Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Forty - Chocolate Cake

I nod and bite back any sort of remark. I try not to think about how after she realized I didn't look or fit in with her friends she stopped letting me come to these fancy events. I never cared because it meant I got to stay home in my pyjamas but sometimes spending Christmas eve alone because my mom was too embarrassed to have me as her daughter hurt. It hurt enough that not even chocolate and Christmas movies could fix it.

I take in a deep breath. I wasn't alone, Warner was waiting for me inside as well as Kenji. Maggie wouldn't be here because her parents weren't affluent enough, but I was glad she wouldn't have to deal with the snotty rich people.

We walk into the house, and I can't mask my awe. The entire foyer has been transformed into a winter wonderland. There is an open bar right as we walk in and when I keep walking to the grand dining room, I see that it has been transformed as well. Circular formal dining tables were spread across the room, each with three different forks I still couldn't tell the difference between. Snowflakes hung from the ceiling, and I smile up at them in awe. It was beautiful here.

My mom leaves my side immediately to greet her friends and I am already feeling a bit panicky. Maybe I could leave, and nobody would notice?

No. No. Warner was here I just had to find him. Luckily Tracey finds me first and crushes me in her arms. "Oh, there you are! Warner is just running late he had business with his father but he's in his room. Go up and I'm sure he will hurry once he sees that you are here." She releases me, and I give her a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Tracey you look, beautiful" I give her a wink and head upstairs. I hope whatever business it was that Warner wasn't in a bad mood because of it. I hoped he would open up about his dad more, but he hasn't mentioned it since I told him I knew. I didn't want to press him in case he pressed me back about my own issues.

I didn't even knock on his door since I had been here every day this week. My eyes find him immediately, standing in the middle of his room a black dress shirt is undone at his collar, a bowtie slung around his neck. His hair is hung in damp curls from a recent shower and the smell of amber oils filled my senses. His eyes drag down from my feet up to my dress, and I suddenly feel very vulnerable in the thin material. Then with a predatory smile, they land on my face.

"I know it takes you a long time to make yourself presentable, but this is ridiculous" I grin at him, crossing the room to help him with his tie.

"I like to be late on purpose, you know how I love a grand entrance" he winks at me as I tighten his tie and button up his shirt. Even though my body screams at me to tear it off instead.

"Well, I guess I've ruined that for you because nobody will be looking at you if you walk down the stairs with me." I flick my hair over my shoulder faking confidence. Warner smiles at this. He has told me time and time again that he loves when I am confident. 

 "Jules, you being confident in yourself makes my dick hard. Careful or we won't make it downstairs." He whispers in my ear, and I step away because there is truth to his statement. If he kisses me I won't want to go back to the party.

We walk downstairs hand and hand I smile down at Warner's wrist. Tied around it is my ribbon, which he went back for the night of our movie night while I was sleeping. I have no idea how he found it, or how long he looked for it but it makes me smile every time I saw him wearing it.

I thought we would be going into the foyer to mingle but Warner leads me to the kitchen where a range of chefs and caterers were busy around the food.

"Warner, we are in everyone's way" I complain, trying to dodge a server who walks by with champagne.

He stops in front of a chocolate cake and looks at it with pride gleaming in his eyes, "I made this cake all by myself and you're going to try it. And before you say you won't it's rude if you don't try it, and if you say no, you will hurt my feelings."