Chapter 60

Judy’s POV

The Gala was just as beautiful as I imagined; it was also incredibly crowded. The moment our limo pulled up to the front entrance where everyone was lined up to get inside, the paparazzi were all over us. Flashes of light nearly blinded me, and Walter had to take my hand and guide me through the doorway. The press kept asking questions about what Irene was wearing and when they got a look at me, one of them recognized Ella Venuti’s design and started to ask me questions about it too.

I opened my mouth to answer them about where I got the dress, but Irene stopped me.

“You don’t want to talk to the press,” she whispered. “They are nasty buggers and will twist anything you say.”

I bit my lip and nodded.

We walked over to the security guards at the entrance. Ethan pulled out the invites for him and Irene. The security guard looked at them for a moment before nodding and stepping aside for them to enter.

Walter handed the security guard our tickets next, and he looked them over before nodding and stepping aside from us as well. Walter offered me his arm and I smiled thoughtfully as I took it.

The music was loud, and everybody was wearing dazzling gowns and suits; I couldn’t recognize anybody behind the masks, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to recognize anyone regardless.

“This place is amazing,” I breathed, staring up at the light streamers that danced across the ceiling. “It’s beautiful.”

“First time at the Gala?” Walter asked, giving me a questionable look.

I nodded.

“Is it that obvious?” I asked, feeling my cheeks warm under his scrutiny.

“I guess it’s a new experience for us both then,” he admitted.

I looked at him surprised.

“You’ve never been before either?”

He shrugged causally.

“Not to an American one,” he told me. “I’ve been to a few Galas in France, but nothing quite like this. I’m also way too busy with work, so I don’t go out often.”

“So, what are we supposed to do at these things besides stand here and look pretty?” I asked, teasingly.

He smirked.

“We drink and mingle with the rich,” he replied. When I chuckled, he grinned. “Can I get you a drink?”

“That would be great,” I told him. “Anything besides champaign.”

“You aren’t a fan?”

“Not really,” I answered.

He nodded thoughtfully.

“I’ll make sure to remember that,” he said, winking before he turned and walked towards the bar.

“There you are,” Irene said, draping her arm through mine. “Come on; we have a reserved table over here.”

I glanced behind her and saw that Ethan was already seated at the table. I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat as I willed my legs to move towards that table with Irene. This was going to be one long night.

……

Gavin’s POV

“Mr. Landry, how much are you donating for the Gala this year?”

“Mr. Landry, who designed your suit?”

“Are you here with anybody special tonight?”

I ignored the paparazzi as I often did, the second I reached the security guard, he nodded at me and let me in, without even needing my invitation. As I stepped around him, I paused and reached into my pocket to grab my mask. I slipped it over my face and then walked the rest of the way inside.

I truly wasn’t a fan of these events, but as the person funding it, it was my duty to be here. The staff were running around, trying to serve as many guests as possible. Everybody was in their elegant attire, mingling amongst one another. When they noticed me walking by, most women puffed out their chests, making their breasts look bigger, and batted their lashes. I ignored them, just as I did with the paparazzi.

The first place I went to was the bar; I paused when I saw Walter ordering a couple of drinks from the bartender. If Walter was here, that meant Judy was here. As if it was instinct, my eyes immediately found her. She was seated rather uncomfortably at a table with Ethan and Irene. It seemed that Irene was talking her ear off, and Ethan wouldn’t take his eyes off Judy. My blood boiled at the sight of it; his eyes should only be for my daughter and no one else.

Was I seriously going to have to speak to him again about this?

And what was Judy thinking? Wearing a dress like that, knowing there were going to be unmated males around here and that she was going to be around her ex-mate? It was almost as if she wanted his attention.

“Uncle?” Walter asked as he started to walk past, drinks in hand.

I turned my scrutiny onto him and nodded without uttering a single word.

“I’m glad you came,” Walter said, a small smile on his face. “I hope that it’s okay that I took Judy here. I know you had a thing about me dating one of your staff members. But Judy is different. I truly like her. I might even be in love with her.”

My blood went cold at his words.

In love?

Could Judy really be in love with this fool in return?

