Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Forty - Chocolate Cake

"I will try it later; I can't ruin my dinner I- "

My eyes bulge as he shoves a spoon full of cake into my open mouth. "I finally found the perfect way to shut you up."

I would be mad, but the cake is delicious, so delicious I let out an illicit-sounding moan at the taste of it. Warner's body stiffens at the moan but quickly his face turns to satisfaction. "I told you it was good." He smiles. Then he creeps closer pressing my body against the counter, his arms on either side of me. "Doesn't taste as good as you though" he whispers in my ear. 

I turn my head and walk back to the party to avoid showing him how red my face is, but he chuckles to himself anyways. He doesn't let me get far, wrapping his arm around my waist as we walk in together to our seats. I am lucky that Tracey put my name at the same table as Warner and Kenji because I wouldn't last five minutes alone with my mom and her friends without them.

I look around the room in awe again before I sit down, I love Christmas and I had never been to a party like this so I wanted to soak it all in while I still could. Warner stops still, looking at me as I take in the room.

"You are so beautiful, Jules," he smiles at me, a smile so sweet and genuine I almost melt at the sight of it.

I turn to him in surprise, forgetting he was waiting for me to sit, glancing to where his hand was gripping the top of my seat to pull it out. I sit down "My mom did a good job, didn't she?"

She was the one who did my hair, makeup and picked my dress. I had no choice in any of the three so if he liked the look, it was all her.

His smile is radiant as he sits down next to me and takes my hands in his. "No, No this is all you." His eyes run over my face, snagging on my lips. It is still a wonder to me how his eyes can make me feel so much with just one look.

I get nervous at the compliment and see there is a glass of champagne already poured for me. My mom hates when I 'waste my calories on liquids' so I chug the entire glass in one go before she joins our table.

"Woah there Juliet this isn't a frat party" Kenji laughs sitting down at the chair to my right, but I don't stop there, I grab Warner's glass since he doesn't drink and chug that as well. I will need the alcohol to withstand my mother.

I can sense Warner's gaze on my face without even looking over "Are you okay?" he whispers in my ear so Kenji can't hear. "Yes, just stressed about being around my mom and her friends." I see them coming over and desperately look for more champagne, but Kenji holds his glass out of reach.

My mom reaches the table and sends me a polite smile as if I was some acquaintance and not her daughter. I know it's because she has her two best friends sitting at the table with us, both of whom have made comments on my appearance for years.

"Hello Warner" she practically purrs, and I vomit a bit in my mouth. I can see Kenji trying not to laugh and it doesn't help.

"Hello, Ms. Grayson" he nods at her, and his hand lands on my thigh giving it a squeeze.

"Hi, I'm Kenji Juliet's friend," Kenji says to my mom's friends to break the awkward silence.

"Juliet, how much are you paying these two to be your friend? I'll double it" My mom's friend smiles wickedly at me and my mom giggles at her side.

"It's probably out of your price range" I take a sip of water and wish it was vodka. 

"Oh, they're just joking around Juliet. I mean you have to admit the idea that such handsome men would choose you as their company might stun some people" My mom smiles at me like she gave me a compliment and I sink into my chair.