Twisted Perfection (9 page)

Della

    
I shouldn’t have looked at him so long but I hadn’t been able to keep pretending he wasn’t staring at me. In a weak moment I met his steady gaze and saw the sadness in his eyes. He had secrets hidden inside. I knew what that felt like. The stupid part of me wanted to reach out and help him.

    
Luckily the smart rational part of me knew that he was walking this way and I needed to move. He would want to explain again. I didn’t need his explanation. I understood. Tonight was about having fun with new people. Not me running off to find a dark hole to hide in if my crazy started to break through.

    
I only made it two steps before his large hand wrapped around my upper arm.    “Please, Della. Don’t. I just want to talk.”

    
Again with the sadness. It was even in his voice. He was hurting somehow. I’d hurt for so long all alone. Identifying pain in others was easy for me. I was drawn to it in some strange perverse way.

    
“What do you want, Woods?” I asked without looking at him.

    
“To talk. I just want to talk.”

    
He wanted to talk. Fine. We could talk if it would give him some closure. Maybe ease that sadness in his eyes that haunted me. “Okay. But we talk in here.” Being alone with him wasn’t going to happen.

    
“Fair enough,” he replied.

    
I finally turned around and stared up at him. He really was beautiful. Sometimes it was easy to ignore. But up close when he was completely focused on me it was harder. I’d seen those eyes glowing with passion. I knew what his mouth tasted like and I had heard his cries of pleasure. I never would again, but those memories were hard to forget.

    
“Come sit with me,” he said, gently pulling my arm toward an empty table in the corner.

    
I took the seat across from him putting the safety of the small cocktail table between us.  He had something he wanted to say and the sooner he said it the sooner I could get away from him. 

    
“What is it you want to talk to me about?” I asked.

    
Woods ran his thumb over his bottom lip thoughtfully and I jerked my eyes away from his face. I didn’t want to look at those lips and remember.

    
“About the other night. I was trying to be honest with you, and I screwed it up. I shouldn’t have let you leave without explaining everything to you.”

    
I knew sitting down that this was the only thing we had to talk about. It still didn’t ease the pain that came with it. I had been so open and free with him. And no, he hadn’t been honest.

    
“If you had been honest you wouldn’t have had sex with me before telling me you were about to get engaged. I didn’t even know you were in a relationship. And one so serious! Were you with her back when we… the night we… met?”

    
He rested both his elbows on the table and leaned forward.

    
“No. I wasn’t. It isn’t a real relationship, Della. Not like you think it is. It’s a business deal. Her father’s company merging with my father’s. We aren’t exclusive… or we weren’t until I gave her the ring.”

    
A business transaction? What?
“I don’t understand,” I finally replied.

    
Woods let out a soft bitter laugh. “You wouldn’t because it’s screwed up. My grandfather built the Kerrington Club. It’s been successful down here but it isn’t in the big leagues. The Greystone name being joined with the Kerrington name would open doors for my father… and me, that couldn’t be opened before.”

    
Greystone? Where had I heard that before? “Your fiancée is a Greystone?” I asked, trying to understand what he was telling me.

    
“Yeah, she is the only heir to the Greystone name. Her father and mine see this as a winning solution for them both. I will one day control not only Kerrington but the Greystone empire as well.”

    
Wow. So, people really did marry for reasons as shallow as this. Is that why he seemed sad? “Does she make you happy?” I asked, watching his face for any sign of an answer instead of listening to just his words.

    
“No. But she wants this arrangement as well,” he replied. The regret etched in his face hurt my heart. I didn’t like that he’d had sex with me without telling me all this but I still didn’t want him to be so sad. We only got one life and that was it. I knew that better than most. I’d lost the first part of my life locked away. He would lose the last part in a very similar situation. His heart would be locked away. Unused.

    
“This is what you want?” I finally asked.

    
He didn’t reply right away. Instead he stared at me intensely. My heart picked up its pace and I realized it always would around Woods. He had connected with it and I couldn’t stop that. I had tried.

    
“Yes, and no. I want what I’ve grown up knowing would be mine. I want to take my rightful place in my family’s business. I’ve worked hard for this. But… I don’t want Angelina.”

    
His eyes said more than they should. I dropped my gaze and stared at my hands resting in my lap. I had a decision to make. I could continue to push Woods away or I could forgive him. I could be his friend. Nothing more. He’d given me a job when I needed one. I would leave soon. The day would come when I left anyway. Until then, maybe I could share memories and moments with Woods. We could find the happiness in life together. New experiences. His last taste of freedom and my first taste.

    
Lifting my eyes, I met his steady gaze. He was waiting on something from me. “Can we be friends? Even after everything else? We could just start over,” I suggested.

    
The muscles in Woods’ neck moved as he swallowed. I wondered if I’d read him wrong. If he had just been needing closure and nothing more. But his eyes said something different. “I’d like that.”
     Smiling, I reached my hand out toward him. “Hello, I’m Della Sloane.”

