Chapter 32
32
KAISEN
I woke up to the warmth of Dorie’s body pressed against mine. For a moment, I just lay there, savoring the feeling. Her hair was fanned out across the pillow, her breathing slow and even. She looked peaceful, beautiful, and I couldn’t help but smile. This whole thing was new and good. Waking up beside her was the best thing ever. I could get used to this, I thought, as I curled up closer to her and closed my eyes again.
I wasn’t sure what to think about last night. I felt like something changed between us. Or maybe I changed.
I watched her sleep. Her lips were slightly parted, and a strand of hair had fallen across her face. I reached out, gently brushing it aside, careful not to wake her. She stirred but didn’t open her eyes, nestling her head deeper into the pillow. My hand lingered on her cheek for a moment before I pulled it back.
Last night had been something else. Something I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just the sex—though that had been mind-blowing—it was the way she’d looked at me, like she saw something in me I wasn’t sure I even saw in myself. It was the way she’d clung to me, whispered my name like it was the only word that mattered. It was the way she’d let go completely, trusted me completely. And I felt it too, this strange, undeniable pull toward her that I couldn’t quite explain.
I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were all over the place. Dorie wasn’t like anyone I’d been with before. She was unapologetically herself. She didn’t play games or try to be someone she wasn’t. I loved that she worked hard for her money. She found something she loved, and she was willing to put every ounce of energy into making it a success. I admired that. My money didn’t happen overnight. I busted my ass to get what I had now.
The other women I went out with expected to ride my coattails. They wanted the benefit of my wealth, which I was more than happy to share with the right person.
I thought about the women I’d dated before—or rather, the women who’d dated me. Most of them hadn’t been interested in me. They’d been interested in my bank account, my connections, my lifestyle. They wanted the perks without the work, the luxury without the hustle. I wasn’t na?ve. I knew what I had to offer, and I didn’t mind sharing it with someone who truly cared about me. But it was exhausting always wondering if I was just a means to an end for them.
I remembered one woman in particular. It was years ago, and I was still finding my way in the world of luxury. She’d been stunning—tall, with legs that seemed to go on forever and a smile that could light up a room. We’d met at some charity gala. She charmed me instantly. I thought I was the luckiest guy in the room to win her attention. I strutted around like a fucking peacock.
But it didn’t take long for her true colors to show. She’d drop hints about how much she loved shopping in Paris, how she dreamed of owning a penthouse in Manhattan, how she wished she could travel more but just didn’t have the funds. At first, I thought it was harmless—just her sharing her dreams. I showered her with gifts. I loved the way her face lit up when she saw a box from Saks, and she would always thank me with sex.
But it became clear what she was really after. She wanted me to fund her lifestyle, to be her ticket to a world of privilege. It stung a little. The gifts became demands. And there was always some criticism.
But Dorie wasn’t like that. Not even a little. Granted, my Escalade gift had not gotten quite the reaction I hoped for. But I understood why. Which reminded me, I needed to look into that waterfront deal.
That could all wait. For now, I just wanted to hold her in my arms. I rolled over and tugged her close. My face was buried in her hair. But then, just as I was drifting back to sleep, Dorie bolted upright in bed, her eyes wide with panic scaring the hell out of me.
“Oh my God,” she gasped, scrambling out from under the sheets. “I’m going to be late for Eliza’s spa day!”
I groaned, reaching out to grab her wrist. “Come back to bed,” I said. “It’s early. You’ve got time.”
She shook her head, pulling away from me. “No, I don’t! I was supposed to meet the girls for breakfast, and now I’m going to be late, and Eliza’s going to kill me.”
I sat up and watched her dart around the room. She tossed her suitcase on the bed and started rummaging through it.
“Dorie, it’s fine,” I said. “Eliza will survive if you’re a few minutes late.”
She shot me a dirty look. “You don’t know Eliza,” she said. “This weekend is supposed to be perfect for her, and I’m already messing it up. After last night, she’s going to be pissed.”
I sighed, leaning back against the headboard. “You’re not messing anything up. Come back to bed. Just for a few more minutes. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
She hesitated, her eyes flicking to the bed, and for a moment, I thought I had her. But then her phone buzzed on the nightstand. “Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered and snatched it up. “It’s Eliza,” she whispered, her voice panicked.
