Where the heck are we going?
After another minute, we arrive at an entrance and I see the name “Wescott” engraved in the stone walls, which line both sides of the large wrought iron fence. I cut my eyes up to the driver's seat and watch him punch in the code.
Does Theo really need this much security?
The gate opens a second later, and we continue down the driveway. From what little light the moon gives off, I can see big, beautiful trees planted in rows, which canopy together and darken the road. I wonder how it looks during the day, but I can only imagine it’s like something right out of a fairy tale. When we finally reach the end, there’s a break. The grounds beyond it open up and out to reveal a massive castle of a home that sits up on a hill.
I feel my mouth drop as I stare out my window in awe. The house is gorgeous. The outside is lined with tall, marbled pillars that wrap along the entire exterior. The front door is an impressive double-doored entrance set within a stone wall; each side is carved out of thick, mahogany. Along the sides, windows and sliding doors are positioned every few feet from one another.
"This is where you live?" The words slip from my lips as we pull to a stop in the circular driveway.
"This is the place," Theo says, joining me in admiring the grandeur that is his home. Both of our necks crane up in an attempt to see beyond what the windows allow. "You ready?"
"Yes, please." I smile eagerly up at him from the back seat. He does his best to return it with one of his own, seeming to like my reaction, but it doesn't reach his eyes. I wonder if he’s in pain.
Theo takes my hand and pulls me along. I smile seeing the small bump of his enthusiasm and that he seems to be walking more steadily as we make our way up the brick steps to the front door. My mind spins as I step through the doors and find that the inside is designed like something out of a movie.
The foyer is just as I imagined—massive and lined with stark white walls and a crystal chandelier, which hangs perfectly in the center of the room. I glance around and see three main sections that break off. And directly in front of us, a massive staircase frames either side of the entry to the living room. Both rows of stairs leads up to connect on the next floor and so on, and so on, for two floors higher. My mind struggles to find a word that sufficiently describes just how exquisite it all is.
Before I can ask for a tour of the rest of the house, Theo grabs my hand, and we climb the first row of stairs to the second floor. The base where both sets of stairs meet pushes out into another grand foyer, where another set of double doors sits beyond it, with two rooms on either side that face one another.
"This is my room." He smiles, pushing the doors open for me to walk inside. At the sight of his massive four-poster bed, he begins moving at an elevated speed before he collapses on it.
“I’m happy to see you moving around so easily.” I squint my eyes in his direction, taking a step further into the room. “Why am I here, again?”
"Excuse me, ma’am. Sorry to intrude. But if you don't need me, Boss I'll happily lock up and be on my way." Hector says from the doorway.
“Yes, you’re good, Hector. Thank you.”
Nodding his head, Hector turns and hurries out of the room. The way he practically runs away tells me that he obviously doesn't care to be in the lair of the beast any longer than he has to be. Laughing at the thought of this, I look back at Theo and then walk up to the side of his bed, bending over to lean beside him.
"So, do you need me to get you anything before I wander off and find myself a room?"
"Find a room?" Theo turns his head toward me, the corners of his lips pulling back into a devilish grin. "I thought this was a sleepover?"
I roll my eyes and playfully swat his good arm. "Oh really, well, something tells me this is exactly why your doctor didn't want Katrina coming home with you tonight." I smile at him but it's forced. My shoulder leans into his side, and I have to fight the urge to keep it there. "You have to rest."
"I am resting. Come on. What if I promise to behave myself?" His eyes trail down my back.
"Theo, no. We can't—"
"What?" he groans, rolling over to face me. "You're here to take care of me, aren't you?"
I freeze at the statement and turn away from him. The idea of sleeping in the same house as him is hard enough. But to be in the same bed . . .
"I can’t." I turn back, smiling and bite my lower lip.
"Can't or won't? Because if you keep biting that damn lip, I won't be able to let you go."
