Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Massive, ostentatious, and fancy were the only words I could come up with. I climbed the steps up to the front door. The place had everything I had only seen in movies. A rounded drive, a bubbling fountain, the multiple drivers having a smoke near three different cars. Personal freaking drivers.
I didn’t think I could ever get used to wealth like this and it only drove in the doubt after finding smeared lipstick on the shirt.
Maybe all I’d be was a temporary diversion, someone to pass the time, either way, I was getting ahead of myself. His comments last night might have been spawned from the moment. But then why had he held me all night?
“Are you okay, Ms. Issa?” Dalton asked, squeezing my hand. Shaking off those negative thoughts, I plastered on a smile.
“Yeah,” I said, rushed and my smile turned nervous. Caine’s gaze was fixed on me, and it did nothing to help me avoid him. “Your shoes are untied.” I crouched and grabbed the laces.
“Caine!” a feminine voice shouted from inside the home. I froze in place for a split second. He didn’t respond to it, but the voice came again.
“Goddammit, what Vanessa?”
“Come help me with this,” she shouted back. “It’s going to fall!”
“Isabelle, I’ll be waiting inside for you.”
Who the heck is Vanessa? I pressed my lips into a thin line and watched his back retreating.
“Are you okay, Ms. Issa?” Dalton’s question ripped me out of my doom and gloom, and I quickly finished off the knot.
“I’m great,” I chirped, getting to my feet.
He watched me with his clear, youthful eyes that saw more than I wanted.
I held out my hand, waiting for him to slide his into mine, and we walked inside a large foyer.
I wasn’t sure what I should look at first. The chandelier, the nice vase with intricate designs, or the pristine, clean floors. But there was also no sign of Caine.
“Nephew!”
“Auntie V!” Dalton exclaimed, grinning. A beautiful young Omega hurried forward to scoop him into her arms.
The woman that called for Caine was his sister.
“I haven’t seen you in so long, Dalton,” she chastised and smiled at me.
“You must be Dalton’s au pair.” Before I could get a word in, she continued.
“Phillips, can you show Ms. Issa to the kitchen? She’d be such a great help in there.
” Her big blue eyes, so clear and similar to her brother’s, settled on mine. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all,” I said quickly.
Her smile was brilliant and blinding. She was a female version of Caine and he was a gorgeous man.
“If you come with me,” the man in a clean cut outfit intoned. I trailed after him and looked back toward Dalton who had his eyes fixed on me with a little scowl. Vanessa Astor was talking away at him. I wiggled my fingers at him and his scowl deepened.
“The Astors will be having a luncheon and we could use the assistance with setting up.” I was only half listening to him as he guided me through the corridor. The ceilings were so high, it was crazy.
“Ms. Issa,” Phillips snapped, forcing me back to the present.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
He huffed, mustache wiggling; he was obviously offended by my lack of focus. He clicked his tongue and took a sudden turn through the swinging doors on the left. The smell of food cooking wafted across my nose, and I inhaled the delicious smelling spices.
“Sally,” Phillips called and a small woman shuffled over. “Show her where she can—”
The door slammed open, cutting him off, and I whirled.
“Why are you in here?” Caine’s voice lashed through the kitchen. His glare was fixed on me as he stormed over and took my wrist. I tried to pull away, but he squeezed it, locking me in his grip.
“Sorry,” I gasped at Phillips and Sally who watched with their mouths dropped.
They disappeared behind the swinging doors, and Caine dragged me halfway down the hall and into a different room. It was dark and the heavy smell of books filled my nose. I practically had to jog to keep up with his stride, so I was panting up a storm.
He pinned my wrist on the wall to the side and my back followed suit. Then he claimed my lips, flicking his tongue against my lower lip, inciting shivers to life. He was moving so fast my brain couldn’t keep up with him.
He shoved his hand down my pants, sliding his fingers against my pelvis and curling his finger against my sensitive clit. I jerked from the cool touch.
“What were you doing in there?” he asked, rolling the pad of his finger against my pussy.
“Helping,” I hissed.
“And who told you to do that?” he breathed against my ear. My hips wouldn’t stop wriggling, and I struggled to think. In some far-off part of my brain, I recognized we were in his family’s house and this wasn’t appropriate. “You are here as my guest.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I whispered.
Caine pressed his lips to my forehead and simultaneously worked his finger into my channel while his thumb rolled my clit. The soft caresses hit just the right spot.
“Good,” he murmured. I leaned harder against the wall, panting and moaning. The release rolled over my body; it was soft, coaxing, and all-encompassing. He didn’t stop pumping his finger inside me, enhancing my release. “My good girl,” he murmured.
My breaths wheezed from my throat and I gripped the lapels of his suit, needing him for support. Gently, he slid his finger out of my channel, lifting the glistening tips to his lips.
He popped his fingers into his mouth and slowly pulled them out. “Delicious,” he said huskily.
My lips parted with an exhale. He was so sexy y peligroso.
He smoothed his hand down my clothes and tipped my head up with a pinch on my chin. “Let’s go.”
Caine grabbed my hand, making me stumble after him, mind blown and in shock. I didn’t pay attention to where he went; the hall walls blurred past us. He took another turn, then at the end of the hallway, natural light filtered in.
We were heading right toward it. Turning a corner allowed the view of the wide spread space and the large window where trees swayed in the faint breeze outside.
He let my hand go and strode up to his sister who was sitting with another beautiful woman. I hovered at the entrance. It was a blocked-off porch with glass windows that let in natural light, while the roof was covered to keep the sun from shining directly on them.
“Vanessa,” he barked, and the volume made even me jump, but his sister swept her gaze to her brother and jumped to me trying to hide behind him with confusion twisting her features.
