Chapter 34
THIRTY-FOUR
“THAT WASN’T SO BAD,” Bastian said as they drove home later that night. “Was it?”
“Which part? When my mother asked for your social security number or when my dad started going on about seeking new investment? Oh no, was it when Adara asked you to be groomsmen or when Charissa wanted you to admire her necklace? The cleavage was totally incidental.”
“They’re people. People are people.” Whatever that meant. “What were you and Damon talking about outside?”
At the restaurant while they were waiting for the cars. Hmm, she’d caught Bastian’s scrutiny but hoped he wouldn’t ask.
Hope extinguished.
“Nothing.”
“It was something.”
“Damon being Damon,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“There’s something on your mind that wasn’t there when I met you tonight.”
How did he know that? He wasn’t wrong, but how did he know?
Her troubles, and meandering thoughts, weren’t his to shoulder. “I’m fine.”
“Your family are your family,” he said. “You can’t do anything about that. I don’t judge—”
“No, it’s not—you were incredible. Way more patient than I would’ve been.”
“You’ve tolerated plenty from my family. What did Damon want? I’ll turn right around and ask him if you don’t tell me how he upset you.”
“He didn’t upset me.”
“You’re lucky. Guy upsets me whenever he breathes.”
Another grievance she’d introduced into Bastian’s life. Rather than sadden her, it infuriated her.
“I’m so exhausted with it all. I’ll never be free of him.” She tucked her purse by her leg. “My father needs Damon and will always pick him over me. I should move.”
Planet, if possible.
“Yeah, you should. I can talk to your father, tell him to get rid of the guy.”
Given her father’s veneration of him, Bastian may be the only one with a shot of getting through. Still…
“I would never ask you to do that.”
“I’m offering. Hell, I’m begging. I want that guy out of your life for good.”
“And what happens when you’re out of my life?” There would be nothing stopping Damon from swanning back in. “Besides Charissa and Adara are best friends.” Meaning as long as he was with Charissa, Damon would be a part of her life. She exhaled. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“Let’s talk about how amazing you were tonight.
You really impressed my family.” He did that just by being him.
Impressed everyone with that trick. “You impressed me. I don’t even know how to…
My family were ready to write me off. This could buy them another year or two of hope that I may not be a lost cause. ”
Her father was thrilled, her mom, her sister, finally had proof someone else might take the burden of her from them.
“We’ll have to date for another couple of years before my family think that of me.”
“Your family know you’re pure gold. Keely was talking you up to the travel agent we met last week. I think she was trying to make me jealous.”
“I’m sorry about the vacation talk, she gets excited about it.”
“She should, it’s fun to travel.” That wasn’t why he was apologizing though.
She read it in the way his hand tightened on the gear shift.
“I don’t mind that she gets excited.” Sliding a hand over his, their fingers found their way between each other.
“She’s an amazing person. All your friends and family are. ”
“They like you.”
Which in itself was newsworthy.
“I was clear in not committing myself to anything,” she said. “We’ll have to put an end to this before, you know…”
“Before what?”
“Money changes hands.”
“I don’t care about money.”
“If there was a cost for any vacation, I’d pay my way. I don’t want anyone to put down a deposit…” The corner of his mouth twitched. “What?”
“That’s not how it works, Sweet.”
“How what works? Vacations? Don’t you talk to someone, pick a package—”
“Not exactly.”
She didn’t get it. “How else could it work? You can’t just show up at the airport.”
“Want to go to the airport right now and see how far we get?”
“Bastian.”
“Forgetting for a second that we actually own an airline, we can show up at the airport any time we want.”
“And kick other people out of their seats?”
This time, he laughed. “Baby, we own planes. We don’t fly commercial.”
Oh. Right. Duh. “And how do you know there’ll be a—” Sort of stupid to wonder about accommodation given he also owned a chain of hotels. “It’s a whole different life.”
“Yep,” he admitted. “And I don’t tell you this to boast. I tell you so you know it’s taken care of.”
“I wouldn’t be able to afford that.”
“You wouldn’t pay a penny.”
“Bastian, I don’t—”
“It’s something I’d do for any…” Why did he trail off like that? “Keely goes nuts with her own accounts whenever she wants to.”
“She’s your sister.”
“You don’t think Zairn does the same for Roxie?”
“They’re married.”
“Recently married,” he said. “We’ve never talked about it, but I’d bet our fortune Z opened his means to her a long time ago.” They were in love. Together. The forever type of forever. “He’s a generous guy, I’d bet her friends and family are taken care of too.”
Roxie and Zairn had been nothing but wonderful; all Bastian’s friends were welcoming.
“Did you know they met on a talk show?”
“I did.”
“Have you seen it? It’s on the internet,” she said. “They didn’t interact much, but the look Rox gave him just before winning…” She laughed. “Let’s just say it wasn’t love at first sight.”
“Sometimes it works that way.”
“They argued the first time they interacted.”
“I’d heard.”
The legend must’ve traveled far.
“You don’t strike me as the type to gossip. Let me guess, Keely?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Her and it came up at the wedding.”
Another duh moment. “That must’ve been a sight. Them at the altar. A real fairytale. I’m sorry I missed it. Not that I’d have been invited if—”
“There were more than a thousand people there.”
“So they invited everyone they know? Increases my chances, I guess.”
“Actually, no, there was some drama about people being left off the guest list.”
Something Roxie hadn’t mentioned. “Oh…” She made a sound of intrigue and twisted to rest a shoulder on the backrest, transfixed. “Tell me.”
“Oh, no, I don’t—Keely’s your bet for that.” So she was right about him absorbing rumors by osmosis. “Or Mom. I almost didn’t go to the wedding at all.”
