by Mallory Fox
She makes a face and leans back in her seat, holding my gaze. “I could ask you the same question.”
My eyes narrow. “You’ve been spying on me, haven’t you?”
The corner of her lips twitch and her eyes become perceptibly bigger. “It was too easy, really.”
“I see,” I say, taking a mouthful of my drink. I’ve got to hand it to her, it’s exactly what I would do in the same situation. “So are you going to tell me how you’ve been spying or do I have to run a complete security check?”
Her brow creases over a teasing smile. “Now where’s the fun in that?”
“You clever little bitch,” I say, shaking my head. She must have installed something on my laptop when we were living together. Not that I have anything to hide on that machine. Most of what Jonesy sends me is encrypted to my phone. “So how much do you know?”
“Everything you do,” she says, stifling a yawn.
I doubt that. I run through my head everything she might have access to on my laptop and all I can come up with is the forensics from the DB5 and my own notes on the phone records. There’s no solid proof yet, which is why I haven’t done anything about it. I also can’t imagine that Marcel would kill his own daughter out of spite. But without knowing all the facts, I haven’t been able to confront him on it.
“Then you know there’s no real evidence to make a case.”
She arches a brow. “This is why you need me. I can help you get evidence.”
Interesting. “How?”
She rolls her eyes at me. “How do you think? What I’m apparently famed for. Entrapment. It’s what I do best.”
My brow creases. “You think I’ll help you take Marcel down like that. He is my grandfather.”
“I know there’s no love lost between you.” She’s right, there’s not. “And he killed our parents; you shouldn’t care how he goes down,” she adds.
Wanting to provoke her, I come out with it. “Settle and I’ll consider it.”
She frowns. “You’re bloody negotiating now?”
A smirk graces my lips. “Princess, it’s what I do best.”
“Ugh, I hate it when you call me that.”
“No, you don’t. You fucking love it,” I say, knocking back the rest of my drink.
Litigation wise, we’ve come to some sort of stalemate. We have fuck-all evidence and she knows it. Who would have thought that Pearl would counter sue me? And that me nearly dying would one day fuck up a contested will case.
Pearl’s lawyer is better than I expected. Much better than dick-for-brains Sullivan. As soon as she took over, she found holes in every single piece of evidence we had. Pearl never officially received a copy of the will so how could she have destroyed it? Official copies were delivered to me and the executer of the state only, so what happened to our copies?
She has even gone one step further and thrown doubt over the events surrounding my supposed death and my resurrection that took place right before I turned twenty-two, the age I was meant to officially inherit. If there’s any fraud to be had at all, Pearl’s lawyer is pointing the finger at me.
Settling is the only way out of this mess and Pearl knows it.
She looks away, taking a sip of her drink. “I’m going to have to think about it.”
I breath out a sigh. “Don’t think too long, princess, Marcel won’t.”
“Fine.” She looks down at her free hand as it trails over the leather arm of the couch. “But know this, if you won’t help me, I’ll just ask Levi.”
Noting the way my blood boils at the casual way that bastard Baudelaire’s name graces her lips, I shoot her a blank look. “Baudelaire is a pompous dick who doesn’t know the end of his asshole from his mouth, I’ve no idea what you see in him.”
She cocks a brow. “Jealous much?”
“Hardly,” I scoff. I’ve got to hand it to Pearl, she’s not going down without a dog fight. Still, if she’s winning why the hell is she still relying on Levi? I know he has a hold on her, but I don’t know the details. And the thought that he does actually sickens me.
I wanted Pearl to fold, to bow down to me. I just didn’t expect her to want to survive at all costs. I certainly didn’t expect her to go running to Levi fucking Baudelaire of all people.
The thought of him with his hands on her festers in me until I can’t help but snap. “You’re loving this aren’t you?”
She laughs softly and nestles her head on the arm the couch, yawning. I want nothing more than to take her, right now. Everything about her has my body bending, my mind reeling, and my fucking balls aching, day and night.
Relocating to Scotland obviously wasn’t enough to get her out of my system. Suing her. Ruining her reputation like she did mine. I thought it was enough. I thought I could handle her. I assumed she was dead to me. I was so wrong.
I’m still trying to get away from Pearl.
Once glance at my watch tells me it’s almost 1 a.m. With a sigh, I get to my feet, finishing my drink. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
She shakes her head, eyes flickering shut. “Not until you get me a meeting with Marcel.”
“No tonight, it’s 2 a.m. in France. Come on, we can call him in the morning.”
She opens one eye, seemingly musing over my offer in her head. “Where?”
“I have an apartment upstairs. You can stay if you don’t hog the bed.”
She looks at me for a minute, squinting. “Fine,” she says, breathing out and hauling herself up to her feet. She eyes me as she walks past through the door I’m holding open for her. “Just don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only staying because it’s way beyond my usual bedtime and I can’t keep my eyes open. You keep taking liberties and it’s getting old.”
My brow raises and the corner of my mouth quirks. “I wouldn’t dream of taking liberties, princess, not unless you begged me to.”
