He had only one feeling regarding that: confusion. He didn’t know himself, and he only knew that he couldn’t play their games to full capacity any more with Elizabeth now in the picture. He didn’t want any of their earlier entertainment any more. She consumed his thoughts and he had all he needed or wanted with her. Well, he would once she learnt more about him and truly felt his preferences. He could only hope she would accept them. She seemed to be doing okay so far.
He replied as he heard the gate buzzer go off.
- I need to talk with you. I’ll call you next week. Are you in London still?
He looked at the gate viewer and saw a young man loaded up with bags. He pressed the release button and walked to the door to open it. Handing the boy a fifty, he shooed him away and closed the door behind him. Just as he reached the kitchen, he heard laughter coming from the lounge so he assumed she had calmed the rage in Conner and settled his nerves a bit. She did that well - calm the storm in people. His phone vibrated so he opened it and gazed at the screen.
- I am yours whenever you need me, dear boy, regardless of the location. You should know this.
Just the response he’d expected, but for some reason, it was beginning to take on a new meaning. The previously salacious thoughts he would have had regarding this comeback were now mixing together with jealousy, anger, resentment and something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He searched his mind for the unfamiliar feeling as he took some plates to the table and began unpacking the Chinese. It still wasn’t apparent to him what the hell he was thinking about so he discarded the rubbish and selected some Muse to listen to while they ate.
She wandered into the kitchen with her arm linked in Conner’s and it hit him like a tonne of bricks. Family… This was his family, and before he could dismiss the thought, Pascal drifted into his mind. His mind saw visions of the man’s hands on her as he watched from a distance. What was that fucking thought? Why the hell would he consider Pascal family in one breath and then want to see them together? He would never consider the same thoughts regarding Conner, but then he’d never been that way inclined around Conner. They were more like brothers. Pascal was... something else.
What was he?
He’d never asked the question of himself before now until she mentioned it earlier. He’d just experienced a lifestyle that Pascal had mentored him in and never contemplated what the man actually meant to him. He was simply a highly skilled, and quite frankly depraved, son of a bitch who pushed him to be honest with himself regarding pleasure.
He took a seat and watched the two of them. Conner was beaming at something funny she’d obviously said and as he reached across to get some food, they both turned their heads towards him expectantly. Had someone asked him a question?
“Well, what do you think?” she asked. He had no idea what they were talking about.
“Sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?” She frowned at him with that look of hers that said what’s going on in your head? Tell me… Show me if you want, then glanced at Conner with a bright smile and opened her mouth again.
“We were wondering about going sailing sometime. Conner tells me you have a yacht that you’ve clearly forgotten to tell me about?”
Meritato. The thought of seeing her on his yacht was pure bliss. A week of nothing but her naked and warmer weather was exactly what he wanted to do. Conner and Belle were not top of his priority list but he guessed it wouldn’t hurt to have them there for a few days.
“Sounds great. When were you thinking?”
“I don’t know. I’d have to look at the event list but we should be quieter in the new year sometime,” she replied as she stabbed at a pork ball. Conner chuckled next to her as he watched her bite it in half.
“Fuck, those teeth look as dangerous as your sister’s.” Alex shot him a look of death, and the dick laughed at him and sucked in a noodle. He raised a brow as he watched her eat the rest and imagined her tongue swirling around him. It wasn’t even possible to describe the next image that floated through his brain. Needless to say, it involved her being tied up and possibly gagged, maybe in something red or nothing at all, ether would be fine.
“What? They’re good balls,” she said as she giggled and snapped her teeth at him playfully. He could almost feel her nails digging into him at the thought of holding her down again and making her scream. He was taking her to Eden. Whether Pascal was there or not was of no consequence. He just wanted her back in his suite again. It was time to start showing her who she was asking to see again. Perhaps it would make these ridiculous thoughts of threesomes go away so he could concentrate on other matters. Or maybe it would escalate them to the point of no return. Either way, he’d at least make a fucking decision and get on with it.
