Cade smiles and gives us both warm handshakes. “Great to meet you. I didn’t have much notice, so we’re having roast chicken, potatoes, and kale. Are either of you vegetarian?”
“No,” I say.
“I’m thinking of trying it out,” Chloe says thoughtfully. “But I’ll wait until after our dinner.”
I stare at her. That’s new. She never told me that. She usually tells me everything.
“I tried it for a year in college,” Cade says. “Couldn’t stick to it. I only buy free-pasture meat, so it’s better for you and the animal.”
Silvia wraps her arms around his middle and gives him a squeeze. “Cade’s the chef around here. I clean up the mess.”
He gives her a kiss. “I’d better go check on dinner.” He disappears into the kitchen.
I head over to the view of Central Park, peeking into the kitchen on my way. It’s a small kitchen but modern with stainless steel appliances and dark wood cabinetry. I wonder about the rent but don’t ask. I’m sure it’s a lot more than I could afford.
“I got us some champagne to celebrate our reunion,” Silvia says, bringing the bottle and some glasses over to the coffee table. “I’ll wait for Adrian to get here to do our toast.”
The intercom buzzes.
She gestures toward it. “Speak of the devil and he arrives!” She calls downstairs to let him up. I guess he knows his way. She turns back to us. “Oh, Chloe, would you like sparkling water instead? I forgot you’re not legal yet.”
“One glass won’t hurt her,” I say.
“I’d prefer water,” Chloe says. “I’m going to be studying later tonight and need a clear head.”
Silvia smiles. “Sara told me you’re a star student. You’re going to be a doctor, right?”
“Yes,” Chloe says. “I want to be a medical researcher. I plan to cure cancer.” She says it matter-of-factly, not in the least bit braggy, her expression dead serious.
Silvia glances at me, her lips curving into a small smile, before turning back to Chloe. “Very impressive.”
“I’m not trying to impress,” Chloe says. “I’m trying to improve humanity.”
“Well, somebody has to,” Silvia says with a laugh.
Chloe doesn’t laugh. She’s not one for joking or silliness of any kind. That playful side of her died with our parents. I can’t blame her, but I’d hoped she’d reclaim it in college.
There’s a knock at the door, and I turn as Silvia answers it. Adrian and his guard, Jack, are standing there. Jack remains in the hall while Adrian walks in, giving his sister a hug, his gaze meeting mine over her shoulder. I flush with heat. That’s never happened to me before with just a look.
He crosses to me, leans down and kisses my cheek. “I need to talk to you later.”
I’m instantly wary. He’s been poking around my game. If there’s any bad news about the guys, I don’t want to know. He doesn’t wait for my response, instead turning to greet Chloe warmly.
“I remember you like this,” he says, holding his hand down at belly-button level to show how small she was. “Now you’re on your way to being a doctor.”
“That’s right,” she says.
“How’s Columbia?” he asks.
Chloe launches into a detailed description of her professors and classes. Adrian listens attentively, which I give him a lot of credit for because it’s not always easy to follow what she’s studying.
When Chloe finally winds down, Silvia tells us to gather around the coffee table for a toast. “You too, Cade!” she calls. “Oh, bring the Pellegrino too.”
We all gather around, and Silvia pours the champagne and a glass of sparkling water for Chloe. She holds up her glass and waits for us all to lift ours.
Silvia takes us all in. “I just want to say that I’m so, so glad we can all be together once again, and I hope this is just the beginning of a continued wonderful friendship. To Sara and Chloe!”
“To Sara and Chloe,” Adrian echoes with a warm smile.
A pang of guilt hits me. They’re being so nice to us. I definitely should’ve gotten in touch sooner.
We all clink glasses and drink. Chloe looks a little lost. She barely remembers them. I do, though, and it means a lot.
“Dinner will be in five minutes,” Cade says.
“Let’s take this over to the dining room table,” Silvia says, heading over there with her drink.
Adrian pulls out a chair and gestures for me to take it. More gentleman manners. I can’t help my smile. “Do they teach you that at prince training school?”
