The Life That Mattered (Life #1)(45)

Ronin looked … and looked. Eyebrows creeping up his forehead with realization. A slight smile formed along his mouth as his head cocked to the side, studying them.

Did I want him watching my friends? Seeing Lila exposed like that? Would he think differently about them? It wasn’t exactly newlyweds making love. Graham occupied his wife in every possible place she could be occupied.

I tugged on Ronin’s arm. He took a few steps back, so we were hidden behind the corner. The grin on his face continued to work its way up his face like bread dough rising in a warm room.

“How long have you been watching them?” he whispered.

My head jutted forward, eyes open as wide as they could open. He thought I was watching them? I was, but not on purpose. It was an accident.

He, however, spent way too long checking out the situation.

I pulled him down the hallway into another bedroom. “I wasn’t watching them.”

“No?” Ronin nodded slowly, rolling his smirky lips between his teeth.

I didn’t appreciate his disbelief.

“Helene sent me to get them. I encountered the awkward situation. It took me a few minutes … er … seconds to realize what they were doing. As soon as I did, I turned around to leave and there you were.”

“I see. Well … Evie, I can tell you what they’re doing. Or even give you a hands-on demonstration. It would be my pleasure.”

So much embarrassment rushed up my neck into my cheeks. I felt certain I might set off the fire alarms.

“Graham … please … Graham … GRAHAM!” Everyone at the reception must have heard Lila scream. Not moan. She screamed.

I covered my mouth. “Oh my god! He’s hurting her!” As I turned to stop Graham, Ronin grabbed my arm.

“Evie … they’re having sex. You clearly haven’t focused on your own screams during sex. She’s fine.”

“I don’t sound like that!”

“Care to let me prove you wrong? Shut the door, Evie.”

Okay. I’ll admit I was vocal sometimes. But that sounded like the scream of a woman being murdered, not a bride on her wedding night. Well … it was late afternoon.

“Ronin, I’m serious. He’s in her…” my nose wrinkled “…ass.”

“And?” Ronin gave me a look.

I frowned, knowing what it felt like to be owned like that. “It wasn’t on our wedding day. And you were gentle.”

“And you still screamed my name.”

I fought what I thought I knew and what I feared, hoping they were not one and the same.

Ronin sighed, nodding toward the hallway. “Go check on her if you’re worried. I’ll meet you downstairs.”

I trapped my lip between my teeth. The screams stopped. I didn’t want to check on them, but better me than Helene. On a huff, I tiptoed toward the other room. “Lila?” I called as a warning before I got to the door.

Graham sauntered out of the bedroom, tucking in his crisp white shirt, sporting that same stupid grin he wore on that regretful night in Vancouver. “Evelyn, you should have joined us.”

My nose wrinkled. “I’m married.”

Graham shrugged, leaning down close to my ear. “So am I. What’s your point?” He brushed past me toward the stairs.

I had a long lecture for him. When Graham got too high on himself, his job, his wealth, or his dick … I had to put him in his place. However, the only place anyone needed to be at the moment was the reception.

Lila glanced up from her disheveled dress, trying to tuck her breasts back into the bodice of it.

I rolled my eyes and gestured for her to turn around. Unzipping her dress, I helped adjust it from behind while she put everything in front back in its place.

“Are you going to be able to sit down for dinner? Or will you need a high-top table?”

“I take it you’ve been up here for a while.”

I cleared my throat, ignoring her question. “Do you need to use the toilet again? Are any bodily fluids leaking from any of your … orifices?”

Gross? Yes.

But sex had its not so glamorous parts, and I had a feeling Graham didn’t wrap it up before owning his wife.

“That’s disgusting, Evie.” Lila glanced at me over her shoulder with a sour look on her face.

“Yes or no?” I kept a straight face. I wasn’t trying to be anything or do anything but help my friend get to her really expensive wedding reception without smelling or feeling like a sperm receptacle.

She blew out a hard breath, eyes averting to the side as she returned a single nod. I unzipped her dress and helped her step out of it. Then she waddled to the toilet, sliding a hand between her legs. Men had it so fucking easy.

Without exchanging any more words, I helped her get dressed, and then fixed her hair and makeup. That’s what friends did. They overlooked embarrassing situations and had each other’s backs.

“Did he hurt you?” I had to ask, just before we got to the door that led to the reception in the Porter’s private art gallery. It killed me to ask her, but I wouldn’t have forgiven myself had I not said something.

Graham loved her. I knew that. I really did. But her cry still echoed in my ears. Ronin was wrong. There was no way I sounded like that.

“Evie …” Lila turned toward me, taking my hands in hers. “Graham would never hurt me. How can you even ask me that?”