The Art of Marrying Your Enemy (The Richmond Brothers #2)

40. Aaron

40

AARON

“ D on’t you have to go to work?” Daisy asked as she set a plate of steak, eggs, and homemade hash browns in front of me on the new oversized wood table out on the back terrace.

Now that the garden was cleaned up with green shoots sprouting out of black dirt, it was nicer to be back here. It even seemed brighter.

Dorian was sunning himself on the top of the wall while the horses meandered around the garden and came over to greet him.

“Wolf told me to take the day off,” I said, my eyes half-closed.

She poured champagne in my glass of orange juice.

“Coleman.” I looked at her as she twisted the champagne bottle. “You really are a princess.”

She curtsied.

I took the bottle of champagne from her.

“This is a two-thousand-dollar bottle of alcohol, and you’re serving it for breakfast.”

“Oops!”

I pulled her in my lap, tasting the sweet sunshine and citrus of her.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, knew this kind of happiness wasn’t for me, I let myself fall for her.

“So I get you all to myself today?” she asked.

“Part of the day,” I clarified.

She wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I was,” I added as she pressed happy kisses on my face, “supposed to go meet my brothers.”

“Someone got laid!”

I couldn’t stop the lazy grin that spread across my face.

“It better be with your wife.” Grayson’s tone was sharp.

Chilly tension settled over the private dining room.

For once, I didn’t care that Grayson reminded me of our father, of all the ways I’d failed. I finally had the one thing I’d been waiting for my entire life.

“The contract is fulfilled,” I said mildly, sliding down in a chair next to Graham and stealing his bourbon. “You can proceed as planned.” I leaned back. “Wolf and Betty have already been informed. They’re sending over some paperwork for you.”

My brother blinked at me.

“What changed?” he asked carefully.

“There are children present, Grayson.” I threw my arm around Connor and ruffled his hair.

“Since you’re in such a good mood,” Connor said, “I feel like now’s a good time to tell you I failed my last class and won’t be graduating this summer. But it’s okay because me and Tristan Svensson have made progress on our business plan.”

“Don’t worry, Connor,” I assured him while Finn’s mouth dropped open. “We’ll work it out.”

“Who the hell are you, and what have you done with my brother?” Spencer grabbed my jaw.

I shoved him off.

“Just because Aaron’s lost the plot and is letting this slide,” Grayson warned, “doesn’t mean I am. Get it the fuck together, Connor.”

The high wore off, though, when I headed back to the house and remembered.

It was Friday.

I hesitated. I had promised myself that as much as I loathed Friday night dinners, I wouldn’t miss them, didn’t want to spit in the face of the shreds of hospitality my mother’s family offered. Didn’t want to entertain the possibility that they might cut me off completely.

“Jared helped pack your bag,” Daisy chirped when I stepped into the cool foyer.

She was wearing a blue sundress and a big hat with flowers on it. The hat hung from a ribbon round her neck.

I kissed her warm mouth. She tasted like sun-ripened raspberries.

“You ready to relive high school on the beach?” She smiled up at me, her brown eyes sparkling. “I have a picnic basket packed.” She grabbed my hand. “Hurry up. We need to beat traffic.”

“I didn’t tell my brother I needed to borrow the yacht,” I argued.

“The spoiled princess can’t be driven?” She stuck her tongue out.

I grabbed her and kissed her until she was breathless.

I should tell her I couldn’t, that I had to work, that I had Friday night dinner, obligations, responsibilities. but I just wanted to make love to Daisy to the sound of the waves.

I texted Michelle that I wasn’t going to make it. Immediately, I regretted it. I was flooded with guilt until a motor roared and Daisy pulled up in front of the house in a bright-yellow vintage 1954 Packard convertible.

“No!” I ran up to her when she hopped out of the enormous car. “That’s a death trap. We’re taking the train if we have to go up there.”

“You need to live a little.” Daisy patted my cheek then accepted an oversized white silk scarf from Jared.

“Don’t worry, sir,” the butler said cheerfully, as Daisy wrapped the scarf around her hat and tied it in a knot under her chin. “I know where your last will and testament is located. Your affairs are in order.”

“What the—”

Daisy was settling into the driver’s seat.

“Coleman, I’m not riding in that car and certainly not when you’re driving.”

She revved the engine and slipped on a pair of oversized sunglasses.

“Get in, loser. We’re going to the Hamptons.”

“Traffic will surely be heavy by now heading out of town. She can’t possibly go that fast,” Jared said, looking up at the sky. “I can fetch you a helmet, sir, if you’d like.”

“I’ll manage,” I grumbled.

Dorian jumped in my lap from where he’d been perched on the wicker picnic basket in the back seat.

“Where did you even get this car?” I yelled over the roar of the engine as Daisy peeled out of the gate and onto the main avenue.

“I’m your wife. I can buy whatever I want.” Her hand snuck over to my lap.

“You put this on the credit card?” I cursed as she palmed me through my slacks.

“No, I forged your signature on one of the checks I stole from your study.”