“What? No.” Technically that was true.
“Good. I was going to ask you what I should wear.”
He really didn’t have time for this. “Whatever. I mean, whatever you choose should be fine.”
“Great! I was thinking of this strappy dress that I saw…”
He let her drone on for a few minutes, tuning her out halfway. Well, would it be that bad? Jessica was a beautiful woman, he couldn’t deny that. And he’d asked her out initially to distract himself from Christina who obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Why should he live like a fucking monk? This was what he wanted, right? No mate, just keep living his damn life the way he had been doing the last years.
“Sorry, babe,” he said, cutting her off in the middle of her monologue about nail polish. “I have to go.”
“Right. Well, I’ll see you at the wedding.”
He breathed a sigh of relief when she hung up, but inside, he was fighting his inner dragon. It was furious, and didn’t want anything to do with Jessica. He was tempted to phone her back and call the whole thing off just to have some peace. But, there were much more important things to think about right now. He dialed Matthew’s number.
Chapter 10
As soon as she got back to Blackstone Castle, Christina contacted her eldest brother, Xander, and relayed the story to him. Her family was already on their way to Colorado for the wedding and would be there the next day, so they agreed to talk about it face-to-face when they arrived.
And now, it was the day before the wedding. Papa, Xander, Kostas, Nikos, and Cordy had arrived together sometime after lunch. Needless to say, they all had an emotional reunion with Catherine, whom her siblings had not seen in a year. There was lots of crying (mostly Cordelia and Catherine), hugs, teasing, and apologies. Christina herself could not help but be emotional and finally, after the first time in months, that ache that had been building in her heart was starting to fill again.
“Christina? Do I look okay?” a shy voice asked.
Christina looked up as her youngest sister exited the bathroom. It had been too long since they’d spent time together. Cordy had insisted on staying with her in the guest room.
“Of course you do, kardia mou.” It was their nickname for their youngest sibling. My heart. It not only matched her name, but who she was. Cordelia truly was the one thing that kept them all together, first through Mama’s death and then Catherine’s departure.
Sixteen-year-old Cordelia Stavros frowned. “I’m too chubby for this outfit.” She looked down at the pink dress. It was a bit stretched out around her middle, and a tad too long. Christina thought it also looked a bit too old fashioned, but she didn’t mind. She was horrified whenever she saw what teenagers wore these days and was glad Cordy didn’t dress that way.
“I wish you’d stop saying that.” Christina rose to her feet and walked over to her sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You are not chubby. You’re beautiful. You just haven’t lost your baby fat, that’s all.” Despite being a wolf shifter, Cordy’s body tended to be on the … generous side. “You’ll grow out of it.”
Cordelia’s face fell. “You have to say that. You’re my sister.”
Christina let out a sigh. Cordy had already been a shy child and growing up isolated on an island didn’t help her confidence. Though she seemed happy about studying in England, Christina suspected her life outside her classes was less than ideal. “You look great.”
“I should have lost some weight before I came here,” Cordy stared unhappily at herself in the full-length mirror. “Headmistress Anna said I should stop having dessert after dinner.”
Christina wanted nothing more than to put Headmistress Anna in a sleeper hold, but she settled on writing a strongly-worded email tonight. “You’re perfect the way you are.” She kissed the top of her head. “Now, why don’t I do your hair and put on a little bit of makeup, then we can go down together?”
Her face lit up. “Thanks. You always know how to style my hair.” She hugged Christina. “I missed you so much.”
“Me too.”
She swept Cordelia’s fine blonde hair into a sophisticated updo, put a little bit of blush on her cheeks and gloss on her lips. Cordelia was blessed with gorgeous skin, the perfect mix between the English rose complexion of their mother and ruddy Mediterranean tan of their father, so she didn’t need much makeup. When she finished, Cordy beamed at her, her eyes shining with joy.
“Ready?” Christina asked.
“I guess.”
“If you’re tired or bored, just tell me okay? We don’t have to stay long.”
They walked out to the main part of the castle, down the stairs, and to the formal dining room. Since the Stavroses were arriving so close to the wedding, Matthew and Catherine decided on an early dinner engagement party served in the dining room and then drinks, coffee, and dessert in the library afterward. Everyone was already sitting down to dinner by the time Christina and Cordy walked in.
Matthew’s parents, Riva and Hank, had flown in the night before. She, Matthew, Catherine, and Sybil had a quiet dinner with them in the East wing. It was quite a difference from tonight’s dinner. There were so many more people, some Christina had never met. At the head of the table, Hank and Riva Lennox sat with her father and Xander. They were all chatting and laughing.
They were a bit late and since the seating arrangement was casual, the only spots left were near the other end. Not that she minded. Jason was next to Matthew near the head, and he didn’t even notice her and Cordy slip in. She sat next to Luke Lennox, with Cordy on her right.
“Hello, Luke, nice to see you again,” she greeted. She had formally met the last Lennox sibling the day before. He’d just arrived at the mines when the accident happened, and Ben arranged to have him drive her and Catherine back to the castle. He was a shifter; a lion, Catherine explained later when they were alone. He was actually Riva and Hank’s adopted son.
