Aunt Judy shrugged and angled her body toward the door as the driver pulled around the curved driveway and stopped in front of the steps leading up to an imposing mansion. “He knows you, and that’s what’s important.”
“Why should I care if some random guy thinks he knows me when I have no idea who he is?” I leaned my head back and squeezed my eyes shut, dreading the evening ahead.
I heard the driver’s door open and close before my aunt slapped my thigh hard enough that the sound echoed through the limousine. My eyes popped open, and I glared at her while rubbing my leg through the silky material of the billowy, light blue dress she had insisted I wear. “Because the Thackers are important people, and you owe me for taking you in after your parents passed away.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. My aunt didn’t become my guardian out of the kindness of her heart. My parents’ will gave her plenty of reasons to put a roof over my head. My mom knew her sister well, but there hadn’t been any other options. She had structured my trust to give my aunt plenty of reasons to keep me out of foster care in case anything ever happened to them. It was a good thing she’d had that foresight or else my aunt would’ve shipped me off somewhere right after they’d been laid to rest.
“You will be respectful while we’re inside. Or else,” she hissed.
“Yes, ma’am.” Aunt Judy didn’t seem to notice the sarcasm in my tone, which was a good thing since she still held the purse strings on my trust for another year.
The driver opened the door, effectively ending our conversation. My aunt slid out of the limousine, her foot tapping the ground as she waited for me to join her. I took a fortifying breath before exiting the vehicle. It was bound to be a long night, and I wasn’t old enough to drink to help me make it through a stuffy dinner with people I didn’t know. As I followed her up the steps, I vowed to celebrate my next birthday however I wanted. I’d start by moving out of my aunt’s home. Three hundred and sixty-five days from now, she wouldn’t have any more control over me.
Tonight was a different story. Without any other decent options, I pretended to be thrilled to meet the Thackers after their butler let us into the house. I definitely didn’t know their son, Jonathan. He sent off all sorts of warning bells in my head in a way I wouldn't have forgotten if we’d met before. “It’s nice to meet you,” I lied as he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
“The pleasure is all mine.” After he released my hand, his gaze drifted over my face and body. The masculine appreciation in his dark orbs would’ve made most girls melt since he was rich and handsome, but it made my skin crawl. I must have masked my reaction to him better than I thought because he smiled at me and suggested, “I’d love to show you our garden while my parents and your aunt enjoy a drink.”
“Go on, dear,” Aunt Judy urged with a pleased grin. “A walk in the garden before dinner sounds like a lovely idea.”
I parted my lips, prepared to argue that it was too dark outside for me to really see anything, but then thought better of it when she glared at me. Pasting a smile on my face, I turned back to Jonathan. “Thank you.”
One of the things I loved about my dress was the pockets hidden in the folds on both sides. I had a tiny clutch with me, only big enough to hold my phone, ID, and a lip balm, so when he held out his hand, I slipped the reticule into one of the hidden slots. Then I slid my palm against his, allowing him to lead me through several long hallways and out a set of French doors. He didn’t release me until we neared a break in the wall of precisely trimmed hedges. “After you,” he murmured with a gallant sweep of his arm.
I stepped through the opening and gaped at the perfectly manicured garden. I loved flowers and couldn’t help but gasp, “It’s beautiful.”
“Not nearly as beautiful as you.” He pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket, plucked something shiny from inside, and reached for my hand. “I’m glad I’m the one who gets to claim you.”
I stared down at the diamond ring as he slid it onto my finger. The cushion-cut solitaire was stunning, but I didn’t understand why he had given me such an expensive gift—let alone putting it where an engagement ring belonged. “I don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand?” The gleam in his dark eyes—with a hint of red that must’ve been a trick of light from the moon or something—sent an uncomfortable shiver up my spine. “Your aunt came to an agreement with my parents, and we’re to be married next month.”
“Married?” I shook my head, trying to make sense of his announcement.
“Of course.” He swept his thumb over my finger directly beneath the ring, and I tugged my hand away. “That’s the reason for tonight’s dinner—to celebrate our engagement.”
I took a couple of steps backward, wanting some distance between Jonathan and me. “But I didn’t agree to marry you.”
“You will.”
He seemed unbothered by my negative reaction, standing so still that it seemed like he wasn’t even breathing. His unblinking stare and certainty about our relationship were completely freaking me out. I stumbled back again, making Jonathan laugh. “Go ahead and run, Thana. I’ll even give you a head start.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the opening in the hedges, my heart racing so hard that I felt
