But if you say you give us your blessing, then its over.”

The older man’s lips pulled back from his teeth, like a rabid dog. “I told you…she’s….”

Kennedy stepped forward and pleaded with Easton. “Don’t hurt him anymore, Easton. Please. I…I don’t mind if he hates me. Let’s go back inside. He can even come if he wants. I swear I don’t mind.”

Easton looked at her. “I should kill him,” he said.

A man who must’ve been Easton’s brother came down beside him. “Pop, you’re being a jackass. Now stop this or I’ll help my brother smack the shit out of you.”

Their father finally stopped sneering. “Okay, dammit. I give my blessing.”

Easton let go and his father fell to his knees, clutching his wrist.

Easton’s brother and Kennedy went to the older man and began tending to him.

“I need a drink,” Easton called out, to wild cheering from the crowd. A moment later, the father was pulled to his feet.

“I’ll have a drink with my son and his bride,” Easton’s father announced, which caused the group to cheer even louder.

Now it was a real party.

Kennedy just shook her head, helping the old man who’d previously called her a whore up the steps to the castle. Soon, everyone was filtering back inside.

Grace watched them go. Only after the last of them had gone, did she realize that Easton’s father’s glasses were still on the ground at her feet. “Shit,” she said, bending down and picking them up.

As she stood up, she saw that not everyone had gone back inside. There was one lone person left on the steps.

Liam Houston. He came sauntering down towards her. “You just have a knack for turning up at the most interesting times,” he said, chuckling.

“I could say the same for you,” she replied. At first, Grace was aware that everything inside her was drawn like a moth to a flame, drawn to this man she’d only just met. And then she was repulsed, remembering who he was and everything he stood for.

“So, Grace,” he said, as he came closer. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “I was working.”

“Oh,” he said, nodding as if it all made sense.

“But you probably wouldn’t understand,” she said, shrugging.

“What wouldn’t I understand?” he smiled, one eyebrow rising curiously.

“Working for a living,” she replied.

Suddenly, his smile faded and his eyes grew cold, less mischievous and more intense, darker. “There’s a lot of things I understand that might surprise you,” he said, stepping even closer to her, reaching out and taking the glasses in his hand, so now his hands were touching hers.

It felt electric, dangerous and sensual all at once.

Grace suddenly realized her legs were weak and that Liam Houston was not just handsome and rich, but devastatingly sexy too.

And worst of all, he knew it.

“I don’t think there’s much about you that would surprise me,” she lied. But it felt good to attack him, to insult him. She resented him and the way he made her feel. He made her feel small and worthless by his very existence.

“Are you sure about that, Grace?”

“I’m pretty sure,” she said. Her voice sounded very relaxed, nonchalant. It was amazing really, because inside she was terrified.

“It’s good to be confident,” Liam told her, still touching her hand as he held the glasses along with her. And then his hand slid back and went into his coat pocket. “I’m going to give you something, now,” he continued, and his hand emerged with an old-fashioned room key.

“What’s that for?” she asked, as he handed the key to her.

“This is the key to my suite,” he said. “It’s a beautiful room. The number’s carved into the key.”

“I don’t get it,” she said, but her heart was pounding.

Oh my God. He wants me. He actually wants me.

She realized that she wanted him too, and was stunned that her defenses had fallen so quickly.

I’m going to sleep with him
, she realized.

Instantly, she could see herself, dress coming undone, breasts out, Liam sucking her nipples as she threw her head back and moaned.

Liam grinned, as though he could read her mind, knew that this was all he’d needed to do to have things his own way.

In short order, he’d unraveled all of Grace’s pompous indignation, all of her pretentions. She’d thrown all of that away the moment he’d propositioned her, because in the end, Liam Houston was everything women wanted and he knew it.

“When the party ends tonight, and everyone leaves, you come up to my room and use the key,” he said softly, leaning in so that his breath warmed her earlobe.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“But you haven’t even heard the best part, Grace,” he purred at her.

“Yes?” she breathed, her insides quivering, her most private space wet and slick already with the wanting, the needing, the excitement of what this tryst might be like for her.

“I’m going to pay you ten thousand dollars to fuck me,” Liam Houston said, and then he stepped away, his hand trailing over her wrist, making her shiver.

She stood there, aghast, watching him in horror as he turned and left her alone outside the castle.

***

The rest of the evening, Grace couldn’t think straight.

Scott wasn’t paying attention to her anymore, because even with the drunken father debacle, it was clear that the wedding had been a huge success.