Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Loren
As the most vivid dream of my life filters through my waking brain, I stretch. And freeze. The ruffled edge of a pillow catches my attention. My eyes bolt open.
Bellamie's bedroom. Bellamie’s bed. In our parents’ house.
It's all real.
The Aubergine Affair. The Christmas Cherry Auction.
Winning her. Everything we did in the viewing room, then needing to get her home for aftercare because it seemed too intimate to do at the club. And having a driver get her car home so I could keep her with me in mine while I brought her home.
But also the moment in the parking lot when I cradled her against my chest as I carried her to my car.
The dark blue Maserati Granturismo pulling into the lot as I was setting her in my car’s passenger seat.
The way the Maserati screeched to a halt when its headlights landed on us.
The fact that I’m fairly certain Kace is the only one driving a car like that in this town, even though he was supposed to be at the other festival.
I didn’t wait to find out. I couldn’t let anything come between Bellamie and me. I tore out of the parking lot, turning my phone off for the night. I don’t bother to turn it back on.
How did making love to her feel so right? She was my best-kept secret until last night. All that time I spent pretending to ignore her has been for naught. I try to remember what I said to her, how much I revealed, but all I can think about is wanting more.
I jump out of bed, throw my jeans and button-up shirt on, and look forward to more time alone with her. Time to sort out our next step.
Our parents have an early morning networking session on Saturdays, so we’ll have the house to ourselves until noon.
I can’t see a future without her, but our parents would be destroyed if we got together. Luckily, with the NDAs in place for the auction and the club, Bellamie and I get to control what we reveal.
What was last night to her? What was it to me? I know what I wish it could be.
I’ve never liked flying by the seat of my pants, but there wasn’t time to list the pros and cons and map out potential futures. No matter how we move forward, there’s so much at risk.
I step into the hallway and hear our parents talking to Belle. Shit. My mom’s tone is far too happy for Bellamie to have said anything to them, and since I don't understand what we have other than one night together, I’m not prepared to explain.
Rushing to my old bedroom so I can make it look like I slept in my bed, I come to an abrupt halt in the doorway.
Mom's quilting stuff is all over the bed and every other flat surface.
Boxes of fabric sit on the floor. How she finds energy to quilt outside of running a successful marketing business is beyond me.
Detouring to the guest bedroom, I find it torn apart for repainting. Fuck! I run back to Bellamie's room and throw a blanket and pillow on the floor.
Striding down the hall, I prepare to engage with our parents before having time to talk to Belle.
There’s so much to sort out. She’s so much younger than me, I worry that I took advantage of her, but someone was going to win her.
It sits heavily on me, making me feel like a total jerk who capitalized on my sister’s starry-eyed dreams. I could have talked to her before slamming her against the wall or biting her ass.
We could have sorted everything out in advance.
We could have done a lot of things, but once we were in that room, nothing mattered except pleasing her.
Taking a big breath, I shake out my nerves before rounding the corner into the kitchen where they’re sitting around the island. “Good morning.”
Mom startles. “Where'd you come from?” She and dad exchange questioning glances.
That confirms what Belle hasn’t told them.
“I slept on Bellamie's floor.”
“You what?” our father says, half pissed, half confused.
“Mom’s quilting stuff is all over my room and the guest room’s out of commission.”
Mom shakes her head. “You were so adamant about getting an Airbnb, I didn't bother to prepare a room. I wish you’d make up your mind. Good thing you run your company tighter than you run your personal life.”
“You could have slept on the couch… Which brings me to something I need to talk to Bellamie about,” Dad says, taking a moment to tap on his phone screen. He flashes a picture of Krampus spanking Bellamie, a look of pure delight on her face.
I kind of want to get it framed, but I'm not the one making her happy. Could I be?
Bellamie stutters, trying to answer, so I take over. “It was just for show, all part of the festival.”
“Were you drinking?” Mom asks. “That’s so embarrassing."
Bellamie mumbles, “I was participating in a parade. What’s embarrassing?”
“How do you expect to be respected in the business world if you…” She puts her hand over her heart. “You only get to live in this house until you finish school.”
Bellamie huffs. “That escalated quickly.”
Dad says, “Yes it did, because of your behavior and your image. With social media, this demeaning content lasts forever. Take note from Loren and maintain your image… other than sleeping on your sister’s floor.”
“He’s right, Bellamie. We raised you to be respectable.” Mom takes the phone from Dad and squints her eyes. “Are you tied up? What are you supposed to be, a sex toy for this monster?”
She flashes the picture at us again.
I grab the phone, send the picture to myself, then delete all records of it so they won’t know.
“I’m fully clothed!” Bellamie huffs. “Is this picture the biggest worry on your plate?”
“Okay, fine, I won't keep harping about your indiscretion, so what about you, Loren? Are you seeing anyone?”
