“Charles, you scared me,” she said.
“I watched you leave the dance. It’s a bit of a farce, this charity event. Money has been spent hosting the damn thing when they could have sent it directly to the charity.”
Opal didn’t bother to argue with him.
“You look amazing,” he said.
“Thank you.”
He made her nervous, and she didn’t know why. Not only had she humiliated him by not going through with the wedding, she’d left him for an older man.
“How is married life treating you?” And there was the punishment.
“Don’t, Charles,” she said. Placing her empty glass on the hard surface she made to move away.
“No. Don’t go.” He reached out and caught her arm. “You left me for that man in there. He’s probably screwing the first thing he sees.”
“How can you say stuff like that?” She wanted to close her ears and not listen to a single thing anyone else had to say.
“I would have treated you well.” He grabbed both of her arms and shook her. She clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying out.
“How could you have treated me well? I know about you and everything you were doing.”
“What are you talking about?” His hands tightened on her.
“Let go of me. You’re hurting me.”
“Get your hands off my fucking wife, now,” Tony snarled.
****
He’d watched her leave the main hall followed by that fucking loser. Once, Tony had saved her from being Charles’s wife. What would happen if Tony didn’t make it on time?
“We’re just talking. We don’t need you breathing down her neck every time,” Charles said.
Tony had heard enough. Bringing her to the hall had been a mistake. He walked to her side, stood right behind her. “I said, get your hands off my wife, or I’ll fucking break them.” His temper rose with the warning he was delivering. If the guy didn’t back up, he wouldn’t be held responsible for what he did to him.
“I guess it runs in the family. Maybe you should warn Opal about your own past before you start dishing out threats. My dick may wander, but at least I keep my fists to myself.” Charles let her go with a shove. Tony caught her, his hands covering the place where Charles let go.
Tony kept an eye on Charles until he disappeared round the corner. With her back to his chest, he couldn’t see her face.
“Why did you leave the party?” he asked.
She tried to break his grip. He didn’t let her. “I wanted some fresh air.”
“Is that what you were doing with that jerk? Getting some fresh air?” he asked accusingly.
“What are you trying to say?” She went to turn toward him. He wouldn’t let her, his grip firm on her arms.
“Maybe you’re having doubts about not marrying him. Did you wish it was him touching you the other day?”
“Will you stop this? You had your hands full with whatever woman took your fancy in there. Charles and I were just talking. Nothing else. You brought me here and then left. I don’t belong here, Tony. I never have.”
He spun her around. “You’re worth more than all those people put together. Your parents and mine.”
“Who’s that woman you liked touching so much?” she asked. He detected a note of jealousy in her voice.
“Why, little Petal, are you jealous?”