Chapter 4

RAINI LAVERNE

“What the fuck was that?” Giselle Galloway thundered as she whirled round to face me the second the billionaire stormed through the revolving glass doors of the fashion house, snapping me out of my reverie.

I struggled to catch my breath, feeling the crimson heat creep up my cheeks as I felt the eyes of everyone in the store on me.

Had I really won the billionaire’s soul search? The thought made my tongue floor about dryly in my mouth.

“My resignation Giselle, effective immediately,” I grumbled, happy to realize I had managed to keep the tremor from showing in my voice as the people gathered around huffed dramatically.

I wasn’t sure quitting was the best idea, but I couldn’t have just stood there and done jackshit when the Disney princess just fired my sister right in front of me.

We were Lavernes, and my mother had always taught us to stick up for each other!

“Raini! What are you-” Trinity Fay gasped, pinching me on my arm before I shrugged her off, a sliver of courage heating my spine.

There was a tense moment of silence in the lot as people exchanged whispers before I saw the tight muscles of the faux boss's face stiffen as she moved the botox into a grimaced sneer.

“You think I give a fuck what you do? Security!” Giselle guffawed, barking harsh laughs as she waved the barrel-chested men over, and I felt a chill run through my spine as she strode up to me, snatching my name tag from my chest as she had Rivers with a tight-lipped smile.

“You are an insufferable, miserable gold-digging wench Raini, and you would always be! Ha! No wonder you've got balls of steel now huh? Managed to snag the billionaire -” She spat caustically, baring lipstick-stained teeth at me so that I reared back, careful to keep my neck well away from wringing distance before my sister butted in.

“Enough Giselle! I won't let you talk to my sister like that! Come on Rai, we're outta here!” River growled sternly, snatching up my hand and marching me toward the exit as the ring of Giselle’s shrill voice followed us like shit stuck on the bum.

“Two peas in a fucking pod aren't you? Mark my words Raini Laverne, I will RUIN you!” She bellowed as I turned to catch one last glimpse of the pinched kiwi fruit of her face squeezed together in fury before we burst into the road and I inhaled a large breath.

“Thanks, Rai, you didn't have to,” River sighed after a stretch of silence as we trotted down the garbage-strewn lot toward our cozy little shack at the end of the street.

I shook my head at her, waving the complaints away and avoiding her eyes as she began to grin, poking me gingerly in my ribs.

“Sooo-”

“So nothing River, don't even think about it!” I chided more forcefully than I had meant to, forcing a pout from the ruddy-faced girl.

I hadn’t forgiven her yet for registering me in the contest and to think that I won when i hadn’t even expected to join at all!

Something swept past the ends of my consciousness, sending a cold trail of goosebumps to break open on my skin as the image of the man in the store rose unbidden in my mind.

Why did he have to be so goddamned beautiful? With high-structured cheekbones that could have rivaled that of a Greek god, and those sensuous lips! The way his dust-grey eyes raked over me like he wanted nothing more than to bend me over the counter and take me then and there.

“Saints Raini, get your mind out of the gutters!” I scolded in my head, more disturbed to find that I would have absolutely not minded being bent over.

There was just something about his mysterious air that screamed Run For The Freaking Hills but somehow made people do the exact opposite. I couldn't put my finger on it, and I didn't like that.

“We're home mother!” River yelled beside me as I snapped out of my musings to find that we had somehow managed to trot past my mother, into the house.

I listened with interested grunts as River told the Armenian woman everything that had managed to happen in the space of a day and they gathered around me.

”Raini,” My mother whispered, affecting that airy tone of hers that forked painfully at my otherwise concrete heartstrings as the callused palm of her hand warmed my shoulder.

I fought the urge to shake her off, knowing already that she would be on River’s side.

“Don’t Ma, I'm not going to sell myself to a stranger just because he’s got change to spare,” I cursed bitterly, unable to sort out my feelings fast enough.

“For fuck’s sake Rai! He's a freaking billionaire! And it's not like we're SELLING you off to some drug slave factory goddammit, have some fucking spine!” River spat caustic ally and I whirled to face her pinched face, feeling my fingers ball to fists beside me.

“Care to run that by me again Nanny McPhee?” I ground through clenched teeth, taking a step toward her and watching with satisfaction as she stumbled backward and my mother stepped in between us, playing with her hands.

“A-a package came for you today Raini, an opal-encrusted box with your name on it,” She whispered, batting her eyes playfully as I pursed my lips, craning my neck around her bodice until I saw the present and my breath hooked in my chest.

”What is this?” I whispered, managing to get a gasp through the lump that had grown in my throat as my eyes bulged in their sockets.

”Why don't you see for yourself?” My mother breathed, and i could have sworn I’d seen the mist of tears glistening in her eyes as i moved toward the small arch of the dinning hall, my heart knocking loudly against the cage of my ribs.

The large, table-sized box lying half-open on the small wood of our dinner table held the most beautiful gown I had seen in my life.

“For Mrs. Raini Cross,” I breathed, tracing the shiny note on top with my fingers and wrinkling my nose in embarrassment as River hollered loudly in my ear, the sharp pin of her jaw digging into my shoulder as she read the note with me.