Deliciously British

by Scarlett Avery

  “Same here,” Delilah says. “Not that she’s anywhere near my grandmother’s age, but so much about her reminds me of Grandma Paige. They’re both shy and petite women, but their art is big and bold.”

  “I still can’t get over how many people I met tonight,” I marvel, remembering how many guests Ethan introduced us to. I’m sure Delilah will do a better job keeping track of all of them since she’s in the industry, but for me they were just a laundry list of names and a kaleidoscope of faces I’ll forget before we step off of this luxury yacht. I meet enough people in my own line of work and I can barely handle that.

  “Ashley surely knows how to work her contacts. Since I worked on the invitation list I knew how many people were going to show up, but actually seeing it in person is kind of jaw-dropping. There were two hundred fifty invitations sent and two hundred twenty confirmed their presence. I shook so many hands tonight, but I doubt I met a third of the people here. It’s amazing to be at the level of a Calysta where complete strangers just flock to be in your presence,” our girlfriend observes.

  “Ethan and I know from firsthand experience how humbling it is to have the power to draw in crowds. We’ve done it several times during our heydays as pop stars. Every time we managed to fill a stadium to capacity, it always left me speechless and quite humbled. It’s true there aren’t nearly as many people gathered here as any of our former concerts. Still, Calysta has the same kind of influence, but on a smaller scale. “

  “That may be true, but we were never as close to our admirers as Calysta is to hers.”

  “Thank God. I’d feel completely claustrophobic.” Just the thought makes me play around with my collar to loosen it up a little bit.

  “Calysta has confessed in confidence that she finds the whole thing too much to handle. She’s definitely very grateful for all this attention, but she’s not quite certain how to deal with this sudden fame. She’s been fairly reclusive so far and has allowed her art to speak on her behalf,” Ethan says.

  “At least in Calysta’s case her audience is exceptionally well behaved. Had it been some of our die-hard fans, they would have latched onto the opportunity to grope our cocks in an effort to get us hard or even flash us in the hopes that their naked bodies would break our resolve.”

  “Women really do that sort of stuff?” Delilah is horrified.

  I nod. “I’ll spare you the details, but I’ve seen my fair share of tits of all sizes and bare—and very eager—pussies. It’s amazing how many women go commando. We’ve even had some particularly determined groupies find their way to our hotel rooms and wait for us, spread invitingly on our beds. Some were single soldiers, but many were pairs. Once four women were waiting in front of my hotel room and three others in front of Ethan’s. It was pretty much the same scenario for Edward and Bryan. As a guy, it’s fairly impossible to refuse that kind of action—unless you know in advance you can’t deliver. That said, when it’s offered in an aggressive, nearly demented way, it’s a major turn-off.” I’m not going to lie and say we didn’t enjoy fucking as many willing souls as we possibly could, we just steered away from the overzealous ones. Naughty is one thing, crazy is a whole other. “You wouldn’t believe what groupies are willing to do to get a piece of you. It’s a status thing. You shag a pop star, you get to brag about it. A few candid photos here and there, and boom, you become a celebrity yourself—even if it doesn’t last more than fifteen minutes of fame.”

  “Wow. I’m happy I don’t have to compete with those women.” Delilah laughs.

  “You don’t have to worry. Those desperate groupies don’t hold a candle next to you,” Ethan reassures her.

  “If there was a competition, you’d leave them in the dust. You’re head and shoulders above the rest.” I grin from ear to ear.

  “That’s sweet,” she says shyly.

  “No, it’s the honest truth.”

  “It’s good to know. Other than the time we were role-playing and the two of you forced me to—”

  “I recall you liking it a lot,” I mock.

  “Oh, come on, you were begging for it, love. Not to mention you came so hard I thought the police were going to show up at our door because you were screaming your head off,” Ethan jokes.