Chapter 6
Pearl
Seth’s bedroom is little more than a mezzanine floor above his office with a large king size bed and not much else. I stand there while he shrugs out of his jacket and slings it onto a chair. Then stare as he unclips his cuff links one at a time, placing them on the side table, and unbuttons his shirt and hauls it over his head in one smooth motion.
Seth with no shirt on is, without question, a vision worth waiting for.
Tongue tied and parched from the sight before me, I make no move to get into bed. Because the last time we were in bed together…
I’ve no idea if he wants to share the bed or if he’s going to take the floor, but I get my answer as soon as he walks over to one side of it and sits down. He looks up, capturing my eyes with his bold blue ones. “Are you going to get into bed, or do I have to come over there and get you?”
“No..., um, I can get in myself.”
There’s a slight twitch to the corner of his lips as he nods and carries on undressing, taking off his trousers.
How am I going to sleep in the same bed as him if he has no trousers on? I know just looking at him that I’m not going to be able to anything but lie there in torment, let alone sleep.
It feels like I’ve been starved of him this whole winter, and now he’s staying under the same roof as me again I can’t seem to stay away.
Drawing in a deep breath, I walk over to the other side and sit down on the very hard mattress. Of course it’s firm, Seth is probably used to sleeping in a military cot. Do I take off my dress? Shit. I’m not wearing any fucking underwear. “Can I borrow a T-shirt?”
His brow arches beautifully. “You don’t want much do you, princess?” Indicating his head to the chest of drawers in front of me, he runs a hand through his hair, lips twitching. “In there. Take your pick.”
I get to my feet and pull open the top draw. Everything inside is so damn neat, it’s like looking at a store display. How does he even live like this? I pull out a soft blue V-neck and start unhooking the top of my dress. I’m pretty sure Seth’s eyes are on me as I tug it down and haul his T
-shirt over my naked body.
Seth is settling into bed when I turn around. I cautiously slip in beside him, inhaling the citrusy scent of his I’ve come to adore, lingering on the sheets as I snuggle into them. Does he even have any boxers on? I don’t get my answer because above our heads, the main light dims. It takes me a few seconds to twig that Seth has a master switch on his side table.
I’ve no idea how long I stare into the darkness for, but it’s feels like eternity. It feels totally alien now to lie here wearing next to nothing and Seth to be less than a meter away and not have sex with him. The last time we stayed in the same bed like this was just after the funeral when he stayed in my room at the Hertfordshire house. Even at the lake house, the night Seth pounced on me, he didn’t stay. He went back to his own room afterward.
After a while, Seth breathes lighter and shifts, his knee touching me under the covers, making me tense. Without warning, my cheeks flame and my core tightens, making me squirm under the sheets. I’m glad that it’s pitch-black and Seth can’t see me. He’d know in an instant that I was turned on.
Over just a knee... dammit.
Maybe he’s turned on too?
Maybe he’s lying there wide awake just as frustrated as I am?
For the longest time, I can hardly move. Waiting for some sort of indication that he’ll turn over and reach for me, tucking me into his body, turning my head to him so he can kiss me softly, trailing fingers down and stirring up all sorts of emotions and aches I have for him into a need I can’t ignore. But when he does nothing of the sort, I chew my lip and stare into the darkness.
What’s it going to take?
His words from earlier coming back to haunt me. “I wouldn’t dream of taking liberties, princess, unless you begged me to.”
“Seth,” I say lightly.
“Mmm…”
“Are you awake?”
“No, I’m fucking asleep,” he murmurs.
“You don’t sound asleep.”
I reach for him in the darkness until my hands find his smooth bicep and then his chest. I turn in the bed until I’m facing him. The warmth of his skin under my fingertips is enough to calm my pounding heart and sooth any fears of what I’m about to do. I shuffle forward until my nose is touching his huge shoulder.
“Pearl, what are you doing?”
“Will you kiss me goodnight?”
There’s a slight hesitation, minuscule in the scheme of things. Then, he’s seizing hold of my head by my hair and crushing my lips onto his. As our mouths crash into each other he kisses me like he’s claiming my soul, starving me of air.
My hands scrape down his pecs and over his washboard stomach, razing the thin line of hair that travels from his navel and into his tight boxers. Digging my nails into his sculpted body, I cup him not so gently, enjoying the sound of him groaning into our kiss. I especially love how easily he hardens for me.
As he sucks at my bottom lip, arms wrapping around, gathering me closer, he sighs. “Pearl, maybe we shouldn’t. I have to be at the airport early tomorrow. If you want me to drive you to Hertfordshire, we should really get some sleep.”
Panic sets in like a thousand chills, racing through my chest. He can’t take me to that home. Sophia is at that home. And Seth can’t meet Sophia.
“You don’t need to do that,” I say quickly.
“Do what?”
“Drive me home.”
“For Christ’s sake, Pearl, why not?”
“You just can’t.” Not yet anyway.
Sophia. Fresh guilt prickles over me. He’s right. We shouldn’t be doing this. It takes everything I have to pull back from him.
In the dim light, eyes adjusted, I can see the lust on his face.
