the iciness of her skin shocked him. Her eyes were glazed, but it couldn’t have been from drinking. She’d been fine when she left. “Hilary, baby, talk to me. Are you all right?”
“I don’t feel so good.” She rubbed a finger against her temple. “I want to go home.”
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” He made some excuse to Eliza—she promised to see him again at the family party—and escorted Hilary out. The driver waited outside with their limo.
Hilary shivered in the car, and Mark put his jacket around her. What the hell had happened to make her like this? She’d seemed to be having a good time, and everyone they’d met had been gracious and sweet…except his ex, Taylor, who’d somehow managed to wrangle an invitation. Eliza had apologized profusely for the awkwardness, but whatever. It wasn’t like Taylor didn’t know the score, and she’d behaved herself even if her eyes had flashed daggers at Hilary. Stupid girl. If she’d been smarter, she would’ve known their breakup had nothing to do with Hilary.
Still…
“Hey, did something happen back there? Somebody say something to you?” he asked. If it was Taylor, he’d throttle her.
Hilary started. “No. Nothing like that. I just have a headache.”
He put an arm around her, and she flinched. “Sorry,” she said, then gave him a wan smile. “I sort of ruined it, didn’t I?”
He wanted to know what made her pull away like that, but she was trying so hard to put on a brave face that he didn’t have the heart to push her on it. It was obvious she was barely hanging on, and he could sense control was important to her. So he forced a lighter tone. “Ruin what?”
“You know…the function. Whatever. You need to mingle and be seen.”
“Nah. Eliza doesn’t care so long as she gets my money. I’m just a mobile ATM as far as she’s concerned.”
Hilary’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“No. I’m kidding. She likes me, but yeah, she also hits me up for money a lot. It’s for a good cause, so I don’t mind too much.”
Hilary’s place was a rather humble house located in a lower middle-class neighborhood. Strange. Mark knew she could afford something nicer than this. The commute alone would be pretty awful, given how far it was from Gavin’s downtown office.
They pulled up, and a moment later the door opened, the chauffeur standing by like a sentinel. She put a hand on Mark’s arm. “You don’t have to get out. I can walk myself.”
“But…” How could he argue with those pleading eyes? She looked like she’d shatter if anybody even breathed wrong around her. Against his better judgment, he nodded. “Okay, but I’m swinging by tomorrow to check up on you.”
“I’m fine.”
“We’ll see.”
She started to shrug his jacket off, but he stopped her. “Take it. That’s the least you can do after destroying my hopes and dreams for the evening.”
She gave a small laugh, but stepped out with his jacket. It settled around her like a lover’s embrace, and he wished he were wrapped around her instead. Then he could press his lips to hers and warm her with his heat.
It was a desire he’d had more than a few times in his life, with more than a few women. But for some reason it went deeper this time, with an emotional undertone that felt foreign. And he found that bothered him.
Chapter Nine
Watching the limo disappear, Hilary pulled the jacket closer. It smelled so good…like Mark. She could almost pretend it was his arms around her.
What a crazy thought. The two of them weren’t going to end up together. No matter how she viewed the situation, those women in the bathroom had been right. She didn’t belong with him. At least Cinderella was a well-born girl down on her luck. There was nothing well-born about Hilary or her family.
She started toward the house, then stopped when a man jumped out of a car. Her eyes widened when she recognized Walt and his Lexus.
“Hilary!” he said, approaching her rapidly. His
“I don’t feel so good.” She rubbed a finger against her temple. “I want to go home.”
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” He made some excuse to Eliza—she promised to see him again at the family party—and escorted Hilary out. The driver waited outside with their limo.
Hilary shivered in the car, and Mark put his jacket around her. What the hell had happened to make her like this? She’d seemed to be having a good time, and everyone they’d met had been gracious and sweet…except his ex, Taylor, who’d somehow managed to wrangle an invitation. Eliza had apologized profusely for the awkwardness, but whatever. It wasn’t like Taylor didn’t know the score, and she’d behaved herself even if her eyes had flashed daggers at Hilary. Stupid girl. If she’d been smarter, she would’ve known their breakup had nothing to do with Hilary.
Still…
“Hey, did something happen back there? Somebody say something to you?” he asked. If it was Taylor, he’d throttle her.
Hilary started. “No. Nothing like that. I just have a headache.”
He put an arm around her, and she flinched. “Sorry,” she said, then gave him a wan smile. “I sort of ruined it, didn’t I?”
He wanted to know what made her pull away like that, but she was trying so hard to put on a brave face that he didn’t have the heart to push her on it. It was obvious she was barely hanging on, and he could sense control was important to her. So he forced a lighter tone. “Ruin what?”
“You know…the function. Whatever. You need to mingle and be seen.”
“Nah. Eliza doesn’t care so long as she gets my money. I’m just a mobile ATM as far as she’s concerned.”
Hilary’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“No. I’m kidding. She likes me, but yeah, she also hits me up for money a lot. It’s for a good cause, so I don’t mind too much.”
Hilary’s place was a rather humble house located in a lower middle-class neighborhood. Strange. Mark knew she could afford something nicer than this. The commute alone would be pretty awful, given how far it was from Gavin’s downtown office.
They pulled up, and a moment later the door opened, the chauffeur standing by like a sentinel. She put a hand on Mark’s arm. “You don’t have to get out. I can walk myself.”
“But…” How could he argue with those pleading eyes? She looked like she’d shatter if anybody even breathed wrong around her. Against his better judgment, he nodded. “Okay, but I’m swinging by tomorrow to check up on you.”
“I’m fine.”
“We’ll see.”
She started to shrug his jacket off, but he stopped her. “Take it. That’s the least you can do after destroying my hopes and dreams for the evening.”
She gave a small laugh, but stepped out with his jacket. It settled around her like a lover’s embrace, and he wished he were wrapped around her instead. Then he could press his lips to hers and warm her with his heat.
It was a desire he’d had more than a few times in his life, with more than a few women. But for some reason it went deeper this time, with an emotional undertone that felt foreign. And he found that bothered him.
Chapter Nine
Watching the limo disappear, Hilary pulled the jacket closer. It smelled so good…like Mark. She could almost pretend it was his arms around her.
What a crazy thought. The two of them weren’t going to end up together. No matter how she viewed the situation, those women in the bathroom had been right. She didn’t belong with him. At least Cinderella was a well-born girl down on her luck. There was nothing well-born about Hilary or her family.
She started toward the house, then stopped when a man jumped out of a car. Her eyes widened when she recognized Walt and his Lexus.
“Hilary!” he said, approaching her rapidly. His
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