“Oh, this is my sister, Cordy,” Christina introduced.
“Hey,” Luke said with a brief glance at Cordelia. He took a sip of his wine then went back to staring ahead with his tawny eyes.
During the drive back from the mines, Luke had barely looked her and hardly said a word the entire time, so she didn’t really expect any riveting conversation from him. At least he acknowledged Cordelia, she thought. Not that her sister noticed. She was too preoccupied with her shoes.
The dinner was delicious as always. Meg had prepared a full, six-course meal that had everyone singing her praises. Another couple joined them at their end of the table, friends of Hank and Riva from Blackstone town. Christina urged Cordelia to talk a bit, but she seemed nervous. It was ironic that her sister who spoke six languages could hardly find two words to say in front of company. She just hoped she would grow out of it.
Finally, when everyone had finished the scrumptious meal, Hank stood up and offered a heartwarming toast to Matthew and Catherine before inviting everyone to the library.
As Christina stood up, she saw Xander signal to her. She nodded and turned to her sister. “Cordy, why don’t you go ahead, I have to get something from the room.”
“But—”
“Papa and Catherine will be there. I miss you a lot, but you haven’t spent much time with Catherine. We’re leaving right after the wedding and you won’t see her again for a few months.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Nikos slip into one of the rooms in the hallway.
“All right,” Cordy said, mollified for the moment. “Don’t be too long, okay?”
“I won’t.”
She watched Cordy walk up ahead, and then slowed her steps. She pivoted and turned back. When she got to the other room, all of her brothers were there.
“I’ve briefed Kostas and Nikos on our conversation,” Xander said. “Did you find out anything else?”
“Only that the man they caught is definitely dead. Killed himself while he was being detained.”
Kostas frowned. “Like the guy from SPHK.”
She nodded. A few months ago, while they were on a case to stop a bombing at a shifter community center in London, they were able to catch the man who had planted the explosives. It turned out he was part of the Society for the Protection of Human Kind, one of the oldest anti-shifter groups in existence. But before they could interrogate the guy, he had killed himself with a poison pill he carried in his pocket.
It had been a strange case, because SPHK was more of a political lobbying group, not one known for violence. The attempted bombing had been all over the news, but the president of SPHK denied that they had anything to do with it. The Agency couldn’t prove otherwise, as the only concrete connection they had between the attempted bombing and the SPHK was dead.
“But why would they come here?” Nikos asked.
“Easy,” Kostas said. “Blackstone is a haven for people like us, especially since it’s protected by dragons. No one can touch the Lennoxes.”
“Exactly,” Xander said. “Aside from a few smear campaigns, anti-shifter groups have stayed away from dragons. Most know not to mess with them.”
“Still, the day of the first accident coinciding with my arrival? There has to be a connection,” Christina pointed out.
“Were you followed?” Xander asked.
She thought for a moment. “No … I don’t think so. Plus, my cover is solid.” Few people knew she and her sisters existed. Papa made sure of that by keeping them away from the public eye for many years. When she and Catherine went to boarding school in England, they registered under their old last name, Archer.
“We’ll have to consider every possibility then,” Kostas said. “The dead man. Do you know what he looks like? Where is the body?”
“I know the police department came after the accident,” Christina said. “They should have taken him to the morgue, but I can find out for sure.”
“All right.” Xander checked his watch. “We’ve been gone too long. Let’s head to the library, but not all at the same time.” They nodded in agreement.
Christina arrived at the library last. She had gone back up to her room, changed her shoes and put on some lipstick, just in case anyone was suspicious of why she was gone so long. She scanned the room, looking for her sister. She hoped Cordy wasn’t too upset or anxious without her.
A familiar laugh made her whip around. Her sister was standing by the fireplace talking to … Jason? She did a double take. Yes, that was definitely Jason standing next to her sister.
She frowned. What the bloody hell was going on? She marched over to them. “Cordy?” she asked. “Are you okay? Do you want to go back upstairs?” Her eyes narrowed at Jason. “What are you doing?”
“Christina,” Cordy warned.
“Hey now.” He raised his hands. She tried to ignore the fact that he looked handsome in his casual suit jacket and his dark hair slicked back. “I saw a pretty lady standing all by her lonesome and thought I’d keep her company.” He smiled at Cordy. “You don’t mind, do you, Cordy?”
Cordy shook her head. “Of course not.”
Mild shock went through her system. Her sister was actually talking to someone and … smiling? Yes, that was definitely a genuine smile on her face.
“Cordy was teaching me how to swear in four languages.” He winked at Cordy.
“Six, actually,” Cordy corrected proudly. “And a couple of other ones I learned from some of my roommates.”
“She told me what vlaca means,” Jason said, tsking at Christina.
“That’s not very nice of you to call him that,” her sister scolded.
Christina gave him a smirk. “I assure you he deserved it at the time.”
Cordy turned back to him, her brows furrowed together.
“I agree and I’ve apologized,” Jason said gallantly.
“Cordy!” Catherine called from across the room. She walked over to them and tugged at her younger sister’s arm. “You haven’t met Matthew’s mom and dad yet. They’ve been dying to be introduced to you.”