“So should I ask her then? What’s the consensus in the room?” Conner said, abruptly cutting off his thoughts.
“I think you should make a decision and get on with it,” Alex replied with his own words rattling around his head. Conner looked at Elizabeth for her opinion.
“I think you should trust what your heart tells you to do,” she said as she picked up her drink.
Conner looked between the two of them with no more sense of purpose than he had when he first came to the house. Alex burst out laughing at his confused face. It was fucking priceless.
Chapter 16
Elizabeth
“C ome back to bed,” he’d said as he grabbed me by the hair and tugged me toward the dark wood frame. His perfect naked form blinded me with its godlike physique, muscles rippling and that fine backside striding along, waging war on me. If only I could have. Instead, I’d twisted sideways away from him and lunged at the door in the hopes of escape. Well, not really hope because the fact was that I was dying to get back in that bed with him and let him torture me with some other new form of orgasm that I hadn’t been privy to yet. However, work called at six thirty in the bloody morning.
“Witch,” he’d called out as I descended the stairs.
“Love you. I’ll be back by two,” I’d called back.
“Take the Aston and be careful.”
So I did. Well, once I’d worked out where the keys were and how to open the garage and the main gates. Frankly, I would have been quicker calling a taxi.
So now here I stand in my small and faithful kitchen, thinking about the really very large kitchen that he is giving to me - yep, giving to me. I still can’t work out why he’s doing it but it’s apparently very important to him that I take it. He says it will show him that I love him. Why me telling him isn’t enough I’m not sure, and how it relates to his bastard of a father putting a tie around his neck is completely unknown. But with a very heavy heart of unease, I’ve accepted and to be honest, I’m still pissed about it. I am yet to tell the girls about this but I assume they will be very pleased. What normal person wouldn’t be?
Twenty eight bake-offs later and I’ve eventually gotten the food for the elevenses coffee morning at the Tushingham Hotel sorted and loaded into the van. We don’t need to do anything else but show the driver the way, and waiting on staff will arrive at the venue in the next half an hour to meet him at the other end. Why we need them to be there every eight weeks is completely unknown. They never have to do anything but stand around looking pretty, and I still can’t fathom why the hotel don’t just do the food themselves. They say it cuts into lunch service. I suppose I agree in a roundabout way.
My phone rings on the work surface somewhere and I rush around the sodding mess I’ve created to find it. Obviously my feet get tangled in the rubbish and I trip and fall, Miraculously, though, my phone crashes to the floor beside me at the same time. I quickly answer it as I rub my foot and kick the rubbish in disgust.
“Shit, hello?” I say, somewhat inelegantly.
“Nice answer, Beth, very professional. You okay?” Conner’s voice comes sarcastically crashing into my eardrums. Trust him to be the reason for my clumsiness.
“Yes, fine thanks. Jus
t sodding dandy. Just fell over my own mess. Umm... actually, why are you calling me?” I ask with narrowed eyes. I have no idea.
“Houston, I think we have a problem,” is his response. I don’t like it. It’s far too vague.
“What are you talking about?”
“Evelyn Peters has just emailed me to tell me she isn’t coming this evening.”
Oh! Not good at all. He finds family and she rejects him? What a bitch. I hate her instantly.
“Right, well, I don’t think I can do anything about that. Besides, Alex will probably be happy about it,” I reply, knowing he absolutely won’t be happy but I try to make the remark as casual as I can.
“We both know he’ll go all internal and start doubting his own worth again, Beth, and I for one don’t want to see that side of him again, do you? It’s scary as fuck to be honest. This new version of him that you’ve found is much better and I quite enjoy seeing it so I have a plan.” Wow, shit, Conner really does know him well. I smile into the phone at his loyalty. I could kiss him; he’s such a star.
“Okay, dude, what’s the plan?” I reply with a giggle.
