Free Web NovelChapter 181: Chapter 171: Wedding Photoshoot 2
"Not at all!" Georgia Thorne denied, a smile not quite reaching her eyes.
’As if he didn’t know.’
’That call Ethan Fletcher was on had to have been with Elliot Sheridan.’
"If that’s the case, then stay a bit longer. If you leave, how are we supposed to explain things to Nancy Hughes?"
"Yeah, if Ms. Hughes gets back and you’re gone, she’ll definitely be upset!"
Liam Sheffield chimed in, echoing Ethan Fletcher. He tugged on Georgia Thorne’s wrist to pull her back down. "Miss Georgia, please, just sit and wait a little longer."
Georgia Thorne’s expression soured as she was forced to sit on the sofa. Still, she couldn’t shake her unease.
"No, I really think I should..."
"Miss Georgia, just relax and sit tight. Ms. Hughes and Don will be back any minute!"
Georgia Thorne had just stood up when Liam Sheffield pulled her down again, patting her on the shoulder. "Besides, what’s the big deal?"
Georgia Thorne glared at Ethan Fletcher across from her, her eyes full of anger, as if to ask, ’Was that Elliot Sheridan on the phone just now!’
Ethan Fletcher grinned devilishly, picking up a glass from the coffee table, ready to watch the show.
Another fifteen minutes passed, and with Nancy Hughes still not back, Georgia Thorne grew increasingly restless.
Knitting her amber brows, she stood up from the sofa. "I’m sorry, I have to go!"
Georgia Thorne grabbed her bag and was about to head out.
Just then, the door was pushed open a crack from the outside.
Georgia Thorne’s heart began to pound, nearly hammering out of her chest.
’It could just be Nancy Hughes and Dylan Heston returning.’
Georgia Thorne forced herself to calm down, taking a deep breath so she wouldn’t look so flustered.
But in reality, she was a total mess, her mind a complete blank.
Her pupils dilated, the scene before her unfolding in slow motion, frame by frame.
When Nancy Hughes’s face appeared, the breath she had been holding was released in a sigh of relief.
But her relief was short-lived. The man following behind Dylan Heston made her tense up all over again.
Her legs felt rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch.
’Of course it was him!’
Ethan Fletcher grinned and stroked his chin. ’This is going to be good.’
’He saw her wedding photos yesterday and looked like he was ready to breathe fire.’
’And now that he knows she’s here, he comes rushing over like his tail’s on fire.’
Elliot Sheridan strode into the room. His icy gaze swept over Georgia Thorne’s face as if she were a stranger before flicking away a moment later.
He brushed past Georgia, heading straight for the sofa.
’Oh, look at him, playing it all serious and proper!’
Ethan Fletcher handed him a glass. "You made it."
Elliot Sheridan grunted, taking the glass and immediately taking a drink.
Liam Sheffield, who was getting bored, quickly stood up and pulled Georgia Thorne by the hand. "Miss Georgia, let me introduce you to my brother!"
Everyone there, apart from Liam Sheffield, knew that Georgia Thorne and Elliot Sheridan had a history.
Like an excited child, Liam Sheffield insisted on pulling Georgia Thorne over. "Bro, let me introduce you! This is Ms. Hughes’s friend, Georgia Thorne! Miss Georgia, this is my brother, Elliot Sheridan!"
Elliot Sheridan looked up, his gaze flitting over Georgia Thorne with apparent indifference.
Georgia Thorne bit her lower lip. His unfamiliar gaze still hurt, at least a little.
Ethan Fletcher chuckled, crossing his arms. ’He chased her all the way here, and now he’s acting all high and mighty.’
A hush fell over the room with Elliot Sheridan’s arrival.
Nancy Hughes anxiously started to move but was held back by Dylan Heston.
Dylan Heston shook his head at her. "Stay out of it."
"How is this staying out of it? He..."
"Don’t worry, Sharon knows what he’s doing."
Nancy Hughes was speechless.
Liam Sheffield made Georgia Thorne sit down. "Miss Georgia, don’t mind him. My brother’s just got that kind of personality. He doesn’t really like talking to girls."
Georgia Thorne hummed noncommittally and lowered her gaze. ’So much for leaving,’ she thought. ’Looks like I’m stuck here for a while.’
"This is getting boring. How about we play dice? Loser drinks," Liam Sheffield suggested with enthusiasm.
Ethan Fletcher, eager to see some drama unfold, was naturally all for it.
Nancy Hughes followed her man’s lead; when Dylan Heston nodded, she did too.
That just left Elliot Sheridan and Georgia Thorne.
When neither of them said anything, Liam Sheffield turned to Elliot Sheridan. "Bro, you in for a game?"
Elliot Sheridan’s dark eyes glanced at Georgia Thorne, who was looking down. His long fingers tightened around his glass, but he remained silent.
"Bro, if you don’t say anything, I’m taking that as a yes!" Liam Sheffield clapped his hands, then turned to Georgia Thorne. "Same for you, Miss Georgia!"
Liam Sheffield clapped his hands again, tossed three dice into a shaker cup, and began to shake it vigorously. "Big or small! Guess wrong, and you drink!"
With Liam Sheffield leading the charge, the atmosphere in the room instantly livened up.
After a few rounds, Georgia Thorne’s luck was holding up fairly well. She’d only guessed wrong once or twice and had had a couple of drinks.
Nancy Hughes sat beside her, feeling a little on edge. She honestly hadn’t expected Elliot Sheridan to show up here at all.
She remembered Dylan Heston saying that Elliot had something to do tonight and wouldn’t be coming.
