by Nadia Lee
“So, nothing awkward happened?” he asks.
Great. Now he wants to talk about it. In front of his mother. I paste on a smile. “I’m sorry our date ended the way it did.” And I feel terrible that Antoine embarrassed Nick because of me.
“It’s okay. I knew it would end badly when I saw Antoine walk in. He’s my cousin, and we don’t get along. Too competitive. Whatever I have, he wants.”
My mouth opens. I had no idea they were related. Antoine never hinted, even when he was talking about his extended family. I turn to Nicole. So this is the aunt his mom doesn’t get along with. How sad. Nicole seems like a nice woman.
“So, I was thinking we could try again. There’s this Italian place I know with spectacular gnocchi—”
“I’m sorry, but I have to decline.” I hesitate then add, “I’m, uh, kind of with Antoine.”
For the briefest moment, anger twists Nick and Nicole’s faces. I would’ve missed it if I weren’t watching so closely. But within a second, Nick’s charming grin pops back up, giving him a small dimple. “Wow. I had no idea you guys were so close.”
“I’ve actually known him for a while. He works for my brother, and they’re good friends.”
“I see.”
Some kind of calculation is taking place behind Nick’s grin, but I’m not sure what. Is his pride hurt that I’m with Antoine so soon after our date? Is he feeling used? Discomfiture and regret war within me, and I can’t seem to process the scene fast and well enough to know what I need to do.
“I’m disappointed, but…I understand.” Nick nods ruefully. “Your happiness is what matters.”
“Thanks for understanding,” I say—because that seems like the right thing, although I’m surprised he’s concerned about my happiness to this degree. He doesn’t know me well enough to worry about me personally one way or the other.
What if it’s the other way around? What if he’s the competitive and jealous type?
But that doesn’t make sense either. Nick didn’t know about me, and even if he’d heard about me from Antoine at some point, there couldn’t have been anything that would make him feel like he should try to take me from him.
“Well, even if we can’t have a second date, I hope you like me enough to come to a small party at the Pryce family citrus grove.”
“I’m…” I bite my lower lip. “I’m not sure.”
Nick laughs, the sound all aw-shucks sweetness. “I’m not asking you to be my plus one. You can bring a friend if you like.”
“Won’t Antoine be going?”
“I don’t think so. He said something about work. But hey, come on! It’s an afternoon party next Saturday. My family and Dominic’s parents are going to be there. I’ll introduce you around.”
Despite all the charm Nick’s lobbing my way, something about this feels wrong. I start to decline, but then stop. I’ve always wanted to visit the citrus grove, but more importantly, I want to know more about Antoine. Although he doesn’t seem super close to his family, seeing how they interact might reveal something about how he’s wired. And I really want to understand him better.
“Sounds like that’d be nice,” I say. “Thanks for the invitation, Nick.”
Chapter Thirty
Antoine
I study the layout of Kristen’s apartment again. I had it cleaned from top to bottom after the break-in and replaced everything that naked fucker touched, including her bed. Her bed and sheets were burnt, and I had all of them swapped out with a new set in the same size and colors.
Although… Maybe I should’ve bought something bigger. Her bed is sort of small. On the other hand, small would mean we’d have to sleep more wrapped tightly together…
Normally I’d do the security review on my own, but in a moment of idiotic hallucination, I decided to speak with Tolyan. He’s an expert at dealing with stalkers and freaks, as Elizabeth has had a few. Still gets them occasionally, despite her recently updated marital status.
Losers and their obsession with pretty women.
The problem is Tolyan didn’t just give me some advice over the phone. He showed up at Kristen’s apartment. I don’t want him here, but I can’t exactly tell him to go home. He doesn’t listen to anybody, and he can pick locks and doors just as well as I can.