Walter had a history with women; he fell in love too quickly, but he always ended up finding someone new and dropping his current love. It really showed Judy’s incompetence for falling for a guy like that.

When I didn’t say anything in return, Walter got the hint and walked around me to rejoin Judy and the others. I stood frozen, silently fuming. Then, I felt a hand on the back of my shoulder. I turned to see Daisy standing behind me with a soft smile on her lips. She had a golden shimmering dress that hugged her curves nicely and her breasts were fully on display. She wore a golden mask with silver features, but I knew it was her almost immediately.

“I’m glad you made it,” she said, her smile growing wide. “Buy me a drink.”

It wasn’t a question, but an order. I raised my brows at her and she just batted her lashes in my direction.

With a sigh, I asked, “And what would you like to drink?”

“Champaign,” she said eagerly.

I went to the bartender and ordered two glasses of Champaign. I handed one to Daisy.

“You look handsome tonight, Gavin. I see you didn’t bring a date this evening,” she pointed out.

“You know I don’t usually bring dates to these types of things,” I reminded her.

She nodded thoughtfully as she took a sip of her wine.

“What about that girl you were seeing? Judy was her name?”

“That’s not your concern,” I said through my teeth.

“This probably wouldn’t be her scene anyway,” she said with a light laugh. “I couldn’t imagine someone as common as her being here.”

“That’s enough,” I said, as I drank the rest of my champagne and started to walk away. She grabbed my arm, stopping me.

“I meant no offense,” she said, her brows knitted together. “But you deserve someone more in your league. I’m a heiress and we would be so good together.”

When I didn’t say anything, she took that as her opportunity to step closer to me.

“Dance with me,” she practically purred.

I was ready to decline her when my eyes caught sight of Judy on the dance floor, wrapped in Walter’s arms. She looked content with her body pressed close against his. I pressed my lips together and turned back to Daisy, nodding at her.

I took her hand and escorted her to the dance floor; she eagerly followed my lead. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her body close to mine. As we danced, I couldn’t help but look in Judy’s direction. How could she let this man touch her after what we had done the other night? She truly did have no shame.

Daisy was babbling away about something that I wasn’t listening to. I gave her generic responses and tried to make it look as if I was interested in being there with her, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I glanced at Judy once more and I saw Walter kissing her cheek and then he kissed her lips. She let him kiss him; she even closed her eyes and relaxed into the kiss. But she wasn’t moving her lips; it was almost as if she was letting him kiss her out of duty. It was nothing like the way we kissed the other night. She kissed me with a hungry fire as if she needed my mouth to survive. My cock twitched at the memory, and I had to remind him that I wasn’t there with Judy.

She was with someone else.

Walter whispered something in her ear, and she nodded. He kissed her one last time before he released her and walked towards the bathroom. Judy, looking awkward, went back to the table. It was now empty because Irene was on the dance floor with Ethan.

“Gavin?” Daisy asked, trying to get my attention.

I turned back to her and bowed my head in her direction.

“If you’ll excuse me,” I told her, not bothering to come up with an excuse. She looked dumbfounded when I released her and walked away. I could hear her calling my name, but I ignored her.

I reached the table that Judy was seated at and when she saw me, her eyes grew large.

“I thought you were going to the bathroom?” She asked, confused.

She thought I was Walter, and I wasn’t about to expose myself that quickly. Without a single word, I took her hand into mine and pulled her to her feet. The electricity I felt from her touch alone was enough to send my wolf into a frenzy, and I had to fight to keep him calm. She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt it as well. I pulled her with me onto the dance floor and into my arms.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to me and allowing her scent to envelop me completely. I suddenly felt a strange sense of calm wash over me as we danced slowly. I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off her and she was entranced by my eyes as well. Her breathing grew heavy, and I felt a tremble creep up her spine as my fingers ran up the seams of her dress.

She truly did look stunning tonight. Her lips were pink and plump, ready for me to kiss them. She needed a real man to kiss her, not that childish peck that Walter gave her.

She parted her lips, and her tongue jetted out to lick her bottom lip.

“Walter, I—”

Before she could finish that sentence, my mouth was on hers in the most bruising and passionate kiss I have ever had.