He pushes my chair in after I’m seated. “I definitely suffered through my share of etiquette lessons.” He goes to help Chloe into her chair, but she promptly sits down on her own. I don’t think she even noticed his effort.
Adrian takes the seat across from me and turns to Silvia. “Speaking of suffering and reunions, I met with Dylan earlier.” He turns to me and Chloe. “That’s my cousin from the side of the family that was exiled.”
“How did it go?” Silvia asks. “Isn’t he a gruff and growly sweetheart?”
Adrian presses his lips together. “He was gruff all right, but he did meet with me and was helpful. Anyway, he wasn’t too keen on a family reunion, but I think it’s time. With Gabriel and Anna ruling, I think we could lift the exile and welcome them back to Villroy.”
“But would they want to go back?” Silvia asks. “I’ve met Dylan and his brothers, and they were friendly enough, but any time I mentioned home, they sounded bitter.”
“All the more reason to bring them back into the fold.”
“You could try.”
“You could try. Dylan thinks highly of you. I think you could be the sweetness that balances out all the sour that went before.”
She smiles and says conspiratorially to me and Chloe, “My brother has a very high opinion of me.”
“It has to be you,” Adrian says.
She tilts her head. “I’ll try. I have to clear it first with Gabriel and Anna.”
“You know Gabriel would do anything for you.”
“Okay, okay!” Silvia exclaims. “What a bossy pants you’ve turned into since becoming the boss at the casino.” She says it with great affection, clearly proud of her brother.
“Speaking of,” Adrian says, turning to me. “Have you given any thought to flying back with me to check out the casino? I’d love your opinion on the running of the place.”
I go cold, chest tight. Breathe! The truth is, I’m afraid all of the grief will come flooding back, but I can’t admit I’m too scared to face it. I want him to think I’m strong, capable, and completely past this. They died twelve years ago. It shouldn’t have such a stranglehold on me. I swallow hard.
“Sara?” Adrian prompts.
I glance at Chloe and realize I have a perfectly legitimate reason not to go—she needs me. “I can’t. Chloe’s here. She just started school.”
Chloe’s brows lift. I send her a sharply worded telepathic message: It’s true! You’re my responsibility. I’m your legal guardian.
“Just for a short visit,” Adrian says. “Doesn’t Chloe live in a dorm now?”
“Yes.” Chloe turns to me. “I’m fine if you go away for a few days. Actually, I’m fine even if you wanted to stay longer.” She tucks her hair behind her ears, pink dotting her cheeks. “I’m not a kid anymore, Sara.”
I’ve embarrassed her. “I know that. But what if you need something? And what about our weekly dinner?”
Chloe enunciates slowly and clearly, “I’ll. Be. Fine.”
Now I’m the one who’s embarrassed. My cheeks burn. It almost seems like she doesn’t need me anymore. How could this be? Chloe has depended on me for absolutely everything since she was six years old. It hurts more than I thought possible, a hollow, empty ache in my chest. The one tie I kept in my life is cutting herself loose. I stare at the table, mentally reviewing all the ways I’ve been there for her—helping her study, cooking for her (or bringing her my port
ion of food), being her confidante, going with her to the doctor and the dentist, paying our bills, buying her anything she needed.
My wretched discovery of my nonessential part in her life is interrupted by the arrival of dinner. I can barely focus on the food. Chloe outgrew me. I mean, I knew she would eventually, I wanted her to, but not yet. When she was in medical school, or maybe in her senior year of college. Not now, three weeks into her first semester. Is this why she’s been so quiet tonight?
I glance over as she eats her meal with her usual studied intensity; her mind is probably back on her organic chem exam. When I wasn’t looking, she moved on. Now what am I supposed to do? Who do I pour all my love and care into? There’s no one else in the world I trust enough to open up with.
Maybe I should get a pet. No-o-o. It’s not the same. I want my little sister back.
Dinner passes in a blur. Silvia keeps up enough conversation for everyone.
