Relinquished (25 page)

I touched the silky material of the long, flowing skirt, taking note once more of just how far the slit went up the side. Christina had taken me to an exclusive boutique last week, calling our trip, “retail therapy”. The owner of the shop swore it was a one of a kind made by an up-and-coming designer. That part didn’t matter to me, though. I’d fallen in love when I first laid eyes on the stunning, intricate details. I’d never owned anything so extravagant in my entire life. It bugged me that Dante had been overpaying me for my internship, but the ability to have my own bank account and buy my own things was incredibly freeing.

Smiling, I strolled away, taking another glance at Holden asleep in bed.  I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face once I got dressed. I planned on giving him a quick peek of my nude thigh high stockings and new bra and panty set before we left so he knew what was in store for him later.

I stepped on the cold bathroom floor, shivering at the contact. Once I finished using the bathroom, I washed my hands and took a good, long look at myself in the mirror. It seemed impossible to believe that two months ago I’d been standing in front of my distorted image in that cracked mirror in the motel bathroom. So much had changed since then.

Touching my cheekbone, jaw, then stomach and hips, I noticed I’d filled out a bit now that I had a steady diet of healthy food. I also couldn’t help but distinguish the difference in my muscle tone. In the past, I would’ve considered myself a bit scrawny. But since I’d started working out every day, my body was now reflecting all my hard work.

Leaning in, I stared at the main difference in my appearance—my eyes. No longer did I see the dark circles underneath and the despair I’d carried in them for so long.  Things weren’t perfect by any means, and we still had shit to deal with, but the hope I now had was enough to get me through anything coming our way. 

I heard a knock and Holden’s rough, sexy sleep voice. “Are you decent?”

Like it mattered. Staring at my naked chest in the mirror, I let out a chuckle. “No.  Not really.”

The door opened a sliver, and I saw his eye peek between the crack as a few strands of his hair fell forward. Pushing it open all the way, he stood in all his naked glory, wearing nothing more than a smile, “Good, that’s what I was hoping I’d find.” He reached for my waist as he pulled me into him. The hair on his chest tickled my back, but I loved the feel of his skin against me. I wondered if I’d ever get used to it.

With a raised eyebrow, he rested his chin on my shoulder, taking in my exposed image in the mirror. “What’re you doing right now?” He started kissing my neck, pressing himself against my ass.

I shivered and moved my head to the side to give him better access. “Nothing. I was thinking about showering and getting ready for breakfast.”

“Sounds good to me.” With a grin, he released me to turn on the shower.

I smiled and shook my head as he lifted his shoulders and puckered those delicious lips of his. “What? We’re in a drought. I say we save water and take every shower together.”

In a drought.
Sure.

I couldn’t help but laugh, but I didn’t argue.

Holden's fingertips lightly feathered along my collar bone and upward to my hairline, sending small tingles up and down my spine while we sat at a table with pretentious assholes bragging about how much money they were worth.  They could gloat all they wanted if it meant they’d fork some of it over to the organization. Now that I knew what was going on in the background, I was determined to help any way I could, even if it meant sucking up to these arrogant bastards.

I snuck a peek at Holden, who was seemingly mesmerized by me.  Just as I’d planned, before we left the hotel room, I’d given him a preview of what I was wearing underneath my dress.  Needless to say, we barely made it to the function in time for dinner and only because Marcus and Abel, the other security guy, knocked on the door to make sure we were okay.

Holden just grinned, almost making me blush. He’d gotten a little too good at reading me lately. He knew exactly what I was thinking.

I wouldn’t have ever imagined I’d get to the point of involuntarily smiling, but Holden was bringing that out in me. Relinquishing all of my control in order to let him in had been one of the most difficult things I’d ever done. When I looked into his eyes, though, I knew I’d made the right decision. He would surely fuck up from time to time, but in my heart, I knew he’d never intentionally hurt me.

Pushing his chair back, he stood and offered his hand, then he yanked me toward him until I was flush with his torso. His hand ran down my back as his breath tickled my mouth. “Dance with me?” There was no denying him, even though I hated to dance.

