“I’m not a child anymore, Orlando. Stop treating me like one. I could handle this just fine.” His voice rose, vibrating across the silent walls of my room. “You didn’t have to wait until I get a call from that bitch.”
Bitch? He never calls our mom like that. “Who are you talking about?” The wheels spun in my head.
“Wait.” His brows creased as he inched forward. “Who are you talking about?” His index finger jabbed at my chest.
“Isabela.”
“She is back?”
Ignoring his question, I turned away, hooking my phone to the charger. “Who called you, Enrique?”
“You remember the time Lexie came to my office last month? She said she is moving on and wished me all the best for the wedding.” He ran his hands through his hair before planting them firmly on his hips. “She called this morning to remind me that she’s the one for me and I’m making a terrible mistake by choosing another. I really don’t want this now.” He waved his hand with a shake of his head. “This has become a constant pain.”
“Did you tell Chiara about her visit?” My gaze fixed on the far wall as my mind thought about the problems she could create for us. Lexie Wellington was Enrique’s stalker ex, who, who left him alone for good after several months of torturing. Her sudden appearance didn’t sit well with me. Women like her were bad news.
“No.” A frown pulled the corners of his mouth. Now with disheveled hair and rumpled clothes he didn't look like a groom to be.
I shook my head, expressing my disapproval. “You should. Don’t keep things from your fiancée.” He had been at the receiving end this past week for letting her into his office after everything that happened. Now he was making another mistake by hiding it from Chiara.
“Nothing happened last time and I didn’t want Chiara to worry over this.”
“Chiara is an adult capable of handling this just fine.” Less than a few minutes ago, he chastised me for not telling him about our mother. “This is a mistake, Enrique. She accepted you for who you are and she deserves the truth. Don’t hide anything from your future bride. You should tell her before Lexie tries something.”
“I know.” He exhaled before going to sit on the couch opposite to the fireplace that was no longer being used. “You know how she feels about my exes. It’s not fair to her.”
“You should’ve thought about this before bedding those girls.”
“You speak as if I seduced and cheated on them. Chiara is the only girl I love. They knew I wouldn’t settle down with them.”
“Correction. You thought you were in love with this woman, Lexie. Did you forget how you almost popped the question before I stopped you on time?”
His face grimaced at the reminder. Enrique was head over heels for the woman. He thought he was in love, but her eyes were on his wealth. His drinking habits and reckless behavior served no good.
When he showed up with the ring he bought for her, I knew he meant it. I persuaded him to test my theory. We made up a story of bankruptcy and made her believe that once the news broke the Cortez empire will liquidate its assets. To his dismay, she showed her true colors and broke up with him, saying she wasn’t ready to shoulder his burden. While Enrique was still reeling from the betrayal, she had moved on to date another elite bachelor.
That was until she learned the truth. She had come back for him, crying that she couldn’t forget him. By then Enrique had met Chiara, the woman who called out on his whoring habits when he tried to work his charm on her. With time, my brother had fallen for the little spitfire who changed his life for good.
“Listen, Enrique, I may not have much experience with women. But trust me when I say this, never underestimate their love for you. Chiara is no fool. She’ll definitely see the reason and will stand by your side.”
His eyes closed and shoulders sagged as he reclined on the couch. “I’ll tell her. I just don’t know how to start.”
“There is nothing to start. Just tell her the truth, will you?”
“All right…” His eyes popped open, pinning me with his stare. “Why didn’t you tell me about Isabela?”
“I planned to tell you after the wedding.”
He reclined more and stretched his legs before setting them on the small coffee table. “What does she want now?”
“Nothing good.” My voice growled out. Isabela, our mom, ran off with her lover, whom she had an affair with for years before our father.
“What’s there to talk after the ruckus she created?”
I gave him a bitter smile. That woman ruined our childhood. Several years ago, their high profile divorce stunt became the talk of the town. When Papa threatened to file for divorce, citing adultery, she broke down into tears claiming my father was abusive.