I just keep watching Chloe. Is she happy? Did I do enough for her? Is she really ready to be on her own without me?
I think I failed her. I taught her to work hard, but I forgot to teach her to enjoy herself. But maybe her studies are what make her happy. I’d just like to see some joy from her once in a while. I haven’t seen jubilance from her since we were last on Villroy. Would Villroy bring some of the old Chloe back?
I’m being silly. There’s nothing magical about Villroy. It certainly wouldn’t bring anything back for me but grief.
As soon as we finish dessert, Chloe pipes up. “Thanks for a great meal. Much better than the caf, but I need to get back. I still have a lot of studying to do.” She stands abruptly, in a hurry to get back.
“Time for an all-nighter, eh?” Silvia asks. “I remember those.”
Chloe stares at her. “I never pull an all-nighter. I schedule my time exactly right to prevent that. It’s unhealthy to stay up all night, and you retain little when you’re sleep deprived.”
“Smart girl,” Silvia says. “Now I see why you’re the doctor.”
“You want a lift?” Adrian asks Chloe, rising from his seat. “My driver is here. I can take you both home.” He looks over at me.
“I’m out of the way in Brooklyn,” I say, standing and hooking my purse strap over my shoulder. “I’ll just take the train.”
“Oh, come on,” Silvia says. “You’d rather ride public transit than ride with Adrian? Oops. Are you two on the outs?”
I blush, even though nothing happened. It’s what I’m afraid is going to happen if I keep spending time with him just the two of us. There’s too much chemistry, which makes it too risky to get close to him. At the same time, it would be an insult at this point to turn his offer down.
I paste on a smile as Adrian closes the distance between us, my cheeks and neck heating. “I’d be happy for a ride. Thank you.”
Adrian squeezes my shoulder as he leans close. “Good,” he growls in my ear. “Because you were coming with me anyway.”
I shoot him a hard look, trying to cover my reaction to that commanding voice. My skin prickles with goose bumps, my pulse scrambling. “You are a bossy pants.” And as independent as I am, I like it way too much.
He winks. “Mr. Bossy Pants to you.” His gaze drops to my forearm, where goose bumps give me away. He smirks, and my cheeks flame.
A few minutes later, we say our goodbyes and head downstairs to his car with his guard. Adrian called ahead and had his driver bring the car around. The three of us pile into the backseat with me in the middle between Chloe and Adrian. It’s roomy enough I’m not squished, but I’m definitely aware of how close Adrian is, his spicy scent washing over me. The heat of his body makes me want to press close and inhale him. I don’t think I can resist him much longer.
Chloe pulls her phone out and starts studying. I can see the complex equations on the screen. If only she was texting a friend or playing a stupid game, anything would be better than constant studying. I definitely failed her and now it’s too late. I’m at a loss on how to fix it, so I focus on something else.
I turn to Adrian. “You mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something earlier. What was it?”
He glances meaningfully toward Chloe.
“She’s studying, tuning out the world.”
He keeps his voice low. “I asked my cousin about Yuri’s land deal—he knows a lot of people in construction—and he says it’s no good. Yuri’s father, who runs the company, doesn’t pay his contractors and gambles away his money. He’s in serious debt on his projects. Seems like a shady guy.”
I take this in for a moment, and then realize he’s asking around about my players. “Why were you asking about my players’ business? They’re just having fun and enjoying themselves. Besides, I screened ahead of time to be sure no one was involved in drugs, human trafficking, or anything like that. I have standards. What they do in their business doesn’t concern me.”
“If they all go in on this, they may lose so much money they won’t be your players anymore. And you should care what they do. They could be connected to the Russian mafia.”
I shake my head. “Now you’re being ridiculous. They’re nice guys.”
“To you they’re nice. My cousin says the Russian mafia is alive and well here.”
I lift a shoulder in a careless shrug. My players seem like men everywhere, looking out for themselves and taking what they want. And what they want is a good poker game.