  “Whatever.” She rolls her eyes. “Like I was saying, you coerced little ol’ me to play the helpless trampy foreigner stranded in a strange country without a penny to her name and I was more than willing to go braless to fulfill your fantasy, but other than that, you won’t catch my girls flying in the wind. No, siree, that just won’t happen. They’re way too heavy for that to even be a consideration and let’s not forget that my nipples tend to have a mind of their own when I’m around you.” Fuck. She had to go there. And here I am trying to be good.

  I flash back to that night that will be etched in my memory forever and I can picture her perky pink nipples nearly tearing that super-tight white tee-shirt. Jesus. She was on fire that night. I bite down a growl.

  “How am I supposed to prevent my mind from going to the gutter with such a vivid description?” I feign being outraged.

  “Seriously, Delilah, I have to side with my best friend here,” Ethan says. At least I’m not the only one. “If we weren’t on a boat, the visual that just flashed before my eyes would be sufficient to prompt me to call it a night and force all three of us to retreat back to our place pronto. What are you trying to do to me, woman? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

  “Damn,” I exclaim as my cock hardens. “When does this thing end again?” I ask jokingly.

  We all laugh.

  For the next few minutes it’s all laughter and pleasant banter. If we can’t devour our little Texan because protocol dictates otherwise, we might as well enjoy this time together.

  “I guess my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.” A voice behind us speaks and puts an abrupt end to our lightheartedness. “You two are hard to miss in those perfectly cut tuxedos that fit you like a second skin.” The familiar voice of the woman behind me freezes my blood. This can’t be happening. God doesn’t have such a cruel sense of humor. “I’m not sure why I’m surprised considering how you two always managed to look like you just walked off of a runway.”

  I was tempted to pretend I had temporarily gone insane and I was hearing voices, but now it’s impossible for me to run away from the freight train that’s about to derail.

  CHAPTER 64

  Ethan

  Xander and I shoot each other a quick glance at the sound of a woman’s voice. I can tell from his bewildered gaze that he’s as shocked as I am. Slowly, we both turn around at the same time.

  “Adele?” my best friend and I ask in unison, as if all the clues didn’t already point to her.

  There’s no sticking my head in the sand. The reality of the situation standing in front of me is both unexpected and unwelcome. No bloody way.

  “In the flesh,” she says with a flirty smile. I can see that. She flips her brown hair behind her shoulders before running her hands down the length of her wide hips. She’s always been a blonde. I wonder what brought on the change. Adele shifts her eyes from mine to Xander’s. She knows we’re watching her every move. Daringly she holds our gaze.

  One minute Xander, Delilah and I are enjoying being in our little bubble away from the rest of the world, the next my ex pulls the rug right from under our feet. Oh, trust me. Adele Bradford knows exactly what she’s doing. After all, she has a huge advantage over us. The dramatic hair color change is a definite asset in helping her morph into the crowd. We’ve been sailing along the river for a few hours now. I have no doubt she must have spotted us a long time ago. She just wasn’t ready to make her calculated appearance. Things are about to get ugly.

  “What are you doing here?” My tone isn’t warm and fuzzy.

  “If I didn’t know better, by the way you keep greeting me I’d say you’re still holding a grudge.” A grudge? Is she fucking serious? “Is it the same for you as well, Xander?” She doesn’t wai
t for my answer, she’s already moved her attention to my best friend.

  I stare at her in disbelief. Judging by his silence, I’m guessing he’s stunned. Even in the open air, the tension is heavy.

  Delilah clears her throat. It’s not that I’ve forgotten about her, it’s just that Adele has a way of monopolizing your mind. Our ex-girlfriend shifts her eyes towards the woman whose company we were enjoying. I don’t have to be a mind-reader to know that Delilah must have a thousand questions bouncing in her head right now.

  Adele looks back up at me. The curiosity gleaming from her gaze is unmistakable. She lifts her perfectly arched eyebrow in the form of a question. She’s about to say something when I jump in. Once again, I don’t have to be a psychic to know exactly what’s about to come out of this woman’s mouth.

