Free Tormented by Jani Kay, Lauren McKellar Page B

breath. Talk about being direct.
    “Me before I met you. Somehow you’ve weaved a spell on me my beautiful Eva, and lately I don’t want anything other than being with you.”
    A warm glow spread through my body. “Yeah?”
    He leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’ve been hard for you since I saw you in that fucking dress. I’d rather be anywhere than here—with you, of course. Removing the dress with my fucking teeth—”
    Savage spoke behind us. “Hey, there you are. Why have you moved tables?” He’d managed to sneak up on us which I had to give him props for. He leaned over to kiss my cheek under the watchful eye of my date. I couldn’t help the small smile that twitched my lips at how possessive Harrison had become.
    “Hey, glad you made it,” Harrison said in a growly voice, his eyebrow still slightly raised as he shook Savage’s hand. They made some small talk and I allowed myself a few moments to take it all in.
    My gaze wandered around the ornate room with its crystal chandeliers and heavy oak-paneled walls. The tables were laid with the finest bone-china plates and polished silver flat-wear.
    But it was the guests who really added to the opulence of the event in their finery, with men and women dressed to impress. Admiring the gorgeous evening gowns the women wore, and thankful I’d scrubbed up okay, I kept looking around at the sea of beautiful people.
    “Oh shit,” I murmured under my breath. The arrogant asshole is here .
    Nolan stood a few feet away with his back to me, chatting to a group of people. From the way they were hanging on his every word, he’d clearly turned his superpower up a few notches. Senator Parker was busy charming the pants off his audience, especially the women.
    My gaze skimmed his body. His broad shoulders fit into his dark precision-cut suit exactly the way I remembered, except this time it didn’t make my heart go all pitter-patter like it used to.
    As if he sensed my presence, he turned and stared straight at me, a lopsided grin on his handsome face. A few months ago, it would have melted my heart. I would have felt special and privileged to be the one he chose to spend the rest of his life with. That was before I knew what a cheating, lying bastard he was.
    Isn’t it funny how it’s always the most charming guys who have skeletons in their closets? The men who worm their way into your heart with sweet whispers, avalanches of flowers and romantic moonlight serenades who then morph into an asshole before your eyes.
    I found out the hard way that fairytale romances didn’t exist.
    I’d worshipped my fiancé, given him everything I could, only to discover it wasn’t enough. He needed the adoration and pussies of other women to feel validated. It was a pattern I’d recognized in so many powerful men who had the world at their feet, yet couldn’t overcome their insecurities. They always needed more. More than any one person could ever give.
    I counted myself as one of the lucky ones. It could have been a lot worse. I could have been married to the man. Our wedding date had come and gone months ago.
    “Are you okay?” My date leaned over, his warm breath skimming over my chilled skin.
    Harrison was everything Nolan wasn’t. Direct. Private. With nothing to hide. He didn’t pretend or feign emotions, and he never said words because he thought they were what I wanted to hear. Behind his gruff and impenetrable exterior was a damaged man who made no excuses for who he was. I could live with that, because in a way it was more honest than all the false masks worn by someone like Senator Nolan Parker.
    I hate fake.
    My back stiffened and I looked away toward the young waiter who offered me a refill of champagne, ignoring Nolan.
    “Eva?” Harrison’s voice snapped me back to the moment.
    I nodded. “Yeah, I guess I’m okay.” I placed my hand on Harrison’s thigh. I couldn’t hide the disgust and contempt from my voice. “Please don’t leave me alone