“Did you just say dude? Stop it. Sounds fucking stupid on you. Anyway, I was thinking you could go and have lunch with her, try to persuade her otherwise.”
What? I don’t think so. Female version of Alex, no thank you very much.
“I don’t think...”
“Good, don’t. I’ve booked a table for the pair of you at Clastro’s and told her I need to meet with her about some software we’re launching. She’ll be there at one. Is that okay with you?”
Christ, Conner’s on a dominant roll this morning. It’s quite sweet, adorable really.
“Conner, what on earth do you think I’ll be able to say to her? If she doesn’t want to see him, I’m not surprised. How would you feel?” His response is immediate.
“I’d feel betrayed, confused, lonely and very much in need of some love. This is exactly the reason why she needs to meet with him and see that she’s not the only one. And you, young lady, are the one to convince her. If you can melt him, you can definitely melt her.”
Shit, that was good. I have no comeback to that at all. Bastard. Where the hell did this clever bugger come from?
“Did you memorise that speech?”
“Yes, I knew you wouldn’t be too enthusiastic about it,” he says with a humorous snort.
“I’m not, but I’ll do it.”
Of course I will. The thought of watching Alex’s face when he realises she’s not there is revolting, no matter how well he’ll hide it. Conner’s spot on. It would cause a turmoil I have no intention of letting happen. Miss Peters will be attending and will be enthused to see her new found big brother by the time I’m finished with her. I still hate her.
“My work here is done. I assume you’ll know her when you see her?”
“I’m damn sure I will.” Her eyes are as disturbing as Alex’s.
“Bye, Beth. Have fun. I’ll see you tonight.” Yep, fun, that’s exactly what this is going to be.
“Bye, Conner. Thanks a bunch.” I huff as I end the call and start clearing up the rubbish at my feet. I check the clock and realise I’ve only got an hour to get myself sorted, get across town and think about what the hell I’m going to say to the woman. I’ll wing it. That seems to have been working quite well for me lately and with any luck, those fairies might come along for the ride to give me a hand.
I thrash around the kitchen, trying to clear the devastation that is my workspace and then walk into the office. Hopefully Belle will have a change of clothes here because these jeans and t-shirt are not going to cut it with Miss Peters.
“Have you got a change of clothes here?” I ask her as she pounds at the laptop. She points her finger at the cupboard and returns to her serious face. I open it up and find a cream linen trouser suit and a green blouse. Clearly the matching shoes are below it. “Mind if I borrow it?”
“No, honey, go for it,” she replies with no hesitation whatsoever. I quickly strip off and pull the expensive ensemble on. It’s a tad long but certainly better than the previous outfit and the towering shoes help a lot. I grab my bag and touch up my make-up as I drag my fingers through my hair and try to make it do something elegant.
“What time are you getting there tonight? And do you want a coffee?” she asks as she stretches behind me and stands up. Ooh coffee machine - must pay Alex back!
“About eight-thirty I think. Listen, when is the next invoice for White’s going out?”
“Umm, should be the twenty second, I think, just before we break for Christmas. Why?” she says, narrowing her eyes.
“Well I need to pay him back for that damn machine he bought and he won’t take any money, so I thought we could leave it off his invoice and then I’ll pay the company back. Is that okay?”
“I was wondering where that had appeared from. I’ll pay half. In fact, why don’t we just leave it and charge it to the business,” she says. Go Belle! “How much was it?” Shit.
“Three thousand.” She spits out her coffee, narrowly missing her suit.
“For a fucking coffee machine?” Yes, I said that, too.
“Yep,” I reply casually.
“Oh right, well I suppose I should be getting used to it by now. Conner just spent that much on a new sodding tech toy. No fucking idea what it’s for. I’m not even sure he does,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Where are you off to anyway?”
“Lunch at Clastro’s.” I can’t tell her anything else. I don’t know if she knows anything or not. Has Conner told her? Who knows? I haven’t got time anyway. “I’ve got to go or I’m going to be late,” I say as I rush out the door. “See you later, honey.”
