Page 55 of Captivated By You
CHAPTER
TWENTY
CLAUDIA
I was officially more nervous than I had been in my entire life. More nervous than when FBI Agents showed up at my parents’ house, seizing it and arresting my father. More nervous than when I sat through a meeting with my father’s lawyer, Harrison’s dad, Edward, telling me everything I’d had, everything I’d thought was true had been either a lie or blatantly false and other than a trust fund, I was inheriting nothing. More nervous than when Edward had spelled out how indebted my father was to him, and how to make it up to him, my dad had promised Edward I’d marry his son.
All of it was taken from me and given to the estate that would pay bills my parents had wracked up in trying to keep up with the Joneses and Fitzgeralds and Montagues of Savannah when we were nothing more than a simple, middle-class Smith.
I hadn’t been honest with Liam when I told him I went to get coffee earlier. Obviously, I had. I had needed an excuse to leave the room and not be followed, but what I really did was returned one of Harrison’s phone calls.
Then I called Karen for help.
“Quit fidgeting,” Liam said, curling his hands on my shoulders. He’d stepped up behind me in the mirror and our gazes met in our reflection.
“I can’t help it. Your whole family is coming.”
He draped his hands to my stomach. “And they’ll like you, but I can also say that with what’s about to happen, they’ll barely notice you.”
My hands went to his. “Is Sophie sure she wants to do this? Is okay with you doing it?”
“We’ll get ahead of the information, the information will be public, and no one will have anything to hold over my head anymore.” He kissed my temple, lips lingering and his breath skating over my skin, heating me and doing delicious things to my lower stomach. “Then we can handle your crap and it’s all in our rearview.”
“Speaking of, I talked to Karen.”
I’d checked my phone while Liam had been in the shower, except to see a blank screen but to my surprise, I’d had three messages. Two from Karen. One from Harrison.
I skipped Harrison’s message and listened to Karen’s.
“What’d she call for?”
The lie tasted like sour milk as it bubbled up and out of my throat. “She just heard we’d left Anguilla. Wanted to talk to me about when we need to start worrying about paparazzi and us, restoring your image.”
“You said?”
“That I’d talk to you.”
His chest heaved and fell against my back and he dipped his head, settling it on my shoulder. “I think,” he murmured, turning his head and brushing his lips over my throat. “That it won’t really matter once today’s press conference is done. No one will care about me in a week or two so if you want, we can hunker down here, or wherever you want to go, and wait until someone else has an affair or a DUI or overdoses and then we’ll be fine.”
“Fine. Yeah, it will be.”
It wouldn’t. I had loose ends to tie up first, but two hours ago, Liam had told me that Sophie had decided she wanted to come clean and tell the press her story. She felt like Liam has had to hide it enough and with the assault charges, along with lingering suspicions of him raping a fan, she thought if she stood up and explained what happened to her and how he defended her, the public would instantly see him as a hero instead of a villain.
I was still doubtful. People who followed gossip rags were animals and slightly unhinged in their comments, willing to spew the vilest things without knowing any information.
But Anne had agreed it was the best way to spin everything, and in the end, it would make needing me unnecessary.
So would he keep me? The contract said he had to, but maybe he’d dump his monthly twenty-grand into my account and be on his way. Not that I cared about the money.
I cared abouthim.Last night, when he’d held me in bed and I woke up the same way, I realized how deeply I was falling in love with him. Liam Allistor had become my everything and even when he was angry or rude, he’d still taught me he was always looking out for me, protecting me.
I’d never had it and I wasn’t ready to let it go. Even though in four hours, I’d be hopping on a plane and he would be too busy at his press conference to know I’d left. I’d send him a text before my plane took off so he didn’t worry too much.
But would he miss me?
“You’re quiet. And still fidgeting.” To prove it, he took my hands that had been digging at my nails and held them in the mirror. “What’s got you so worked up besides meeting my parents and family?”
“Nothing. Just worried for you.”