“All right. I’ll talk to you later, Jason,” she said with a shy smile.
“I look forward to it.” He gave her an exaggerated bow.
As she watched her sister blush, Christina couldn’t believe what she had witnessed. Jason had managed to put her sister at ease and make her smile. She supposed that was natural to him, with all the women he went after, but there was nothing but brotherly affection in the way he’d interacted with Cordy.
“What?” Jason said.
She blinked. “Huh?”
“What’s that look?”
“Look?”
He puffed out an exasperated breath. “That look you’re giving me. Did I grow a second head or something?”
Something like that. “Nothing. I mean, thank you. For keeping Cordy company.”
“She’s a lovely girl,” Jason said. “Very sweet, though a little shy. I saw her standing by herself and thought that she’s probably bored to tears around all these adults.”
“She grew up alone,” Christina explained. “She’s not used to being around so many new strangers.”
“She had you didn’t she?”
His question puzzled her. “What do you mean?”
“She’s only a couple of years younger than you, right? So you were around her a lot.”
“I guess. We had different tutors of course. But yeah, we played with her, helped take care of her. I even read her stories in bed until she was thirteen and decided she was getting too old to be tucked in.”
“So you’re kind of like her mother?”
She smiled. “More like a nagging aunt.”
Jason laughed. “But you were there for her,” he said, his voice turning serious.
“I … Mama died right after she was born.” A lump was forming in her throat.
“It’s okay,” Jason said in a soft voice. “Catherine told me.”
She looked up at him, unnerved by his silvery stare, but at the same time, couldn’t tear her eyes away. For a moment, it seemed like there was no one else in the room. The memories from the other night came flooding back, and lust spiraled through her. She remembered the feel of his lips on hers, the stubble on his jaw tickling her sensitive skin. His hands and, God, those fingers as he stroked her to orgasm.
His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened. Was he thinking the same thing?
Christina forced herself to look away. She cleared her throat.
“I—”
“Chris—” he said at the same time.
“Yes—”
“We—”
They both paused then he spoke. “Sorry,” he ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I mean, you go first.”
She took a deep breath. “I just wanted to say I’m glad you’re not hurt. And thank you for saving me and Catherine.”
“Ah, well, I couldn’t let anything happen to you … or anyone.”
“Of course,” she nodded. She pushed away the thought that she wished he had done it for her. Because that would be silly of course. He was the boss, the protector of Blackstone. It was his job to keep everyone there safe.
The awkward silence stretched between them and she didn’t know if she preferred that or the sexual tension that had been brewing earlier. Finally, she saw her way out when she spied Cordy from the corner of her eye. Her sister hid a big yawn behind her hand and her eyelids had begun to droop. “Looks like someone has a bad case of jet lag,” she remarked. “She needs her rest before tomorrow. I should go.”
“Right,” Jason said, then shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants.
She turned, but before she could walk away, a warm hand wrapped around her arm. An involuntary shiver went through her. “Yes?” she asked.
Silvery eyes raked over her. “Christina, I … Goodnight.”
She nodded. “Goodnight, Jason.”
Chapter 11
“This is it, bro,” Jason said as he helped Matthew with the tie on his tuxedo. “Are you really going to go through with
it? I’m pretty sure you can still back out before you say ‘I do’.”
Matthew laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. She’s the one, man.”
Jason gave him a tight smile. “I’m happy for you. I really am.”
“You know, you can be happy too,” Matthew said in a quiet voice. “I know I said I wouldn’t push it, but Chris—”
“Oh my, don’t you look handsome!” Riva exclaimed as she walked in with Hank. She looked beautiful in her pale lavender dress, while Hank looked distinguished in his tux. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”
Jason sighed inwardly with relief. Saved by Mom. He really didn’t want to listen to Matthew give him a hard time about Christina. He already had enough of that from his own dragon.
“Mom—” Matthew began as she came up to brush some lint off his tux.
“I know what you’re going to say, but you’ll always be my baby.” She looked at Jason with tears in her eyes. “All of you.”
“You’ll have to forgive your mother,” Hank said dryly. “She hasn’t stopped crying since she unearthed your baby shoes from storage yesterday.”
“Oh, Hank,” she said, swatting him on the arm. But her eyes shone with love for her mate. “Go call Sybil and Luke. I need family pictures.”
Matthew rolled his eyes, but Riva paid him no mind. As soon as they were all in the bedroom, Riva made them all pose together for pictures, snapping away with her camera phone. Much to Jason’s surprise, even Luke participated, though he was scowling in most of the pictures. He wondered if his adopted brother had changed his mind after all these years of staying away. Maybe even Luke wasn’t immune to weddings. He’d even worn the matching tux Matthew had gotten for them all.
“Almost ready?” Meg’s face popped in through the doorway. “Everyone’s here and seated.” She turned to Jason. “Even your date is here. She must have asked me ten times where you were.”
“Your date?” Matthew raised a brow at him.
“You have a girlfriend?” Riva asked, excitement in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said sourly. “Just a date. This is a wedding, right? People bring dates to these things all the time.”
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