A Feast of You by Sorcha Grace Page B

fact that William had immediately jumped to the conclusion that whoever was in my condo had taken my phone terrified me. What if he was right and I was some sort of target? I just couldn’t let my mind go there.
    For once I was appreciative of George Graham and William’s security team. They’d been able to calm him down about the lost phone and the thing that had really sent him over the edge—the mysterious “OK” text message he’d received. George had calmed me down too. He’d pointed out that the “OK” text could be a stupid prank from whoever had my phone. He’d said that the SIM card and the phone were probably long gone and gone for good, but they would trace the text and ping the phone, hoping to locate where the text was sent from. I’d seen covert ops like that on TV shows and marveled that the technology really existed. Apparently it did for business tycoons with private security teams. If anyone could trace a missing cell phone, it was William. By the time we’d left, his guys had tried calling my voicemail without much luck. Initially, William had suggested we stay home, but George had said there was nothing to be alarmed about. He’d practically pushed us out the door.
    The throbbing in my head was getting worse as we inched forward in traffic. I All I wanted to do was turn the car around then crawl into William’s bed and forget the mess my life had turned into. Some freak had sent creepy pictures. My condo was off-limits. My phone was gone. I’d been locked in my darkroom. What next? I didn’t even want to think about it.
    I needed a distraction, and another glance at William made me think he did too. I hated being at odds with him and I especially hated when we disagreed over things that were out of my control. Maybe if I could get him talking, I could take the edge off of this tension between us. If that didn’t work, I’d turn to the open bar to help. “Remind me what tonight is all about again?” I asked.
    “It’s the Chicago Botanical Society. Abigail has been on the women’s board for years. Tonight is a dinner and a lecture on...some garden topic.” He gestured vaguely. “They do these once a quarter for their corporate sponsors and most generous donors. The Board is always looking for money for some special project or another. But the real reason we’re going is because Abigail wants to introduce you to some of her friends. She’s excited I finally have a girlfriend.”
    With this last statement, William smiled at me, and warmth coursed through me, as I always did, when he referred to me as his girlfriend. It was good to see him smile. Maybe he was starting to get some perspective on the whole phone thing.
    I needed some perspective on the event ahead of us, which loomed like a dark cloud. After all I’d been through the past few hours, smiling and making small talk with a room full of society matrons was not on my list of things to do. But it would be over in a few hours, and I really wanted Abigail to like me—I wanted all of William’s family to like me—so I gave myself a mental pep talk to be my best, most charming self. If only my headache would go away, at least that would be something. I sighed softly, knowing I would get through it.
    I guess I hadn’t been quiet enough, because William squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Catherine. We’ll get out of there early if you want.”
    He bent and kissed me, and I leaned into him, giving his mouth better access to me. His lips grazed mine, brushing over them and nipping softly. He ignited a slow burn that flared hotter when his tongue traced the seam of my lips, seeking entrance. I loved that, no matter what was going on with us, our attraction was undeniable. I opened for him, and he entered, exploring slowly and thoroughly. My headache and my sense of everything around us faded away. There was only the two of us, our mouths pressed together and our bodies seeking each other’s warmth.
    William pulled back, his