Before I could say anything, she answered the call, clapping a hand over my mouth to keep me quiet. “Hey, Eliza,” she said, sounding breezy while simultaneously leveling me with a look that could kill.
I got it. She didn’t want her sister to know we spent the night together. I could be discreet. Although I didn’t see why it was necessary. Eliza and Cullen suspected something was going on, and if I wasn’t mistaken, they were both kind of encouraging it. But I would respect Dorie’s wishes and keep my mouth shut.
“Yeah, I know, I’m so sorry,” she said. “I accidentally slept in. I’m going to miss breakfast with the girls, but I’ll be there soon, I promise.”
I raised an eyebrow at her, but she just glared at me, her hand still firmly over my mouth. “No, no, everything’s fine,” she said, her tone light. “I just, um, I had a late night. You know how it is. Okay, see you soon. Bye.”
She hung up the phone and let out a long breath, dropping her hand from my mouth.
“You’re ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head. “You know that, right?”
She ignored me and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I can’t believe I slept in,” she muttered, more to herself than to me. “This is exactly why I shouldn’t have stayed up so late. I owe her for what I did last night.”
I scooted over and wrapped my arm around her waist. “What happened last night?”
She stared at the floor before she finally looked at me. “I may have had a bit of a dramatic exit from the club,” she admitted.
“What does that mean?”
“I wasn’t enjoying myself.” She looked away again. “Okay, I was a little irritated by the way Samantha was talking about mounting you. And we had that fight. I was just in a really shitty mood. I didn’t want to bring the vibe down. I didn’t want to ruin her weekend so I left early.”
“Dorie, why do you guard Eliza’s feelings so hard? She’s your sister, not your mother. Your twin sister at that. Aren’t you guys supposed to have some twin telepathy? Couldn’t she understand why you were having a bad time?”
She looked up at me, her expression softening. “It’s complicated.”
“Tell me. Uncomplicate it.”
“Our parents were poor when we were growing up. They often had to choose between us—who got new clothes, who got to join sports, things like that. Eliza doesn’t act like it, but she’s sensitive. Like really sensitive. She always has been. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She feels everything. And I love her, so I want to protect her.”
I nodded, understanding a little better now. “That’s really sweet,” I said. “But you know you can’t protect her forever, right? At some point, you’ve got to start thinking about yourself. Life isn’t easy. She’s going to get her feelings hurt at some point.”
She blinked at me, like the concept was foreign to her. “I don’t know how to do that,” she admitted. “Cullen is going to be the one to protect her now, but until then, it’s me. I’m her sister and her maid of honor. It’s my job to make this wedding as stress-free as possible for her. Which is why I need to get dressed.”
“For now, just try not to stress so much about Eliza, okay? She’ll be fine. She’s going to get married. That’s the end game, right? A little stress never hurt anyone.”
She pulled away from me and got to her feet. “I really don’t want to be any later than I already am.”
She looked like a statue of a Greek goddess, all curvy and beautiful. The robe was hanging off one shoulder, revealing skin I had my lips on last night. I couldn’t help but admire her as she moved. “Dorie.”
“Yeah?”
“Come to my room tonight,” I said. “When you’re done making sure Eliza isn’t stressed, I’ll make sure you’re not stressed.”
She smiled. “I think that could be arranged.”
My phone buzzed on the nightstand where I had put it on the charger last night. Cullen’s name was on the screen. “Yeah?” I answered.
“Where the hell are you, man?” he asked. “We’re all waiting for you. When are you planning on joining us for the yacht excursion today?”
Shit. I had my own commitments.
“I’m coming,” I said.
“The bachelor party’s tonight, in case you forgot,” Cullen said dryly.
I groaned, running a hand over my face. “I didn’t forget,” I said, though honestly, I had been a little distracted. “I’ll be there soon. Just give me a minute to wake up.”
“You’d better hurry,” Cullen said. “We’re not waiting forever.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, ending the call and tossing it back onto the nightstand.
“See, I’m not the only one in trouble,” Dorie said with a laugh. “Get up, lazy bones. We’ve got a bride and groom waiting on us.”
I grinned and threw off the sheet. “Fine, but I’m going to see you tonight, right?”
“Assuming you’re not too drunk.”
“Don’t go eating all those suckers,” I joked. “Save yourself.”
Her face turned three shades of red. She tossed my shirt at me. “You’re terrible!”
“And you’re amazing.”