Lie to Me (Pearl Island Trilogy #4)(72)

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Can you stay?”

The reminder of her family brought her back down a bit. “I wish I could, but it would just make things worse. Especially since my mother’s engagement party is tomorrow.”

“You sound like you’re dreading it.”

“I am.” She dropped her head to his chest. “I wish I didn’t have to go.”

“Hey.” He nudged her head back up. “Would it help if you had someone there to give you moral support?”

“What do you mean?”

“I could attend the party with you.”

She laughed dryly. “You would hate it, believe me.”

“I had doubts about you liking my family’s pig roast.”

“Opposite end of the spectrum.” Sitting up, she swung her legs off the bed and wondered where all her clothes were. “I’m not going to torture you with an evening at my grandparents’ house.”

“I wouldn’t mind.” He sat up as well. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he kissed her shoulder. “It would be worth it if my being there made things easier for you. Unless having me there would make it worse?”

“I don’t know.” She tried to imagine Luc in the stiff, sterile environment of her grandparents’ house. A yearning to have him at her side leapt inside of her, but could she ask that of him?

“Chloe,” he sighed and rested his check against the top of her head. “You don’t have to fight all your battles alone.”

She shifted to face him. “You’d really come?”

“Do you want me to?” His brows drew together in a frown.

A turmoil of emotion swamped her at the thought of having him by her side so she wouldn’t have to face the night alone. “I do.”

“Okay then.” Relief washed over his face. “I’ll be there.”





Chapter 19





Standing in the garden, surrounded by polite gaiety, Chloe tried not to look at her watch every thirty seconds. Where was Luc? Had he changed his mind about coming? Become distracted and lost track of time? Even if he was shooting for fashionably late, he should have arrived by now.

She wished he was standing beside her already. Wished it with a strength that surprised her. The party had started less than an hour ago, and already her head throbbed with a tension headache.

Taking in the crowd, she searched for a person she actually wanted to talk to. There was no one. Her mother stood with a group of her friends on one side of the garden, showing off the egg-size engagement diamond Harold had given her, while Harold stood with a group of men on the opposite side. Each time Diane’s laughter rang out over the music of the string quartet, Harold glanced over at her. The look of adoration that softened his pock-marked face twisted Chloe’s heart. In the past, she’d longed to protect her mother from heartache. This time, she worried for the groom-to-be.

That war on her emotions had had her avoiding Harold all evening. As a waiter went by, she snagged a glass of champagne, hoping to relax.

The voices of newly arriving guests drew her attention toward the atrium to find her grandmother greeting her longtime friends, the Johnsons. The hugs and air-kisses depressed Chloe further. If Melinda Johnson knew half the things DeeDee said about her behind her back, the “friendship” would have ended years ago. Of course, she imagined Melinda did plenty of dissing about DeeDee.

Before Chloe could turn her back on that scene, Luc stepped through the atrium doors.

The knot in Chloe’s stomach released. Just like that. Seeing him made her chest expand and her heart lift. Even though she’d been longing for him to arrive, the reaction startled her. How could she have gone from anger and mistrust a few days ago to elation at seeing him now?

Oh, but he looked incredible in a gray suit, yellow dress shirt, and patterned tie. Frowning nervously, he searched the crowd. She started forward just as DeeDee noticed him.

“Good evening,” she heard DeeDee saying in that cool manner of hers. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Are you a friend of my daughter?”

“He’s with me,” Chloe said, coming up behind her grandmother, her voice breathy with joy. “Hello, Luc. I’m glad you made it.”

The instant Luc turned and saw Chloe, he nearly swallowed his tongue. She wore a form-hugging blue dress that left her shoulders completely bare, and made her breasts look like an offering. Her dark hair had been swept into a sleek up-do of some sort that emphasized her amazing face. Normally she wore very little make up, but tonight she’d put on just enough to accentuate her eyes, cheekbones, and lush mouth in a way that made him dizzy.

All of that paled, though, in comparison to her smile. Her obvious happiness at seeing him stole his breath.

“DeeDee, I’d like you to meet my friend, Luc Renard,” she said. “Luc, this is Deirdre LeRoche, my grandmother.”

“So glad you could come to our celebration,” DeeDee LeRoche said, extending a hand with elegant grace.

“Thank you for having me.” Luc tore his eyes from Chloe long enough to shake the woman’s hand. It dripped with enough gemstones to top off a dragon’s hoard.

“Chloe, be sure to help your guest feel at home,” the grandmother said. “I need to check on the caterer.”