Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3) (The Thalia Series)

by Jennifer Bene

  “Of course, brother, men always know when a woman is only after them for their money. They are never distracted by a nice ass.” Katherine tilted her head with a smile back to Thalia, “And yes, darling, you look quite lovely in the dress. I can see why he pursued you.”

  “Katherine, stop it.” James snapped at her but Katherine was completely unfazed.

  “Wait, just wait, please.” Thalia sighed and they both looked at her again. James looked tense and concerned, Katherine held her mask of polite civility, her smile never wavering. “Katherine, when I met James I wasn’t even sure it would last. Any kind of relationship. I thought maybe six months.” James made a sound under his breath as the waiter brought his whisky. Katherine didn’t understand the significance of that timeline, but it was the truth. All of this was the truth, just with the edges blurred. “I wasn’t sure because of his money, and the fact that I came from such a different world, and I wasn’t exactly in the best place mentally.”

  Understatement of the century.

  “But I love James. I know he has faults, I know I have faults, I know that we’re different, and I know that our relationship is probably not something he had expected, but we balance each other. I’d love him just the same if we spent every night eating take-away food in a tiny flat, because it’s not anything else that makes me want to be with him – it’s him.”

  Katherine stared at her, sipping her wine as her eyes moved over Thalia’s face. This was the judgment, the evaluation, and Thalia felt like her heartbeat paused as she waited. Finally, Katherine drew a breath. “Well, I have to admit I had not expected to actually believe you. When Maggie told me James had been seeing someone again, and that he was in love, I thought for sure if I brought it up with him he’d refuse to let me meet you.” She sighed and relaxed back against her seat, that plastic smile fading for the first time since they’d arrived at the restaurant.

  “You have to understand, James has never let me meet any of his girlfriends. The fact that he even agreed to let me meet you set off alarm bells, and if he was willing to fly to America – I knew it was serious. I thought that if you were just after him for his money that if I could only scare you enough, you would run. And since you mentioned you do not come from money, let me tell you a secret. When you are raised like we were, people start circling you from childhood. I whole-heartedly accept this fact. I know that the pretty playboys that show up at the parties I attend just want to be a part of my world, they want to feel what it’s like to have anything they want. Most of them think they are playing me, but honestly, I just want to get laid, and they are very pretty to look at. I am also not a fool, and if that means I buy them a few things while we spend time together,” she shrugged elegantly, a wicked grin slipping over her lips that was so much like James it surprised Thalia, “Then I do. When I get bored with them, I kick them out of my bed and find a new plaything.”

  Thalia reached for her wine and took a large drink, hoping it would take the edge off her nerves as Katherine boldly talked about her sex life as if it was nothing. James was gritting his teeth between drinks, obviously forcing himself into silence.

  “You know what I never do with my playthings, Thalia?” Katherine asked her with a real smile, all playful and mischievous.

  “What?” Thalia breathed, holding her wine glass like a life raft.

  “I don’t introduce them to my best friends, tell them I love them, or agree to let them meet my family.” With that comment, Katherine turned back to James, “Which seems to be exactly what my dear brother has done, which means one of two things – first, you are not a plaything at all and he sincerely cares for you, and you two are all kinds of cute and lovely, or second, most of that is true except you are a gold digging slut who will sincerely regret choosing my brother as her target.”

  “I -” Thalia started and Katherine grinned and leaned forward slightly.

  “But, since I believe, for now, that you are not after my brother for his money. I have a bit of advice, as he clearly cares for you. Do not hurt him. Because if you hurt him, I will use my lots and lots of money to tear your little life apart until you’ll wish you had died when you broke his heart.” The plastic smile was back, and Thalia swallowed.

  “It’s not your money, Katherine, it’s our father’s money.” James growled and Katherine just laughed.

  “As if they would not completely support me tearing her to pieces if she hurt you? Don’t be ridiculous, James.” Katherine shrugged and took another drink of her wine as the first dishes were placed on the table.

  “Katherine.” Thalia felt her mouth tick up at the edge in a bitter smile, “Let me be clear as well. I have no plans to leave James. Ever. The only way this ends badly is if he chooses to leave me, and I’ll be the heartbroken one. I can’t even picture a life without him in it, so of all things for you to worry about as you’re working to protect him, that should be at the bottom of your list.”

  Katherine grinned so wide that it surprised Thalia, “You want to be with James forever, hmm? Why, to me, that sounds like wedding bells.” She turned on James in an instant, her body tense in excitement and his eyes widened a bit, “Is that why you agreed to bring her? Is that the other secret Maggie wouldn’t tell me? Are you two getting married?!”

  “Oh my God, I didn’t -” Thalia tried to stop her but James just smiled.

  “We have not discussed that, Katherine, but you will be one of the first to know if that happens. As far as Maggie’s secret, I think you should call her and pester her about that. Now, if you’re done attacking my girlfriend, I’d appreciate if we could have some civilized conversation?” Clear, calm, direct. It was how he sounded on business calls, usually when someone wasn’t doing what they needed to. He hadn’t told Katherine that it was going to happen, but he hadn’t said no.

