Chapter 21
Dorian
“So, let’s hear it. How are things at home?” Knox gives me an eager smile.
"Fine." I gaze ahead at the New York skyline, taking in the last rays of the retreating sun.
From here on the yacht, the buildings bleed into the horizon.
Knox and I are near the bow, standing away from the crowd that has gathered for the party.
The party that was set up as a stage for Elodie and me to launch our relationship.
I haven’t seen her since that night by the pool. Albert prepped her with my instructions for the evening, but I should have done that myself.
I’ve been busy, but I could have called. I’m still playing it safe—for my own peace of mind.
Knox cuts me a hard stare and gives me a teasing smirk. "Fine? Is that all you can come up with?”
"There’s nothing more to say."
"Elodie has lived under your roof for days, and that’s all you’ve got?"
I look back at him. The two of us have been away for the last few days. He was in Chicago, and I was in L.A. I knew he’d have questions the moment he saw me.
“That’s all I’ve got.” I nod. “We haven’t really seen each other.”
Knox tilts his head. “Did you call her?”
I raise my brows. “Why would I do that?”
“You do know the wedding is in two weeks now, right?”
“And?”
“Come on, Dorian.” He rolls his eyes. “Jesus, what the hell is it with you? You run from hot to cold, then colder.”
I chuckle. “What do you want from me, bro?”
“Anything. You haven’t talked about her at all. Nothing. It’s like she doesn’t even exist.”
“Because there’s nothing to say. This is how you act when business is business. But I guess you wouldn’t know that.”
He rests his glass on the rail and glares at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Typical Knox and his selective memory. He fucking well knows what I mean, but I’ll never tire of giving him reminders. “When you met Isla, you wanted her from the get-go. Let’s be realistic; you orchestrated that whole ordeal with her inheritance and her family restaurant to get her to marry you.”
He frowns, but there’s a lightness in his eyes. “That’s not what happened.”
“But it was.”
“It—” He stops himself because he knows there’s little point arguing with me.
“I’m right.”
“It was different.”
I shake my head. “No. This”—I point to myself—“this thing with Elodie and me is different. We have a mutually beneficial arrangement. And everything is on track to go as planned.”
He studies me the way he does when he's deciding whether to push. “Alright. Suit yourself. In any event, I’m glad things are on track. Is she on the way?”
“Yeah. She’ll be here in a minute.”
He lifts his glass slightly, a half-toast to nothing in particular. "Good. And the best part is Dad seems happy.”
He motions to our parents standing on the upper deck. Dad has an arm around Louise, our stepmother. They look happy. My father in particular looks more at ease. I suspect that’s because of me.
For a moment, I study him and wonder how he moved on from my mother and found love with Louise.
They had an arranged marriage while my brothers and I were living in England, and by the time we returned to the States, they had my sister, Adeline.
They’ve been together for years and made it work.
But somewhere along the line, they became a real couple.
It’s sad. I can tell my father isn’t as high-spirited with Louise as he once was with my mother. Louise has been more of a mother to us and a wife to him than my mother could ever be.
The last time I saw my mother, she was walking out on us, pregnant with another man’s child. As distraught and disgusted as my father looked at the time, he still had that love for her in his eyes.
He’ll never admit to this, but my mother broke him in more ways than even he realized.
That’ll never be me.
I return my focus to Knox. He looks at me at the same time.
“As long as our old man’s not breathing down my neck, I’m good,” I say, taking a swig of my drink.
“Well, it seems like everything really is in order.” Knox nods. “And you haven’t heard from Jack again?”
“No. What’s he going to say to me?” I smirk. “He’s got nothing.”
“That’s true.”
“There they are,” says a soft voice across from us. It’s Isla.
The instant Knox turns and sees his wife, his face lights up and he becomes a whole new person.
Isla walks up to us with Adeline in tow. The two have been inseparable since Knox and Isla got married.
Tonight, they look like something out of a fairytale in their gowns—Isla with her platinum hair, and my sister with her fiery red.
You can just see a hint of Isla’s baby bump under her gown as she moves toward us.
“Love,” Knox says, pulling her into his arms. He hugs her for a second then does that annoying thing I’ve seen dads-to-be do by kissing her baby bump. No matter where he is or who he’s with, he does it. Unashamed and beaming with pride.
Adeline and I exchange glances and roll our eyes.
“Hey, Red,” I greet her, and she gives me a smile.
“I think it’s cute,” she mutters, glancing back at Knox, who’s still fussing over his wife and baby.
“Liar.” I tsk.
She giggles. “Maybe.”
“Is Elodie here yet?” Isla asks, glancing at me.
“Soon,” I answer.
