Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

66. In Control

Ray ran as fast as his legs could carry him from the Asian exhibit, panting and just wanting to get away, still shaking from what he just saw.

"Sir!" Evan had been looking for Ray Sheckman since he got to the party and saw him talking to some people and then disappear. "You okay?"

Ray points backwards. "I just saw - " He cuts off short, squinting. "I just saw - "

"What did you see? Did you see someone?"

"I - uh - "

"Something?"

Ray stares at Evan. His eyes are wide and he gulps. Ray shakes his head and points again, reeling.

"Evan!" Gabe Lowan walks up to Evan. "I didn't know we ran in the same circles," he says.

"That makes two of us," Evan sighs.

"Gabe Lowan," he holds his hand out to Ray. "Assistant District Attorney. You're Ray Sheckman right?"

"Yeah, your uh, office investigated me for loan sharking," Ray looks to the back again. "Listen, d'you got a minute? There's something I wanna explain to you. Right. As an officer of the court."

Gabe stares at the man, blinks, then looks at Evan. "Well, this should be interesting," he says, not sounding interested at all. He looks at Ray. "Okay," he shrugs. "Sure. Enjoy the rest of the party Evan," he says before he follows Ray.

***

Cat and Vincent were walking towards one of the exits, passing through an open hall that led into the African exhibit.
"Vincent he saw you," Cat worriedly said. She wasn't expecting him to change the plan that much.

"Good," Vincent sighs. Cat stops walking to look at Vincent like he's lost his mind. "Okay, maybe not so good. But it's better than you trying to plant evidence to protect me."

"You know, I thought for sure we'd be picking up pieces of Ray."

"Me too," Vincent chuckles.

Cat smiles up at him proudly. "But you were in control."

"Yeah, I was." He stares at her and then shakes his head, smiling. "I don't know, I guess, I kept thinking about tomorrow's paper. The whole city reading that I'm not such a monster after all." Vincent felt lighter. Cat could feel the happiness shining through him into her. "Thank you," he says after looking at her for a moment.

"Yeah," she breathes. She keeps looking at him, thinking how much she wants to be in his arms. After what they just accomplished, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. She laughs shyly, looking down and touching her burning cheeks.
"I should...probably go." He laughs too, nodding. "So no one sees us together."

Always thinking about protecting me
Vincent thinks, swallowing as he watches her go down the steps. He was in control. He could do this. He was not letting her go like this. She looked beautiful. She deserved to feel it. "Catherine wait," he calls after her.
She stops and turns around to look up at him at the top of the stairs.

His eyes never stray from hers as he moves, climbing down. He places his hands on her face and kisses her. Like he's been wanting to do since he saw her in that dress. Like he's been wanting to do everytime he saw her since their first kiss. She kisses him back, standing on the tips of her toes even in heels. Not caring who saw.

They were happy.

He kisses her for a few more minutes, then stops, leaning his head on hers for a second, seeing her eyes still closed. He rubs her cheek with his thumb and she opens her eyes.