  James didn’t say no at all. The idea of a future with James unrolled in her head like a carpet she’d been keeping a leash on for months. A wedding? A little boy with a messy mop of James’ blond hair, or a little girl with long blonde hair and hazel eyes? She could picture James scooping up a kid with that radiant smile he brought out when he was really happy. She remembered the smile on his face when they’d found out about Kalen and Maggie’s pregnancy. The pang of want that clanged inside her was surprisingly strong. She wanted all of it.

  “Fine!” Katherine yanked her out of her daydream with a laugh, “I was just looking out for you. I know for a fact if I ever brought a man to you, you would be much more frightening. You would probably have him pissing himself before the drinks even arrived.” Katherine grinned and James smiled at her over his glass.

  “Probably. But any man wanting to spend more than a week or two in your bed should be afraid of me, Katherine.” James’ voice sent a shiver through Thalia, but Katherine only laughed. Thalia couldn’t imagine growing up around a personality as intense as James’. No wonder Katherine was fearless and completely unaffected by him. Katherine remembered him as a kid – which made Thalia wonder what he’d looked like.

  “You are ridiculous, James. Anyway, do you work, Thalia?” She smiled and grabbed a bite of food, “I promise I’m not interrogating you anymore, now I sincerely just want to know more about you.”

  “I do, I teach yoga in London.” Thalia blushed, hoping that she wouldn’t have to mention that James had bought her the yoga studio she was teaching in. That might set them back a few paces. Katherine cackled loudly enough to attract the attention of other tables.

  “Oh my God, James. You’re dating a yoga instructor? Could you be any more cliché?” She took a drink before leaning over to pat Thalia’s arm, “No offense meant, I just cannot believe he is! Imagine it in the society pages!”

  Her blush was burning her cheeks as Thalia stammered out a response, “I, um, I was actually in data entry before I met James. He encouraged me to get certified in yoga because I enjoyed it.”

  “Look at her blush, James.” Katherine laughed again, “I feel like a total bitch for being s
o aggressive earlier. You seem like a sweet girl, and I can see why James went after you. We need girl time, just you and me. Then you can tell me all of the secrets James has been keeping from me, and as his little sister it is my responsibility to know everything that can embarrass him. Is it true you don’t like to shop?”

  “I’m not very good at it? James knows so much more than I do, and he has great taste, so I usually just trust whatever he suggests.” Thalia stole a bite of something that was rich and tart at the same time, which made her realize just how hungry she was.

  “You are too cute. We will fix that, we can go shopping tomorrow before we see whatever Broadway thing James picked. I’m sure James wants to work so he can keep pretending he has to.” Katherine was a totally different person when she wasn’t grilling her about her intentions. She was loud and always on the edge of laughing at something. Her brazen admissions about her sex life made her seem wild and carefree and unapologetic.

  “I enjoy working, Katherine. It’s called being a responsible adult.” James sighed, but his face revealed that he wasn’t actually irritated with Katherine anymore. Thalia could tell he loved his sister, and she felt a pang of guilt that he hadn’t seen her in a year – probably because of her presence.

  “It’s called martyring yourself so you don’t feel so guilty about not actually needing to work. You and dad, always wanting to prove that you are just like everyone else, even though you absolutely are not.” Katherine rolled her eyes, leaning over to speak conspiratorially to Thalia, “James feels guilty about all the money. He won’t even use his trust fund! Has to make his own money, and he lives in that little flat in London when he could easily afford anything else.”

  “I like my flat.” James commented.

  “It’s really not small?” Thalia added, thinking about how the flat was easily three times the square footage of the apartment she had been in.

  “Jesus Christ, you two are meant for each other. Alright, enough about how sweet and down to earth you both are. I’m going to be sick if we keep chatting away about it. Instead, let’s talk about how we want to spend the next few days in the city before we go to my house!”

  Chapter Nine

  The four days they had spent in New York City had been incredible. Stores and shows and food and being total tourists.

  Shopping with Katherine had been a hurricane of clothes, shoes, and elegant dresses. She’d learned that Katherine hated the aristocratic lifestyle she had to adhere to when she was in London. It was the whole reason she had moved to the states. When it was a seven hour flight and a five hour time difference, her parents couldn’t expect her to show up at every event they attended. She couldn’t be their show pony if she wasn’t there to show off. Especially when all she actually wanted to do was enjoy her life.

  One thing Katherine and James had in common was an urge to see the world. If she wanted to go to a party in Ibiza for a weekend, she just did it. Katherine had places rented or outright purchased in New York, Los Angeles, Milan, Barcelona, and London. She was unabashed about the kind of money she had access to, and the more Katherine talked about it, the more Thalia realized just how conservative James actually was. Thalia had known he had money, but the kind of wealth Katherine described was the kind of old money that it would be practically impossible to spend in a single lifetime. This was generations of money, and according to Katherine, James wasn’t even using his share of it. All of the extravagances that had Thalia flustered and counting pennies were from his salary, and not his family. Adding in this trust fund Katherine kept referencing and Thalia felt light headed at the scope of their wealth.