I blink my eyes shut and turn away from him. The memory of what happened yesterday, at the D.O., hits me in waves. I used to think that I was impervious to his charms. But after yesterday, I can see why he would think that I could so easily be persuaded into something more—a thought that embarrasses me almost as much as it excites me. I always thought Theo would be my first.
I scoot to the far side of the bed when I feel a deep throb pulse between my thighs and a heat creeping up, as it ignites under my cheeks.
God, what the hell is my problem?
From everything I know about him—from everything I’ve heard—I should be running away. Not lying in his bed. Alone. I glance to the side and catch his eyes watching my mouth. A playful spark burns behind his eyes.
"Theo, I hope you don't think I’m going to sleep with you just because you’re injured," I say, licking my lips. The subtle way he’s leaning closer isn’t reassuring at all.
"What? I would never think that."
"Good because I won't." I feel the need to repeat myself.
"Okay. . . what’s going on with you? I never said you would."
"No but Wes—"
“Jesus. You’re such a girl.” He rolls his eyes and then pushes up on his elbows until he’s directly in front of me. "Look, not that you even bother to ever let me defend myself, but much to your disbelief, I know you're nothing like Katrina. You're pure and innocent, and good. It's one of the reasons why I loved being around you so damn much back when we were friends. Well, that and . . . your incredible sense of getting into trouble. Never a dull moment with you."
“No, of course,” I say.
My mind instantly clings to his choice of words—as in “friends” being past tense. I pinch a section of my cheek between my teeth and roll off the bed.
“Thanks for clarifying that.”
chapter twenty-one
BRIELLE
Wait. Hold on. What just happened?” Theo asks, annoyed, motioning for me to come back to the bed. I drop my eyes to the carpet and move across the room. The thin material of my dress kicks up as I walk over the grates of the air conditioning vent; I forgot that old homes like this don’t have central air.
“Nothing, you just . . . just forget it.”
“Okay then,” he says, pulling himself up off the bed. I lift my eyes and notice he’s moving slower than he was a second ago. But I let it go. "Come on. I'll show you to your room."
My eyes follow his broad shoulders out into the hall as he runs a hand through his thick head of hair. We make an immediate left turn and come up to the next room. Inside, the walls are a soft blush color with splashes of floral designs throughout. The bedding is an ivory hue.
The room is easily two times the size of mine and Becks's entire house. It contains a long walk-in closet, bookshelves, and private bath, which is fully equipped with a massive walk-in waterfall shower (with five different showerheads) and a double sink. I cut my eyes to the corner when I catch the massive clawfoot tub.
"What the—" I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, trapping the curse word I was about to say.
Oh, I'm definitely going to take full advantage of that tonight. I let a smile slip. My mind already calculating the perfect bubble bath cocktail, as my eyes peruse the bubble bar. The hundred or so variety of smell combinations makes my eyes grow wide.
"I knew you were going to like that." Theo laughs, walking over to the tub to run his hand along its smooth surface. "You know, the guy who I bo
ught this house from—"
"You mean this castle." I feel my lip tug to the side as I flash a playful grin at him and cross my arms.
He shakes his head, a handsome grin playing along his lips, as he rubs at the stubble that thinly sprays his jaw. "I knew I should have just taken you to my flat."
Excuse me?
"You have a flat?"
"Yes. In Dallas." Theo shrugs as if it’s not that big of a deal. He stands and leads me back into the main bedroom. "Anyway, his wife loved the garden out back; it's apparently, why they bought the property in the first place. But, unfortunately, shortly after they moved in, they found out she was terminal. Leukemia is what I heard. So, when she became too ill to venture outside her room, he had this room built for her. The entire floor used to be one solid room if you can believe that."
I can.
“When I first toured the property, I came in here, and when I saw the tub it made me think about all the times you used to get so pissed when Mason would lock you out of the bathroom when you wanted to take a bath. It’s one of the reasons I decided to buy it.”
Theo thinks about me?
His gaze slices to mine and it strips me bare.
