Behind Her Smile (6 page)

Lifting my hand, I place it on David’s forearm in another attempt to calm him. “David, it’s all right. Your mother has every right to question whom you bring home. No, ma’am,” I respond quietly, sincerely. “My life’s goal is to make it in the fashion industry on my own merits. No doubt, I’ll work to the bone to succeed, but I want to get there because of my talents. I’m with your son because he inspires me to work harder and makes me happy. I’ve only just met you, so it may take time for you to see how much I care for him, but I promise to show you I’m sincere. I wouldn’t be here if I weren't.” My pulse roars in my ears, and I have to take a steadying breath to calm down. When I’m settled, I see Georgia begrudgingly nodding in my direction. Inwardly, I pump my fist. It’s a little victory, but one nonetheless.

“There. Now you know that Karolina is talented, loyal, and intelligent. Can we move on from this topic?” David asks. He glances my way, and we share a smile. Quickly, I glance down at my bowl, as though signs of affection are against the rules in the Morgan household.

Dinner consists of three more courses—salad, fish, and then dessert. At the end of the meal, Miranda circles the table again. This time, she presents Georgia with a milky liqueur and William with an amber liquid with two large ice cubes. Nudging my chair backward, I stand and excuse myself to find the restroom.

“I’ll show you where it is. I need to take a call,” Chandler volunteers. I push back my seat, noting David’s grimace. Belatedly, I realize he was probably supposed to help me from my chair. Embarrassed at my latest faux pas, I step away from the table and follow Chandler down a hallway to the powder room.

I close the door with a satisfying click. A long exhale releases all the tension that had been building between my shoulders since the drive here. With closed eyes, I drop my chin to my chest and take a few calming breaths. What an intense family dinner. And to think they have this every Sunday. I’m worried that I’m the piece that made this gathering especially uncomfortable. But after my mini-speech, Georgia didn’t have any more verbal spars for me. Lifting my head, I gaze into the mirror. No visible wounds. I made it through the first meeting mostly unscathed. A few more minutes and then David and I can be alone. The thought lifts my spirits.

I reapply my nude gloss and rearrange my hair around my shoulders. Then I make my way back to the dining room.

“Please tell me you’re joking, David.” Georgia’s nasal snipe halts me in my tracks.

“Enough, Mother. I understand your feelings about the situation. There’s no need to hammer the point home,” he responds shortly.

“Do you realize she comes from a poor, immigrant family? David, she grew up in a trailer park. How do you think that will play out in the society pages? Morgan boy marries no-talent white trash. No, sir. I will not allow our family to be made a fool of. You can mess up things anywhere else, but you will
not
ruin our name. Do you understand me, boy?”

I feel my pulse all over my body—heart slamming into my ribs, throbbing at my neck, and thudding at my wrists.
No-talent white trash.
The words echo on repeat. I left Central Florida to get away from that stigma. Miami is supposed to be the place of the new Karolina, not the one who went without food as a child because her father drank all his earnings away.

“How do you know the first thing about her?” David snarls.

“When I found out you were dating someone—from your secretary, mind you—I had a private investigator look into her background. You should be
thanking
me, David,” Georgia snaps.

My jaw falls open in shock. Private investigator? Holy cow.

“When Georgia Morgan sets her mind to something, she doesn’t give up.”

The voice behind me makes me jump, and I whirl around to find Chandler watching me with a sly twist of his lips.

“What are you talking about?” I snap, suddenly furious that David brought me here. Did he know his mother was going to ridicule me?

“You seem like a nice girl, Karolina, so that’s why I’m going to give it to you plainly. To my mother, the family’s reputation is the most important thing. It’s more important than motherly affection and more important than love. When she says she won’t let David ruin our family, she means it from the very essence of her soul. She hired someone to look into you, for God’s sake. We can hide David’s fuck ups at work, but we can’t hide him marrying someone without the proper pedigree. ”

“I—” Chandler threw so many things at me that I’m not sure where to start. The private investigator goes above and beyond anything I could have predicted. There are no secrets in my past. My family certainly didn’t come from this type of wealth, but I’m no criminal.