The good thing is I put on work clothes before I came over, and so did Tolyan. It being Saturday, my preference would be a casual shirt and shorts, but there’s the matter of image. I don’t want anybody to drive by Kristen’s apartment and think she has guys just casually coming over or loitering around or some other bullshit. I want people to see us and know that she’s getting security experts and they better not fuck with her. So it’s a full-on suit, complete with earpiece, Secret Service sunglasses and a conspicuous holster.
Currently, Tolyan is looking at a pile of flowers, many of them red roses. I kept them, just in case, and took pictures of everything. He sorts through them, reads all the notes and letters and says, “Kristen’s a popular girl. Four different stalkers and freaks. Not bad. But…this man, who calls himself Amour…is very persistent. Sixteen bouquets and twenty-six letters in the last seven days alone.”
Tolyan sounds intrigued…almost excited, which is a helluva lot creepier than his usual cold, flat voice. I pity this “Amour” guy if he shows up. Whatever punishment I don’t mete out, Tolyan will…and he’s going to enjoy every second of it.
“I know. I’ve read them all, too.”
“He wants to marry Kristin and make beautiful babies with her. Does he know how much of a hassle children are? Nothing kills romance like a crying kid.”
“Probably not.” Although personally, I don’t think raising children with Kristen would be such a hardship. Hell, it’d be cute to have a daughter who looks just like her.
Wait a minute. What am I thinking? I’m not here to fantasize about having a daughter with Kristen. I’m here to see what I can do to improve the place’s security so she can move back in.
She wants to move back home, and I want to make that happen.
Eye on the ball.
“It’s your fault,” Tolyan says.
“What is?”
“You should’ve killed the man who broke in here, then made sure it got on the news—ideally the front page. If that failed, make it go viral on social media.” Tolyan squints a little. “You know how to do that, right?”
“Of course. And I did think about it.”
“It would’ve made things safer. Other idiots like him wouldn’t think of approaching Kristen. And she would’ve known how you felt. One stone, two birds.”
“She already knows I want to keep her safe.”
Tolyan looks at me like I’m beyond help. “I mean, if you’d killed the bastard, she would know you love her without you having to say it.”
“Whatever. I’m not some cat bringing a dead mouse home.”
“Too bad.” Tolyan’s pale blue eyes sweep over me. “Because instead you’re a pussy who pounces and misses.”
I grit my teeth, a growl welling in my throat. Tolyan always brings out the worst in me—my most immature, annoyed, rude and prone to violence side. “You get into a lot of bar fights, don’t you?”
“Used to. And I’ve never had a bone broken, and I still have all my teeth. Can’t say the same for the other men.”
They’re probably all dead. From broken bones and teeth.
“This is as safe as it’s going to get,” Tolyan says. “You’ve been very thorough.”
I stick a finger in my ear and wriggle it. I must’ve misheard.
He ignores me. “But it still isn’t one hundred percent. This apartment complex isn’t built to provide security. It’s built to be cheap.” His eyes narrow. “It’s better for her to stay at Dominic’s penthouse. He has plenty of room. Why are you doing this instead of explaining that fact to the little one?”
“Because it’s what she wants. She feels awkward about getting in the way of Dominic’s marital bliss.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake.” He throws a hand in the air. “Then make it simple. You move in with Kristen. Problem solved.”
That’s what Kristen said before we got interrupted by the flower delivery. But then she seemed almost relieved by the distraction…which makes me wonder how serious she was about the suggestion. Women almost never say what they mean. Their words have at least ten layers of subtext, and if you miss any of them, you’re screwed.
Tolyan says, “You know how to keep a girl safe from stalkers, right? Most of them aren’t carrying.”
“I have to talk with Dominic first.”
“I didn’t know there was a regulation that says you need to announce it to the girl’s brother first. Dominic never asked Lizochka’s brothers. If he had, the answer would’ve been a broken leg. And I would’ve been happy to hold him down for them.” He gives me a genuine smile. It’s creepy as hell. He needs to quit smiling so much.
“Dominic and I are best friends,” I say stiffly.
“So? A ‘best friend’ who gets in the way of what you want is an enemy.”
