Chapter 14
Skylar
"That’s a nice thing to say." I glance sideways at Knox.
Traffic to the shop was unusually low today, so when Knox wandered in, I used it as an excuse to close early.
I asked him to switch the sign to closed and turn off the lights in the front.
I also invited him to help himself to some pastries, then join me in the bakery kitchen so I could talk to him as I experimented on another recipe.
This batter has aphrodisiacs in it. And no, it's not for my wedding cake. Okay, so it is for my wedding cake. Doesn’t mean I'm stressing about my upcoming nuptials. Okay, I definitely am, but I don’t want to admit it.
When my phone rang and I saw Nate’s name on the FaceTime call, I jumped to answer it. I wanted to hear his voice and see his face. Thankfully, Knox had been distracted by the array of desserts in the front, so he was too far away to hear me talk about my marriage arrangement with Nate. Speaking of—
I glance down at my phone to find he’s disconnected. "How rude." And he didn’t say goodbye.
"I assume you’re talking about my brother?" Knox smirks.
"Who else?" I place the spatula aside and, with the help of a rubber scraper, pour the cake mixture into a cake pan. I slide it into the oven, set a timer, and turn to him.
I haven’t been formally introduced to Nathan’s family, but Knox came by the day after Nathan’s first visit and introduced himself.
He told me Nathan had no idea he was coming, but he was curious about the woman his older brother was going to marry and wanted to welcome me to the family.
I thought that was a sweet gesture. Especially since Nathan himself shows no signs of inviting me over to meet them.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by and see how the wedding preparations are coming along.
" His lips curl. It’s not exactly a smile; more like a smirk.
An expression which emphasizes the scar he wears across his face.
The 'deformity' only adds to the general air of danger this man wears about him. It shouldn’t amp up his sexiness, but it does. In fact, I’m sure some women find him irresistible.
Not me, though. I worship at the altar of another alphahole.
Since I met Nathan, I’ve never found another man to match up to him when it comes to sex-appeal.
Knox comes close, but he doesn’t have the charisma that Nathan does.
That allure, that something about him which draws me.
The chemistry between Nathan and me is a living, breathing thing which stretches and throbs and thrums, and given a chance, would pull me in and swallow me whole.
"No, that’s not true." He tilts his head. "What I told you earlier isn’t the complete truth.’
"It’s not?" I turn to face him.
He shakes his head. "I’m here because I wanted to get a rise out of my brother."
"You did?" I blink slowly.
"I don’t know if he mentioned it to you, but Nathan has only recently come into the family fold."
"No, he hasn’t actually." He hasn’t told me anything about himself. Though, I gathered a fair bit about his childhood from Ben. Nate’s association with the Davenports, though, is still something of a mystery. Except for the part his grandfather plays in his wanting to get married, of course.
"I’ll be honest, I don’t exactly trust the guy," Knox drawls.
"O-k-a-y?" Why is he telling me all this?
He must see the confusion on my features, for he gestures toward the tables. "Shall we sit down, and I can tell you more."
I hesitate, then nod. "Would you like a coffee?"
"A coffee would be wonderful." He steps back and gestures. "After you."
I head for the front of the shop and set about readying the espresso machine. "How do you take your coffee?"
"Black, no sugar."
I prepare it, pour it for him, along with my cup of tea, then walk over to take a seat at the table he’s occupied. I slide his coffee over.
He takes a sip of his, and an expression of delight flits over his features. "That’s excellent."
"Thank you." I sip my tea, then gesture with my chin. "You were telling me about Nathan?"
He takes another mouthful of his coffee, then sets down his cup. "As I was saying earlier, I don’t know him very well. He’s a virtual stranger, and while he may be blood, our grandfather deciding to make him the CEO of the company was, understandably, a blow for me."
I lower my chin. "Because you were being groomed to take over as the CEO?"
He nods. "As a result, I keep close tabs on my half-brother. And when he produced a fiancée out of the blue—no doubt, spurred on by my grandfather’s condition that he marry before his position is assured—you have to understand, I was suspicious."
"Of course you were," I say lightly.
"What became clear, though, is that he’s very possessive about you."
I choke on my next sip of tea, then reach for my handkerchief and pat my lips. "Nathan, possessive?"
He looks at me with surprise. "Surely, you're aware of the feelings he has for you?"
"Umm, we are getting married. Of course, he has feelings for me." I can’t say otherwise. Not when he’s told his family we're getting married. I can’t tell Knox the marriage is a farce.
If Nathan wants his grandfather to believe our wedding is the real thing, I need to play along with his brothers, as well.
In fact, Knox being here might well be a test to find out if our relationship is genuine.
"There are feelings and then there are 'feelings.'" He makes air-quotes with his fingers. "My half-brother takes on the persona of a caveman when he talks about you. And then, there’s the speed with which he proposed to you—with a little bit of prompting from our grandfather, of course."
"Hmm." I take another sip of my tea. It’s hot enough to burn the roof of my mouth. Just how I like it. Knox is here to find out more about my relationship with Nathan, that much is clear. I bet it’s because he wants to use it against Nathan in some way.