When she couldn’t prove it and realized she was losing the battle she went onto spew shit about my father on the media. The heartless woman had claimed that her sons were born out of wedlock and therefore they didn’t belong to the Cortez. Fortunately, the paternity tests proved we both belonged to our dad.
Papa got our full custody and we moved on. He never dated again. Now, she was back with a document stating she has equal rights to the properties owned by our father. She had filed a petition in the court, saying it was a gift from my father and she needed access to them.
“Papa bought her a mansion and a winery on the outskirts of Linnesse.” The former was his gift to her when I was born and the latter was soon after they found she was pregnant with Enrique. Besides that, she owned five percent share of the Cortez group. “Papa doesn’t remember signing anything like that.” And he wasn’t the forgetting type. He would’ve known.
“Why wait all these years? That alone is fishy.”
“The court has already issued the order. She will now have access to all of his properties. No one can stop her until we proved otherwise.” This was an added headache, considering the wedding date was drawing closer. Also, with my upcoming business trip that cannot be rescheduled for later, this could drag for months.
“Benji will find a way out. First, we need to make sure the document she holds is legit.” Enrique ran his hand through his hair again.
Benji aka Benjamin McCallister went to school with Enrique, he was also one of the most wanted attorneys in Linnesse. I nodded. “We are working on it.” My gaze flicked to the clock above the fireplace. “Come, it’s time for lunch.” My gaze swept across the floor, finding my favorite vase. I must work on my control more.
“Nothing makes me feel good like food. Chef Harrison’s food is to die for.” Enrique’s features relaxed considerably as he stood, rubbing his stomach in anticipation. His action drew a fond smile on my lips and I couldn’t agree more. Chef Harrison was the best. When we made it to the dining hall, my gaze did an involuntary sweep looking for her. I couldn’t help but wonder how she was feeling this morning.
“Where is Arianna?” Everyone present at the table cast me an incredulous look and I ignored them quickly schooling my features.
Mike chuckled beside me. Once again, the seat between us was empty as if he purposefully left it that way. He always sat next to me when he visited. “If you hadn’t noticed cousin, Rosie is missing too.”
“Oh—” Before I could finish the sentence, Rosalinda arrived and pecked the lips of her beau and sat next to him. My gaze traveled to the door, looking expectantly for her to show up. Is she all right? What’s causing the delay? I held my tongue that wanted to fire Rosie with so many questions.
I looked down, focusing on my plate as the lunch arrived. The soup was appetizing, but I was distracted to savor the rich taste of the spicy and tangy broth packed with mushrooms and melting strands of cabbage. “Where is she?” The question almost slipped out of my lips when her figure appeared in my peripheral vision.
An involuntary smile tugged at my lips when I greeted her. When she smiled back, giving me a nod, everything felt right and my shoulders relaxed.
“The wedding is barely a week away. Is
everything set Orlando?” Papa watched me intently as he waited for my response.
“Everything is arranged, Papa. I've also rented two luxury yachts to transport guests for the wedding.”
He turned to Enrique with a nod. “Is everything to your liking, son?” His features softened considerably like it always did when he spoke to my younger brother.
“It is, Papa. Orlando and the wedding planner have done a great job. I can't imagine anything more perfect than this.” Enrique smiled and squeezed Chiara's hand.
“Good.”
“Where do the guests stay after the wedding?” Grandpapa Cortez spoke now.
“We’ve reserved rooms in one of our hotels in the city, Grandpapa. I’ve also hired an agency to supervise the security, so it’ll strictly be a family affair.”
Tension gripped the atmosphere in its tight fist when I mentioned that it’d be a family affair. Papa’s features hardened and my jaws clenched. I’d never allowed her or anyone to ruin my brother’s big day.