“If you think you can keep up,” I smirked.

He cocked an eyebrow. “I’m sure I’ll have no problem keeping up with you.”

He led me away from the table toward the dance floor.  With his hands on my waist and mine resting on his shoulders, our hips moved in unison as we followed the beat of the music. We let go, getting lost to the tune of Rosemary Clooney’s “Sway”.  Threading my fingers through his hair, I bit my bottom lip, enjoying the heat radiating off our bodies.

Not surprisingly, Holden was an incredible dancer and was trying unsuccessfully to get me to follow a few of his moves.  He spun me out of his arms smoothly, then pulled me back even closer until my hip bumped into his crotch, causing him to groan. Thankfully, the song was only a few minutes long.

“We’d better mingle before I drag you back to the hotel.” Adjusting his tuxedo jacket, he allowed me to lead us off the dance floor and up the stairs to the balcony I’d eyed when we first walked in. Several cocktail tables lined the edge where we stopped to greet each guest.

An older gentleman approached us, shaking Holden’s hand while clapping his bicep. “Fantastic speech.”

I smiled warmly when I thought back to the presentations the guys had given after dinner.  I’d seen them command different rooms, but it had never been anything like tonight. Every eye was glued to the stage, captivated by their passionate words, including mine.  Knowing how deep their commitment and dedication went for those defenseless women filled me with awe and appreciation that I had the honor of having them in my life.

“We owe you gentlemen and your father so much. You can always count on our support.”

Holden nodded, offering his prize-winning smile. “Thank you very much, Mr. Sheldon. We truly appreciate it.”

I glanced at the woman next to him. She was probably closer to my age and something in her eyes sparked my interest. As we casually strolled away, taking in the view of the reception below, I asked softly, “What’s her story?”

Holden chuckled and leaned his elbows on the handrail. “I’m not surprised you picked up on her.” Moving closer, he spoke discreetly. “Chloe was rescued several years ago. I’d thought it was from an abusive boyfriend, but I’m not so sure anymore.” He huffed out. “Not that it matters, as long as she’s safe now.”

“Who’s the guy with her?”

“Her uncle.  From what I was told, her parents both died and weren’t close to any family members, so she didn’t have anyone to turn to. One of Dante’s specialties is to find people that are difficult to track down. He’s adamant about checking DNA before he arranges them to meet.” He leaned in, taking in the crowd below.

I shrugged my shoulders. “That doesn’t surprise me. Once you’re under his wings, he’s pretty cautious.”

Gaging my expression, he admitted, “Yeah, he is.  Honestly, I think he’s always looked at me as one of the people needing his protection. Then again, the few times I thought he should’ve been there for me, he let me struggle until I learned how to fight my way through it.”

“Sounds kind of bittersweet.”

His thoughtful look was interrupted by another guest clapping his large hand on Holden’s back. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Holden spun around to greet him but instantly stopped short. The older gentleman had piercing blue eyes and salt and pepper hair.

“Mr. Maxwell,” Holden said cautiously. “Thank you for joining us.”

“My pleasure,” Maxwell replied, clearly oozing with power and success.

The Raymond Maxwell? The foster kid turned millionaire I’d read so much about?

He was even more handsome in real life, but man, something about him made my senses spike to full alert. His skin was much smoother than a man of his age’s should’ve been. It made me wonder if he’d had some cosmetic work done.

When he turned his attention toward me, I had to fight the urge to take a step back. Looping my arm through Holden’s, I felt a shudder zip through me.

He gave me a smile that displayed a full set of perfectly white teeth. “And who, may I ask, is this extraordinary woman by your side this evening?”

“This is my girlfriend, Jules,” Holden said reluctantly. He’d already told me that he didn’t like this guy, but I could practically feel the protective barrier he was putting between Maxwell and me.

I nodded, hoping that would suffice in greeting. It did not. Maxwell reached slowly for the hand not clutching Holden’s arm and pulled my fingers up to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. “It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Donovan.”

