Chapter 15
15
Cat
A week after our brunch, it’s Friday night, and I can hear the bass thumping from my bedroom. How is that even possible? These walls have to be thick. Those Gilded Age robber barons knew about quality construction, and this mansion has been lovingly maintained. It’s not the bachelor pad I expected it to be, even if Theo primarily seems to use the kitchen and the gym. He’s a ghost in his own home. I know when he’s been in the kitchen because of the washed and neatly stacked breakfast dishes. When I run on the treadmill, his heady scent lingers in the air.
Or maybe it’s my imagination. And isn’t that messed up? Because even though I grit my teeth every time I put the wedding ring on my finger, I still try to catch the lingering scent of Theo’s cologne.
I turn up the volume on the classical music I prefer for studying and refocus on the problem set. Corporate finance is kicking my ass. Really, all of business school is. The networking is supposed to be the most valuable, but that’s never been my strength. It’s like a rusty door hinge or an unused muscle. I smile a second too late, respond a little too sharply. I bet Theo excelled at all that stuff .
Don’t think about Theo.
He’s not thinking about me. I’ve barely seen him in a week, and now he’s downstairs, having a grand old time from the sound of it. Just like he did all those years ago when I trailed after him like a lost puppy. Until he left and never looked back.
A particularly loud whoop comes from downstairs, and I slam the textbook shut. Fuck this. How is anyone supposed to study in this environment?
I march out of my room, textbook clutched to my chest, following the sound of the music. Past Theo’s bedroom, which I avoid like the plague, then a right turn down the hall, past the guest bedrooms, then down the sweeping staircase to the first floor. Past the massive kitchen and my preferred living room. The sound is growing louder, along with men’s raised voices.
“Some of us are trying to—” The words die as the scene unfurls before me. “Oh my god,” I whisper.
Theo has half the New York Royals hockey team here, along with a few minor celebrities. I recognize his surly brother, Cole Archer, who cracks a sheepish smile from his place on the couch. He’s the only one sitting. Their goalie, Grant Dawson, is there, famous for having all his teeth and being named the Sexiest Man Alive last year. Miles, Theo’s business partner, is there too, grinning and grabbing himself another beer. No Jonah. From what I know about him, he’d rather be caught dead than in a scene like this.
There’s a hookah on the grand piano, and the furniture has been pushed aside to make room for a beer pong table. What are we? In college? Mrs. Astor is rolling in her grave somewhere. There are empty beer cans perched on the bust of Napolean. I hope to god it’s not an original.
In the center of it all is Theo, in all black and a backward hat. He looks good enough to eat. All hard edges and deceptively casual smiles. Based on the number of cups on his side of the beer pong table, he’s winning. He sees me in the door. I freeze. Why did I come down here?
He saunters over until he’s way too close, smelling like liquor and body wash and filling my vision with his broad shoulders and powerful chest. He might be a billionaire, but he’s roughly the size of a hockey player, and why do I find that so hot? It’s just Theo. This is part of his allure, in the way of particularly colorful birds.
“Take your time, by all means,” I say when he appears in front of me.
“Did you come to join in the fun?” He leans against the doorjamb, forcing me to take a step back.
“No. I came to tell you to keep it down. I’m studying.” I tilt my head up so I can look him in the eye. The cool green flares with interest.
“On a Friday?” He raises a brow.
“You’re very loud. I can’t concentrate. You sound like a pack of wolves.”
He grins at me. “Want to have some fun, Little Red Riding Hood?” His smile suddenly seems wolfish, all sharp incisors and too much interest in how I might taste.
I hate how he unsettles me. I’ve been on my back foot with Theo Archer for ten fucking years. No more.
“Let’s play for it.” I give him a cool smile.
Shock colors his features before he recovers. “Play for what?”
“I’ll play you in beer pong. If I win, you have to turn all the music off.”
“And if I win?” His eyes gleam. I have it in the bag, his say.
I narrow mine. I’m very motivated , mine reply. I have twelve more problems to do and a last-minute lunch shift tomorrow. One cocky playboy isn’t going to stop me, even if he does have the athletic prowess of an Olympian and a face hot enough to stop traffic.
“I’ll give you the pleasure of winning?” I ask hopefully. I do not want to owe Theo anything. He’ll pick something terrible and embarrassing and— oh god . What if he wants me to kiss him? Heat spirals through me.
He lets out a laugh. “Two dares. Of my choosing.”
Ah, shit. He knows how to get me. I dare you, Cat. Famous last words that preceded many a mishap. The last thing I heard before I fell off the lowest branch of the tallest tree on the property. And yet I’ve never been able to turn him down.
“Fine,” I grumble.
“All right, princess. Come on. I’ll even let you pick your partner first.” He turns, so smug. Even the way he walks is arrogant. Unhurried and lazy, like the whole damn world will wait for him to arrive. I roll my eyes at his annoyingly perfect backside.
