Jake
I’d barely opened the door to the suite when her perfume hit my nose.
Instantly, I patted the pocket of my slacks, double-checking the ring box was still safely there.
As soon as I’d woken up that morning with Ven asleep on top of me, I’d known I couldn’t let another day pass without having my ring on her finger.
Yara and Warren were already off on their honeymoon, a short little trip on the yacht that would last until they docked in Marina del Rey, Claude’s wedding present to the happy couple.
With them off doing their own thing, I wouldn’t be stealing my sister’s moment if I asked Ven to marry me before we left the island.
But that was put on hold the moment I stepped into the suite and realized we had company. The door had barely closed behind me when I heard Marsha’s high-pitched voice, followed by the deeper baritone of my brother.
Fucking hell. I’d left Ven alone, and these two had walked in without so much as a warning. Storming into the living room, I confronted the newcomers. “How the fuck did you two get in here?”
Jude picked up the tiny piece of delicate pink lingerie, and my vision went dark around the edges. He twirled it around his finger, smirking at me. “Looks like someone got lucky last night. Ah, nice. Pretty and expensive. Good taste, brother.”
Stomping over to him, I snatched the panties away from him. Stuffing them into my pocket, I glared at him. “Where is Ven?” His curiosity made my stomach churn. “What did you fucking do?”
“Jake, we’ve only just arrived,” Marsha said with a breathy laugh that grated down my spine. “Warren sent the link to the rooms on Thursday. We didn’t even have to pause at reception since we could activate the doors from our phones.”
“As for whoever Ven is, we’re the only ones here,” Jude said, his eyes dancing with amusement and calculation. “Is that the name of the whore you hired for the weekend? I kinda like it. Ven. It rolls off the tongue so sweetly.”
Knowing he was baiting me, I ignored him and went to check on Ven.
She’d been sleeping so deeply when I left.
Hopefully my asshole brother hadn’t woken her.
But when I opened the door, I immediately felt her absence.
Gut knotting, I checked the bathroom, despite the light being off.
I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or not that she wasn’t there.
Heart jumping into my throat, I tried to call her.
It didn’t even ring before it went straight to voice mail.
Was she mad at me, or did she have poor service?
I wouldn’t have blamed her if she was angry.
Having to meet those two without anyone there to intercede was plenty of reason to walk away.
It was why I wanted to slowly ease her into my family dynamic.
Her friendship with Yara would make the process easier, without a doubt.
Even with that as cushioning, however, I knew Mother would make it a nightmare.
“Jake, you haven’t even given me a hug yet,” Marsha whined from the doorway. “It’s been months since we’ve seen each other, and I’ve missed you so much. Things haven’t been the same since you moved to LA.”
“Did either of you see Ven?” I brushed by Marsha, searching the suite for any sign of her. Other than those panties and the dress she’d worn Thursday night that was still on the back of the sofa, it was as if she hadn’t been there.
“Wait, do you mean Yara’s friend?” Jude asked, watching me fold the dress over my arm. My fingers caressed the soft material, wishing it were my little bunny instead.
“The scholarship girl that Yara went to college with? I think she had a different name. Something more bohemian,” Marsha sneered. “Feather or Moon.”
“Heaven,” I corrected without offering more details. Neither of them cared, and even if they did, they didn’t deserve to know anything about the woman whom I was going to make my wife.
Marsha’s lips twisted in disgust. “No wonder she prefers Ven. We haven’t seen her.
Where is my brother? We need drinks ASAP to celebrate.
” Marsha held out her left hand, practically simpering as she flashed the ring on her finger at me.
“J asked me to marry him. It’s perfect timing.
Yara and I can have a double wedding. Our moms are going to die. ”
“Yeah, it’s definitely perfect for you,” I agreed. “Just one problem.”
Marsha licked her lips, excitement flashing across her face. “Oh?”
If I were a gambling man, I would have put every penny to my name on Marsha thinking I was going to object to her marrying my brother and spontaneously confessing my undying love for her.
She was playing him, trying to make me jealous.
For years, she’d thought I was as competitive as Jude was in all things.
Not once had she realized he was the only one competing.
I hadn’t wanted her before she was with Jude, and I sure as fuck wouldn’t have wanted her after.
They couldn’t have made a better couple. Now they could fight for our parents’ attention together. Maybe they could keep it on themselves long enough for Yara and me to live our own lives in peace.
“Yara and Warren got married last night.”
The room went silent, disappointment flickering in Marsha’s eyes before her face drained in a satisfying way. I almost wished I’d recorded it to show Yara; she would have enjoyed the moment so much more than I did.
Jude was the first to react. “I thought they were getting married tonight. Warren said sunset.”
“I’m sure Warren said a lot of things before he discovered you were dating Bitchzilla. When he found out, he expressly told you not to show up here. And look how well you listened.”
My brother’s jaw clenched, the sound of his teeth grinding amusing for all of a half second.
“Wait, they eloped?” Marsha exclaimed, turning to her fiancé. “And you knew about it? I thought this weekend was about the newest deal Wil-Kline signed.”
“It was never about the deal, and Jude knew it. Warren told him, emphatically, that he wasn’t welcome the moment he learned the two of you were dating. They made their vows by moonlight last night. Yara was so beautiful. There will never be a more beautiful bride than her.”
Except for my future bride. Soon. I just had to find her and get the ring on her finger first.
I turned to my future sister-in-law, my skin crawling at the idea of this woman becoming a member of our family.
Mother was going to be overjoyed, though.
Her loyal minion would be her daughter-in-law, just as she’d always wanted—except not in the capacity she’d hoped.
“But just think, Marsha. You can finish planning the extravagant wedding all on your own. There won’t be anyone to steal the spotlight from since it will be focused solely on you.
It’s what you wanted all along, wasn’t it? ”