“Who said anything about getting in the way of what I want?”
“No one, but it’s obvious. You’re holding back on Kristen because of Dominic.”
I meet Tolyan’s unblinking gaze. Now it’s clearer. “You’ve never had a friend, have you?”
His eyes don’t waver. “I’ll get one when I find a use for one.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Kristen
At exactly four thirty, Liza and Dominic make their grand entrance into the penthouse. They’re sporting new tans and look deliriously happy. Dominic is utterly relaxed in a tropical shirt, shorts and flip-flops, wedding band gleaming on his finger. Liza is adorable, with a huge straw hat perched on her golden head and a pair of sunglasses hung on the neck of a pink sundress with an asymmetrical hemline. There’s also a new pink diamond necklace around her throat.
Dominic whispers something in Liza’s ear, and she blushes and giggles, eyelashes coyly lowered over her gray eyes. I’ve seen her do that before, but I still stare. It’s a scene I never thought possible based on her persona. Liza is always warm, gracious and poised…at least in public. But that happy blushing and giggling—they suit her, too. And although my brother is probably too macho to blush and giggle, I’ve never seen him smile this much, ever. Both glow a lot brighter when they’re together.
“Kristen, good to see you,” Dominic says, and hugs me.
Liza hugs me tightly too. “I’m so glad the incident ended on a happy note.”
“It’s all thanks to Antoine.” I smile at him.
Antoine shrugs. “Just doing my job.”
“Exceptionally thoroughly.” Liza waggles her eyebrows. “Thank you. Now Dominic and I don’t have to worry about it.”
“No problem.”
“I want to relax for a while before dinner,” Liza says, giving my brother a sweet look. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not a bit,” he replies. “I have some things to catch up on.”
He vanishes into his home office with Antoine. Liza drags me to the kitchen.
“They’ll be busy for a while,” she says, looking inside the fridge. “Dominic didn’t work at all. Didn’t even check his email.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m really sorry your honeymoon got interrupted with all that…”
“You didn’t do it. Those horrible people did. And I hope they pay for it.” She brings out a huge pitcher of orange juice. She pours some and offers me a glass, but I decline. “Now, bring me up to speed on your love life. You and Antoine…?”
I tell her everything that’s happened since the night Crazy Naked Guy broke into my apartment. Liza shakes her head in some places and gasps in others. “My, my, my.” She sighs.
I sigh dreamily too.
She gives me a sly look. “That good?”
“Yeah. Amazing. Better than I ever thought possible.”
“I’m glad.”
I lower my voice. “I love him.”
“Of course you do. I’m so happy for you. I’m sure he feels the same way.”
“I hope so. But…” I bite my lower lip. “Sometimes he feels a little distant.”
“He’s a guy. Men are simple creatures. If he says he’s fine, he’s fine. He probably just appears distant sometimes because he’s thinking about how to kill the sociopaths circling around you. Besides, what possible problem can there be? He’s finally gotten over the hang-up about you being Dominic’s baby sister. Getting a man to see you as a woman is the biggest hurdle.”
“I think he has some issues with his family, and it might become a problem for us.”
She blinks. “Really? Do they not like you?”
I shake my head. “It’s the pressure to marry, you know? What if his family insists on it so he can inherit?”
“Antoine never struck me as the type to be forced into doing something to get money.”
“He isn’t, but he told his mom he’d rather be castrated than marry me.”
“What?” Liza shakes her head and sighs. “Look, nobody can rush stuff like this. It took your brother and me ten years. If I said that to someone, they might think, Wow, what a waste of life. But if we’d gotten together five years earlier, we wouldn’t have gotten married. As a matter of fact, it probably would’ve killed us forever.”
I stare, finding it impossible to believe. I’ve never seen a couple more devoted to each other than Dominic and Liza.
“It’s true. The circumstances just…weren’t right yet.” Liza puts a hand over mine, squeezing gently. “It’ll happen at the pace it’s going to happen. Being anxious about it is only going to get in the way.”