“Everyone, this is Catherine.”
“You can call me Cat.” I wave at the guys, nodding at Cole and Miles. Grant gives me a too wide smile, interest written across his face. Before he can take two steps toward me, Theo says, “She’s my wife.” He’s staring Grant down, arms crossed. He has nice arms. Really nice. Strong too. I know because of that day… don’t think about that day. It’s too late. I’m remembering the way he held me up in the water and the way his hardness pressed against my softness. Shit. I smile at Grant, and Theo’s gaze darkens.
“Pick your partner,” he says.
My eyes flick to Grant.
“Not him,” Theo adds.
“Cole, then.” He’s athletic, and I know him a little.
“Hey, Cat.” Cole gives me a hug. He’s even bigger than Theo, and more solid. I’ve always liked Cole. He doesn’t demand that you talk—instead, you can just be.
“You’ve grown since I last saw you,” I say.
“Yeah?” He grins at me. “Outward, I think, not upward.”
I pretend to ogle him. “Mostly in the shoulders, I think. And maybe the legs too.” His quads are thick with muscle. “Those running backs got nothing on you.”
He laughs. “Careful there. My brother looks liable to kill me.”
“Good thing I’m counting on brotherly competition to win this.” I wink, but I make the mistake of glancing at Theo. He looks homicidal for a brief moment, his face tight, his eyes burning. And then he wipes his expression, turns to Miles, and jerks his thumb toward the table .
“All right. Let’s do this,” Miles says. “I have a reputation to uphold.”
“Do billionaires play beer pong?” I ask Cole.
He lifts his eyebrows. “I’m not sure. My idiot brother is the only billionaire I know. And he—” We watch Theo sink one cup with ease. “He’s disturbingly good at beer pong.” Cole shakes his head, and I laugh.
“Do that again,” Cole says.
“Do what?”
Miles misses a shot, and we scoop up the little plastic balls from the table.
“Pretend I said something funny. Put your hand on my arm.”
“Okay, sure.” I touch Cole’s forearm and laugh.
“Oh yeah. We’re so going to win.” He shakes his head and steps back. “He’s so jealous. It’s killing him.” My gaze jerks to Theo, as Cole sinks the shot with ease.
My husband’s green gaze is stormy. His mouth is a hard slash. He’s even widened his stance, like he’s trying to make himself bigger.
“No.” I swallow away the dryness of my mouth as I watch him watch me with predatory focus. “He just wants to win. He’s pissed that we’re going to kick his ass.” I step back from the table and bounce on my toes. I take one practice shot, and Theo shouts, “Come on, princess.” I stick out my tongue but focus on the cups, bring my arm up, and sink it.
“Yes!” Cole and I hug, and he swings me into the air.
“Beginner’s luck,” I say.
As he puts me down, he says, “Believe it or not, you just discovered the key to winning.”
And apparently, I have, because Theo’s face gets darker and darker with every shot. We’re down to a single cup on his side, and two on ours.
“You got this,” Cole encourages.
I get in position, ready to throw, and then I make the mistake of looking at Theo. His eyes are hot on me, and his lips are parted. He sees me staring, and his mouth hitches up at the side. Flutters start low in my stomach.
“I dare you,” he mouths, a secret phrase only I’ll understand. Win, and get him to stop the nonsense so I can keep studying. Lose, and give him two dares of his choosing. His dares always were the best, even if they caused me no end of trouble. Even if I went without dinner every time I got into a scrape with Theo. It was worth it for the joy on his face, the whoops of pleasure when he did something bad and exhilarating.
I want to live. I want to be more like Theo and less like me.
He pulls his lower lip between his teeth. My stomach flips. And I miss.
Miles sinks two shots in a row, and he and Theo high-five.
“Idiots,” Cole mutters. I notice he hasn’t had anything to drink. The beers on his side are full still.
“Idiots.” I grin up at him. “It was fun, though, right? I don’t have beer pong on my list, but I’m totally going to add it and cross it out.”
“Your list?” His brow furrows. “What list?”
“I have a ‘get out of my shell’ list. It’s full of dumb, fun stuff I want to do. I was pretty sheltered by my parents. They didn’t want me to do stuff like this.” I shrug, and Cole looks stricken for a second. He glances at his brother and frowns.
“Does he know?”
“No. I haven’t told him.”
“Why not?”
I sigh. “He already thinks the worst of me, and he hates them. I don’t want him to know about what they did.”
I’ll do anything to protect Theo from the truth of our childhoods.
“Are you sure?” Cole’s eyes are shadowed with uncertainty. He’s a good man. Kind, upstanding, a little serious and grumpy, but a heart of gold. I give his arm a squeeze.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m making my own way. I have to go back to studying.” I give him a hug and turn for the door.
“Catherine,” Theo calls. I sigh, paste on a smile, and turn.