I stiffened momentarily. Had Holden told him my last name? Not wanting to draw attention, I gave him a tight smile as he released my hand.

With a forced chuckle, he cleared my confusion. “Forgive me, I’m aware of the news report.” His deceptive smile grew.

The hair lifted on the back of my neck as I suddenly remembered he owned one of the stations that had run the report. They’d probably seen much clearer pictures of me that hadn’t been published.

His gaze moved between Holden and me, and he tapped his lips as if he was calculating something. “You two move remarkably well together on the dance floor and seem quite enamored with each other. Surely this stunning woman is more than just your girlfriend.” He crossed his arms, confidently leaning his shoulders back.

What a dick.

I noticed a few guys standing off to the side, positioned in a similar stance as Marcus and Abel, just feet from Holden and me.

As smooth as ever, Holden acknowledged, “You’re right about that, Mr. Maxwell. We are quite captivated with each other.” It was ever so slight, but I felt Holden shift in front of me, slightly placing me behind him. “Jules means everything to me.”

Tension filled the air, and I watched as each large security guard around us began to shuffle in anticipation.

Maxwell slowly lifted his hand toward his men, directing them to relax, then he shook his head at Holden. “Stand down, my boy.” That menacing smile reappeared. “I’m not trying to steal your girl. I do, however, enjoy finding out what lengths people will go to for their loved ones.”

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Suddenly, it hit me that I’d been cowering in front of this man, whom I’d never met before, which pissed me off. Ultimately, like me, he’d been just another kid raised in the system.  He happened to catch some breaks and make something of himself, which was exactly what I wanted to do. There was no reason to let him intimidate me.

Dropping my arm, I squeezed Holden’s hand and moved my shoulders back, lifting my chin confidently. “Good thing I’m not on the market then.”

Raymond’s eyes narrowed just a tad. He turned toward Holden and patted him on the chest. “You’ve got yourself a feisty one there.” Then his eyes took on a whole new quality, something menacing, but not quite. “Keep your eye on her.” He took a few steps back, acknowledging Holden’s non-amused demeanor. “Well, I must be off, got a plane to catch and all.”

“Don’t forget to drop off your donation on the way out,” I blurted, smiling coyly. I couldn’t help getting the final word in.

Holden and I only had a moment to make eye contact before Dante joined us, and the line of guests took their turn making small talk, promising to donate. I attempted to step back and let them do their thing, but Holden and Dante reached for me at the same time, silently asking me to stay nearby.

Several hours later, my feet were aching from standing in shoes I wasn’t used to, but we were fairly relaxed after chatting with supporters.  I’d been proud of the guys before, but there was nothing like witnessing others sing their praises.

I’d been dying to go to the bathroom by the time I slipped away with Marcus. Once I was finished, he escorted me back, whispering in Dante’s ear once we approached.

Nodding, Dante’s palm came down on Holden’s shoulder as he turned to address the portly Hispanic gentleman in front of them. “Please excuse us for a bit, Senator Ramirez, there’s a matter we must see to.”

With a curt smile, he answered, “By all means.  We can discuss politics any day.”

It was difficult to hold back my laugh at Dante's uninterested expression when he turned away. Apparently, he had no intention of continuing that conversation.

Holden looked up curiously. “What’s up?”

Dante scanned the room. “Dad’s waiting for us in one of the offices upstairs.”

My eyes made their way up to the dome ceiling, wondering where this upper floor could be.

“It’s about time. I almost thought he was blowing us off, as usual,” Holden grunted under his breath before turning back to kiss my cheek. “Are you ready?”

My stomach did flip flops at the thought of meeting his father. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

Dante interjected. “We’ll all be there together, no matter what happens.”

Holden and I glanced at each other, confused, but Dante had already strolled away before either of us could say anything. Bending forward, Holden placed a soft kiss on my shoulder and whispered, “Let’s get this over with.  I promise I’ll make it up to you later.”