    
A crooked grin touched Woods perfect face and he slipped his hand into mine. “Woods Kerrington. It’s nice to meet you Della.”

    
His warm touch caused me to shiver and I pulled my hand away and stood up. “I’m going to get a drink. Save me a dance tonight.”

    
He nodded. “Without a doubt.”

     Bethy met me at the bar. I had planned to take a deep calming breath after getting far enough from Woods to think this through. But instead I managed to smile at her like nothing was wrong.

    
“Can I ask what the handshake was about?” Bethy said, sitting down on the stool beside me and ordering two lemon drop shots.

    
“We’re starting over. This time I know he’s engaged and we’re going to be friends.”

    
Bethy nodded but I could see the disbelief in her eyes.

    
“Really, we are. Nothing more,” I assured her.

    
The bartender slid both of the pale yellow drinks our way.

    
“I believe that you believe that. But Woods doesn’t want Angelina. So you see if I’m skeptical about him keeping it friendly between the two of you, I have reason.”

    
Even Bethy knew he didn’t want to marry Angelina. I didn’t understand this. Would it be so bad not to connect his name with hers?

    
“It just seems like he’s sacrificing his happiness for money and gain. I don’t think that will end well.”

    
Bethy threw back her shot and then wiped a drop off her bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. “It will be a disaster. He’ll be miserable. But he thinks this is what he wants out of life. No one can convince him otherwise. In their world of money and power this is what they do. It’s why Tripp took off running. He didn’t want to play that game.”

    
Tripp? He’d had that kind of ultimatum too? But he’d left. He’d run. He hadn’t sacrificed his happiness. He was living. There was no cage holding him in. Cages were suffocating. I hated the idea of Woods living in one.

    
“I’m just passing through. While I’m here I think we can be friends. I like him. I want to get to know him. When I have his memory to pull out one day and think about I don’t want it to be just the sex. I want to know the man. Is that wrong?”

    
Bethy picked up my lemon drop and handed it to me. “No. It’s not. Now, drink up. I need someone to get the karaoke going and- tag you’re it.”

    
I shook my head. “Oh, no. Not me.”

    
Bethy nodded. “Yes, you. I’ve heard about your amazing vocal skills. It’s time I heard them. Come on, do it for
me
. Please.”

    
I took the shot glass and quickly downed the tangy drink.

Woods

    
Grant took Della’s seat when she walked away.

    
“I take it that means you two made amends,” Grant said as he put his beer down on the table.

    
“We’re friends,” I replied. Not real sure how that was going to work but I was going to make sure it did.

    
“Friends,” Grant replied and nodded his head as if he agreed. The look on his face though was amused though. “Good luck with that.”

    
His comment pissed me off, but he was right. I needed all the luck I could get. Keeping a straight head around her was going to be hard.

    
“Thanks.”

    
Grant chuckled. “Looks like you think that’s as impossible as I do.”

    
I started to respond when Bethy walked up on the stage. “It’s time for some karaoke. Now that you’ve all had some free liquor you can sing for your drinks. Don’t worry I won’t make you come up here, yet. You have an entire song to drink enough until coming up here sounds like a good idea. Della has agreed to sing first because she doesn’t have to be drunk to sound badass.”

    
I shifted my eyes to Della who was looking up at Bethy like she wanted to crawl under a table. I wanted to go save her from this but I sure as hell wasn’t about to go sing.  I’d never live it down.

    
“I got this,” Grant said and jumped up. I watched him saunter over to Della and say something that made her beam up at him. Stupid fucker. What was he doing?

    
Della slid her hand into his and they walked up to the stage together. He was gonna sing with her. He hadn’t sung in front of a crowd since high school.

    
Della looked relieved not to be up there alone.
     The lyrics to “Picture” by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock came up on the screen. He was going with a Kid song. Not surprising; he always liked singing Kid Rock songs.

    
The familiar sound began pouring through the speakers. Grant’s voice joined it and I let myself watch Della. She was impressed with his singing. Most people were. Until they heard Rush Finlay sing. Rush and Grant were step-brothers once for a few short years. But it had been enough to bond them. I never understood why Rush didn’t sing anymore because it had drawn the girls for miles when he was younger. Maybe it was the fact he didn’t want to be his father. He didn’t want to be compared to him. Rush’s father was the famous drummer from Slack Demon.

    
Grant hadn’t minded using his vocal skills to attract the girls though.

    
Della began her part of the song and the room went quiet. She was amazing. I’d been completely floored when she’d opened her mouth to sing at the Delamar Ball. This was one of the things I wanted to know more about. She had to have been singing for a long time.

    
“I’m just throwing this out there. I’m making a move on her. Your ass is engaged. So, you can get all pissed and shit but I’m still making a move. She’s hot and completely worth the ass kicking.” Thad informed me. I glared at him as he sat down across from me and shrugged before looking back up at the stage.

    
She was too smart to get mixed up with Thad. He wasn’t her type.

    
“If she doesn’t end up in Grant’s bed tonight. He’s looking like he’s ready to move in on her.”

