Chapter 29
Misstatement of Assets
Sara
When we join the others at the kitchen table, I make a production of putting my towel on the chair while flaunting my ass in Wyatt’s face.
Finn chuckles.
Wyatt smacks my cheek lightly. “Sit, trouble.”
Fine. I perch on the chair, feeling awkward. A plate of steak with potatoes and vegetables sits at my place. Along with silverware. The takeout boxes must be in the trash. It looks and smells delicious.
I shiver a little. It’s odd sitting at a table naked. My mom would be appalled. But I cross my legs, sit up straight, and put my napkin on my lap like I’m dining in a fancy restaurant. I’m definitely texting this to Drew tonight, but he might make every dinner at his place naked.
At least he’d join me. The others are still fully clothed. I read that this is typical in a master-slave relationship, but I know that’s not what Wyatt wants. This is just punishment, which is better than some of the other things he could make me do.
“How was your day?” Dante tries to maintain eye contact with my eyes and not my breasts.
“It was work. Am I going to do anything interesting soon?” I take a bite of my potatoes. “Not that reconciling accounts isn’t interesting, but there’s got to be something more.”
“I can think of a few interesting things to do.” Finn doesn’t bother to meet my eyes. His gaze is firmly on my body.
My breasts ache under the weight of his stare. This is going to be a long dinner.
Dante shakes his head. “This isn’t going to work.”
“What?” I ask, but he’s already standing and unbuttoning his shirt. I take a bite of my vegetables, figuring I’m getting a show or about to be a show. Either way, yay for me.
“Stand up, pip.” Dante nods.
I set my fork down and place my napkin on the table before standing in front of him. Am I hoping for more sex? A little. But this seems a bit more awkward than usual. His posture is too tight.
Dante takes his shirt off and wraps it around my shoulders. “Arms in, pip.”
Admiring my view of Dante’s ripped chest and abs, I thread my arms into the sleeves, glancing at Wyatt. This is probably against the rules. He watches but doesn’t move to stop Dante.
Dante’s shirt is warm around me. He buttons the shirt closed one button at a time. I’m surrounded by his clean ocean cologne. Then he straightens the collar, drawing my gaze back to his pale blue eyes.
I want to sway into him and have him hold me, touch me. The man is drop-dead gorgeous and I kind of want to sit on that gorgeous face of his again. A shiver runs through me as he strokes his thumb over the pulse in my neck.
“While I appreciate the beauty of Sara being naked at the table, I don’t need to have an erection while I eat.” He places a kiss on my lips and raises an eyebrow at Wyatt. “Compromise acceptable?”
I turn and hold my arms out. Dante’s shirt swallows me whole. My hands are inside the sleeves and it reaches midthigh.
“Fine.” Wyatt’s gaze takes in every inch of me, making me burn. He glances at Dante. “You could’ve just fucked her.”
My thighs press together against the need throbbing there. Fuck, I like that option better.
“I disagree with the shirt.” Finn smirks as he takes me in. “I liked her all bare-assed and tits out. But I’m definitely game to fuck Sara during dinner.”
When he moves to stand, Dante gives him a look.
“Majority rules on the shirt.” Dante takes his seat, still shirtless. “No fucking at the table. For now.”
My cheeks heat at the for now. I take my seat, trying not to stare at the expanse of Dante’s chest. “I vote you guys should all have to be shirtless at the dinner table. It’s only fair since I’m pantless.”
“This isn’t about fairness, trouble.” Wyatt gives me a tired look, like I’m the one wearing him out.
Finn unbuttons his shirt and shrugs it off onto the back of his chair. “Always willing to please, flower.”
I take a bite of my steak and turn to look at Wyatt. He cuts his steak and glances up to meet my gaze.
“No, trouble.” He slides his fork full of steak into his mouth.
“Spoilsport.” I’m good with my view though. Finn and Dante both work out. Dante more so than Finn, but Finn is still cut. They all look divine in tuxedos, which is what they’ll be wearing this weekend. And I was trying to ignore this weekend.
But it’s better to go in knowing and not be surprised.
I clear my throat. “So, Dante told me who he’s taking to the fundraiser this weekend.”
“Is that a question, trouble?” Wyatt grabs the bottle of wine and fills our glasses with a red.
This is the one thing I don’t feel bold about.
After all, these dates have been planned since before we got together.
What if these are women they’re actually interested in?
That they would have dated if it weren’t for our arrangement.
Will Finn and Wyatt resent me for tying them to me and not allowing them the freedom to explore those relationships?
That makes my throat sting, because I don’t want them to want other women. This may be temporary, but I don’t want to think about them with women after me.
“I’m taking Olivia Clark.” Finn chews on his bite thoughtfully. “She’s been after me to take her out forever. Guess I’ll disappoint her when I fuck you instead that night.”
Finn winks and gives me a smile that makes my insides burst into flames.
Olivia Clark is a gorgeous blond with brown eyes and a boob job to die for.
The best money can buy. Not that I want one, but she looks amazing.
She’s also catty and manipulative, but guys don’t always care about that.
At events, she usually finds a way to insult every other woman at the table.
Usually, backhanded compliments that guys don’t see as insulting.
Not looking forward to that.