“Would you care if they were?” he asks.
I clamp my mouth shut, tired of him poking around in my business.
His voice is a fierce growl. “Sara.”
My body responds with a lusty roar to life—my nerve endings tingling, my stomach doing a flip, and a low ache of need. Dammit.
I turn away, focusing on my sister instead. “Chloe.” No response. “Chloe!” I cover her phone with my hand.
She looks up, blinking like she just came out of a trance. “Huh?”
“Do you need any money? Any clothes or shoes? Anything?”
She goes back to her phone, muttering, “I’m fine.”
I look out the window, my throat tight. She’s been the center of my life, my purpose for so long. I can’t quite believe she doesn’t need me anymore.
When we arrive at her dorm, I get out of the car, hug her, and slip a twenty into her pocket. “I love you. Please make time for something fun for you.”
She sticks her hand in her pocket and pulls the money out. “Sara! I said I’m fine.” She tries to hand it back, but I push it toward her.
“Promise me you’ll have some fun.”
“Working at the hospital is fun.”
“Okay, and then maybe have a beer or something after a shift with some coworkers.”
She frowns. “You have to be twenty-one to drink.”
How did I raise such a rule follower? I swear I wasn’t that hard on her. “Have a soda, then, I don’t care. Just don’t be all study all the time.”
She looks puzzled for a moment, like I’m changing the programming she’s used to.
I press on. “You’re in college now, young and on your own in the city. Have some fun.”
“You should go to Villroy with Adrian.”
Before I can explain all the reasons why that’s a terrible idea—my poker game here, the wrenching memories of our parents, my need to keep a safe distance from Adrian—she gives me a quick squeeze and races back to her dorm.
I get back in the car, bereft.
“What’s wrong?” Adrian asks.
I gesture out the window toward her dorm. “What was all this for, if she’s just going to waste her college years studying?”
He gives me a strange look. “Don’t you want her to study?”
“Yes! But I want her to enjoy herself too.”
“Like you.”
It hits me then that she doesn’t know how to enjoy herself because I never showed her. I worked hard, so she worked hard too. I should’ve balanced it out better to teach her by example. T
he regret tastes bitter in my mouth. Just add that to my list of regrets. I regret not keeping in touch with Silvia, too, my dear friend. I regret losing Adrian, the sweet boy who was once my hero. Now he’s a bossy man who sticks his nose in my business far too much. I don’t need someone telling me what to do. That’s my job.
I go on the defensive because I’m near my breaking point, and I do not want to cry in front of him. “Hey, this isn’t about me. I do what I want when I want.”
“Maybe she does too,” he says mildly.
“I’ve failed her,” I whisper over the lump in my throat. “And now it’s too late. She’s all grown up and moved on.” A voice in my head taunts me: everyone you love leaves you. My eyes are hot; my gut knots. I hate this.
“C’mere,” he says and puts his arm around me, hauling me against his shoulder.
It feels so good I don’t protest. No one ever holds me.
“You haven’t failed her,” he says. “She’s doing fantastic. She’s smart, capable, and doing what she loves. She’s so enthusiastic about all of her classes and becoming a doctor. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“She’s missing out on the college experience.”
“This is her college experience, done her way.”
He strokes my hair back from my face, and the warmth and tenderness of the gesture undoes me.
I look up at him, and the pull to close the distance overwhelms me. I need to be close. I press my lips to his. A shock ripples through me. Yes. This is exactly what I need, to lose myself in sensation and not think about my regrets.
I kiss him again, harder this time, and he nips my lower lip in retaliation. The kiss turns wild, hot, carnal. There’s no mistaking where this is going. His hands are all over me. I’m burning up, dying to climb into his lap, but I need more than I can get away with in a car.
I tear my mouth away. “Spend the night with me.”
His eyes burn into mine. “We’ll go to my hotel.” He brushes his thumb over my lower lip and pushes past my teeth into my mouth. I suck his finger, and he groans.
Royal Shark (The Rourkes, Book 6) Page 10