Chapter 49
JAX
“You and Kat, huh?”
I look up at my friend who’s standing in the doorway.
“I hope so,” I tell him.
If Kat wants to be open and honest, then so will I.
“It was the Maldives, wasn’t it? All that romance, the beautiful setting. I knew it. Not even my sister could resist.”
Caleb drops into the seat opposite mine.
I don’t know yet whether Kat wants her siblings to know about our previous relationship. The current one, they seem fine with, but the fact that Kat has made her dislike for me over the past sixteen years incredibly obvious, maybe letting them know something happened before, is not the best move.
“We talked,” I say. “Cleared the air.”
There’s another knock at the door.
The door opens, this time revealing Elijah’s enormous frame.
“Hey,” I say, but stop when I see the look on his face.
Oh shit, maybe the cat is already out of the bag.
“You slept with Kat sixteen years ago? I should throw you through the window. I always wondered why my sister hated you so much.”
“Come in, and close the door,” I say, calmly.
Caleb is sitting in the chair, his head swivelling between his older brother and me.
“You slept with our sister sixteen years ago?” he mutters. “And I sent you to the Maldives with her.”
I shake my head.
“Why don’t you both take a seat?” I say.
Elijah enters the room, closing the door sharply behind him.
“I’d rather stand,” he says, his arms folded over his chest.
The door opens again, this time Pen crashes in.
“Sorry,” she says, shooting me a look of apology, as she steps in front of Elijah.
“Slow down, big boy,” she says.
“No, Pen, please come in and join the party,” I say, with a sigh. “I believe we’re just getting warmed up.”
Pen turns on Elijah, who unfolds his arms quickly, dropping them to his side.
“What did I say? Stop, and let me explain,” she says.
Elijah looks over Pen’s shoulder and glares at me.
“I can’t believe you knew he slept with her, and didn’t say anything.”
Pen grips his chin in her hand, re-diverting his gaze.
“How could I?” she says. “Have you forgotten you barely spoke to me for over fifteen of those years? Besides, Kat just told me.”
Elijah’s arms refold over his chest, the heat of his glare burrowing into me.
“You have some explaining to do— Friend.”
Running a hand over the back of my neck, I massage the tight muscles, trying to ward off the impending headache.
“Fine,” I say.
I fill them in on what happened sixteen years ago, how Darra and Zach conspired against us, and how Lottie’s revelation helped clear the air, forcing the guilty parties to admit the truth.
At some point, Elijah has taken a seat on the sofa, Pen next to him. Both her hands enveloped in one of his.
“Do you love her?” his voice is thick and heavy.
“That’s between Kat and me,” I say.
Not wanting to tell her brothers how I feel, before letting the woman herself know.
He nods as if understanding.
“What I will say is, I’ll do everything in my power never to hurt her again. I will fight for us.” My eyes move between my friends. “I would rather have you guys on our side than against us.”
“You have my backing,” Caleb says quickly. “And April’s.”
Pen shoulder bumps Elijah.
He grunts.
She coughs.
He turns to face Pen.
“What? She’s my sister, he’s my best friend, or at least was,” he growls. “They went behind my back. What about the best friend code?”
“Get over yourself,” Pen says. “If you hadn’t laid down the law all those years ago, they would not have had to hide their relationship, and Zach and Darra wouldn’t have had any ammunition.”
Elijah harrumphs and runs a hand through his hair.
Pen looks over at me and winks.
I allow my lips to tilt slightly, although I straighten them as soon as Elijah looks up.
“It was never you I was warning off,” he says, his voice suddenly tired. “But she ended up with him anyway. I could never understand why. I think now maybe I do.”
My stomach constricts.
“Just, don’t hurt her,” he says, standing up and pulling Pen into his side.
Elijah steps forward and holds out a hand. I shake it.
Caleb does the same.
Pen steps forward, coming around the desk to wrap her arms around me, whispering against my ear.
“Hurt her, and I’ll make these two look like puppies.”
She presses a kiss to my cheek before pulling back.
“You and Kat must come around for dinner,” she says, returning to Elijah’s side.
I incline my head.
“I’ll get Kat to call you.”
They all leave, and I sink back into my chair.
That went better than expected.
Glancing at the clock, there’s half a day until Kat and I can touch base again, or touch in general.
My cock hardens instantly at the thought.
Calls from the New York office. Reporters want a statement on my new relationship. I have erected a wall of silence. No one is to speak to the press, or anyone, for that matter.
The London office has been acting as a shield, all calls being directed to a brick wall in the press office.
Thankfully, Caleb arranged for Mason to pick me up and drive me to the hotel.
I check into the room Elijah arranged for me, before knocking on Kat’s door.
“Hey,” she says, throwing it open.
“Hey, yourself. How was your day?”
“I’d rather not discuss it. Living it was bad enough. Although I did have coffee and cake with Mum. You have her seal of approval,” she says, her eyes twinkling.
I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her in for a kiss.
Our lips meet, the passion between us flowing, filling a void inside me.
When we finally come up for air, Kat smiles. “I needed that.”
“Me too.” I reply, taking her hand and leading her further into the room. “Your brothers paid me a visit today.”
“Gabriel?”
“No, he was the only one who didn’t.”
“Please tell me you told them to mind their own business?”
“Not quite, but in a roundabout way. Pen says we need to have dinner with them.”
Kat chuckles. “Is that all she said?”
“She threatened me, that if I hurt you…”
Kat laughs even harder. “Typical Pen. She’s a pussy cat, and she loves you.”
“Pen is definitely scarier than your brothers, and remember, cats have claws.”
I love Pen as we’ve been friends for years, but her friendship with Kat has survived a lot. Would ours do the same if Kat and I crumble?
“I’ll protect you,” Kat says, biting her lip to prevent herself from smiling.
I grunt, looking at the table behind her.
“The plans arrived?”
“Dragged them out of the archives myself,” she says, winding her arms around my neck. “Do you want to look at the plans, or order dinner first?”
My arms encircle her waist, my forehead resting against hers.
“What I want is to greet the woman I’ve not stopped thinking about all day. Then we can eat, and if there’s time…”
“I can be on board with that,” she says, pulling my head down towards hers.