Nathan hasn’t mentioned anything about Knox, but I can sense Knox would love nothing more than to put Nathan at a disadvantage.
It’s more than sibling rivalry. This feels a bit more serious.
"My fiancé is a very intense man." I incline my head.
"He has strong sentiments when it comes to anything that belongs to him.
He—" The buzzing of what sounds like a helicopter approaching drowns out my voice. The sound grows even louder. In fact, it sounds like it’s just outside my front door.
The windows and tables rattle. I grab my cup of tea to stop it from spilling. Knox steadies his cup.
"You were saying—"
"Uh, that Nathan can be a bit over-zealous when it comes to what he owns, like his company and—" I peer through the glass windows of the cafe to find a helicopter landing on the road out front. My jaw drops. "Holy Schitt’s Creek… Is that…?"
"A helicopter? I believe so." Knox leans back in his seat and there’s a smug look on his face. "You think he’s over-zealous enough to fly over from his office to declare his ownership of his woman?"
The door flies open, and Nathan stalks inside. Without breaking stride, he reaches Knox, who’s smirking in his chair. "The fuck are you doing here?" he snaps.
"I’m having a coffee with your fiancée. The fuck you doing here, bro?"
Nate curls his fingers into fists. "Why are you here?"
"You’re getting married in less than a week; thought I should meet your intended and get to know her better." His expression turns innocent. "Especially since you seem to be hiding her from the rest of us."
"My prerogative," he growls.
"And it’s mine to come by, meet her, and admire this bakery she’s worked so hard to set up. As for the desserts"—he gestures to the cakes on display—"I think I’d love to taste one."
"Of course, coming right up."
I jump up—right now, every sale counts—when—
"Sit down," my fiancé says through gritted teeth.
"Oh, but—"
"Knox was just leaving." Nathan’s jaw tics.
Knox’s grin widens. "Oh, but I haven’t tasted her—"
"—don’t fucking say it," Nathan snaps.
"—C!i—"
Nathan grabs Knox by his collar, hauls him to his feet, pulls back his fist, and let’s it fly, and—
"Nathan, stop," I cry out.
—pauses within an inch of his half-brother’s features.
Knox’s smile widens. "Don’t stop, big bro."
"Don’t do it." I lock my fingers together. "Please, Nate."
He releases Knox so suddenly, he stumbles back, then rights himself.
He straightens his collar, then clicks his tongue.
"Temper, temper. The CEO of the Davenport Group almost beating up his younger brother?
Now, that would have made a fine headline in the media.
And where would that have left your bid to confirm your position, eh?
You know how much Arthur hates any kind of scandal.
He loves to run a tight ship, that man."
The vein at Nathan’s temple pulses with such force, I’m sure it’s going to snap through his skin. "Out." He stabs his thumb in the direction of the door. "Get the fuck out."
Knox laughs. "Whatever you say, big bro." He turns to me and half-bows. "A pleasure, m’lady. Maybe I’ll get to taste your Vaja—”
Nathan makes a growling noise and Knox smirks.
“—your desserts, next time."
He brushes past Nathan and heads out the door.
The tinkling of the bell fills the space, then fades away.
In the silence that falls over the shop, his anger screams louder than words ever could.
He’s wound so tightly; the tension vibrates off of his big body and slams into my chest. His displeasure is so thick in the space between us, I could cut the air with a knife.
I bend to gather my mug and Knox’s when Nate growls, "Leave it. "
I ignore him, carry the mugs over to the counter, then turn and gasp.
Nathan’s standing right behind me. So close, the heat from his body is an all-encompassing shield which wraps around me as effectively as a lasso.
He’s so tall, I have to tip my head back, and further back, to meet his gaze.
His blue eye blazes with cold fire, while his amber eye flashes with golden sparks.
The combination of those mismatched eyes boring into me is like being pinned in place by a high-powered laser.
His chest heaves, and his shoulders seem to swell.
The tendons on his throat stand out in such relief, it’s clear he’s under great duress.
"Nathan," I whisper, "what’s wrong."
When he doesn’t answer, the silence stretches. The rage that crackles in the air is so heavy, so thick, so hot, it licks over my skin and makes my nerve-endings pop.
"Nate, please." I take a step forward, and my breasts brush against him. An electric current runs up my spine. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. He must feel it, too, for every muscle in his body turns to stone.
"Talk to me. Why are you so angry?" I say softly.
"Angry?" His voice is like flint being rubbed together; I can almost feel the sting of the sparks. "That’s not the word I’d use right now to describe how I’m feeling."
"Oh?" I manage to keep my tone from trembling. "Then how would you describe it?"
"I’m livid, Starling."
"Why?" I frown. "What did I do wrong?"
He moves so quickly, I flinch. The next moment, he curls his fingers around my wrist. Despite how tightly wound he is, his touch is gentle. He holds up my left palm, and without taking his gaze from mine, growls, "Why aren’t you wearing your ring?"