“Why wouldn’t you go?” she asked. “Roxie loves you, she’s just… particular about sizing people up.” Men more than women in her limited experience. “You’ve known Zairn a long time. You didn’t want to support him?”
“Yeah, but it’s a wedding…”
“In your hotel.” Her cheeks plumped. “Were you worried about complaints?”
His dimple joined them. “No such thing at a Grand Hotel.”
“I believe you.”
“You ever have a complaint?”
“About the hotel? No. About the people you let in it…”
“Something I’m willing to change with your permission. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see your ex stopped on the threshold.”
“I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He’s the kind of man who should never cross your path. I’m sorry for putting him on it.”
“Forget about me. He’s not worthy of being near you, let alone…” His hand tightened under hers. “I struggle to see it. What in him appealed to you?”
“I struggle too. Maybe it was more of a situationship than anything emotional… I was never caught up in him.”
Never excited. Never sped her heart. Never touched every corner of her body with a single glance. Not like Bastian. He was more, a perfect man. A dangerous way to think; no one could live up to that, but, really, how could any woman not fall for him?
“Good. That’s something. I thought my family were bad, but…”
He glanced her way, their eyes lingered longer than they should.
“Yeah, you won the family lottery. You should be proud of your family. They want to embrace…”
“Embrace…? Women who mean something to me.”
She licked her lips on a smile. “Women they think mean something to you.”
“Think?”
“It’s not… This. It’s not believable,” she said. “Our families have accepted this, us, together but I don’t get it. It’s just not believable.”
“Us?”
“Why would we ever have reason to meet?”
“We did meet.”
“Yeah,” she said, “but socially meet. Even if we did, we’d have no reason to converse. We’d never be attracted to each other. Not in any actionable way.” Because who could look at Bastian and not admit his hotness? Her point was… “This would just never happen.”
“Is that what’s been bothering you?”
“No,” she said. “It’s not bothering me. It’s odd that our families have accepted it so easily when we’re from completely different stratospheres.”
His hand slid out from under hers to rest on the wheel. “Yeah,” he said not entirely convinced. “It’s a complete shock.”
“Have I upset you?”
“No,” he said, his shoulders moving in… something. “What do you want for your birthday? We’re down to the wire now.”
“Adara guilted you?”
“She mentioned it was coming up.”
“Right. Okay.” Yes, her sister would assume her boyfriend knew her birthday. “Nothing, it’s not a huge deal.”
“Nothing’s not an option.”
She edged a little closer to tease. “You could sleep with me.”
“Sex? That’s your request?” he asked. “Tough to gift wrap and present at a party.”
That would be a birthday for the books.
“Do you think that’s taking our attempt to be convincing too far?”
“It might make your guests a little uncomfortable, but it’ll be a helluva show… I’ll hire a posse.”
She pinched his shoulder. “Are you going to stay in the audience?”
“To watch a string of men parade on stage and make love to my woman? No, I’ll be somewhere off-site arranging a hit on each male who touches you.”
“I want sex from you,” she said, enjoying the warmth surrounding them.
“Tell me what you want for your birthday,” he said. “And I’ll promise to satisfy you tonight.”
That was a given. “Just once?”
“As many times as you want.”
“I don’t know.”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll buy you one of everything.”
“Everything?” Hilarious. “Why not just take me out for dinner? I don’t want a fuss.”
“A meal? That’s it? For how many? Where?”
“I don’t care about where.”
“My mother will recommend somewhere,” he said. “You want to keep it small, or have a larger group?”
“You’d never get a reservation for—”
“Sweet, I’d get a reservation.”
“Two,” she said.
“Two what?”
“A table for two,” she said. “You and me. I don’t want to put up a front for our families.”
“Yeah, that’s a big stretch for you on your birthday,” he said, reaching for her hand to put it under his again.
Admiring the width and strength of his body, she had to be impressed with his work-out regime when he was so in demand socially and professionally. His business was spread across the world and, as he’d said, it was always business hours somewhere.
And that gave her an idea.
“There’s one thing,” she said.
“Name it.”
“I’ve never spent a night in a Grand.”
His smile stretched. “You want a hotel for your birthday? We have plenty of those. We’ll name one for you—no, we’ll start a division for you.”
“Not a hotel, or a division,” she said. “A night in a hotel, we could eat in, room service.”
“That’s it? A meal and a reservation?”
“And your company,” she said. “You’re a man in demand; I wouldn’t be able to afford you if it wasn’t a gift.”
“You got it, Sweet.”
Bastian carried himself with an authority, an innate confidence that filled her with pride. In security and safety, he could fulfill any wish or desire. And somehow, at his side, she could do no wrong. No one would harm her under the umbrella of his protection.
One jarring fact… the security wouldn’t last. Soon, his companionship would be lost. Her family would be devastated. And what about her? Bastian had become a part of her life, he was her friend. Would that friendship endure after they cast off their deceit?
They drove into his garage and he turned off the engine. They just sat there, in silence, sharing a moment that would soon be lost.
Time was limited, she had to make the most of it. Leaving the car, she went to the kitchen without waiting. The light came on, as it was programmed to do, and his car door closed.
Good. She walked across the kitchen.
“Sweet,” he said from further behind her.
She paused at the sliding door to the den and turned to see him still on the other side of the room. His concern remained, but it was tinged with a tenderness she tried to ignore. In times like this, when they were alone, they didn’t have to be worried about anyone but themselves.
She unzipped her dress and pulled the slide from her hair. “I want to go to bed.”
Stepping out of the puddle of fabric, she walked away, confident he’d follow her to the bedroom, if he didn’t get there first.