“Too true. There’s simply no accounting for proper breeding…”
I can practically already hear the gloating sneer in Ava’s voice… can almost see the gleeful malice in her eyes as she stumbles upon me…
“Come on.”
I jolt at the sound of a low male voice from the shadows. Before I can even turn to look at him, a large hand clamps down on my bicep and tugs me sharply left. I gasp as my body is man-handled roughly away from the railing toward an ivy-covered wall, but I don’t struggle against my captor.
Because he’s not a captor at all.
He’s a savior.
I recognize him without seeing his face. Unsurprising; it’s the one that haunts me every time I close my eyes. Too-blue eyes and a jawline sharper than a blade. A man made of a savage sort of grace. Unfortunately, whether he’s leading me to salvation or ruination remains to be seen.
I should’ve jumped when I had the chance.
Chapter Ten
“Carter,”I hiss between clenched teeth. “What are you—”
“Quiet. Sound carries out here.”
My teeth sink into my lip, swallowing the rest of my words. Without even an ounce of gentleness, he shoves me toward one of the massive marble columns holding up the museum roof. Only when we’re inches away do I understand the reason for his roughness — there’s a narrow shaft of space behind the column; a nook hidden from view, even when you’re staring at it head-on.
The perfect place to hide in plain sight.
It’s a tight squeeze for one person let alone two, but Carter follows me in, his large body crowding mine until we’re practically fused together. I can feel every muscular curve of his chest pressed against the blades of my shoulders. Each exhale is a special sort of torture, forcing us closer as our rib cages expand.
“What do you think you’re doing, Carter?” My whisper is breathless — I tell myself only because of the cramped quarters. Not because being so close to him makes my head spin.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks, the words warming my nape in an almost-kiss. “Saving you from an altercation with Ava.”
“I don’t recall asking you to rescue me.”
“You didn’t have to ask. Panic was written all over your face.” He pauses. “But if I misjudged… If you want to see her… By all means, let’s head back out there.”
I go tense when he starts to shift away. Reaching back blindly in the dark, my hand fists around smooth fabric — the sleeve of his suit — stopping him in his tracks. It’s a silent plea.
Don’t.
He stops moving. His low chuckle makes me shiver. “That’s what I thought.”
I swallow hard to steady myself. “How did you know this place was here?”
“When you’re forced to attend as many charity events as I have over the years, you figure out where the good hiding spots are pretty early on. It’s a survival skill.”
“Ah.” I force myself to release his sleeve. My fingers tingle like I’ve had them stuck inside a circuit board when I press them against my side. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. But…”
“Chloe can be convincing?”
He snorts. “That she can.”
We both go still when the voices suddenly drift closer; Ava and her friend are outside now, standing by the railing just beyond our pillar. They’re in almost the exact spot I was standing less than a minute ago.
Instinctually, I curl my shoulders in, trying to make myself smaller. Carter presses tighter against me. I suck in a sharp breath at the sensation of his body cradling mine — his chin tucked over my shoulder, my ass nestled against a set of powerful thighs.
Fuck.