Chapter 9: Keep your eyes on me

***

~CLAIRE~

***

Christian instructed his assistant, a man named Eric, to follow me to Jason's suite to get my things.

When I asked why I had to be followed, his response was simple.

"I know my nephew. He hates when he loses, and he might try to take it out on you."

When we arrived at the suite, I knocked softly and pushed the door open.

As expected, Jason was sprawled on the bed. He glanced over at me and rose to his feet instantly.

"What the hell was all that, Claire?" He snapped. "Humiliating me in front of everyone? How dare you?"

Funny how he felt hurt from being humiliated when it was the exact same thing he did to me last night.

I didn't make a comeback because Christian clearly instructed me not to. I leaned down to pick my bag, but Jason suddenly grabbed my hand.

"I'm talking to you!" He snapped.

Then Eric stepped in and shoved Jason away from me.

"Keep your distance away from her, Mr. Alistair. For your own good."

Jason looked over to me in disbelief. "You got a little guard dog to protect you now?"

I expected Eric to flare up, but he didn't. He totally ignored Jason.

I quickly pushed the rest of my clothes into my bag and zipped it. Eric took the bag, and as we walked towards the door, I heard Jason call after me.

"This isn't over, Claire."

I didn't respond. I shut the door. I was done letting him treat me like a fool.

...

Minutes later, after my things had been transferred into Christian's suite, I was whipped into a private beauty salon.

The workers there were nice and sweet towards me. According to them, Mr. Cartwright ordered that they prepare me for the party tonight.

I was waxed for the very first time in my life, and the experience left me extremely bashful. My legs, thighs, and even down there– it took a whole lot of restraint before I could relax.

After that, my red hair was dyed to a darker shade of copper. When the hair stylist spun my chair around to face the mirror, I was stunned at my reflection.

The woman who looked back at me wasn't plain Jane. She wasn't ugly. She was beautiful.

My makeup came next, and finally, I saw the dress Christian picked out for me. He had exquisite taste.

It was a sparkly, emerald gown which complemented my eyes perfectly, with a pair of silver heels. I could hardly recognize myself in the mirror. I looked like a whole different person, and I felt that way too.

The entire transformation took all day until night arrived. I could hear the faint sound of music from the ship's grand hall where the party was being held.

I waited for Christian to return. I was a bit nervous too. What if I made a complete fool of myself?

The door opened and I turned around. Christian stepped into the suite, looking like he just stepped out of a model magazine.

My breath caught at the sight of him. He had changed into a dark, tailored tuxedo. The jacket rode over his broad shoulders perfectly, making my fingers itch to touch them.

His pants were fitted perfectly, following the length of his long legs. My eyes followed them up to his shoes, shoes that reeked of luxury.

Christian had a beauty which rivaled every pretty woman I'd ever seen, and I found myself almost drooling.

He cleared his throat, snapping me out of the daze I slipped into.

"You look beautiful." He murmured.

I smiled and twirled. "Thank you for everything. I feel so... different."

His eyes softened as he beckoned to me. I closed the space between us and placed my hand on his outstretched arm.

"You're stunning, so I want you to feel confident tonight. Remember we have an image to portray."

My smile faltered as I nodded. For a moment there, I had forgotten that this was all an act. It didn't mean anything.

I had to keep reminding myself of that tiny detail.

...

The moment Christian and I stepped through the doors into the grand hall, all eyes turned towards us.

A collective gasp went through the crowd when they saw me. I felt confident as we walked through, and I heard a few whispers of admiration.

However, I started to fidget when I spotted Jason and his 'bartender' date. I could tell how surprised they were when they saw me.

"Don't pay them any attention." Christian murmured to me. "You're with me tonight. So keep your eyes on me."

My heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice and his words, but I smiled and nodded.

A waiter appeared in front of us, and Christian handed me a glass of champagne.

I took a sip, feeling the taste explode on my tongue. Christian never released my hand, even when he leaned close to speak.

"Do you want some cake?"

My eyes lit up and I nodded. "Yes, please."

Slipping an arm around my waist, he took me to the other side of the hall where a large, decorated cake sat upon a table. Some guests were cutting slices into their plates.

Christian released me and started to pick up the knife when someone bumped into me from behind.

I gasped, stepped on the hem of my gown and lost my balance. I tumbled forward, and my eyes widened as I fell towards the cake.

Christian turned suddenly and grabbed me, pulling me against him just in time. But as he whirled around, he hit the person who bumped into me earlier.

It was the bartender, Jason's date. She slipped and fell face first into the cake.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock. It was then I realized that she actually meant to push me into the cake. Well, Karma was a bitch.

The guests started to laugh as the bartender rose to her feet, her face and dress covered entirely in cake. I couldn't hold in my laughter. I cracked up, watching her storm away.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Christian's lips twitch in amusement. He was watching me.

I looked over at him and tried to quell my laughter. "I don't think I want to eat that anymore."

He chuckled and lowered the knife. "Me neither. Would you like to dance?"

His sudden request caught me off guard. My heart flipped and I found myself smiling sweetly at him.

"I would love that." I nodded.

He took my hand and led me to the open dance floor where several other couples were already swaying to the sound of the violin.

His hand went around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I swallowed, completely aware of his closeness. My entire torso was pressed tightly against him.

Then he took my hand and we started to dance, swaying softly to the violin. It felt magical.

"Keep your eyes on me." Christian murmured, and I did, losing myself in his compelling gaze.

I watched him, noticing how his eyes lowered to my lips, then further down to the swell of my breasts.

My heart thundered so loud that I feared he would hear it. He was gazing at me so intently, and a part of me wondered what it would feel like if he suddenly kissed me.

I was so focused on him that I didn't hear when the music ended and the guests started to clap.

As I stepped away, Christian pulled me back and kissed me.

My eyes shut close, and fireworks exploded behind my eyelids. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I was only aware of Christian's lips, moving sensually over mine.

My arms locked around his neck as I kissed him back. I'd never felt so alive, so wanted. Christian cupped my face and deepened the kiss, stealing my breath away. I didn't want this moment to end.

When he pulled back finally, I heard the soft applause of the crowd. I felt like a princess.

Christian was staring at me intently, a soft smile on his face. The way he looked at me, those eyes, it made my heart flutter. Maybe, just maybe, he actually liked me.

But his next words crushed that hope inside me.

"Smile, Claire. People are watching."

And yet again, I was pulled back to reality. This was all for show.