  I turn to face my ally and the person who can help salvage this situation. “Xander, do you mind giving us a minute?” The strain in my voice is noticeable. “Maybe the two of you,” I say pointing my chin at Delilah. “should go get a drink.” It’s not a suggestion and I know he picks up on it immediately. He nods. “I’ll catch up with the two of you in a few minutes.” My eyes shift down to Delilah’s and my heart constricts. I read a myriad of emotions I hate seeing—confusion, hurt, insecurity, fear. I intend on addressing each and every one of them, but not now. First, I have some unfinished business with our ex to take care of.

  “Sure, mate. Text me when you’re done.” Xander grabs Delilah by the hand and drags her to the lower deck. Even though she’s walking forward, her head is turned around and her sad gaze is still locked into mine. My guilt is overwhelming. Fuck. I deplore having to do this to her.

  When they disappear, Adele speaks. “You keep greeting me with such a stony expression,” she complains.

  “Come off of it, Adele,” I storm.

  She ignores my outburst. “It’s a shame I wasn’t able to catch up with Xander.” What does she thinks this is? A bloody social call? “It’s been such a long time, I would have liked that a lot. And I’ll be honest, I’m slightly miffed that you didn’t present me to your friend?”

  When she starts running her mouth like that, it stirs up my blood. I’m certain she’s trying to get me all worked up. It’s the only card she has left to play. It’s too bad I’m not in the mood to go easy on her. She’s trying to inflame me? She’s going to get it in spades.

  I ignore her flippant comment. “I asked you a question.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.” She waves her hand in front of her face in a dismissive way. “Which one was it? There was a lot going on. I was trying to figure out the dynamic between the three of you.”

  Don’t even go there with me. “Let me help you. What the fuck are you doing here? Is that clear enough? Does that jolt your memory?” My words are icy.

  “Well, just like everyone else on board this opulent yacht, I’m a guest.” She punctuates her answer with a one-shoulder shrug.

  “I thought art wasn’t your thing,” I retort.

  No matter how many times I tried to entice her to come out to some of my events, Adele never seemed interested. She always cited that she found art a little too out there for her to appreciate. She also used the excuse that unless her parents were willing to fork out the money, she’d never be able to afford a piece of her own. Her answer always surprised me considering she was in the music business. You’d think that she would be more open-minded than most.

  “It still isn’t. That said, when your ex-boyfriend—I really should say one of your ex-boyfriends—makes news because of the astronomical price he was willing to pay for a painting from a relatively unknown American artist on this side of the pond, it piques a girl’s curiosity. When you combine that with the fact that her art-loving boss had an extra invitation since his boyfriend couldn’t make it due to a last-minute trip to Milan, it was too hard to resist.”

  “I still don’t get it. Your presence here makes no sense.”

  She lowers her eyes for a beat. “I knew I’d see you tonight and I also had a strong feeling Xander would be here as well since you guys are always together.”

  “Where’s Gotti?” I ask, searching the deck for the fake gangster. “The last time I saw the two of you it was pretty hot and heavy. I’m not sure how you went from frowning upon any display of public affection to allowing a guy to swipe your lips clean with his tongue right in the middle of the street. In broad daylight, may I add.”

  “I broke things off with him after bumping into you.”

  Her answer surprises me. “I don’t understand. Why on earth would you do that?”

  “To be quite honest, keeping up the charade with Melvin was a bit of a waste of time. I could handle it before, but not after seeing you again.”

  I can only draw one conclusion from what she just revealed, but I refuse to believe that it’s that simple. “What are you saying, Adele?”

  “I realized how much I missed you… and Xander. A lot.”

  I lean in a fraction. “You have a funny way of showing it. We haven’t heard from you in ages,” I remind her.

  “I still love you, Ethan.”

  “You what?” I must have misheard her. This is the last thing I ever expected out of her mouth.

  “I’m still in love with you… and Xander,” she repeats. “Both of you,” she stresses.