    
I watched Grant as they finished the song and he pulled her into a hug. My hands clenched tightly into fists. What was he doing?

    
“Bud, you look like you need reminding you got your stupid ass engaged,” Thad said standing back up.

    
Della’s hands were resting on Grant’s arms just a little too comfortably and long. Della’s gaze left Grant’s face and her eyes found me. Immediately her hands fell away and she stepped away from Grant after flashing him one more smile. Then she turned and left the stage.

    
I watched her as she made her way through the crowd. She was headed for the back hallway that led to the restrooms. I didn’t think about it too hard. I just went with it. Standing up, I followed her.

    
She had already disappeared into the restroom when I got back there so I waited. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. We’d just agreed to become friends so pushing her back into that small one stall bathroom and taking her up against the wall again wasn’t a good idea. I was positive she wouldn’t be so willing anymore. Which burned like acid down my throat. I’d had her. I could have had more.

    
Staring at the door, I decided this was a bad move. Another mistake. I shouldn’t be back here.  I wanted to get to know Della and this wasn’t the way to do it. She’d push me away if I even attempted anything.

    
I stalked back down the hallway away from the temptation.

    
“Woods?” Della’s voice stopped me. I couldn’t go back there. I looked back at her over my shoulder.

    
“Hey. You did great up there. Sheryl Crow is hard to sing.”

    
She blushed. “Thank you. It was fun. I’d been nervous when Bethy had asked me to but I’m glad I did.”

    
“I’m glad you did too.”

    
She walked toward me. “How about that dance now?”

    
I wanted to dance with her. I wanted that memory. That experience. I held out my hand to her and she placed hers in mine. I stared down at her small hand and my chest felt like it was stretching. The tightness that surrounded me only grew stronger as I closed my hand around hers and led her out to the dance floor.

    
I could feel eyes on me but right now I didn’t give a shit. They could look. They could judge me. This was what I wanted and until I said “I do” I was going to spend time getting to know Della. If I didn’t, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.

Jimmy had taken the
mic and had just started singing “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes. I was thankful for a slower song. That meant I’d get to pull her closer.

    
Della slid her hands up my arms and rested them there. She didn’t slip them behind my neck and press close to me.

    
“You smell good,” she said softly. I almost missed it she’d spoke so quietly.

    
“Not as good as you smell, trust me,” I replied and she tensed as my hands tightened their grip on her waist. “It’s the truth, Della. I’ve told you before that you smell incredible. Don’t get all uptight because I’m being honest.”

    
She relaxed a little. “Okay, you’re right. No harm in thinking your friends smell good.” The teasing tone in her voice was cute.

    
“Is there a rule that says since we’re friends you can’t wrap your hands around my neck?”

    
Della paused a moment then her hands slid up and over my shoulders. They rested on my shoulders. “I’m not tall enough for them to go any further. Even in these boots.”

    
“This is good,” I assured her and pulled her closer. “Where are you from Della Sloane?”

    
She laughed. “You could easily look on the application that you had me fill out to find that information.”

    
She was right. I could. “But I want to hear it from you. I don’t want to read it off your file.”

    
Della tilted her head to the side and studied me a moment. “Macon, Georgia”

I’d have guessed Alabama or Georgia. Her accent was thick. “Do you have brothers or sisters?”

     A melancholy look came over her face and she shook her head no. “No.” That simple ‘no’ sounded like so much more. She wasn’t telling me something.

    
“You don’t seem like an only child.  The carefree, travel the world choice of yours is more like something the baby of a family would do.”

    
Della smiled but it was one that held secrets. I wondered if I’d ever know those secrets.

    
“I’m not carefree. Not even close. But I want to be. I’m hoping one day I’ll know what that feels like. Right now I’m trying to find me.  You know what you want out of life, I don’t. I have no idea.”

    
What I wanted out of life? Did I know? Was it even the same anymore? “I know a lot less than you think I do.”

    
She smirked. “Is that so?”

    
Kissing those sexy little lips was tempting. Oh so tempting. “When’s your birthday?” I asked instead of responding to her remark.

    
Della sighed and she looked away from me. “April sixth. When is yours?”

    
“December tenth. What’s your favorite color?”

    
She giggled. “Blue. Pale blue. What’s yours?”

    
“A month ago I would have said red but I’ve changed my mind. I like blue now too.”

    
“Why?” she cocked an eyebrow and gazed up at me.

    
I wasn’t about to tell her it was because her eyes were blue. She’d get all tense on me again. “A guy can change his mind. I’m allowed to like blue now.” I didn’t give her time to think about that. “Who was your first grade teacher?” I asked quickly to distract her. Della stopped dancing and she backed away from me. Her eyes appeared almost glassy. Had I said something wrong? Had she figured out why I had said blue was my favorite color?

    
“I need a drink,” she said with a wobbly nervous smile then darted off away from me.

    
How could I upset her by asking her about her first grade teacher?  There was something deep in her eyes that told a story I feared I’d never know.