Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 324 - 62

Chapter 324: Chapter 62

Rayne’s heart swelled at the sight of them together, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Despite the chaos of the past few days, moments like these made everything worthwhile.

"Alright, let’s get you dressed," Rayne said, lifting Ethan off the sink and carrying him into the bedroom. She set him down on the bed and began to gather his clothes.

As she helped Ethan get dressed, she felt Liam’s eyes on her, and she glanced over to see him watching her with an intensity that made her heart race. "What?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Just thinking how lucky I am."

Rayne’s cheeks flushed at the unexpected compliment, and she busied herself with buttoning Ethan’s shirt to hide her reaction. "You’re not so bad yourself," she replied, giving him a teasing smile.

Liam chuckled, and the sound sent a warm shiver down her spine. "I’m glad you think so."

Once Ethan was dressed, Rayne turned to Liam. "I’ll get him settled with some toys while you finish getting ready," she said.

Liam nodded, watching as Rayne led Ethan out of the bedroom and into the living room. She found a few of his favorite toys and set them up on the coffee table, keeping an eye on him as he began to play.

She glanced at her watch, noting that it was already past six. She needed to get back to her room and change for the evening.

Just as she was about to tell Liam she was leaving, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw that it was Lauren calling.

"Hey, Lauren," she answered, stepping into the hallway for a bit of privacy.

"Rayne, I just wanted to remind you about your date with Jacob tonight," Lauren said. "You didn’t forget, did you?"

"No, I didn’t forget," Rayne assured her. "I’ll be there. I just have to attend a small gathering first, but I’ll leave by eight."

"Good," Lauren said, her tone relieved. "I was worried you might cancel again."

"I won’t," Rayne promised. "I’ll see you later."

She ended the call and returned to the living room, where Liam was now dressed and ready. He looked up as she approached, his eyes searching hers.

"I need to get back to the room and change," Rayne said. "I’ll be back by seven."

Liam nodded, understanding. "I’ll see you then."

Rayne gave Ethan a quick hug and kiss before heading out the door. As she walked back to her suite, her thoughts were a jumble of emotions. The evening ahead promised to be both exciting and nerve-wracking, and she couldn’t wait to see how it would unfold.

By the time she returned to Liam’s suite, the guests had already begun to arrive at the hotel. She was greeted warmly by Liam’s grandma, Andrea, and the other guests. They made her feel welcome, and she soon found herself relaxing and enjoying the evening.

Standing slightly off to the side of the living room, Liam proudly watched Rayne mingle with his family.

She was poised, unaffected, and sophisticated. In a matter of minutes, she’d recovered from the shock of finding out that Vincent Robert, the movie star she admired, and his wife were two of the guests Liam had invited. If she felt any awe, she kept it hidden.

Though Liam despised the movie star, he wanted to make this evening special for her and went to such an extreme length as to apologize to Vincent Robert about their confrontation years ago.

She chatted easily with his grandma and sisters, whom she knew. To complete Liam’s satisfaction with the progression of the evening, the redhead he loved looked sexy as hell in high heels that showed off her gorgeous legs and a silky black dress that clung to her beautiful figure.

Outside the hotel, lightning streaked across the sky, and thunder boomed while Liam prepared to get on with his plan for the evening. He’d invited his grandma today for a reason, and he would make sure that by the time he was done, Rayne would completely believe that he didn’t know about her and Max before he met her that day on the island and that his feelings for her were genuine.

In his heart, he expected her to cancel her date tonight when she discovered the meeting with his family.

That’s what he wanted her to do; however, he was prepared for her to leave if that’s what she still felt she should do.

He was prepared, but not pleased at the prospect. His grandma—who was never awed by anyone she met, including two Presidents and countless celebrities—was gazing worshipfully at Vincent Robert and sipping a second glass of wine.

Liam headed toward the group before the wine relaxed the old woman so much that she wouldn’t feel her usual need to supervise social gossip and speak up when she heard an inaccuracy.

Rayne looked up at him with a smile when he walked up behind her and laid his hand lightly on the small of her back.