“Why are you moving away? At least let me hold you.” He grasps for me and I let him for a brief moment, feeling safe in his arms. But the thought of my daughter surfaces again. I shake my head and push him away again.
“Seth, I can’t,” I say, burying the words I really want to say in my heart.
I can’t have feelings for you.
He sighs but doesn’t say anything, and after a short while I glance over to see Seth’s eyes are closed and he’s breathing deeper. Should I be offended he fell asleep so quickly?
Eventually, I feel the pull of sleep over my own eyes. Turning around so I’m facing away from him, I curl up, hands tucked under my head, and finally allow myself to cry.
Happy New Year Pearl. Wasn’t this what you wanted? To find Seth?
It’s already past midnight, so the start of a fresh new year already. I was hoping to feel relief or hope with the new beginning. Instead, nothing has changed. Things between Seth and I are much the same as ever, The pain of losing him all over again just keeps coming back despite him being within arm’s reach. When it comes to Seth, I’m forever so near yet so far apart.
What about your New Year’s Resolution, Pearl?
To be more open and honest.
To be more vulnerable.
What a joke. I made a promise to myself since this is a chance to start again that I would turn over a new leaf. And that I would tell him. Tell Seth about Sophia and let him decide how he feels once he knows the truth. All this fooling around is just hurting us both over and over. I know that.
But how do I even do that?
Tell him that I fucked him over AND kept his child from him?
I just can’t.
I’d rather die first.
Chapter 7
Pearl
Wonderland is a distant memory when I return to college. And the lake house is just as I left it. The only difference is that there’s a fresh bouquet of lilies on the counter and a comforting smell of linen. I’m not expecting Flick to hurl herself out of her bedroom and throw her arms around me.
“Pearlie! Thank fuck you’re back. You’ve no idea how boring it’s been since you left.”
She’s obviously dying to know where I’ve been all winter. I shoot my eyes heavenward but hug her as tight as I can bring myself, feeling some of the tension I’ve had inside all winter leave.
Not all of it. I’ve been tentatively speaking with Flick and Gabby in our group chat since I left, testing the waters of our friendship. And we’re still testing as far as I’m concerned. All three of us did try to clear the air and fix our broken three-way friendship.
But is it enough?
Can I still trust my best friend?
I believe Flick that nothing happened with my Seth. Not because she had my best interest at heart but because I know deep down that Seth wouldn’t lie about that to me. He would tell me straight because he likes to stick the knife in. Flick, on the other hand, had no qualms about flirting with Seth and if he had pursued her, she would have fed me to the wolves and not looked back. The few little acts of betrayal last term haven’t gone unnoticed and have soured our friendship beyond repair.
Not that I’ve told her any of this. I have too many things to worry about.
All I can do is remain wary.
Gabby steps out of the third bedroom that was Seth’s, a tentative smile breaks out on my lips. I can’t help but notice that Gabby has lost weight and bruises are peeping out from under the long-sleeved polo neck top she’s wearing. They just so happen to match the dark circles under her eyes. She joins our hug making it a group effort. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” I say, wondering if I mean it.
Everything I’m feeling over Flick, is mirrored in my reaction to Gabby since she’s not entirely in my good books either. It’s going to take more than stalking Seth to make me trust her again. But at least with Gabby I know why she did what she did. That makes me trust her somewhat a little more.
Flick gives me wide eyes and bites her bottom lip. “Pearl, there’s something you should know.” She gives Gabby a glance. “Well, two things, actually.”
I let out a breath of air, eyeing them both, steeling myself for more drama. “Okay, what now?”
&nb
sp; “Seth has been staying in your room,” Flick blurts out.
There are only three rooms at the lake house and if Gabby is staying in Seth’s old room, Seth must be staying in mine. Ironically, at no point on New Year’s Eve did he mention this when I stayed over.
“I think you might have to fight him for it,” Gabby says, her lips making a thin line.
Bowing down to Seth, giving him my room. I’m not going to give up that easily. I was planning on staying in student accommodation, but why the hell should I? Seth is the one who should move out.
I also can’t afford to.
All I do now is count pennies. It’s depressing. Gone are the days when I wouldn’t think twice about charging a couple grand to Daddy’s card. With an estate to keep, private tuition for myself and for Sophia, not to mention lawyer’s fees, I’m just about keeping my head above water. I’m down to my last million and that’s only going to last to the end of the year. After that, I’ve no idea what I’m going to do.
I shrug at them both. “I’ll just tell him he has to move out. I still have the occupation order.”
Flick nods, giving me a wide smile. “I can’t wait to see his face when you tell him.”
Gabby’s expression is less pandering. “There’s something else you should know.”
I don’t get to ask what because the front door opens and Henry walks in carrying all of my bags. “Miss Pearl, where would you like me to put these?”
“Thank you, Henry, please can you take them to my room?” I ask him, before looking back at Gabby. “Can the second thing wait? I need to head over to administration and confirm my attendance before tomorrow.”
“Pearl.” Flick places a hand on my arm. “You’re going to want to hear this. It’s about Seth.”
