Sinful Rapture (The Rapture #2)(2)

He had the proper pedigree.

He’d earned her father’s approval.

And he didn’t demand the sort of intense emotions she wasn’t prepared to offer.

Their relationship was easy. Uncomplicated.

“I thought—” She cut off her words with a shake of her head.

“What?” Sasha demanded.

Holly grimaced. She’d never assumed that Ted had been madly in love with her, but she’d never thought he would deliberately hurt her.

She heaved a weary sigh. “I thought he at least cared about me.”

Sasha made a sound of disgust. “Junior is incapable of caring about anyone but himself. He’s a genuine narcissist. Still, I have to admit I’m surprised.”

“Why?”

“He’s always such a prig about his precious image. Mr. My-Shit-Doesn’t-Stink could barely stand to be in the same room with me in case I contaminated his blue blood,” Sasha pointed out.

Holly bit her lower lip. She couldn’t argue. Ted had been horrified to discover that Holly’s best friend was the owner of a high-end, extremely exclusive club called the Playhouse.

It was far more than just a strip club, or a gathering place for those who enjoyed an alternative lifestyle. Sasha had managed to build a small empire that included a large store where she sold Playhouse merchandise, erotic art, and toys. She also ran a company that offered phone sex, and strippers for private parties.

As far as Ted was concerned, she was nothing more than a whore.

“He was old-fashioned.” Holly instinctively tried to excuse his prejudice.

It was a habit she obviously needed to break.

The sooner the better.

“He was a pompous prick,” Sasha snapped. “Which is why I can’t believe he would create such a public spectacle of himself.”

“He didn’t,” Holly muttered, glancing around the grotto that was being swiftly stripped of all traces of her aborted wedding. In less than half an hour it would be as if she’d never been there. A damned shame she couldn’t rid herself of the sense of humiliation so easily. She shuddered, wrapping her arms around her waist. “He left me to enjoy that particular honor.”

“Fucking coward.” Sasha gave a disgusted shake of her head. “But come on, Holly, his no-show is going to be the prime source of gossip among the social elites for the next year.”

Holly winced. It shouldn’t matter. She didn’t even like ninety percent of the guests that had been invited to the wedding.

But the thought of people whispering behind her back or snickering when she walked into the room was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

“Thanks.”

“Sorry, but it’s true.” Sasha wrinkled her nose. “Why not discretely call off the wedding a week ago if he was having second thoughts? It would have been no more than a three-day wonder.”

She shook her head. “Who knows?”

Sasha frowned. “Aren’t you curious?”

Was she?

Actually…no.

At the moment, all she wanted was to disappear from the world and forget this hideously horrible day had ever happened.

“It doesn’t really matter anymore.”

Clearly struggling not to press the issue, Sasha bit back her frustrated words as a stunningly beautiful woman with long dark hair and hazel eyes entered the grotto and walked in their direction.

Maddy Angeli was a former model and currently married to Holly’s half-brother, Luc.

It was weird. When Holly was young she’d known about her father’s “real” family. The elegant wife who lived in the grand mansion with their two perfect children, Luc and Shelby.

She’d been desperately jealous of them.

It wasn’t until after Luc had turned his back on Angeli Casinos and she’d more or less taken his place at the family business that she’d tentatively reached out. Astonishingly, Luc had been happy to get to know his bastard sister and they’d quickly formed a close relationship that now included his lovely wife.

Of course, they’d been careful to keep their friendship a secret from Vigo.

They’d both known that the older man would have a seizure to discover they were friends instead of competitors for his attention.

“Hi, sweetie.” Maddy wrapped her arms around Holly to give her a warm hug. The woman was as kind as she was beautiful, and if Holly didn’t love her so much she’d feel compelled to kill her for being so perfect. “The caterers have packed up and the reception room has been cleaned. Is there anything else you need?”

“No.” Holly pulled back, putting on a brave face. God. She just realized there was something worse than being a joke to society. It was being an object of pity to her friends. “You and Luc have been great. Thank you.”

“Hey, that’s what family is for.” Maddy gave her fingers a squeeze. “Do you want to come home with us?”

She firmly shook her head. “I just want a hot bath and a very large glass of wine.”

Maddy frowned. “I don’t think you should be alone.”

“She won’t be,” Sasha said.

“I told you, I don’t need a babysitter,” Holly muttered.

“The last thing I intend to be is your babysitter, chica.” A wicked smile curved Sasha’s lips. “Tonight you’re going to spread your wings and fly.”