"You should drink a little less," Nancy Hughes said with concern.
"I’m fine!" Georgia Thorne said, smiling to reassure her.
The game resumed, with everyone taking turns shaking the dice.
Georgia was holding her own in the game; she’d only had to drink four or five times in total.
The biggest losers were Nancy Hughes and Elliot Sheridan.
Nancy Hughes had Dylan Heston to run interference for her; she’d only had a little more than a glass herself, with Dylan drinking the rest for her.
Feeling indignant, Nancy Hughes snatched the dice cup from Liam Sheffield. "My turn to shake! I refuse to believe my luck is this bad!"
But the one losing most miserably was probably Elliot Sheridan. He lost almost every single round.
After a shake, Nancy lifted the cup and her face lit up. "Four-six-six! That’s big! Who guessed small?"
All eyes turned to Elliot Sheridan, who silently picked up his glass and chugged the beer.
A trickle of the golden liquid overflowed from the corner of his mouth, running down his throat and sliding into his black collar.
It was only then that Georgia Thorne noticed the tie he was wearing today was a bright purple.
’No, impossible.’ Georgia Thorne shook her head privately. ’I’m just overthinking it.’
Liam Sheffield looked at him. "Bro, you’re way off your game today. How are you losing so much?"
The self-proclaimed God of Gamblers was on an endless losing streak today.
Ethan Fletcher quipped, "You don’t get it. Your brother’s being dominated by someone today, so he can’t get it up!"
His eyes, full of insinuation, shifted teasingly toward Georgia Thorne.
He put heavy emphasis on those last four words, and it was obvious to anyone listening that it was a dirty joke.
Georgia Thorne was old enough to have heard her fair share of adult humor.
Her trembling gaze drifted subconsciously to the man beside Liam Sheffield, only to find his own burning eyes fixed on her.
Their gazes locked, and in an instant, her heart began to race. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Georgia Thorne quickly tore her gaze away, pinching her thigh hard to try and calm her racing heart.
But a flush crept up her face, a heat that refused to subside.
The only one in the room who didn’t seem to get it was Liam Sheffield.
Instead, he asked innocently, "Bro, who’s dominating you?"
Elliot Sheridan said nothing, his gaze remaining fixed on Georgia, who kept her head down.
On the sofa, Nancy Hughes, Dylan Heston, and Ethan Fletcher were on one side, while Liam Sheffield sat right between Georgia Thorne and Elliot Sheridan.
A massive, shining third wheel, and he was completely oblivious.
’Can’t he see Elliot staring at the girl so intensely he’s about to burn holes in her?’
"You want to know?"
Ethan Fletcher offered. Liam Sheffield nodded eagerly.
"Come here, I’ll tell you."
Liam Sheffield scooted over curiously. "Who’s dominating my brother?"
Ethan Fletcher glanced at Georgia Thorne and Elliot Sheridan, then whispered a few words in Liam Sheffield’s ear.
Liam Sheffield’s expression turned strange, and a wave of panic washed over Georgia Thorne.
In truth, Ethan Fletcher hadn’t said anything incriminating. His only goal was to get the big third wheel, Liam Sheffield, to move.
Once Liam left, an empty space opened up between Georgia Thorne and Elliot Sheridan.
Separated by a palpable tension, Georgia felt incredibly awkward. She began to shrink back, trying to scoot closer to Nancy Hughes.
But then she heard Ethan Fletcher say, "Move over, kid, you’re stepping on my foot!"
With a hard shove from Ethan Fletcher, Liam Sheffield stumbled toward Elliot Sheridan.
Elliot, who hated being touched, reflexively leaned away—toward Georgia Thorne.
A clean, masculine scent mixed with the heavy smell of alcohol washed over Georgia in an overpowering wave.
Before their bodies could even touch, Ethan Fletcher gave another, harder shove, sending Liam stumbling into Elliot.
The new impact sent Elliot’s body pressing tightly against Georgia’s.
It was summer and their clothes were thin; Georgia could feel the burning heat of his body with startling clarity.
She looked up and fell straight into the depths of Elliot Sheridan’s dark eyes. Her own panicked gaze flickered, and she caught his scent even more clearly.
The familiar scent of his cologne enveloped her, seeping into her own clothes.
Ethan Fletcher watched the ambiguous atmosphere flowing between the two and smiled with satisfaction.
’That’s all I can do for you, my man!’
The most innocent party in this whole affair was Liam Sheffield.
Pushed twice by Ethan for no reason, he turned to ask what was going on, only to be cowed into silence by a chilling glare.
He could only shoot him a resentful glare. ’When did I ever step on Ethan’s foot?’
Ethan Fletcher picked up the dice cup, took out two dice, and shook them. "Alright, alright, let’s keep going! Let’s raise the stakes. We’ll guess the exact number. Guess right and you’re safe. Everyone else drinks. How about it?"
"Sounds good! I guess six! Six brings good luck!" Liam Sheffield’s spirits were instantly revived, the previous incident forgotten.
The others all placed their bets. Then, a rich, male voice sounded from right beside her. "I’ll guess one."
It felt as if he had his arm around her.
Flustered, Georgia Thorne randomly threw out a number. "Three."
Liam Sheffield immediately lifted the lid. "It’s a one! Bro, you got it right!"
After losing all night, Elliot Sheridan had finally guessed correctly for the first time.
No one else had guessed one, so everyone but Elliot Sheridan had to drink.
They played several more rounds. It was as if Elliot Sheridan had been possessed by Lady Luck; he guessed correctly every single time, staging a complete comeback.
Georgia Thorne, on the other hand, played five rounds and had to drink for four of them.