“Can’t wait to meet her.”
“Me too,” Adeline chimes in. “It’s the night for first meetings.” She sounds more excited than usual because her plus one—her new boyfriend—will be coming tonight. It’s the first time we’ll be meeting him.
Knox catches her meaning straightaway and sets his shoulders back. He’s more protective of her than Dad is. “I’m looking forward to having my own heart-to-heart with Mark.”
“It’s Matt, Knox. Not Mark.” Adeline frowns. “Please get his name right. And don’t scare him away. He’ll be here in five minutes. I like him a lot.”
“He’ll only be scared if he has something to hide.”
“Oh my God. You are insufferable.”
“I’m not. No harm ever came from being too careful. You’re eighteen.”
“I’ll be nineteen in a few months. Please just be nice to my boyfriend.”
I take her arm and look her square in the eye. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he doesn’t kill this one.”
Her frown deepens. “What do you mean by this one, Dorian?”
Knox and I laugh.
“Ugh, you guys,” Isla chides, then slips an arm around Adeline. “Come on, let’s dip some marshmallows in the chocolate fountain.”
“That sounds good.”
They saunter away, and Knox turns back to me.
“You are so bad.” He chuckles.
“No more than you.”
“I’m way better than you when it comes to Adeline. I’m lenient.”
He glances over my shoulder, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Yeah? Let’s see how lenient you can be with your wife-to-be. Though you did say business is business.”
He lifts his chin, signaling me to look.
I follow his gaze, and Elodie Harper is the first thing I see.
She's standing at the top of the stairs, looking like she was conjured from a dream.
A light blue sleeveless gown flows down her body, the silk fabric falling in weightless layers. The dress cinches at her waist, showing off her graceful curves and slender frame. Her platinum hair is swept back loosely, soft around her face.
For a heartbeat, everything else fades and that spark of attraction ignites deep inside me.
Eyes turn toward her, and all I can think is that she’s mine. The thought hits hard, my cock tightening in my pants, my mind filling with thoughts I shouldn’t have.
Then Parker walks up beside her, and she looks up at him and smiles.
So, that’s what Knox meant.
I go still as my grip tightens around my glass.
Parker says something to her, and she laughs, looking intrigued.
“Business is business, right?” Knox mutters.
I don’t look at him. I set my drink on the nearest table and am already striding toward Elodie and my asshole cousin before my mind can catch up.
Motherfucker. What does he think he’s doing?
It’s bad enough he wants my job and my fucking life. Now he’s moving in on my woman, too?
“Hampton Court. Darling, you’d love it,” Parker says, flashing Elodie a rakish smile. “Especially in the winter when it snows. Though it’s been an age since we’ve had a proper snowfall in England.”
Listen to him, laying his accent on thick, talking like he just walked off the set of Bridgerton.
“Hampton Court sounds amazing. I would love nothing more than to go there,” Elodie says, excitement in her voice.
England. Of course. She’s obsessed. She’s always been obsessed with going there. So, Parker—who’s from there and sounds like he was raised in Buckingham Palace—would absolutely fascinate her.
“My lady—”
I clear my throat before he can continue. Because no, she’s not his lady. And no, business isn’t fucking business.
The two of them face me. Elodie’s cheeks flush as she looks at me, and she tries to bite back her smile.
“Dorian, hi,” she says.
“Sweetheart.” I can lay it on thick, too.
I take her hand and pull her toward me.
“I was just talking with your cousin. I ran into him in the parking lot,” Elodie explains, glancing between us. “He was telling me about England.”
“Was he now.”
Parker grins. “She’s simply enchanted. I couldn’t help myself.”
“I adore your accent,” Elodie gushes, and I don’t know how I maintain my calm.
“You need to go to England, darling.”
He needs to head back there himself.
“Perhaps Dorian will take you. I hear he should be going there soon.”
God, give me strength. Any opportunity to take a dig at me. Even now.
Elodie’s face brightens, and her dainty hand warms in mine. “You’re going to England?”
“Not any time soon. Parker gets confused sometimes. Especially when it comes to me. And what belongs to me.”
Elodie’s smile wanes, and I can tell she’s picked up on my meaning.
“Nah. Not so much. I don’t recall being confused over anything that belongs to you.”
He’s testing me. Wanting me to push back again.
It won’t work tonight.
“Let’s go, babe.” I pull Elodie closer, but my eyes remain on Parker.
He’s smiling, knowing he got under my skin.
I look away when we turn to leave, but really, I want to wipe the smile off his face.
I glance down at Elodie, who is already gazing up at me with narrowed, confused eyes.
Fuck. I’m already breaking my own rules, and we’re not even married yet.