Gold (All that Glitters #2)(70)

“Now, how am I supposed to keep my hands off of you through the entire ceremony?” he asked.

She smirked, triumphant. “You’ll have to give it your best shot.”

“I am going to have a lot of jealous colleagues.”

He offered her his arm, and she fit her hand into the crook of his elbow. His lips landed on hers, tender and thoughtful, filled with all the love he professed to her on a regular basis. She still hadn’t returned the phrase, but every time he kissed her, it was as if he didn’t need to hear the words. He acted as if he could taste them.

They walked together down to the entrance. Hugh shook hands with a few people in the lobby while a bunch of people gave her the side eye. They knew she had been there with him the whole time, and still, they skeptically looked at her. Hugh didn’t even seem to notice. He grabbed her hand once more, and they walked out to the crowd of people and up onto a platform.

Then, Hugh started his speech. She stood next to him. Cameras flashed everywhere. It reminded her of the red carpet she had been on countless times with her father and Gates. All of the eyes should have made her feel better, but suddenly, she felt worse. She enjoyed this, but she didn’t love Hugh. She didn’t know if she would ever love him. She liked him. She liked their time together, but she didn’t feel that spark.

But he kept saying it. He kept saying it like love existed. Love was laced with poison, and each time she drank from the bottle, she died a slow, painful death.

The applause jolted her out of her thoughts. Hugh reached forward, holding up some impossibly large gold scissors, and cut the ribbon. There were a series of pictures, and then everyone was herded inside to the ballroom. A huge after-party was being held in all the hotel ballrooms to celebrate the new resort. Hundreds of people flooded in behind them, and Hugh smiled at them all, greeting them and thanking them for coming to the resort. He was an eternally gracious host.

“Come on, while everyone’s distracted,” he said. He took her arm and pulled her out a side door to a deserted balcony overlooking the city below.

Bryna leaned her elbows against the railing and let the breeze kiss across her skin. “That was a lot of people.”

“And everyone was watching you.”

She glanced over at him and laughed lightly. “You were the one giving the speech.”

“Hey, I would have been watching you, too, if I could have.”

“You see me all the time.”

“But not in this dress.” His hands slid down her hips.

“No. I normally wear less.”

Hugh smiled and then took a calming deep breath. He actually looked…nervous. That’s odd. He’s never like that.

“I have your surprise.”

She arched an eyebrow. Suddenly, her nerves tingled up her back in warning. She didn’t even know why, but it hit her hard.

He swallowed and then pulled out a flat blue velvet box from his jacket pocket. Her eyes locked on it.

“I told you earlier that I wasn’t ready for you to leave me after the summer. The truth is, I don’t want you to leave at all. My life is complete with you in it. I enjoy waking up every day and finding you beside me. I haven’t felt like this in a very, very long time.”

Her ears were ringing. She could barely hear what he was saying.

He opened the box, and inside was a stunning Harry Winston collar necklace of exquisite diamonds. It looked as if it weighed a ton, and it shined so bright that it was almost blinding. Her hand went to her mouth in shock.

“I love you. I know you’ve been kind of distant, and we haven’t even been together for a year, but this feels too real to me. I want it to be real for you. I didn’t know what your dress looked like, but I figured that diamonds matched everything. You always wear your B, but I wanted you to wear something of mine tonight.”

“Hugh,” she breathed.

She shook her head. How is this happening? He had all but said he wanted to marry her. Besides the fact that he was already married, she was only f*cking eighteen years old. This couldn’t be real.

“I just…”

“Let me put it on for you.”

“Wait,” she said.

She put her hand out and touched the necklace. She couldn’t do this. She had thought this was what she wanted. She had thought all the glitz and glamour would make up for what had happened with Jude. He had created her, and she had let herself fall into this trap. But by letting Hugh think I love him, am I any better than Jude in the end?

She didn’t want to lead Hugh on. When it had been fun and carefree, she had assumed they were both on the same page. But this wasn’t a game. This was someone’s life. And it had lost its luster. She no longer wanted to be the person Jude had created.

“What? What is it?” he asked with so much concern in his voice.

“I don’t think I can do this. I don’t get where you think this is headed.” She looked up into his eyes. “I mean…you’re married.”

Hugh’s shock was evident. He snapped the box closed, nearly biting into her hand, before she snatched it away.

“What are you talking about? I’m not married!”

BRYNA’S JAW DROPPED. “What?”

“Why would you think that?”

“I…I don’t know.”

She really didn’t. She had thought Hugh was like Jude and that everything was the same. But after his confession of love for her and this new revelation that he wasn’t actually married, she was scrambling to find a reason for her actions.