“Karolina!” David’s voice is a roar, angrier than I’ve ever heard.

Chandler watches me in bemused silence. Suddenly, a hand clamps down on my exposed bicep, yanking me around. David’s cheeks are flushed red with anger, his ocean-colored eyes dark with rage. “We’re leaving,” he hisses. He drags me toward the front door, finger pads biting into my skin. I struggle to keep up with his long strides on the thin heels of my sandals. David bursts through the front door, whipping it backward to slam shut once I’m outside and finally releasing me. I palm the smarting skin where his fingers left marks. I’ve never seen him this distressed before, and I’m scared and confused and have a desperate urge to fix what’s hurting him. David stalks toward his Mercedes. He tears his hands through his styled hair, leaving the strands in disarray. Then with a force I didn’t know he had, he slams his palms on the hood of the car, making me jump in surprise.

Unsure of what he needs, I take a few hesitant steps toward him. He heaves his breaths and then drops his head in defeat. Gingerly, I place a hand on his upper arm.

“David, are you okay?” As soon as I speak, I know those were the wrong words to say. Of course, he’s not okay.

“They treat me like I’m some sort of stupid—Fuck!” I gasp and release my grip on David as though he burned me. He has never sworn in front of me. I don’t recognize him. This version of David snarls like an angry bull. “Let’s get out of here.” David prowls to the driver’s side and rips the door open. He throws his body inside and slams the door with brutal force. I scurry into the passenger seat, shutting the door quietly. Somehow, I think my softness will counteract his pulsating fury.

“I’m so sorry,” I say lamely.

“If you’re going to be with me, then you need to learn to behave appropriately.” The condemnation comes out of left field, stunning me into momentary silence.

“I—you want me to change?” I stammer.

“No, no one said anything about changing, Karolina.” He delivers the words harshly. I find myself sinking into the door. “You just need to learn to act like a lady. It’s not that difficult.”

“Is this because of what your mother said?” Shame makes me drop my gaze to my hands, knitted in my lap. David roars the engine to life and peels out of the driveway with so much force my shoulder bumps into the door. Clumsily, I latch on my seat belt.

“Leave them to me,” he snaps. “Don’t listen to a word those assholes say. They think they are so smart. I’m going to run their business one day, and this is how they treat me? Fuck that.” The way he casually drops curses makes me wonder if he uses them all the time, except for in my presence. David’s swearing and fierceness must stem from a familial history that I am seeing for the first time.

Chandler’s words come back into my mind, and I remember him mentioning David’s work mistakes. I’ve never gotten any other impression than David’s work going extremely well. Probably sibling rivalry.

Oppressive silence fills the car as David races through the development toward US 1.

“Are we going back to your place?”

“Not tonight.” David clips out the words sourly, his features pulled down into a frown.

“You’re upset. Let me make you feel better.” Brazenly, I slip my hand on his thigh. Beneath the expensive material of his Armani slacks, his thigh muscles are bunched with tension. I tease my fingers against the fabric, hoping to elicit a reaction from David.

To my dismay, he plucks my hand off his leg and places it back in my lap.

“I need to be alone tonight, Karolina.” There’s a finality in the statement that worries me.

David throws a cursory glance over his shoulder then jerks the car into the right lane.

“If that’s what you want . . .”

“It is,” he confirms and jams his foot on the brake, slamming to a stop in front of the five-story apartment building where I live with Dora.

All of a sudden, my throat gets tight and my eyes are stinging with tears. What a mess of a night. I clutch the door handle, preparing to leave. This is not the same man who has been wooing me at every turn.

“Wait.”

My heart lifts from where it’s fallen into my stomach. I twist back to face him. The anger’s still roaring in his eyes, but it doesn’t appear to be directed at me. David reaches across the car and curls one hand around the line of my neck. The other hand winds around my waist and he tugs me closer.

“It won’t always be like this, Karolina. Stick with me through the tough part.” David’s breath falls on my face hot and heavy. He captures me in his gaze, and I’m lost in those watery eyes. Intensity and confidence vibrate off him. “They won’t come between us. I promise you,” he grits.

“I don’t want anything to come between us,” I breathe.

