"Shelby Ann, darling, will you do me the honor of being my wife?" My eyes flicked up to lock on his, but I could only find a mixture of nervous excitement in them. There was no hint of deception; this wasn't a joke.
Don't you fucking dare, girly. Did you forget about Cindy what's-her-face?No, I hadn't, but what if those women were doing what mean girls did? Could I ruin my future? His? Could I embarrass him like that? No, I couldn't. In front of his peers, he was asking me to be his, forever. It would be my name in the papers, our picture above it. I'd be Mrs. Winston Hamilton III. There was no way I was prematurely giving that up, not when my heart, among other things, craved him, loved him, with an obsessiveness I couldn't fight. So I told that voice to shut up. After all, I’d be asking about the women's taunts, and if he had stepped out on me, well, I could always break it off.
"Shelby? Is something wrong?" Dirk's smile had tightened at the corners while I argued with myself. People were staring, and I swore I could see nervous sweat beading along his hairline. It was cool in here despite the Georgian evening heat outside, so that wasn't to blame. Realizing I was wandering off in my head again, I put the man out of his misery and all but launched at him from my chair. Propriety be damned!
"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" I cried out as I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely ignoring the ring for the moment. He returned the embrace before pulling back and pressing his lips to mine. The kiss remained chaste as the other diners and staff clapped in celebration of our newly impending nuptials.
You're going to regret this!
And I told you to shut up!
* * *
Isat there in a happy little bubble, staring at my ring and twisting my hand to and fro to catch the light, making it sparkle, while Dirk accepted backslaps and well wishes from several couples that came over to congratulate us before we escaped to our suite. Dirk held my hand the entire way, and I worried that it was a sweaty mess from my mounting apprehension. I wasn't great with confrontation, the incident in the bathroom being a one off. It took losing my temper to get that type of reaction from me.
But he didn't notice, or at least didn't act like he did, and once we were ensconced behind the sturdy door, he immediately let go and seized my lips in a probing kiss while winding his arms around me to crush my body against his. I returned his ardor full force, but the niggling questions from the bitchy duo prodded me into breaking the embrace.
As soon as he realized I was pushing against him, Dirk stepped back, radiating confusion. "Is something wrong, darling? I wasn't trying to pressure you into anything. We can wait until we're married if you'd like."
It took me a second to figure out what he meant, then it dawned on me that he was worried about wanting sex. That had bugged me before, the lack of it, but it was definitely low on my priority list at the moment.
"It's not that," I began as I edged around him to get to the sofa and settle in for the conversation. He had just started to settle down next to me when I blurted out, "Who is Cindy, and why did you give me her jewelry?" The rest of his descent was less than graceful as he plopped into the seat, but I couldn't tell if his surprise was at my knowledge or if he didn't know what I was talking about.
"Cindy who? And I told you I bought that on a whim earlier today—at the boutique your dress came from. It matched the ring so well… I don't understand what's going on here." He sounded a bit cranky, but the only indication on his face was the slight crease between his eyes where his brows pulled down.
With a sigh, I recounted what had happened in the women's room. Dirk held his tongue, but his expression went from dumbfounded to pissed enough that I considered scooting away. Finally, it lightened into amusement with a bit of pride shining from the depths of his blue eyes.
"Those women are trolls. They've been through half the men in Savannah, and it always ends with some story to excuse the break-up. In truth, no one can put up with them long enough to get serious. They're tied at the hip, and only their daddies' money and influence keep them from being permanently run out of town. I think they just returned from a trip abroad, as the fundraiser the other day was the first I've seen of them in months." He stopped like that was a good enough explanation.
But it isn't, is it?
No, and I'm working on it. Hold your damn horses!
"So, what about this Cindy? You aren't seeing her, weren't at the fundraiser with her?" I believed him about the jewelry, but the rest…
"Shelby, why did you accept my proposal if you thought I was with another woman?" At my glare, he hurried on to explain. "The only Cindy I can think of right now is Governor Jenkins' daughter, and she's a mousy little thing that didn't have a date. All I did was escort her around at my father's request, who I attended with by the way, while he talked business with the governor. It was boring as hell, but Father is hoping to get one of the state's upcoming contracts regarding shipping." My blank look had him sighing. "Imports and exports? Hamilton International, the family's shipping company? Jesus, Shelby, half the women in my circle could probably name my net worth without batting an eye, and you act like it doesn't matter."
I blushed at my forgetfulness, but…"It doesn't matter, Dirk. Not to me anyway." I shrugged at his incredulity. "I understand why you did it, but if we're really engaged," I kept on after his firm nod, "then no more escorting other women. It's embarrassing and hurts my feelings. If those women at the restaurant knew enough about me to make me a target after being out of the country, then others know as well. I can't face your circle of friends and associates with that hanging over my head. I'll be a laughingstock!"
You'll be one anyway when you use the wrong fork at your first ladies luncheon.
Didn't I tell you to shut it?
Thankfully, Dirk agreed with me. "Of course, darling. I believe we have a few months before the next function, and we'll have our engagement party a bit before that. Nina will have you whipped into shape by then for sure."
His beaming grin fell when I snapped at him, hurt lacing my voice, "Who the fuck is Nina? And could you make it any more clear that I'm not good enough like I am?"