Trying to bring the conversation back around, I say, "I love that. The story, I mean. It’s . . . romantic. The floral designs. He brought the garden to her." I swoon at the thought of someone loving me that much one day. "Wait, so why are there three rooms then? Why not just two?"
"Oh, well, the other was for her nurse."
"Oh, right. That makes sense. Is it as big as this room?"
"Oh yeah. It's the same size. Rumor has it that the husband and the nurse were having an affair, so naturally, it only made sense to just keep everything equal."
Of course—naturally!
What was I thinking?
I roll my eyes, while I silently wonder how one might decorate a mistress's room, when a thought hits me. "Well, thanks for not putting me in there." I giggle and pull at the bottom of my dress. The soft lace kisses the top of my thighs.
"Oh no. I'd never do that to you." He laughs along with me, as his hand moves to support his side before leaning into the doorframe.
I can feel my heart begin to flutter when I realize that Theo chose to put me in the wife's room rather than the mistress's. My mind secretly wonders if maybe he really didn't believe I was just another Katrina and that maybe he thought I could be something more.
"I turned it into my game room."
Well, I spoke too soon.
Closing my eyes, I shake my head.
"Right," I whisper, faintly. Guys and their video games, I swear. The memory of Mason and him, seated on the floor of his room, "raiding" loudly all throughout the night quickly flashes across the back of my mind. I miss those days.
"Hey, are you okay?" I look up as I hear him suck in a quick breath. I reach my hands out to help him move over to the bed, but before I can even manage to touch him, he pulls away. “Sorry. I was only trying to help,” I say. But I should have known he wouldn’t want the help. It's tough trying to care for someone who thinks their invincible.
"I'm fine. I just need to go lie down for a bit." He tries to keep his voice even, but I can see the pain masked behind his eyes. I press my lips together, and take a step back, nodding my head in submission.
Out of the corner of his eye, he looks up and watches me for a moment. "Don’t worry. I won’t die on you." He smiles. His shoulder leans in to nudge me before he walks out of the room and into the hall. "You should, ugh, you should call Luca." He clears his throat. "I'm surprised he even allowed you to come in the first place."
Here we go.
I narrow my eyes at his back when he continues to walk away from me. "I don't need permission to go anywhere, Theo. You and Luca seem to forget that I’m not that little girl you once knew! You’re not my brother! You don’t get the privilege of weighing in on my decisions."
At that, he stops and turns around. His deep green eyes are blazing but then he lets them slowly travel up and down my body, in an almost aggressive way.
"I’m not playing big brother with you, Brielle! I never have!” he yells. I rock back a step, my fingers playing with the hem of my dress while I look up at him. “But since you're still playing games, maybe someone should."
I take a breath and hold it, then release as I say, "Playing games? Excuse me?" I shake my head, stepping toward him.My heart is beating a mile as I feel myself getting angrier by the second. "What the hell does that mean?"
Theo breaks away from me and turns his attention toward the stairs. His eyes stare off into the distance, as he if he’s debating what he wants to say next. He draws in a deep breath, then lets it out.
"I know you're not with Luca, Brielle."
I hold my breath for a moment before saying. “I never said I was.”
"No. But you sure as hell didn’t correct me." He drops his head, sighing loudly.
I shift nervously, my heart beating so loudly that I’m practically drowning within the sound. "Theo, you haven’t been here! You left—for five years—but Luca. . . he was here. I didn’t correct you because I didn’t think it mattered. I’m sorry if you thought there was something more going on, or if you felt like I owed you—"
“Enough!” Theo yells. He spins back around and heads in the direction of his room. He reaches the door and opens it, pausing only for a moment to say, “There’s food in the kitchen if you get hungry. Make yourself at home. Goodnight.”
He lifts his head, as if he were going to look at me, before he changes his mind. In the last second he walks inside his room and shuts the door.
For the next hour, I sit on my bed, hoping that Theo would come back and talk to me, but when he doesn’t I finally give up.