I don’t hear her reply as I open the Aston door and slide in. I have no idea where I’m going to park. Actually, Clastro’s has valet parking. Well, at least I’ll look in control of myself as I rock up in an expensive car and hand it over to a young boy at one of London’s swankiest hotspots. Unfortunately, I feel completely the opposite as I reverse out and head into the traffic. How the fuck am I going to manage a female Alex? I’ve only barely got a handle on him, so the thought of dealing with her is unnerving to say the least. As the traffic comes to a halt at traffic lights, I glance in the mirror and try for that Alex impassive face that he does so well, the one that says intelligent, confident, in control, not intimidated. I can’t hold it for more than a few seconds before bursting into giggles because it’s so not me. I can do the eyebrow thing, though, so perhaps I’ll just eyebrow her into submission or something like that. Then I remember her face. I’m pretty sure she’s going to eat me alive. So screwed.
~
“Thank you,” I say to the young man as he passes me a ticket and drops himself into the car. He nods and smiles as he drives off really rather quickly.
I turn toward the infamous black and red building and bring my head up abruptly as I think of Alex’s words. Head up. I can do this. I can sit in front of her and hold my own. I am strong. I am the girlfriend of Alexander White and I will not let her ruin this for him. A doorman glares down at me as ascend the steps and my inner bitch recoils a little as my feet slow. Shit, I am so in over my head. Oh get a grip, Beth! Move your bloody feet.
I stride in my best I own this space style and casually walk up the stairs as if I’ve done it a thousand times before. For some reason, I can’t stop the terse expression that seems to have materialised on my face at the doorman’s glower. Maybe Alex is rubbing off on me in more ways than one. So, on approaching the hostess, I smile and ask for Mr. Avery’s table. She extends her hand and beams at me. Apparently I have passed the expensive enough test so I return my face to its new, semi-irritated look. It feels strangely empowering to be so dismissive and I wonder why as I carry myself across the floor in what I hope are long, elegant paces. Several men gaze at me - two winking and one positively leering. I roll my eyes in amusement and continue forward towards my target with my expression unch
anged.
The atmosphere around me suddenly seems to take on a somehow more electric charge and I instantly realise why as the hostess stops and waves a hand at the chair in front of me with a grin. As much as my body wants to freeze and recoil again, I pull myself together and sit down to look at her across the table. Miss Peters’ pokerfaced gaze is as good as Alex’s and I recognise those eyes the instant they hit me - the arching brow, the enigmatic expression that shows indifference but doesn’t hide the threatening glare beneath. Her hair frames her face around her forehead in exactly the same way as her brother’s and only accentuates the family connection. It’s freaky. Even her ears are set in the same place as his.
We sit in silence for a few moments as we assess each other and I try to keep up this relentless staring contest, or maybe she’s just wondering who the bloody hell I am. Probably the latter - best introduce myself.
I flick my eyes away from hers as the wine waiter arrives, trying to process whether I should be bitchy or more like I am with Alex. Who would she prefer? If she’s anything like him, which she more than likely is, she certainly won’t be bending over backwards for a friendly chat with me.
“What would you like to drink, ladies?” the young man says as he hands over a menu. Her eyebrow cocks at me again. Given she was expecting Conner, I have to say she seems to be handling the presence of an unknown woman rather effectively.
“A bottle of white please - something rich and spicy,” I reply with a smile. Nothing changes on her face apart from the slightest lift of her lip at the same side as Alex as she looks down at her menu. It’s frankly sodding weird.
“I didn’t think he would send a dog to fetch his stick for him, Elizabeth,” she says as she leans back a little and crosses her beautifully long legs, her tan pencil dress inching higher with a grace I could only dream of as she does. Both my brows shoot up because that shocked the shit out of me. It seems we are going to do this nastily. Christ, bitch alert.
Feeling White Page 35
