by Sabre Rose
“We can stay the night if you’d prefer to have a drink,” I offered.
She shook her head again. “I just want to go home.”
Shrugging, I poured some of the vodka into a glass with a few ice cubes. I didn’t need any mixer.
Lauren sat quietly on the couch as Jake and I laughed over the thought of our father changing nappies. Tyler sat opposite us and stared into his drink, only occasionally bringing it to his lips. Every now and again, I reached out to stroke Lauren’s cheek, bringing her fingers to my lips, but she was lost in a world of her own, her eyes hooded with sadness. Dad and Billie returned, and after about half an hour of Billie retelling the details of her first scan over and over, and listening about her excitement when she heard the heartbeat for the first time, Lauren excused herself and walked outside onto the deck.
Minutes later, Tyler followed.
22
LAUREN
“So you’re just going to ignore me now?” Tyler’s deep voice sounded behind me.
I didn’t turn to look at him. I was confused and it sickened me. “Just go away, Tyler.”
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” he said. He came to lean on the railing beside me, looking out over the lake. The lights of the town quivered on the water.
“You’re putting me in an impossible position.”
“It’s not impossible. You can break it off with him.”
I laughed. “And what would that look like? Breaking up with one brother to date the other? Besides, I barely know you. I don’t know what you want from me.”
“I don’t want anything from you. I just want you.” He moved a fraction closer and my heart fluttered in response. Damn heart. “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything. All you have to do is ask.”
I pushed away from the railing. “I can’t do this tonight.”
“Then when?” he said, watching me intently.
“I’m with Gabe,” I said firmly. “I want Gabe.”
“No, you don’t. I can tell from the way you won’t meet my eye, from the way you’re ignoring me. If you wanted Gabe, I wouldn’t be in your head. You wouldn’t need to ignore me.”
Tyler took a step back as the door swung open and Jake and Gabe joined us on the balcony. “Billie’s turning in for the night,” Jake said.
Gabe looked across to me, one eyebrow raised. “You want to stay here the night or go?”
I stepped beside him and wrapped my arm around his waist. “Let’s go,” I said, looking into his blue eyes and reminding myself of how he made me feel. But it wasn’t the same anymore. My heart didn’t beat like it used to. My body didn’t respond in the same way.
“Looks like we’re off,” Gabe said to his brothers. Stepping away from my embrace, he clapped Jake on the back and nodded in Tyler’s direction.
I left without saying anything, but I could feel Tyler’s eyes burning into my back as I walked away.
* * *
As much as I tried, I could not distract myself from Tyler. Each time I pulled my mind away, each time I banished him from my thoughts, he returned with a burning intensity that left me quivering. Even Peta noticed my distraction at work.
“Is everything okay?” she asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
I nodded and turned back to wiping down the bench. Mark, having appeared from the kitchen, leaned against the doorframe, tea towel flung over his shoulder and exchanged curious looks with Peta.
“Is it the brother?” he asked finally.
“Peta!” I exclaimed. “You told him?”
“I didn’t exactly tell him, it was more that he overheard.”
“Overheard what exactly?”
“Overheard her discussing with Shrek the dirty details of your little dalliance with the dark side.”
“There has been no dallying,” I shot back at Mark, while still glaring at Peta.
She shrugged and offered an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but it’s not as though I told him intentionally.”
“And what if she did? I wouldn’t spill your little secret.” Mark smirked. “Well, not intentionally anyway.” He shot an amused look Peta’s way and she rolled her eyes. “I must say, Lauren, you have certainly surprised me. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“I haven’t done anything,” I said firmly.
Mark smiled again, a slow smile that started at one corner of his mouth and spread across his face like a deadly disease. “Maybe not. But you want to.” Taking the tea towel from his shoulder, he crushed it into a ball and threw it at me. “Don’t tell me you’re not tempted.”
“Enough,” Peta said, hands on hips, frowning at Mark. “Get back in the kitchen.”
Mark held his hands up in surrender but the smirking smile was still plastered on his face.
“Things haven’t got any easier then?”
I shook my head. “I’m just so confused. I love Gabe, I really do. I’d never want to hurt him.”
“So this thing with Tyler is more than just attraction?”
“That’s the problem.” I leaned against the counter, lowering my voice so the one customer sitting in the café had no chance of overhearing. “I don’t know what it is. All I know is that I can’t get him out of my mind. I scold myself. I think of Gabe. I remind myself of how it felt when Derek left me for the lying-man-stealing-bitch. But still, he’s there, looking at me the way he does. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Maybe you need to talk to him.”
“And say what? I don’t even know how I feel so how is talking to him going to make things better?” I turned back to wipe the already clean counter. “I’m just going to avoid him.”
“Won’t that be a little hard? I mean, you still have to photograph the casino development, don’t you?”
“I won’t have to see him again until the investor party.” I groaned. “Even that annoys me. I should be excited. Tyler promised to introduce me to some people who might want to hire me, and instead of concentrating on that, all I can think about is how it would feel for him to kiss me. I’m pathetic. I’m a shame to women worldwide.”
Peta laughed, but flung her arms wide and engulfed me in a hug. “Stop being so hard on yourself.”