It was around two-thirty in the afternoon when Enrique announced they were heading to the beach. They headed down the narrow path that led to the seashore while I went to change. I was in no mood for a swim, but her presence there was urging me to go.
I couldn’t help the naughty feeling that crept into me when I slipped into my swimming trunks. I remembered how she looked at me last night. Barking orders at the staff, I headed to see her. When I made it to the beach, I saw the girls surrounding her.
“Enrique said you guys wanted to ride the jet ski.” Their faces lit up with excitement. I had banned my brother from riding the jet ski since the last time he almost killed himself. Well, that extended to his friends and I knew they were dying to be on one.
“Yeah!” Their chorus was filled with contagious excitement.
“There are four and my yacht is docked at Northwest. I’ve arranged dinner and a cocktail party for you guys in honor of the bride and groom,” I informed.
“Cool!” Jeff genuinely appeared excited. For a newbie in our group, he got along well with the men in a shorter time.
“Since you all decided to hang out at the beach, I’ve arranged refreshments. The jet skis are there if you want to ride one now. Don’t forget to wear a life jacket and I station guards around the area if you need help.”
“We’ll swim and hang out for now,” Mike piped in. “What about you guys?”
Their heads turned to each other, discussing what they want to do first and Rosie’s head rose to announce, “We’re in.”
“Who’s going to join me?” Enrique called as he ran toward the water.
Rosie murmured something in Arianna’s ears and nudged her before racing after the others toward the sea. I noticed the color rising on her cheeks when her gaze fell on me again. She wasn’t going with them.
“Aren't you going with them?”
“Um... no.” Her fingers pushed the loose strands of her sable hair behind her ear.
Then I noticed her skin slowly growing pink. “Your skin is pink.” I traced her skin, feeling the heat beating down on her. Her skin has already turned a lighter shade of red. “Come. There’s sunscreen here.” I led her to one of the beach chairs and handed her the lotion.
“Thanks.”
She poured a generous amount of the lotion on her hand and started applying it over her arms and face. When she turned around and took off her loose sleeveless top, I stopped breathing. For a moment, my eyes fixated on the peach-colored bikini top that was tied to her back with a few knots. Her supple breasts spilled out, fuller and rounder than before.
The view teased, urging me to run my hands over her skin I knew felt like silk. I took the bottle from her hand and squirted some lotion into my palm. I noticed her breath hitch when I applied it on her back.
“So, what did Rosie say before she took off?” I asked, distracting myself from the tantalizing view.
“To live at the moment.”
A small gasp reached my ears, making me realize I’ve been verging inappropriately close to her bum. My hands retracted without warning. I shouldn’t do this. Not when I’m not ready to offer more than a few pep-talks. Touching her was a mistake. A mistake I would repeat in a heartbeat. Fuck. This isn’t good.
“I thought you didn’t allow others to use your jet ski.” Her tone was casual, yet I felt like it held a slight tremor. Her tongue darted out, wetting her soft pink lips bare of lipstick.
“That was because Enrique had an accident two years ago. He was drunk at the time and we almost lost him.”
“Oh. Where’s the yacht? I don’t see one.”
“It’s on the other side.” Her groomed brows knotted. “Do you want to swim?” I asked, wondering why she looked nervous suddenly.
“No. I'll just hang out here.”
A frown tugged at the corner of my lips as eyes trailed down her body, admiring something that didn’t belong to me. Guilt gripped my heart. She was Mike’s best friend and I promised him I wouldn’t hurt her. The heart knew no bounds. It wanted to get lost in her smile and a sweet voice that made us forget our past. The hope that bloomed from within scared me to no limits.
“Okay.”
I should have stayed home. The more I saw her, the more I wanted to spend my time with her. She is here for the wedding. Once this was over, she’d be on her way and I’d be on mine. There was no point in starting something that would ruin what we had now. She is off-limits.
My legs protested as I walked away from her. I could feel her eyes on mine and wanted to turn around, stay a little longer. No. That was dangerous. To both of us. There was no way I could allow another woman into my messy life, especially her.