  My blood pressure rises hearing her say she still loves us. “It’s been eighteen months, Adele. If you loved us, as you claim, you would have made an effort.”

  “I wanted to. Not long after I moved out of your place, I wanted to reach out to you, but I was afraid you had closed the door.” She lowers her eyes. “Not that I would have blamed you. I mean why would either of you want to listen? After all, I’m the one who ended it.”

  “That is pure and utter rubbish.” My lips form a thin line. On the surface my best friend seemed to absorb the blow better than I did, but I know better. “I’m dead certain Xander tried to reach out to you after you left. Numerous times. He didn’t say as much, not directly anyway, but he alluded to it. I also noticed the changes in him. On some days he’d come back from work completely deflated. I’ve known this guy my whole life. I can read him like a book. It was too heavy to be about the music business. When we’d get together and kick back in the glass room at the end of the day, he’d always find a way to casually weave you into our conversation. I never answered him. I just couldn’t. Once he realized that I was purposely avoiding going down that road, he’d eventually drop the subject and move on to another topic. That’s how I know he tried to get in touch with you to talk you into changing your mind. Since you never did, my guess is that you either ignored him or brushed him off.”

  Blood rushes to her cheeks. “You have to understand—”

  “Am I wrong?” I press.

  She shifts her eyes and focuses momentarily on the skyline before locking her gaze with mine again. “No. He’s one persistent bloke.”

  “I rest my case.”

  “I didn’t know how to handle this type of relationship. Maybe I was a bit abrupt in my approach and I didn’t word things the right way. Perhaps I was misguided in the way I expressed my feelings about you two wanting to take things to the next level.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? You said hurtful things that will ring in my ears forever. Words that couldn’t be unspoken once they left your lips. That’s a heck of a lot more than simply being tongue-tied. It was clear from the decisive way you walked out the door that you had had plenty of time to ponder on your decision. You chose to drop the bomb on us at the last hour and run like a heartless bitch.”

  She shakes her head vehemently. “That’s not true. There was my family to contend with. I just couldn’t figure out how to even broach the subject with them, let alone tell them that you wanted to marry me.” Her voice rises slightly with that last sentence. “Both of you,” she adds.

  “Do you think it was the norm for my extraordinarily pious parents? Let me enlighten you, it wasn�
��t. I was going to sit them down and explain how much you meant to me. I was going to do my best to help them understand how both Xander and I had fallen for you. I would have been frank about the fact that our relationship is very uncommon, but it’s what I wanted. Needed. I don’t know how they would have reacted, but I do know I wouldn’t have walked away from what we shared had I not received their blessings. Xander and I have talked about it at length and he would have done the same.”

  “Ethan, you can’t be oblivious to the fact that what you were asking of me isn’t the kind of relationship that’s accepted.”

  “There aren’t any guidebooks. The idea was for us to learn along the way, but that implied that all three of us were committed—which you were obviously not.” My expression is thunderous.

  “People talk and they judge,” she throws at me.

  “Which people are you talking about?”

  “People in our circle. Our friends. My colleagues. Yours. Xander’s.”

  “That’s all you’ve got? People?” I shake my head. “It’s not like we bought an advert on the Tube telling the world we were sharing you. I don’t recall all three of us sitting down for an interview with CNN or BBC to announce, ‘Former 4Ever pop stars involved in an illicit ménage à trois with major-label PR person,’ Adele. So who are all these people you’re talking about?” My anger grows with every word I speak.

  “Those things have a way of coming out.”

  “You’re not making any sense.” I exhale loudly as another wave of frustration hits me. “Unless you actually tell those mysterious people you’re alluding to, I don’t see how in the world they could find out.” She opens her mouth to say something, but I’m not done yet. “Not to mention that I’ve never cared about meddlesome people who have nothing better to do than to poke their nose in my business. I’m sure you know Xander well enough to know he’s fairly impervious to that kind of stuff.”