“Don’t worry about it, Mom.” I cringe inside, happy to take the pressure off Belle, but knowing we’ve done something so much more disappointing.
“I’m not worried. I’m asking if you have any prospects for providing grandchildren.”
I glance at Bellamie’s belly, wondering if my baby’s growing in her already.
Mom tsks. “Why are you looking at your sister? She’s still in school, definitely not fit for giving us heirs yet.”
“No one likes to talk about their sex lives with their parents. Pick a new topic.” Maybe keeping Kace away from Bellamie wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want to stay at home.
Dad fidgets, probably uncomfortable thinking about Bellamie being in college and presuming she’s having sex. Except he’d be wrong, because she didn’t have sex until last night.
Finally Dad says, “We were sorry that Kace had to cancel the other night. He’s such a great guy, so driven and passionate. He’s someone you should look up to, Bellamie. But of course, you canceled that night too. You really need to think about more than hanging out with your friends.”
Bellamie rolls her head back. “Why don’t you introduce me so I can be just like Loren and partner up with a billionaire? Why can’t you accept… never mind.”
Does she not know that Kace is Krampus? Or does she not want to tell them that she went on a date with Kace and that’s why they canceled? He could have had the decency to stop by, it was only going to be a short drop-in. Instead, he lied to me about why he couldn’t make it.
I study Bellamie’s body language while she endures a mini-lecture on successful networking. I don’t think she knows that Kace is Krampus.
“Speaking of networking, aren’t you supposed to be at your Saturday morning session?”
Dad grumbles, “A mindset guru joined our group and is teaching us about work-life balance–convinced everyone to take a few weeks off for Christmas.”
Mom points a finger at me. “Maybe this is working. We took time off and get rewarded with a surprise visit from our son. It’s not often we hang out as a family now that you moved away, Loren.”
If we could talk about something other than success and heirs, I might visit more often, but I keep my mouth shut.
Like I always have. Fuck me for not thinking about what that did to Bellamie.
I should have looked out for her… and what?
Moved her across the country, away from her friends?
How would I have explained that when I did it to get away from temptation in the first place?
“Call me a genius,” Mom says. “Can we extend this magical moment to have Kace over?”
“He left town.” Only I know that’s not true.
Bellamie fidgets then jumps up from her stool. “I'm going to go take a shower.”
“But we’re having family time,” Mom protests.
“Family time?” Bellamie waves her hands at us. “We’re just sitting around talking about what a failure I am.”
“I can order breakfast. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Mom misses the point.
“I picked up an extra shift at work. I’m out of here.” Bellamie storms out of the room.
Dad calls after Bellamie even though she’s gone. “I don’t understand why you let a dead-end job take time away from your studies.”
I can’t take it anymore, especially after last night unlocked my need to protect my stepsister. “Maybe this is why.” I motion between us with my hand. “Maybe a dead-end job is better than constantly getting judged.”
“Judged?” Mom is sincerely confused.
Dad sits forward defensively, but I don’t give him a chance to say anything.
“Ask your new mindset coach friend how to accept someone for who they are instead of who they could be. Hell, ask Bellamie what she loves about her job.”
I rush after Bellamie but she’s locked the bathroom door. Taking a breath, I squelch my anger toward our parents. Knocking softly, I say, “Can we talk?”
“No.” Her brief answer is followed by the sound of the shower starting.
I’m about to leave, but her voice stops me. “Loren…”
It sounds like she’s close to the door. I step close, touching my hand to where I imagine her face is. “I’m here.”
“Thank you for defending me.” Her breath hitches.
Fuck, she’s crying.
My heart rips to pieces. She’s mine and I have to prove it to her. “I’m here for you, Belle. Always. Let me in so we can talk about last night.”
She sniffles, then says more firmly, “You don’t have to explain. You did what you were contracted to do. I understand what it was.”
“Come on, Belle, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I’ll be fine. I had a backup plan in case the auction didn’t work out.”
Didn’t work out? How can she say that? Dammit, I knew we should have talked first. “Belle…”
“I don’t need you taking our parents’ place, controlling my life, who I date, everything else.”
Is that all she thinks this is, me controlling her?
“Please be gone by the time I get out of the shower. I have to get to work.”
“We have to talk.”
“You have to let me live my life.”
“I want to be a part of it, Belle. Please give me a chance to explain.”
“We had fun. We got out years of sexual tension. No more explanation needed.”
“Yes, there is.”
“Then tell me.”
“I need to sort something out first.” I’m going to have to talk to Kace–figure out if Bellamie is anything more than fleeting fun for him.
She scoffs. “Then why are you keeping me from getting to work?”
The sound of the shower door closing and the flow of water being disrupted by her naked body are my signs to get my shit together, and fast.