Chapter – 5
“Mike!”
I turned hearing her gasp and an involuntary smile lit my face noticing her soaked form. What did she do now? He hoisted her up, not heeding her protests and carried her to the water.
“I warned you not to zone out. For that, you'll be punished.”
Oh, that made sense. Mike had always been protective of both girls since childhood. The pain in his eyes, whenever he noticed the sadness on her face, was obvious. Another reason why I should stay away from her. Despite the logical side of my brain forcing my body toward the mansion, I found my gaze trailing after them.
“Mike, no, I don't want my hair wet.”
“Too late!”
Her surprised squeak was everything I could ask for. Laughter bubbled out of my chest. The terrified look on her face when he dropped her would forever grace my mind. A round of laughter accompanies her fall.
“I hate you.” She spat and wiped the saltwater off her face when she surfaced after a moment. She didn’t mean those words, I knew this because a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, which she tried to mask and failed. Pushing the hair out of her face, she bobbed up and down in the water.
“You're welcome!” Mike swam away.
My legs moved as if they had a mind of their own. I grabbed a few cans of cold beer on my way and waddled into the knee-deep water.
“Orlando, my man!” Jeff greeted, his eyes twinkling when they fell on the cans in my hand.
“Just what I need now.” Enrique snatched a can from my hand, opening it and tipping the can into his mouth.
“I saw what you did there.”
A hard slap on my shoulder almost caused me to drop the two remaining cans.
“It was nothing,” my voice murmured out. My gaze averted to the distance as I took a sip from my can of beer. Mike grabbed the other.
“That’s funny since it didn’t seem like nothing.”
“Mike.” Enrique’s voice held a warning.
Mike shrugged. “I’m just saying don’t lead her on if you can’t give her more.”
He was going overboard with his protectiveness. If you had kept that bastard in check, she wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place.
“They are both adults, Mike. Let them figure this out on their own,” Enrique said befor
e I could respond.
Clenching my jaws, I bit the inside of my cheeks to stop saying the words that choked in my throat. If only he had run a background check on Brian or kept a close eye… But then, people did these things discreetly. Either way, Mike had nothing to worry about. I can never hurt her.
“Yeah, buddy. Listen, I may not know the entire story, but I think this is something they should figure out themselves,” Jeff piped in. “If this is what they both want, who are we to stop them.”
Mike took a deep breath. His expression said he wasn’t convinced. “I know. It’s just…” his gaze went to her. “Just don’t hurt her, okay?”
Our gazes locked. “Wouldn’t even dream of it.”
“You have my blessings then.”
“He doesn’t need your blessings, Mike.” Enrique splashed water on him.
“Where Arianna is concerned, he does.” Mike met Enrique’s irritated glance. “Cousin or not, if he so much as hurt her, I’m kicking his ass.”
I shook my head with a smile. He never changed. “Hold your horses, guys. It’s nothing really. We were just talking.”
“All right, it’s time we got out. I wanna pee,” Jeff announced, diffusing the cold tension.
“Pee here, who’s gonna know.” Enrique was back to his mischievous self.
“We’d know.” Mike rolled his eyes. “Eww… You already did the deed, didn’t you?”
“What? No. It was a suggestion.”
I got out of the water and went straight to the table. Their friendly banter followed. Drying my body with one of the clean towels, I wrapped it around my hip before taking a seat. The notification indicator on my cell phone blinked and a swipe of my thumb brought the screen alive.
There were a few notifications on Instagram. I wasn’t fond of the app. I liked none of the social media apps. I opened one because of her. Seeing her photos, sometimes helped me take my mind off things. But then I kept tabs on everyone in my circle.
@AriannaSweety320: A view of Oasis #RetreatToParadise #NewIkandas with @RosalindaPike.
Resisting Her (Moving On Duology Book 2) Page 4