Chapter Six #2
“I know. But I highly doubt you expected to be summoned to my parents’ house within a month of knowing me.”
Zayne’s heart broke a little at the way Chloé lowered her eyes. He moved his chair over until he was right beside her.
“Listen,” he said, placing a comforting hand over hers. “You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about.”
He looked at Ethan, the question are we going to do this or not? in his eyes, and Ethan nodded.
“They’re your parents,” Zayne said. “They’re just lookin’ out for you.”
“By treating me, and the both of you, like we’re in high school? When was the last time you ever met one of your subs’ parents?”
Zayne’s lips twitched, but he did his best to bite back his laugh. “Well, since they’re usually tied up at our club, that would be, um, never.”
“But then again,” Ethan added, “ we’ve never done this either.”
Chloé looked at him. “This?”
“Invited a third person into our relationship outside of the club.”
“Oh.”
“And you’re wrong.” Ethan fingered the bracelet on the wrist closest to him. “We did sign up for this. We signed up for you —every single part of you. We’re just now learning what some of those parts are.”
Chloé worried her lower lip with her teeth. “Really?”
“Really. Now, what night were they thinking of having this dinner?”
“Whatever night suits you. Père’s going to have our sous chef take care of JULIEN so we can all be there.”
“Shit.” Zayne’s eyes widened. “They aren’t messing around, are they?”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” He chuckled. “I’m just working out how long I have to update my will.”
Her lips twitched. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do it.”
“Red, do we really look like the kind of men who would do something we didn’t want to?”
“No.”
“Then stop worrying.”
“We want you, Chloé.” Ethan refilled his wine glass and took another sip. “We want to see what this could be. If that means having dinner with your fathers, then that’s what we’re going to do.” He gestured to her plate. “Now, finish up that delicious pasta before Zayne steals it.”
Zayne scoffed. “No fear of that happening.”
Dinner was much more relaxed after the elephant in the room was acknowledged, and they completed their meals and then dessert. They invited Chloé to stay for the night, but she thought it might be best not to push her luck so soon, and Zayne couldn’t blame her.
He ushered her out of the restaurant with Ethan following behind, happy to watch over his dates. The night had grown chilly, and when they stopped at the valet and Chloé handed over her ticket, she shivered.
Zayne shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know. But I want to.”
She shook her head, and a few seconds later, the valet jogged around the corner with a frown.
“Miss? You had the silver Toyota, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Um, yeah, we tried it a couple of times and it won’t start.”
“ What? Are you kidding me?”
“I’m afraid not.” The man handed her keys back and looked between the three of them. “It’s around the corner in row D. We’re going to have to ask you to have it towed by the morning or there’ll be fines.”
“Towed?” Chloé’s eyes were wide now, her head looking like it wanted to explode. “Fines?”
“Yes, miss. They charge by the day.”
“Perfect. That’s just perfect.” Chloé stormed off toward the corner without another word, and Ethan and Zayne took off after her. She was a woman on a mission. She made her way down the row of cars and stopped by hers, then kicked the front tire and cursed it to hell and back.
Zayne leaned into Ethan’s side and said under his breath, “I don’t know if I should be scared or turned on right now.”
Ethan side-eyed him. “I know which one I am.”
“Of course you had to break down tonight. Of course you did.” She kicked it again, and then started to hop around as she reached down to rub her leg.
“Jesus, Red. Don’t break your foot,” Zayne said.
She whipped her head around, fire in her eyes. He held his hands up.
“Just some friendly advice, that’s all.”
“This is just what I need,” she muttered to herself. “The fathers told me. Let us buy you a car, but I said no… They are just going to love this. A mechanic fee, a towing fee, a fine, and now I get to go home in a cab. The universe hates me right now.”
* * *
THERE WAS NO way in hell they were letting Chloé go home in a cab this late at night—or anytime, for that matter—when they were right there and willing.
Ethan didn’t care if he had to haul her over his shoulder and shove her in their car. “You are not calling a cab.”
“It’s fine, really. I do it all the time.”
“Yeah, not tonight, Red. We’ll take you.”
Chloé’s eyes bugged out. “No. You don’t have to do that.”
“We know we don’t have to.” Ethan reached for her hand and took it in his. “But we wouldn’t feel right sending you home in a cab when we have a car right here.”