“What has you all tensed up like that—”
“She is not here to serve,” he said icily, glaring at his sister. “She is a guest.”
“She . . .” Her gaze settled on me hovering near the entrance and I winced, wanting to apologize, but I had no doubt it’d make Caine mad.
Vanessa’s gaze bounced from me to her brother and back again. The waifish beauty with skin a shade darker than mine elbowed her. She also watched me knowingly.
“Sorry, Caine. I should have been more considerate.”
Caine grunted, and his phone went off. I didn’t think his lips could flatten any more, but he proved me wrong. He strode toward me, lifting the phone to his ear.
“What?” he snapped into the device. Whatever he heard from the other end must have been bad, because he ran his hand through his hair. He hung up. “I have to go handle something, Isabelle.”
“Leave her here with us dear stick-up-your-ass brother,” Vanessa said, not missing a beat.
Caine hadn’t removed his eyes from mine. “Are you okay with that?”
“Yes,” I nodded frantically, “I’ll be fine. I can even return to the kitchen to help—” I cut off. The thunderous expression traveling over his features shoved the words right back down.
“Nonsense,” Vanessa said and flounced over to me. She hooked her arm with mine so I had no choice but to follow her back to where her and the dark-haired woman sat.
Caine didn’t look too convinced, but he finally nodded. “I shouldn’t be long,” he said to me and left the room. I watched him leave, the long stride eating up the ground.
“Out of all the women he’s had working for him, he’s never even given them a second look.” Vanessa sidled closer. “You guys a thing?”
“No,” I gasped, from shock more than anything. There was no rudeness in her blue eyes, no subterfuge. Vanessa raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing me, and that had more to do with the heat burning my face. I cleared my throat. “I swear.”
“Well, if you aren’t now, you will be.” She winked. “Just don’t be offended if he asks you to sign something.” She lowered her voice. “Dalton’s birth mother fucked him over and it left him a bit scarred.”
“I got us drinks!” a cheerful exclamation cut off the question bubbling behind my lips. A curvy woman entered with a huge grin on her face.
“This is Nina. She can’t go anywhere without my oaf of a brother, Samuel.” It didn’t surprise me that Caine’s brother was an oaf. “Our stepsister Alex is turning twenty today, that’s why we’re having girl’s time in here.” The waifish girl still sitting on the couch nodded vigorously.
“Your brother agreed not to rush us this time,” Nina murmured with a chuckle. “Hi.” She turned her eyes toward me as she set the tray with drinks on a side table. She was beautiful, dark-haired, and tan.
Vanessa hooked her arm through mine.
“She’s Dalton’s nanny.” She wiggled her eyebrow up and down. “And Caine ordered me to take care of her.” She put emphasis behind the words, as if they meant more than they did. I hated to admit it, but her enthusiasm was rubbing off on me.
“Oh.” Nina’s eyebrows raised. “Oh,” she gasped emphatically. “Your brothers have a type.”
“They must get it from their dad, considering my mom,” Alex interjected. Her eyes flicked over to Vanessa. “With his second marriage of course,” she said so rushed the words about ran together.
But Vanessa only waved her hand. The first marriage must be their mom, who must have been a lean, blonde, beautiful model based on how Vanessa and her brother looked.
“You know how I feel about that,” Vanessa said briefly, not elaborating.
“Enough doom and gloom, let’s get wasted,” Nina announced and plucked a glass of green liquid. “Margarita?” She held it out toward me and I put my hand up.
“No, thank you.”
“I didn’t put too much alcohol in it. It’s more juice and lime than anything else.”
“I shouldn’t.” I motioned to Dalton outside on the play set. “And later I have to go to class.”
“Fair,” Nina chirped and sipped the drink, dropping onto the seat. Vanessa swept forward and plucked one up, then brought it over to Alex, who took it with a leery expression on her face.
“Sit down, Issa, you don’t have to be so on edge,” Vanessa murmured and grabbed her drink.
Hesitantly, I shuffled forward and dropped on the seat next to Nina. “Let us catch you up,” she said.
We settled into a comfortable conversation. I learned about Nina and her romance with Samuel. Alex told us about her mom being with Mr. Astor senior. It was . . . nice.
I really liked the women from the Astor family.
I choked on a laugh, holding my palm to my stomach, desperately needing to pee. Alex was going to reek of alcohol with the sheer amounts she continued to choke down, but by her second, she was very chatty and wide-eyed.
“Which way is the bathroom?” I asked.
“Turn left, down the hall, to the right,” Vanessa and Alex said in sync. They turned toward each other and Alex shoved Vanessa’s arm as they burst into laughter.
“Do you want me to walk you?” Nina asked, her speech slightly slurred.
“No, I should be fine,” I said, but her attention was already on the other two saying something about an especially attractive actor. I hurried out of the room, doubting Nina would have been able to get me to the bathroom without falling.
Hesitating, I debated which way to go at a hall that branched in two directions. She said a right after the left. I rolled my lips inside my mouth. Or was it a left?
With a huff, I took the left. A few yards down the path lead me to the low hum of deep and recognizable voices. Is that Caine? Excitement pumped through my veins. I hadn’t realized how giddy he made me.
“Caine, how was your date last night?”
I stopped in place, frozen. My heart hurt.
The lipstick on his shirt, and him being gone so long. My lip trembled, and I remained stuck in place, struggling to comprehend what was happening.
“As skillful as she’s always been.”
Multiple people laughed.
All I needed to hear was that joke. He went on a date. My lip trembled. Everything from today was meaningless. I couldn’t let my stupid crush mess me up.
Why then was he all that I could think about?