“And this Billie thing isn’t helping,” I mumbled into her shoulder.
“Just stop it,” Peta said as she stroked my hair, like she would to soothe one of her children. “You don’t have to do anything. You don’t have to make any decisions. You don’t owe anyone a thing.”
I pulled away from her and sighed. “This was supposed to be easy.”
“What was?”
“Gabe.”
“I think we always knew Gabe was easy,” Peta said with amusement.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know.” Peta leaned over and tried to smooth the frown lines that marked my forehead. “Speak of the devil.”
The door swung open and Gabe walked in. He was so young. So happy and carefree. So unsuspecting of the torment that was going on within me. Why couldn’t I just be happy with him? Why did Tyler have to come along and ruin everything?
“Hey,” he said, walking over and wrapping his arms around my waist, his lips brushing against the skin of my neck. “Good day?”
“It’s been slow,” I replied, removing his hands and stepping away.
“I’ve been meaning to ask about Saturday night,” Gabe said, walking into the storeroom to retrieve his apron. He tied it securely around his waist but let the bib hang unattached.
“What about it?”
“It’s Stefan’s twenty-first. I said we would go. That alright with you?”
“You’ve remembered we’ve got the investor party in the city the night before?”
“Shit,” Gabe said. “Do we have to go?”
“A lot of my photographs will be on display. I kind of have to.”
“I still blame you for all this,” Gabe said, smiling.
“All of what?”
“This time I have to spend with my fa
mily.”
“It’s not that bad, is it?”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Well, we can still do Stefan’s twenty-first on the Saturday night, can’t we?”
By this stage, the clock showed it was the end of my shift and I pulled the apron strings over my head. “Don’t see why not.”
* * *
The days before the investor party flew by quickly. Peta and I went shopping and I bought a new dress for the occasion. It was a floor length, blush coloured dress that sparkled in the light. It cost more than any item of clothing I had ever worn before, but the event was black tie and I was determined to look like I belonged. The function was going to be held in one of the hotels that Thornton Industries owned, and Gabe and I booked a room for the night. The arrival of our flight meant we only had about an hour to get ready before we had to be there to greet the investors alongside the other members of the Thornton family.
I quickly jumped through the shower, pulled my hair into a messy bun that had trails of hair still framing my face, applied some makeup and stepped into the nude coloured shoes I had bought to match the dress. They had taken Peta and me hours to find, as most of the shoes that would have suited the dress had really high heels, and I didn’t want to tower above Gabe.
When I finally emerged from the bathroom, Gabe was sitting on the bed, dressed in a dark tuxedo. The lengthy strip of faded copper-blond that stretched along his scalp was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, the rest of his hair was slick with gel. He was gorgeous.
“Wow,” he said, getting up from the bed. “You look…” He paused, tilting his head to the side. “You look amazing.”
“Thank you.” I curtsied, and Gabe’s eyes darkened. “No,” I warned as he stepped towards me. “Now is not the time.”
While biting his lip, Gabe grinned, holding one hand behind his back. “Well, I will just have to keep my thoughts until later.” He brushed a chaste kiss on my cheek and then held out a single lily which bloomed from deep pink to white. “Here,” he said. “This one’s not all white. I learned my lesson.”
I laughed nervously and took the flower, thinking back to when Mother scolded him for bringing me a white lily on my birthday, a flower she thought was strictly for funerals.
Gabe held his arm out, I looped mine through his and we walked out the door.
23
LAUREN
My photographs had been enlarged and stood on display throughout the room. Some showed the construction workers laughing while on break, their faces covered in dust, their hands smeared with dirt. Some were only of the building itself. All of them clearly displayed my name in bold print at the bottom.
Billie and Hamish spotted us as soon as we walked in and floated across the nearly empty room. Billie’s shoes sounded loudly on the wooden flooring. She embraced me tightly. “Don’t they just look fantastic?” she said, nodding to the displayed photographs. “Tyler said you were talented but I don’t think I knew just how much until I came here. You must be so proud, Lauren.”
“I am,” I said, stepping back to admire my work as if I had never seen it before. “Thanks.”
“Surely you must be considering giving up your job at the coffee shop and working for yourself full time?”
“I agree,” Hamish said. “I’m sure Tyler would be more than willing to help you in any way he can. He’s got a good head for business, not to mention countless contacts.”
“I hadn’t actually thought about it,” I replied, my eyes sliding over to where Gabe stood stiffly at my side.
“Well, you need to start,” Hamish said.
The first of the guests appeared in the doorway and Hamish and Billie excused themselves to greet them.
“And so it begins,” Gabe said dryly.
“What?” I asked, wondering if he was against the idea of me starting a business. But Gabe wasn’t even looking at me. He was looking over to where his father and Billie were shaking the hands of distinguished looking gentlemen and glamorous women.
“The arse licking,” Gabe replied.
Tyler chose that moment to enter the room. His eyes immediately locked onto mine, although he didn’t walk my way. He turned towards the incoming guests, a professional smile on his face. A shudder ran through me as I looked him over. His tuxedo was tailored perfectly to suit his frame. It sat beautifully across his wide shoulders and tapered down to his waist. He made Gabe look like a little boy playing dress up.
