Chapter 20 Dorian
Dorian
The aroma of coffee settles in the air, giving the executive break room just enough calm to take the edge off when you need a break. Even if that break comes first thing in the morning, before you’ve even reached your desk.
I lean against the counter and take a sip of my coffee while Levi fixes himself a cup.
The espresso machine hums behind me, low and steady as I gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the city wake up.
“You could have at least told me you asked Elodie,” Levi gripes, cutting me a harsh sidelong stare. “I was right there in the car with you. You had plenty of opportunity to tell me. Instead, I had to find out from Albert.”
He’s not wrong. I should have told him. He was being annoying as fuck, but he was helping. “Time got away from me.”
He frowns and tsks. “But you’d already asked her long before you saw me. Considering I was the one lining up potentials for you, you could have shared your plans.”
“And risk you ruining it?” I raise my brows.
His shoulders slump, and he gives me a deadpan stare. “Me? Ruin your plans. When has that ever happened?”
My gaze snaps back to him, and I blink several times, waiting for his memories to return. I don’t have time to remind him about the countless plans his interference has ruined.
He groans and holds his hands up. “Alright, yes, there may have been the odd occasion. But I wouldn’t have messed with you this time. I’m actually happy for you. Things worked out perfectly, even though I still think she’s way too clean-cut for you.”
“She is too clean-cut for me. But she’ll do.”
I’ve set the boundaries.
Separate lives. Elodie is little more than a housemate to me, and it will stay that way.
That’s why I shut her down when she wanted to talk like normal people. She needed to understand that we aren’t normal. So, asking me how my day was wasn’t going to fly.
That said, I should have just indulged in a polite conversation like a normal person because I hadn’t stopped thinking about what she would have said to me.
It doesn’t matter. I did the right thing.
“She’ll more than do. She’ll clean up your rep good and proper, once people get past wondering how a sweet girl like her ended up with a Gruffalo like you.”
“Oh, thanks.” I don’t bother hiding the sarcasm.
“Don’t mention it.” He plays along, chuckling as he stirs sugar into his coffee. “So, we’re planning a wedding? Need help?”
“No, I got it covered. I just have to focus on building our love story in the meantime.”
“I’ll keep on top of that with PR. We still need to be mindful of the mole.”
“Thanks. And yes, we do need to be mindful. Until we find out who it is, this person could come for any of us. I don’t want that to happen, or for them to infiltrate and make me look worse.”
“Let’s hope neither of those things happen.” He gives me a reassuring grin. “That aside, the bigger picture is looking real good. In a year’s time, the Vale brothers will be running the entire empire. And my God, do I have some next-level plans for us.”
I smile at that. It’s always good to have the endgame in mind. I have plans for us, too. The best thing about my brothers and me is that we each have our talents that make us second to none, but collectively, we’re unstoppable. I see big things for us.
My father put the Global in the company name. He and his brothers took the foundation of an already established legacy and turned it into the renowned company it is today. We can do so much more.
For now, though, I need to focus on the path to get there. That starts with my marriage to Elodie. And yes, I have faith that she’ll clean up my reputation good and proper.
“I look forward to the future.” I smile.
“So do I,” a toxic voice rumbles from behind me, menace laced through every word.
Levi and I both turn to find Parker standing in the doorway.
He walks in with that easy grace I hate, his hands in his pockets, his jacket slung over his shoulder.
“Not going to wish me good morning?” He looks between Levi and me, grinning from ear to ear as if he finds something funny.
“Not really,” I answer. Most people would shy away from answering him, but I’m not most people.
“I hear congratulations are in order.” He fixes his gaze on me.
“Don’t tell me you’re here to congratulate me. That would be very unbecoming of you.”
“I was just trying to be cordial. But clearly, that’s not going to work.”
I shake my head. “Nope, there’s no point even trying.”
Parker glances at Levi and scowls at him for no reason at all.
Beside me, Levi goes still, staring back at him with tense eyes.