I nod. She has a point.
“Are you doing anything next Saturday?” Liza asks.
“Yes. I got invited to a party at the Pryce citrus grove.”
Her eyebrows rise. “Is that so? I didn’t know there was going to be a party there.”
“I just found out today. I said yes because I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“If you wanted to see the grove, all you had to do was ask. I would’ve arranged a tour. The grove is lovely. But my brothers and I don’t really like it there.”
“Why not?”
“Usually, when we go, it’s for some kind of family function. Our uncle, aunt and cousins are fine. It’s just that…my mother sometimes shows up. And Mom has definite ideas about how things should be.”
I recall the woman from Dominic and Liza’s wedding. She’s stunning, just like Liza, but that’s where the resemblance ends. Based on her expression, you would have thought Liza was marrying a convicted murderer with no possibility of parole.
“Is she coming to this party?” I really don’t want to face Liza’s mother.
“I doubt it. It probably isn’t a family thing because I didn’t get an invitation. On the other hand, I haven’t checked my email for a while.”
“No, it’s actually Antoine’s family who’s hosting it.”
“Ah. So that’s what it is.” She nods. I think I hear her mutter something like how did they manage that coup. She quickly adds, “It isn’t a bad idea to meet the man’s family. It can be illuminating. But be careful. I didn’t make the connection at first, but Antoine’s family is…interesting.”
She says it like a fashion maven might say a green, red and purple polka-dot dress was interesting. “How so?”
Liza taps her lower lip thoughtfully. “If I had to compare them to something…I’d say they’re Darwinian cannibals. They take the whole dog-eat-dog thing seriously, and they believe in survival of the fittest—except in their world, the fittest is whoever has the most money.”
“That sounds…pleasant.”
“Like I said, be careful.”
I nod, but a small kernel of apprehension forms in my gut anyway.
* * *
Antoine
“I can’t thank you enough for watching out for Kristen while we were gone,” Dominic says,
falling heavily into one of the reclining chairs in front of his desk. As happy and relaxed as he looks, he also seems tired. Private jet or not, long flights can be wearying. Just the altitude will get to you.
I take a seat opposite him. “Like I said, just doing my job.”
Dominic gives me a look. “That’s all? Just a job?”
“Well…” What does he know? He isn’t the most sensitive and perceptive guy, especially when it doesn’t involve his wife or making money. But this is my opening. I don’t need his blessings, but I also don’t want to sneak around or have him find out later from someone else. “Maybe not just a job…” I shrug, unable to help myself.
“Finally.” He throws both hands up in the air. “I thought you’d never say it.”
I stare, equally shocked and outraged. “You knew?”
“Of course I knew. I know everything.”
“Yeah, but all your best intel come from me.” I’m the one who enjoys digging around. He enjoys making money with what I find.
“Okay, fine, so I didn’t know in the beginning. But Liza knew, and she told me. I didn’t believe it at first because, come on, you and Kristen? It was a little hard to swallow.”
I frown. “Uh, why would—”
“But then I thought back on it, and everything made sense. I just didn’t want to acknowledge it, so I pretended nothing was happening. Because if it wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have to do anything about it.”
Just as I thought. He doesn’t really want me near his precious baby sister. I wouldn’t if I were him.
“Oh no, you aren’t making that face,” Dominic says. “It wasn’t because I didn’t trust you or I thought you’d be bad for Kristen.”
“Seriously? Even with my rep?”
“What about it? Any healthy, red-blooded guy screws around if women throw themselves at him. What matters is—are you the kind of man who takes his commitment seriously? And I know you are. Once you decide to be with Kristen, you’ll never do anything to hurt her.”
Huh.
“It’s just…” Dominic huffs out a breath. “I didn’t want to lose you. Relationships—sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t. What Kristen felt could’ve been an infatuation. But a friendship like we have? Something like that is forever. You’re my best friend, man. If you told me the moon is actually made of green cream cheese from Mars, I’d probably believe you.”