“I’m going to get us something to drink,” Gabe whispered in my ear.
As soon as he left, Tyler strode across the room, his eyes direct and steps confident. “Lauren,” he said. My name sounded different on his lips than it did on anyone else’s. It was both a command and a question.
“Tyler,” I replied, and raised my chin just a fraction. His eyes roamed over me. I wanted to ignore the sensation that his gaze brought, but the tingles that spread over my body left me little choice but to acknowledge them.
“Tyler.” This time it was said by Gabe.
“Gable,” Tyler replied. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to steal your girlfriend for a while.”
Gabe simply lifted that one brow, something I had come to realise was a Thornton trait.
“A few of the investors have expressed an interest in obtaining her skills for themselves.”
Gabe took a sip of the drink he was holding and held a wine glass out to me. “Knock yourself out.”
Tyler looked over and held out his arm. “Shall we?”
Without saying a word, I looped my arm through his and smiled apologetically at Gabe. Tyler gushed about my talent with each introduction and at the end of a whirlwind tour around the room, I was left with many business cards in my bag, and the promise to call them each. The possibility of starting my own business didn’t sound so far-fetched anymore. Tyler was entirely professional and promptly guided me back to Gabe once all the introductions were complete.
Jake was sitting beside Gabe, glaring at the bottom of his glass. He looked up when we approached, eyes narrowing. “Where’s your date?” he asked Tyler.
“I didn’t bring one,” Tyler replied. His eyes flicked quickly over to mine, reminding me of our conversation a couple of weeks back.
“No date?” Jake asked, barely able to contain his amusement.
“Tyler Thornton going stag,” Gabe joined in. “I never thought I’d see the day. Those girls finally click to what sort of a man you are?”
“There’s a point I wish to make,” Tyler said, ignoring the jibes of his brothers and staring directly at me.
“Being what?” Gabe laughed. “That you can’t keep to one girl? That they finally grew some brains and dumped your arse?”
“I was never dating any of them,” Tyler replied, his mouth in a hard line.
“So you keep saying, though I wonder if they knew that,” Gabe replied.
“Enough, you two,” Hamish interrupted. “Tyler,” he said, turning to his eldest son. “It’s time for your speech.”
Tyler nodded and left our group, heading to the small stage at the front of the room.
As the night dragged on, the clinking sound of glasses grew more frequent, the volume of the voices increased and laughter echoed through the room. Gabe and I sat in the corner with Jake, both the men sulkily glaring at where Hamish and Tyler made the rounds, clasping hands and talking animatedly. When the music started, I tried to get Gabe to dance, but he wasn’t in the mood. He just sat in the chair beside Jake, drinking glass after glass of whiskey until his eyes glazed over and a lopsided grin spread across his face.
So when Tyler asked me to dance I had little choice other than to accept. It was a slow song, and Tyler’s hand slid around my waist and rested on the small of my back, holding me firmly against him.
“Do you realise you’ve stared at me the entire night?” he asked.
I flicked a look up, but quickly lowered my gaze when his steel coloured eyes met mine, causing my heart to jump.
“I haven
’t,” I replied.
Tyler bent his head so his lips brushed against my ear. “Your eyes don’t lie, Lauren, even if your mouth does.”
I straightened in his arms, trying to put some distance between his body and mine, but he merely held me tighter, pressing firmly against me as we danced across the floor.
“Enough of this nonsense, Lauren,” he said, his voice like gravel. “Stop denying this. Stop denying me. There is no point in lying. I can see it in your eyes.”
I pressed my eyes closed and took a deep breath.
“Closing them won’t help,” he said.
“Tyler, please,” I begged, and looked up. His eyes were burning with both intensity and amusement.
“You told me not to bring a date and I didn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“But it does. You told me what I’d have to do to prove I was serious, and I’ve done it. You cannot deny me that.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” I said, my heart pounding in my chest. From across the room, Gabe watched intently as I danced with his brother. I smiled and waved, trying to relieve some of the anxiety in his expression. He didn’t wave back.
“I want you to admit you feel the same way I do. I want you to admit you want my hands on your body just as much as I want to put them there.” His fingers spread over the small of my back, the thinness of the material doing little to shield me from the heat of his touch.
“I can’t,” I said, attempting to pull away. But he held me tight, pulling me closer.
“The moment I saw you, I wanted you,” he said, head bowed low and whispering in my ear. “When you ran into me at the boxing match, and again, when you walked down those stairs with Gabe, I was both entranced and filled with rage when I realised you were with him. I’ve never had that response to a woman before. I’ve never felt that way about anyone and it all happened within a moment.” He forcefully pulled me closer, the breath leaving my chest as he held me against him. “The way your cheeks were flushed, the way you looked at me, the exposed flesh of your back, my body responded to everything about you in such a violent way it was all I could do not to attack Gabe there and then for having your hand in his. Do you know what it feels like to watch you with him? Do you know what torture it is?” Tyler’s breath was laboured as we swayed across the floor. “Do you know how hard it is for me not to press my lips to yours?”