He waited until there was a break in the conversation about Ethan, and then he said to his grandma, "Ma, did you know Rayne and I met on the islands three years ago?"

"No," his grandma said.

"Yes, I know," Oriana exclaimed before Liam could shut her up. "And I know you liked her since she was a teenager. I remember you asking us to write a reply letter to her so she would stop sending you letters. So we wrote that letter that said, ’Stop sending me stupid letters with strong perfume. You’re not my type. I don’t roll with little girls with terrible, ugly skin.’

"When we told you what we wrote, you got so mad you didn’t speak to us because you thought that was too harsh. And I also remembered..." Oriana blabbered on.

"You’ve said enough, Ori. I was asking Grandma a question." Liam stopped her, though deep down, he was glad that misunderstanding had been cleared as well.

Rayne tried to look as if she was listening to what Liam’s grandma said next, but her stomach cramped, and she winced as she realized that Liam hadn’t been the one who wrote that letter many years ago, but she’d hated him so much for it.

"Is something wrong, dear?" Liam’s grandma asked, tipping her head to the side.

She was seated in a chair, her white hair drawn into its customary bun, with pearls around her neck, her eyes bright. She was an icon in high social circles, and Rayne had met her at various functions, but when Liam spoke to her, she positively beamed, Rayne noticed.

"No, I’m fine," Rayne assured her.

"I just realized something," Liam said, making his grandma beam at him.

"You were standing beside me at that party years ago when Max Everett mentioned he and Rayne were going to the island."

His grandma remained silent and Liam remembered his strict warning to her not to ever discuss Rayne with him ever again after the night at that banquet when she began pestering of how he’d met Rayne.

She seemed ready to follow that rule now even though Rayne was next to him, and she had spent time admiring Ethan and showering him with affection. She had to realize the situation had changed, Liam thought. But then again, she didn’t know the situation before because he never discussed it with her, so she didn’t know it had changed.

He reached for a small plate of desert on the coffee table and decided to focus only on Max and Rayne, leaving himself out of it.

"Did Max Everett ever buy a jet?" Liam asked. "I remember he mentioned wanting to but then said he had to leave for Rayne’s father’s funeral."

"His wake," his grandma corrected. "He said his old friend’s father had died and he had to leave for his wake." She looked at Rayne and said, "I remember because I was surprised he didn’t mention your father’s name."

Having failed to get her to make a statement about Rayne and what Max had told him that day, Liam deliberately imparted incorrect information in the hope that she’d be absolutely unable to resist correcting his mistake.

"Since he’d already told me Rayne’s name, there was really no reason for him to tell me her father’s—"

"He didn’t mention any names at all, dear. I particularly remember him saying that he was taking a woman down to the island for a bit of fun—Rayne, dear, you look very pale."

Rayne put her drink on the table beside Liam’s grandma.

"I’m sorry to be abrupt," she said in a voice that sounded surprisingly normal given her emotional state of realizing she’d never meant anything to Max, not even enough for him to use her name or her father’s name when he discussed them. But she’d believed him enough to ruin what she’d assumed would be a good relationship with Liam because she trusted him.

"I’m sorry I can’t stay." She turned to Liam, her green eyes dazed and almost accusing. "I—I have to leave. We’ll talk later," she added.

"Rayne has a date," Liam told his grandma and sister, who looked at him questioningly, hiding his surprise and hurt behind a glib explanation.

"A what?" His grandma gasped.

Rayne made her excuses to the Thompsons and Vincent Robert, picked up her purse, and then realized that Liam was politely walking her to the door.

"I’ll come back as early as I can," she offered inanely.

Liam nodded.

Drink in hand, he stood at the window, staring down at the street. When she left him at the hotel on the island, the day had been bright blue, and he’d seen her get into a car.

Now rain was lashing the windows, and he could barely see a foot beyond them. He couldn’t believe she’d left. Her departure, coupled with his remark that she had a date, put a damper on the party, and when he turned around, his guests were standing up to leave.