  Every day she let Katherine play dress-up with her before they went out at night. It made Katherine happy. The clothes Thalia had packed for the trip sat in the closet of their suite at the hotel, because Katherine sent her back with an outfit each day begging her to wear it out that night. James assured her that this meant Katherine approved of her. Katherine showed her affection with gifts, and the fact that it made Thalia so uncomfortable only made Katherine want to do it more. Especially since it was further cementing for his sister that Thalia wasn’t a gold digger. The sheer number of packages that were being shipped back to their flat in London had her head spinning.

  Fortunately, the one purchase Thalia had requested had been a yoga mat and some extra yoga clothes so she could find her center in the mornings and the evenings. It helped to keep her class routines fresh in her mind, and the yoga made her feel more like herself. In clothes that cost a few hundred dollars instead of thousands. Katherine had been astonished that Thalia did yoga every day, and thus bought herself an entire yoga wardrobe and a nice mat to join in.

  That was how, now that they were at Katherine’s huge house about twenty miles outside of the city, Thalia ended up walking James’ sister through sun salutations before dinner and in the mornings. She’d even agreed to join Thalia for a run outside in February when she normally just used the treadmill in her private gym. They had spent most of their days catching up, or meeting Katherine’s friends from the wealthy community she was surrounded by. Others who understood what it was like to grow up rich and who didn’t gawk at the house, or the cars, or the private chef, or the extravagant spending patterns. But a day with Katherine was exhausting. Spending almost a week with her was like running a marathon on no sleep. She never stopped moving around - or talking. Being back in the room with James at night was a veritable oasis.

  “So, Katherine is in love with you. I’m pretty sure if I had not already told her you were happy in London she would have convinced you to stay here with her just for her own entertainment.” James smiled at her before he continued brushing his teeth. Thalia paused with her own toothbrush in her mouth, so relieved that it all wasn’t just a show, that Katherine had actually given James her approval in private.

  “She wants to go for a run with me in the morning. In the snow. I couldn’t believe it when she told me after our yoga session this afternoon.” Thalia shook her head, still surprised by the excitement in Katherine’s voice when she’d announced it after their cool down.

  “I told you, she loves you. Which I’m not surprised by at all.” James winked at her, and she blew out a breath.

  “You know, I was terrified she was going to hate me. It was one of the things I couldn’t stop thinking about on the plane. And then the things she said at dinner when we got here? I was sure she was going to demand you find someone else.” Thalia rinsed her mouth out and laughed quietly. “Now that Katherine is okay with me, I just have to survive your parents.”

  “First, Katherine had no right to speak to you that way, and second, she would have no say in our relationship anyway. Same with my parents. I barely see either of them, we’re always busy. You just need to remember that we chose each other, and nothing is going to change that. Alright?” He glanced over at her as he finished up.

  “Alright. She’s just intense, and extremely protective of you. Which is a good thing, I just hadn’t expected that.” Thalia shrugged, and James leaned forward to kiss her. All mint and warmth. She smiled against his lips, and he smiled back.

  “I know. It’s why I wasn’t in a rush to push you to meet any of them. They don’t exactly live in reality, and growing up around them is why I live the way I do. Why I went to school for all those years, and worked hard to have the career I have.” James stepped away from her and ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the counter. “I don’t think we have talked about it before, but my father offered me a job in his company when I was still at university. He wanted to groom me to take over, but I didn’t want that. I never wanted to just have a future handed to me. Not to mention all of the strings that would have been attached to that offer. Even when I was having my wild years with Kalen I was always working towards what I have now. Independence. My own money without the nagging sense that I have to obey my parents’ every whim out of gratitude.”

  “You and Katherine are definitely... different.�
� Thalia gave him an encouraging smile and he smiled back.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment, baby.”

  “I meant it as one. Not that Katherine isn’t fantastic, she is, I just think I like things a little more low key.” She made a face, hoping that hadn’t been insulting, but James chuckled.

  “I do too, I absolutely do.” He tugged her against him, the thin top she was wearing letting the heat of his bare chest warm her in the cool air of the bathroom. “You know, Katherine wants you as her sister-in-law.”

  Thalia tensed in his arms, stammering a response in her surprise. “She - you talked about - I mean -”

  “She just mentioned that if anyone was going to marry into the family, she’d be grateful if it was you and not some society bitch that Katherine would have to spend the next thirty years verbally sparring with.” He chuckled, “Her words, not mine.”

  “James -” Thalia couldn’t figure out what to say. That beautiful future she’d envisioned was like some fragile sparkling mirage that she was worried would shatter if she said the wrong words in this moment. Had they been together long enough to even talk about this? They had surely been through more than most couples went through in a lifetime, and they had proven over and over that all they wanted was the others’ happiness. That was a solid foundation, wasn’t it? Regardless of the strange circumstances of their meeting? Despite needing the help of an actual psychologist for her to function as a normal girlfriend?