He’s not threatened by Parker in the least. He’s just being careful.
We all have our ways of dealing with assholes.
Where I’m cold and blatant, he’s more calculating.
People mistake his lackadaisical attitude for gentleness sometimes.
When they do, he strikes, and they wish they’d never been born.
Parker looks back at me. “So, this girl of yours. You got together pretty quickly. Though, I suppose it must have been easy to get her to agree to play along, given the fact that you already know her.”
“Play along? Don’t know what you mean by that.” Of course, I knew. I was aware people like him would guess exactly what my father demanded of me.
“Yeah, play dumb. It suits you.” He laughs. “That’s the only game you’ll be winning. I’m still going to take that job you want so badly.”
“You sound real confident about that.” I glare at him, forcing my rage down. How dare he come into my company and threaten me like this?
“I am confident. You know why, Dorian?” His gaze lifts heavenward for a moment before settling back on me, that knowing look in his eyes grating on every nerve.
“It’s always the same with you. You’re the rebel.
Something will happen. You’ll find a way to fuck it up.
And when you do, I’ll just walk in and take your job. ”
I bite down hard, clamping my teeth together, trying to stop myself from saying anything. If I do, it’ll turn into another fight. I can’t afford that. Not after last time. Parker is just trying to goad me into knocking his teeth down his miserable throat. I won’t give him the satisfaction.
Definitely not now when I’m finally back in my father’s good books.
“Come on, Levi. Let’s go.” I glance at Levi. He nods.
“Yeah, run away. Just like the past,” Parker taunts. “At least your little wife-to-be is pretty. Maybe I’ll sample the goods myself. I hear she looks quite fuckable.”
I could have left. Until he said that.
I walk up in his face, my coffee still in hand.
Levi grabs my arm. “It’s not worth it, Dorian. Come on, let’s go.”
I don’t listen. Instead, I smile down at Parker, outmatching his Cheshire cat grin. “You motherfucking turd. Touch her, and I will destroy you. I mean it.”
Parker responds with a wider smile. “Looks like I just pushed the right button.”
Yeah, I walked right into that trap. I don’t care, though. He needed to be told.
“Do me a favor and fuck the hell off.”
“All talk, cousin. But let’s be realistic.
A girl like her is never going to want you.
Just wait. It doesn’t matter how long she’s known you or what you did to get her, she’ll pack up and leave your ass the moment she gets a glimpse of who you are.
That marriage is a disaster waiting to happen. Just like your mother and father.”
The jab barely leaves his lips before Levi is yanking me away from Parker. I was going to hit him.
It’s unfortunate that Parker is one of the few people who know exactly how to pull a reaction out of me. Any mention of that woman who sadly gave birth to me will do it. And the way he was trying to spin it with Elodie?
I feel like a timebomb waiting to explode.
“Take a walk, Dorian.” Levi hustles me toward the door.
“Yeah, run away,” Parker continues his taunt.
Levi pauses for a moment. “You’ll get yours one day soon, Parker. Mark my words.”
“There’s nothing you can do to me.”
“Keep believing that.”
We walk out, and I ground myself again.
Levi doesn’t let go of me until we’re in the corridor. Most likely for fear I’ll rush back into the break room and beat the shit out of Parker.
“You good?” he asks.
“I’m fine.”
“Forget Parker and his shit. He doesn’t know what the hell he’s saying.”
“I said I’m good.”
I’m glad when he doesn’t press.
The shitty thing about Parker, the part that grates on my nerves the most, is that sometimes he’s fucking right.
Elodie knows enough about me to make this arrangement work, but if we were anything more than a contract, she’d see the extent of my darkness and run until her feet bled.
Thank God we’re not.
* * *
I make my way down the silent hallway, my footsteps echoing against the marble floors in a hurried rhythm that doesn’t belong in my home at this hour.
Fuck. It’s almost one in the morning, way too late to be returning from work. Even for me—the workaholic.