“Yes, sweetheart? ”
He’s right in front of me, eyes laughing. “Where’s my dare?”
“What do you want?” My pulse thuds uncomfortably. Theo is unpredictable. Fun, but wild.
His tongue does a slow sweep of his bottom lip as he considers me. Grant’s voice comes from behind me, and Theo’s eyes narrow briefly. “I want to sell this,” he says. “Come here.” He reaches for my hand, and I let him clasp it in his warm palm. He tugs me toward him, looking deadly serious and unbearably handsome.
I’m flushed and anxious at the thought of whatever Theo will want me to do. It’ll be awful, I’m sure. He bends. I tense. He raises my hand.
“What are you do—”
Theo’s lips meet my palm. The breath flees my lungs at the press of his mouth, the way his lips move gently over my skin. They’re warm and soft, but seeking and confident. He holds my gaze as his lips move to my wrist, as his tongue flicks over my skin. His breath is warm and damp. I take a shaky breath.
This is how Theo would kiss.
Utterly focused.
Consuming me.
I want to jerk my arm out of his grasp. I’m going to combust. I’m going to go in a Cat-shape column of flame from the need spiraling through me.
Theo can play my biology like a virtuoso. Any man could make me feel this, I’m sure, but Theo’s had years of practice with other women.
I tug my arm away, and give him a shaky nod. He smirks. I wave my goodbyes and head for my textbooks. I’m not fleeing. I have work to do.
Ten minutes later, the bass stops thumping and Theo appears in the doorway of the living room I prefer. I’m on one of the absurdly squishy couches, near where the TV descends from the ceiling. The white couches are surrounded by decor in soothing beiges and grays, with cashmere throws and candles in herbal scents that I know Theo didn’t choose.
“Is that volume better?”
I look up from my notes. “You didn’t have to turn it down.”
He shrugs and drops onto the couch next to me. He’s still in that backward hat that should look foolish, but instead makes him look young and painfully sexy. “The party wasn’t that fun anyway.”
“Not fun?” I raise my brows. “Have you lost your edge, Theo Archer? Isn’t there a car to steal somewhere?”
He barks a laugh. “I’m out of the car-stealing business. I just buy them now. And besides, I’m not sure the partying goes with the reputation I’m trying to cultivate. Not that this will be leaked to the press, but I don’t know…” He rubs his jaw. “You’re getting to me, Catherine. All this Friday night studying. Something about your goodness seems to be leaching into the water.”
I huff a laugh and shake my head. “I’m not good.” My father and stepmother certainly told me that enough.
“Then what are you?” Theo cocks his head and watches me with assessing eyes.
I don’t have a response. I don’t know who I am, and if I dig deep enough, I’m not sure I’ll like the answer.
“Why are you studying so much?”
“Because I’m not good at this.” I gesture helplessly at my notebooks. “The classes I took after college weren’t enough to prepare me for this. These kids, I mean, you’ve seen them. They’re geniuses. They’ve been working in finance for years. They know all about…Gantt charts and tender offers and discount rates.”
“And you don’t?”
“Of course I don’t. I never learned any of this. I majored in English literature, and I’ve never been good at school. I just like reading, that’s all. Not like you. You’ve always been smart.”
Theo leans forward, smiling faintly. “My first-grade teacher, Ms. Rose, would dispute that. She never found all the cockroaches I hid in her classroom. And my fourth-grade teacher still makes the sign of the cross when I see him in public.”
I laugh despite myself. “I do remember you as a kid. I broke my arm because of you. ”
“I am sorry about that,” he says, not sounding sorry at all. “But that was my tree house, not yours.”
“Possession is nine-tenths of the law, Theo Archer.”
“So it is,” he murmurs, his eyes scanning my face. “What about you, Catherine? What are you good at? Since I know it’s not climbing trees.” His lopsided smile tugs at my insides. This is what Theo does. He’s a master of getting people to like him. I let him in once, and he left me in the dust.
I shake my head. “I have to get back to studying.”
“I’m going to figure you out, you know.” He says the words like a promise, but to me, they’re a threat.
“You don’t need to figure me out,” I say in a too-high voice.
“We need to get to know each other. I dare you, Catherine. I dare you to tell me one true thing.”
The words are stoppered in my throat. I loved you. You can’t imagine what I’ve been through to get here. Or maybe you can. I hate that I wasn’t there to see you soar. I miss you. I hate my family. I want more for myself, but I’m too scared to reach for it.
“Not going to tell me? All right, well, I guess I’ll have to collect another way.” He gives a beleaguered sigh. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.” He leans in, his eyes glinting. I still. Is he going to kiss me? For real? Do I want that? My thoughts short out when he brushes a rough finger over my lips and says, “Tormenting my wife is so very trying.”
With that, he winks and saunters out, and I try to ignore the pounding of my heart.