“Charlotte.” His voice is firm, causing me to glance up at him. “Are you afraid to look at me?”
I slowly shake my head. “No.”
My voice is shaky. I don’t know why I’m suddenly filled with fear. He’s never given me a reason to be scared before.
“Good.” His expression is smug. “I need you to explain something to me.”
“What?” I ask weakly.
“Who Seamus McTiernan is to you.” Perry spins me in a quick circle, shocking me. “You never really said.”
“Oh.” I swallow hard, wishing I didn’t have to talk about Seamus while having my first dance with my husband.
“That’s all you have to say about him?Oh?” He catches my gaze with his and I see it now. The turbulence in the blue depths of his eyes. “Would you rather not tell me?”
I press my lips together, wishing I could tell him yes. It would be so much easier if I never had to explain myself. Never had to admit that Seamus was my instructor. My crush. My first real relationship with a man.
“It’s that bad, isn’t it,” Perry continues, his voice a low, deep rumble. “Whatever he did to you. Whoever he was to you. It’s so bad, you don’t want to say it out loud.”
“It was before you,” I start and he laughs.
Actually laughs.
“Whatever happened before me, during me, after me, it doesn’t matter. Right, Char? Since this is nothing but a charade?” He spins me around again, his movements smooth and elegant and throwing me completely off. He’s so angry, yet you’d never know it to look at him. “Did you ask him to come here? To interrupt your wedding? To put a stop to it?”
Icy tendrils of dread slither down my spine and I slow my steps, gaping at him. This angry yet controlled man who is my husband. Oh he’s furious. I can see the emotion flicker in his gaze. The tension radiates throughout his body and another realization hits me.
He’s not just angry. Maybe he’s also…
Jealous?
“I didn’t reach out to him,” I admit, needing him to know the truth. “I haven’t talked to him since I was in Paris. Before he—”
“Broke your heart?” Perry finishes for me. “Funny how the man you fell madly in love with shows up on our wedding day.”
“Are you implying I had something to do with it? Is that why you’ve been so cold toward me all day?”
“What did you expect, Charlotte? How am I supposed to act? You’re making a damn fool of me.”
“I’m no—”
He cuts me off. “Besides, none of this is real anyway. Remember?”
I come to a complete stop. So does Perry.
As does the song.
“The father-daughter dance is next! Reggie Lancaster, come on out and dance with your beautiful daughter!”
I wince at the DJ’s announcement, gasping when Perry let’s go of me as if he can’t wait to get rid of me. I watch in disbelief as he takes a couple of steps backward, his gaze still on mine, his lips tight with fury.
Almost as if he wants to be disappointed in me. Like he expects my traitorous act.
My father appears, handsome in his tuxedo, holding his arms out to me and I go to him, letting him embrace me as another slow song starts. He’s just as smooth a dancer as Perry, saying all the right things, just loud enough for our guests sitting close to the dance floor to hear. Like how proud he is of me. How beautiful I look and how wonderful the reception has been. Putting on the proper performance of a loving, proud father.
I nod and offer my simple replies, my gaze snagging on Perry, who’s watching us carefully, as if he’ll launch into action and separate us if need be. He hates my father, and while I’m worried over Perry’s earlier accusations, I know no matter what, he’ll protect me.
Knowing that gives me an inkling of faith. Just about the only faith I have right now.