After the run-in with Parker, I worked like the fires of hell were up my ass. At this rate, I’m going to give myself a damn aneurysm.
Parker’s words still linger, grinding against my nerves. Of all the people who rile me up, he is the fucking worst. I loathe the fact that we share the same blood.
With a deep sigh, I climb the stairs to the second floor. I entered through the back of the house because I needed to park my Porsche in the other garage so Albert can get it serviced in the morning.
At night, this side of the house is always colder because of the glass walls that run along the poolside. It feels even colder now.
A glance down the corridor tells me why. The door has been left open.
I move faster to close it, but the subtle sound of splashing from the pool below catches my attention.
Someone is swimming.
None of my staff are still here, so unless my crazy neighbors broke in and decided to use my pool, my late-night swimmer can only be one person.
I move toward the wall and look down.
There she is—Elodie Harper gliding through the water in long, hypnotic strokes.
Moonlight reflects off her pale skin as she slices through the water, catching against the dim pool lights.
It would be wise to keep walking. Watching her when I’m trying to put distance between us isn’t the best idea.
But I find myself drifting closer to the wall, needing a better look.
Like everything with this woman, I’m captivated.
Elodie moves through the water as if it’s second nature. As effortless as breathing.
What in the hell are you doing up at this hour, Elodie? And swimming?
Doesn’t she have work in the morning?
Maybe our little arrangement is on her mind. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t. We’re getting married in three weeks.
I’m not even sure what my plans are for the aftermath.
Right now, I have the distraction of cleaning up my reputation and finding the mole. But I don’t know what life will look like with her when everything is resolved.
Avoidance is best. My attraction to her is not good. That little detail is a chink in my armor.
But even with my talent for pretending someone doesn’t exist, I can’t avoid her forever.
Can’t make a baby that way, either.
Fuck. Having sex with her might be the final thing that pushes me over the edge.
I was fucked after that kiss at the Dark Odyssey. I wanted more. Part of me still does.
She finishes her lap, grips the edge, and lifts herself out of the pool in one swift motion.
All the blood in my body rushes straight to my dick.
I’d already gotten a good look at her when she stood on that auction block. But this is something else. Something tempting. A private show just for me.
The cream fabric of her bikini clings to her, nearly sheer against the fullness of her breasts. The outline of her nipples is unmistakable, and I hope like fuck this isn’t how she dresses around other people.
If it is, we have a problem.
It’s already a problem. I don’t want anyone else looking at her. And I shouldn’t even be looking.
Beads of water trail down her body, dragging my gaze with them.
She lowers herself to the poolside, sitting cross-legged, then grabs a towel and dries her hair.
Any chance of leaving disappears the moment she undoes the clasp of her top.
Her breasts spill free, no longer hidden from my view. And what I imagined doesn’t come close to the reality.
Shit. I need to go.
But my legs don’t move.
They lose every fight against my eyes.
Elodie clearly thinks she’s alone. She has no idea she has a fucking Peeping Tom.
There’s no decency in me.
But the problem with watching my topless wife-to-be is that it won’t do me any favors.
Silently, I pray she doesn’t take her panties off.
Thank fuck, she doesn’t.
Instead, she grabs a T-shirt from her bag and pulls it over her head.
I think she’s going to get up and come inside, but she lies back instead, her wet hair fanning out against the concrete.
Then she just… lies there. Staring up at the night sky.
I drag my gaze away from her and look up, too, wondering what she sees.
The stars in the inky black sky twinkle back at me, but they tell me nothing.
My eyes go right back to her. Even through the T-shirt, her nipples are still visible. Still an invitation.
I want to go down there. Touch her. Strip her bare. Fuck her right there on the poolside on her hands and knees.
The image hits hard enough to spike my pulse.
This is a dangerous game. I know it.
I shouldn’t be standing here. I shouldn’t be watching.
But I give myself one more minute.
Then I push away.
Another second, and I won’t stop at watching.