Screw it.
I move into the bathroom and step up to the sink.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice the clawfoot tub; a sly smile spreads across my lips. After the day I’ve had, this is exactly what I need—a nice, long bubble bath. I skip over to the tub and turn on the faucet, then plug the drain with the stopper.
I’m not playing big brother, his words are still on constant repeat in the back of my mind. I try to unravel the hidden meaning behind them, but I’m confused.
The truth is, I don't blame Theo for being mad at me; I would be mad at me, too. God, why didn't I just tell him the truth? Is it because, if I’m single, it would make things easier for the two of us to slip up and fall back, thereby, ruining us all over again? Or is it because I’m really that scared of losing Luca?
I ease my way into the tub. Crap! The water’s hot. But the heat against my skin instantly works to calm my nerves, as the scent of apple medley swirls around in the steam that perforates the massive haze of bubbles. I smile and slink down further.
"Enjoying yourself?"
“Theo!” I hurdle forward when I hear Theo’s voice fill the room. My eyes fly open, and my lips part the second I am able to focus.
Leaning against the sliding door, Theo is bare from the waist up. My muscles instantly clench. His brown hair is even more disheveled—if that’s at all possible. I lick my lips as I hungrily rake my eyes down the front of him; a pair of black pajama bottoms hang from his hips, which highlight a very deep V. I swallow the knot in my throat that’s threatening to choke me. How it’s possible that he’s even more muscular and handsome than I had first imagined.
He watches me with a steely gaze, his expression unreadable as he pushes off the door and steps further into the room. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around my chest. The mountain of bubbles, which currently cover my naked body, are not nearly enough to shield the hunger burning in his eyes.
"You're. . . ugh. . . you're out of bed," I struggle to get the words out. "Why?"
He settles himself in the chair that’s tucked precariously under the vanity, and I’m thankful that he’s at least keeping his distance—for now. I guess five years really did change him. My eyes slowly drink in the sight of him.
/>
Stop drooling! I yell at myself and snap my mouth shut.
"I couldn't sleep. Figured we should talk," he says simply, pushing a hand through his hair. "I was. . . ugh. . . looking for you when I heard the water running."
"Oh." My voice catches, as I lower my eyes down to check the level of the bubbles. I nervously wriggle my toes. "Well, you found me." I try to smile in an attempt to lighten the mood.
A low burn eases its way up my thighs, while I feel my pulse beating in my ears; the delicate throb pulses at my core, beating hastily in tune with it.
"So, I have." He arches his brow at me. An amused lilt plays within the tone of his voice. "You know, that tub was made to hold two?"
Like a thief, he captures my gaze and pins me with it. His expression is predatory as he licks his lips, pulling the bottom one and biting it.
Oh, this could be bad.
"Sorry. . ." I stumble and rush to sit up, forgetting for a split second that I’m completely naked, before I quickly slink back into the tub. As the bubbles begin to melt away, more of my skin is revealed. "What. . . ugh . . . I'm sorry. What did you want to talk about?"
He shrugs away the question. My stomach tightens as I watch him stand. As if on cue, I cross my legs and pull them up to my chest.
"It can wait," he says.
He moves slowly. His hazel eyes are holding me trapped as he steps up to the foot of the tub and leans down to rests his arms on either side of my head. The hard-packed muscles of his chest press atop the remaining bubbles. My mountain of protection is now more like a small hill.
I inhale a quick breath the instant I feel his lips brush the side of my neck. A thousand, tiny electrical currents come alive while I lean into his touch and wait for something to happen.
"Do you even know the things you do to me?" he whispers against my skin. I squeeze my legs tighter and fight to ignore the less than subtle ache that’s throbbing between my thighs, but it’s no use. He knows what I’m doing. “I can help you with that.” His tone is serious as his eyes flint down to the bubbles. The intensity behind them is one I’ve only seen a handful of times.
With You: With you, I am who I want to be. Page 16