Roughly, David pulls me closer and slams his lips against mine. David channels his fury into the kiss, devouring my mouth with reckless abandon. His teeth catch my lower lip, and he bites. Breathlessly, I pull back away. Touching the tip of my finger to my lower lip, I find dampness. There’s blood on my finger. My eyes blink toward David, who watches me with the first semblance of a smile all evening. A sliver of pleasure flares in me as his fingers tighten on my neck. Confusion swirls inside me. In all the times we’ve been intimate, David’s never shown a desire for pain.

I don’t know what to think about this new side of David.

“That was intense,” I finally say. My tongue darts out to lick off whatever little blood remains.

David dips down and captures my pointer finger between his lips. He sucks the drop of blood off, eyes dark with lust on me the entire time. “You taste way better than anything Miranda ever made.” The disquiet I felt dissolves. Truthfully, his passion draws me to him. “Go, my jewel. I’ll call you tomorrow.” At least he’s still using the nickname. That has to be a good sign.

“Good night, David.” I squeeze his forearm when he releases me then I climb out of the car and into the balmy evening air. It’s not until I’m halfway inside the building that I realize David didn’t open my car door, breaking his chivalrous rules. Oh, well. It was a bumpy night.

When I make my way into the apartment a few minutes later, I still wish that David had wanted to spend the night with me. Thinking of him out there in a lonely condo overlooking the city by himself makes my heart hurt. But it’s still early days in our relationship, and I don’t want to be the type of relentless girlfriend who doesn’t give her man space.

“Geez, what happened to you?”

Dora lies tucked in the corner of the sectional couch her father bought when we moved into this place. In fact, most of the furnishings are brand new thanks to Mr. Gold, except for the second-hand bedroom set I scrounged for at a Goodwill store.

“Oh, nothing. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.” I prefer honesty with Dora, but I feel like I’d betray David if I told her what happened at the Morgan family dinner.

“You don’t have droopy eyes over nothing, Ms. Sunshine.” Dora scoots up to a seated position. “Ever since the night David Morgan asked you out, it’s been rainbows and bright skies. All of a sudden, you look like someone kicked your puppy. You can’t tell me nothing happened to kill your permanent high. Or maybe you need some candy to make you feel better?”

The joke falls flat because I’m too worried about David. I toss my purse on the kitchen countertop and flop down on the opposite end of the couch. I bend down to one leg and unlatch my sandals, kicking them off, and then stretch my legs along the length of the microfiber. Wiggling my toes, I let out a long sigh.

“I don’t think David’s parents like me very much,” I finally admit.

Dora waves a hand in front of her face. “Not possible. Everyone likes you.”

“Not true,” I argue. “Anyway, they weren’t very welcoming. It was like they thought I was only with David because of his money.” There’s no
like
about it. But I keep the full truth to myself. Dora’s not known for her secret keeping.

“What did David have to say about it?”

“Well, he was pretty upset, too. I’ve never seen him that angry before. He was rough and intense and all kinds of pissed off.”

“Sounds hot.” Her eyes light up with interest.

Thinking back, David’s intensity was kind of sexy. “Maybe a little,” I admit.

“Damn, Karolina. Do you have any idea how lucky you are? I only got one night with Chandler and then he moved on to someone else. You’ve been David every day since you met him. Baby, you struck gold.”

“You’re right. David is wonderful. I just don’t want to jeopardize our relationship by not getting along with his family,” I say.

Dora snorts her disbelief. “That won’t happen. I’ve seen firsthand how obsessed David is with you. He’ll handle them. Don’t stress too much about his family. They need time to get to know you. I’m sure they’re very protective of their golden boy.”

“You’re right,” I concede. “David’s a dream come true. Before he dropped me off, he told me everything would be okay. I need to trust him. What would I do without you, Dora?”

“Hmm . . . probably never leave the apartment because you’d be drowning in needles and thread.” Dora tosses her head back, laughing at her own joke.

“Ouch!” she cries when I nail her with a throw pillow.

Tugging the soft, white throw blanket off the edge of the sofa, I tuck it around myself and snuggle into the cushions. I’m already feeling much better and convinced.

David and I can overcome this.