Free Taming Megan by Natasha Knight

around her one hand.
    “Fine to meet you. Jake talks about you all the time, you know,” he said.
    His wife nudged him. “Don’t embarrass her, Gray. I’m Abigail and this is my husband Gray Manson. It’s nice to meet you dear,” she said, taking her hand from her husband’s and giving him a look. “You’ve got to watch the old men, hon,” the woman said to her, eyeing her husband and nudging him with her elbow. It was in jest and for the first time all day, Megan smiled, relaxing a little.
    “You know I’ve only got eyes for you, Abby.”
    “M-hmm. You’d better, old man.”
    “Connelly, get your ass in here already,” Gray called out to the man who stood outside on his phone.
    Megan turned, her smile disappearing as the man tucked his phone into his pocket and came out of the shadows. He too paused for a moment, recognition dawning on his face as Megan felt the color drain from hers.
    “Mr. and Mrs. Manson,” Jake’s voice came as he rounded the corner and shook the older man’s hand before kissing his wife on the cheek. “I see you’ve met my wife.”
    “Not all of us,” Sean Connelly said. He held out his hand to her.
    She didn’t take her eyes from Sean’s for a second, remaining as if frozen in time.
    “Honey?” Jake said, snapping her out of it. “This is Sean Connelly, one of the members on the deciding board.”
    But Jake didn’t need to introduce him.
    She looked down at Sean Connelly’s hand where he held it out to her and she slowly placed her trembling one inside it.
    “Truly a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Roark. Or Megan is it? May I call you Megan?” he asked.
    “Yes. Of course,” she said, feeling clammy and cold, realizing how awkward she must look, wondering if anyone else sensed the fact that this was not her first meeting with Sean Connelly.
    “Let’s head inside, get everyone a drink,” Jake said, his hand on his wife’s back, turning her to follow behind the others. “You ok?” he asked.
    She looked at him, at her beautiful husband who so did not need this right now. She nodded. “Yeah, just should eat something. The wine is going to my head.”
    He kissed her cheek, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Take a minute with Anna, eat something, then come back inside.”
    “I will.” She held onto his hand when he turned to walk back into the living room and he stopped, looking at her, puzzled. “I love you,” she said, trying to smile a small smile.
    “Me too. Now hurry up.” He turned and went into the living room and she, instead of going into the kitchen, slipped quickly up the stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She picked up the phone and dialed, alternately sitting on the edge of the bed then standing, pacing the room. This couldn’t be happening. Her childhood was one thing, her parents a part of that. She could leave that all behind. But when Sean Connelly had walked in that door tonight, it was like the past just walked right back into her life.
    “Josie?” she said into the phone, the first tear sliding down her cheek.
     
    * * *
     
    Ten minutes later, Megan inhaled a deep breath and walked down the stairs to rejoin the party. Jake ran into her in the hallway looking not too pleased. “Meg, what are you doing?”
    “I just… my stomach was upset.”
    He looked like he had something to say but didn’t and she could see the pressure he was under. Jake was usually very collected but tonight was a big deal. A really big deal. She was about to blow it for him if she didn’t get her act together.
    “All right, come back inside now. I need you with me.”
    She only smiled when he led her back into the living room. The light was dimmed and music played softly in the background. As usually happened at parties like this, the men had grouped together at one end of the room and the women the other. Jake urged her to join in on the conversation on the women’s side. She walked over and Abigail Manson immediately came to take her arm.