“Yeah, but—”
“But what?”
She chewed on her lower lip, concern flickering in her eyes. “What if my fathers are there?”
“Then they’re there. Don’t you think they’d rather we take you home than let you go off by yourself?”
Zayne slung an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Red. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I’m just… I don’t know. I’m not ready yet. We decided on the weekend, and that at least gives me time to mentally prepare myself. What if they come out and want to talk to you?”
“The horror,” Ethan deadpanned as he began to lead them back to the front of the restaurant.
“I’m serious.”
“We can tell.” Zayne winked at her. “But stop worrying so much—we got this. Trust us.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
When they reached the valet, Ethan pulled out a business card and wrote his cell phone on the back. “We’ll send a tow truck to pick up the car tonight. If you have any problems, you can call me at this number.”
The man nodded, then took Ethan’s ticket and grabbed his keys. “I’ll be right back with your car.”
“Thank you.”
A few minutes later, he pulled up in the SUV and climbed out. Ethan slipped into the driver’s seat, and Zayne opened the passenger door for Chloé.
“After you.”
“Oh, I’ll just sit in the back.”
“No, you won’t. Up you get.”
“But I’m the interloper.”
“Red?” Zayne held on to the door and leaned down until his lips brushed hers. “Get in the car before I turn you over my knee.” Chloé’s lips parted, and when she hesitated, Zayne laughed. “Cheeky girl. That’s not supposed to encourage you. Now, hop in.”
Chloé climbed inside, and Ethan ran his eyes down over her.
“So you’ve decided you like that punishment more than you dislike it, have you? That’s good to know. We’re nothing if not adaptable.”
Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink as Zayne climbed in behind them and shut the door.
“Why don’t you put your address in the GPS there? We’re going to need it this weekend anyway.”
“Oh God, don’t remind me.”
“Aw, don’t be like that,” Zayne said, ever the peacemaker. “Maybe it’ll go better than you think.”
“If we all come out of it alive, that’s better than I think.” She began to punch in her address.
“You’re really that worried?” Ethan asked as the GPS loaded and directed him out onto the main street.
“I just can’t believe they’re making me do this.”
“In all honesty, I’m shocked they didn’t demand you end things. So perhaps this is the better option of the two.”
“Yeah.” She rested back in her seat. “Tell me that again after you’ve met them.”
Ethan looked at the directions on the screen. “Wicker Park?”
“That’s right.”
“Nice area.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
He continued to follow the directions until he turned down her street, and as he approached a three-story modern contemporary, he slowed the SUV to a crawl. He pulled in to the curb and cut the lights, then looked at their passenger.
“Would you like Zayne to walk you to the door?”
Chloé balked at the suggestion, but then she caught sight of Ethan’s smirk. “Very funny.”
“Yeah,” Zayne piped up from the back. “Hilarious. Do you want me to die?”
Ethan started to laugh, and Chloé joined in. “That’s just wrong.”
“And yet you’re laughing,” he said.
She shook her head and pushed open the door, and the interior light illuminated all three of them. As she climbed out, Zayne followed, about to take her place, and Ethan noticed a curtain on the second floor shift.
He zeroed in on the silhouette of whoever now stood in the window, and judging by the height and broad shoulders, it was neither of the men they’d seen at the ballroom.
“So, I’ll um, call you with the day and time?”
Ethan looked to where Chloé stood beside Zayne, and suddenly wondered if he should be concerned for Zayne’s safety.
“That sounds good. We’ll make sure we’re free, and we’ll get your car back to you as soon as possible.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“We know. We want to.”
“Well, thank you. For dinner and the car.” She smiled, but when she went in for a kiss with Zayne, Ethan cleared his throat and she immediately stopped.
“We have an audience, just so you’re aware.”
Chloé’s shoulders stiffened as she straightened and looked up at the window, and she blew out a breath.
“Okay. I’ll just say goodnight. Since, unlike you, I don’t want either of you to die.”
Ethan nodded as Zayne climbed in the car. “Night, Red.”
“Have a good night, petite fille. We’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
She waved, and as she turned and headed up the drive, Ethan noticed the curtain shift back into place. He couldn’t help but wonder just how much of a battle they were going to face when trying to win over not one, but three fathers.