“And you?” I turn to Wyatt. At least in Dante’s shirt, I feel a little more comfortable. It’s amazing what clothes do for a person. “Will it be Talia again?”
Wyatt’s dark eyes lift to mine. “No.”
I squirm in my seat, wanting his answer but knowing it will probably hurt. Or he would have just said it. Because the others didn’t hurt. Dante’s taking a girl as a favor. Finn’s taking a date he knew he’d end up having sex with. Those two track, but Wyatt…
Talia’s been his regular, go-to date for a while now. If he’s taking someone else, does that mean it was supposed to be an actual date? I swallow my bite of steak and it falls like a lump in my stomach.
“She’s going to find out.” Dante rests his elbows on the table. “You might as well tell her.”
Wyatt puts his fork down and sits back in his chair. “Tom set me up.”
“Okay.” I’m really trying not to panic here, but the way this is coming out means this is someone I know who has either been mean to me or will be mean to me. Meaner than Olivia Clark, and that’s saying something. “Just tell me and we’ll deal with it.”
Wyatt draws in a breath and blows it out. “Verity Baron.”
The name is like someone threw ice water on me.
“No.” I stand and back away from the table. I’ve been trained to not show reactions to information, but that name tears at my guts like nothing else can. My arms wrap around my twisting stomach. “Why?”
“Sara—” Wyatt reaches toward me.
I back away again. I can’t. Not her. Anyone but her.
“No. Why would Tom do that?” My breathing is labored. I can’t process anything past her. Why her?
Dante walks toward me with his hands outstretched like I’ll bolt. I’m tempted. Tempted to run for the bedroom and burrow under the blankets and pretend he did not say my ex-best friend’s name.
I want to rage and scream and hit. But right now, I just want to cry a little.
Dante’s arms catch me as I crumple. “I’ve got you, pip.”
Tears don’t fall, but they clog my throat, making it even harder to breathe. Dante lifts me against him and he carries me. I don’t care where or why. I just want to forget. It’s in the past and that’s where it should be left, but her name cuts me open all over again.
He surrounds me with his warmth and makes shushing noises meant to soothe me. My body feels cold even though he holds me. He runs his hand up and down my spine, but I can’t really feel anything.
Dante
It’s like someone took the light out of Sara. We were away at college when the fallout happened with her friends at school. Tom said it was bad, but he didn’t say it was this bad.
She trembles against me with her arms wrapped around herself protectively. This isn’t Sara. This isn’t the girl who stood up to bullies in grade school and stood up to us growing up. Whatever these girls did to her was bad.
Wyatt and Finn sit near us, but she doesn’t actually acknowledge their presence. Fuck, I’m not even sure if she knows I’m holding her.
“We won’t go.” I don’t know what else to do, but if this is what happens when she hears Verity’s name, what will happen when she sees her? And sees her with Wyatt?
“It’s too late to cancel.” Wyatt runs a hand through his hair. “We have to make an appearance. Especially with Tom gone.”
He reaches out and puts his hand on her knee. She doesn’t react. What did this girl do to her?
“Sara, I can call her and tell her I can’t take her.” Wyatt squeezes her knee.
Finally, she lifts her pale face to his. She focuses in and shakes her head. “No. If Tom is still in contact with her, maybe she knows something about what he’s into. There has to be a reason he wanted her there that night. He wouldn’t have done this otherwise.”
Her eyes well with tears again. Fuck Tom.
He had to know this would break her. She rests her head against my chest.
“What did she do, flower?” Finn looks like he wants to tear someone apart.
She blows out a breath and turns to him with a weak smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “She was my best friend. We shared everything with each other.”
Her gaze slides to Wyatt. “Everything.”
Wyatt swallows. “We don’t have to go through this, trouble. I’m here with you. I don’t want anyone else.”
That smile doesn’t reach her eyes and I can feel her pulling away again. I tip her face my way and search her haunted green eyes. If I could, I would back out of my date and take her instead. I know I can keep her safe. I’ve been doing it for years.
But whatever happened between Verity and Sara, I’m not privy to.
I don’t know that Drew will be able to protect her, especially from herself, or from crawling into her psyche so far we can’t reach her. There’s a reason Tom roped us into watching out for his little sister.
She was fragile after her father died. Everything seemed to hit her extra hard, and we had to work to help her rebuild that shell we all need in this society. By the time she was in high school, she seemed good.
During holidays and the occasional weekend, when we were around, she was happy and healthy with a handful of good girlfriends. If they knew we were there, they’d all hang out at the pool, showing off their newly found figures.
But we didn’t pay them much attention. If we wanted someone, we had women at college. We were wealthy, smart, and heading up. Girls knew that. They wanted us. We didn’t have to mess around with Sara’s friends.
Right after her high school graduation, Tom hurried home from our internship because he was needed. He never told us what happened to her, but the next time we were there, her friends were nowhere to be seen.
Sara closed herself off. Not from us but from other girls. She’d be friendly and polite, but she no longer had an inner circle until she met Madison Harris. It was like a light grew inside her again, chasing away the darkness.
What was Tom thinking? We all know he didn’t want Wyatt and Sara together. But to set him up with the girl who crushed Sara is just evil. If he were here, I’d strangle him myself.
Maybe the most messed up thing is that Sara is willing to face Verity again to find out more about Tom.