Chapter 16 #2
“Damn girl,” Margot says, causing all eyes to cut toward me. Sloane whistles while Sasha chuckles beside me. “I think that’s the nicest ass I’ve ever seen. Sasha is one lucky guy.”
She’s still looking me up and down when Jack pulls her back against him. She blushes as he whispers something in her ear, and after everything I’ve learned about her today, I know it must be dirty to elicit a reaction.
“You should get her to model for you, Margot,” Sloane says. “Your lingerie would sell out in minutes!”
I follow Sasha into the water and sit beside him. “You sell lingerie? That’s so cool!”
This time, Jack speaks up. “She sure does. And she’s amazing at it too. It hasn’t even been two years since she’s started La Reine, and it’s already one of the leaders in the industry.” He smiles down at his wife with admiration painted across his face, and I can’t help but smile as well.
“You really would be a great model,” Margot says. “Would you be interested? I know it can be a bit intimidating to be photographed wearing next to nothing, but the world needs to see that body!”
Yeah, I know that feeling firsthand, Margot. But I’m actually completely naked when your mother films me fucking, so I think I’d be fine. Sasha takes the moment to deflect the attention from where I’m currently choking on my own spit and pulls me into his lap.
“I’d sure love to see it,” he says loud enough for the group to hear. As if he doesn’t get the full dose of me almost daily.
“So tell us, Lucy, what do you miss most about California?” Jack asks, and I want to run up and hug him for changing the subject. If we had more clothes on, that is…
“Oh, that’s easy. The beach. I would go almost daily.”
“No wonder you’re so tan!” Sloane says. “I grew up going to the beach for a few days each summer, but since we got married, Ledger and I go as often as we can get away. I can’t imagine what it would be like to go from living there not to going at all.”
“It’s been an adjustment, for sure, but it’s not so bad.” I look back at Sasha and smile. “It’s hard to be sad with this one around anyway.”
He squeezes me and kisses my temple as Sloane speaks up. “I know! You two should totally take off for a while and go to our beach house!”
“You have a beach house?” I ask…because of course they have a beach house.
“We all do,” Jack says smugly.
Ledger rolls his eyes. “Only because I kicked you out of ours,” Ledger grumbles at Jack before turning his attention to me.
“When Sloane and I bought ours, Jack visited so much I had to literally kick him out to have a private night with my wife. A week later, he had purchased the house next door.” He cuts his eyes at Jack before returning to me. “It wasn’t even for sale.”
“Whatever, bro, you know you love being so close.” Ledger massages his temples as everyone else laughs.
“So where are these beach houses? What beach do you go to?” I ask. I’m always one for finding a new beach.
It’s Sloane who answers. “It’s a private island off the coast of South Carolina. Ledger and I spent almost two years traveling the world. We’ve been to many beaches, including several in California, but this is by far my favorite.”
“I’ve actually never been to an East Coast beach,” I say.
“Well, it’s official. You two have to go check it out,” Jack says. “And you can stay in either of the houses.”
Sasha finally speaks up. “I have my own fucking beach house. We don’t need to stay in one of yours.”
I barely register what he said. He has his own beach house?
I knew he came from money, but we’ve been living the same lifestyle for so long that I haven’t felt like we came from such different social classes.
It’s been easy to just chalk his relationship with the Sinclairs up to his sister marrying into their family.
I’m about to turn and ask about it when Ledger speaks up.
“Since when do you have a beach house, Taranov?”
“Since my sister married your brother, who has one. I have a place close to all their residences, thank you very much.”
At that, I tense. How many houses…?
“There’s no way you’ve purchased that many properties since they’ve gotten married.”
I turn to Sasha, eyes as wide as saucers.
He shrugs with a smirk, but his face softens as he turns to me. “Would you like to go to the beach, sweetheart?”
Before I can answer, Blanche walks out. “They are all officially out!” She grabs a bottle of wine and pours some into a glass. “Phew! Four-on-one grandma duty is no joke! Now, what are we talking about?”
“We are trying to convince Sasha to take Lucy to the beach for a little getaway,” Margot says.
I wince internally, afraid Blanche is about to tell everyone what Sasha and I have really been up to and why we can’t go away.
We’re scheduled to shoot for the next week, and I’m sure she wouldn’t be pleased for us to dip out.
However, her reaction couldn’t be any farther from displeasure.
With a huge smile, she says, “Oh, that would be lovely! The two of you should leave tomorrow! You can use the jet if you want.”
“I have my own jet,” Sasha mumbles. Once again reminding me that I’m way out of my league here. He gently turns my face so that I’m looking in his eyes. “What do you say, Sunshine? Are you up for a quick trip to the beach?”
I nod, but can’t find any words to speak.
It takes me a minute to remember I have millions in a bank account too.
Not that it compares to his wealth by any means.
But enough to where I don’t have to be so easily impressed when the most attractive man I know whisks me away to one of his residences in his jet.
After a few drinks, my mood is lightened enough to enjoy myself again.
We eventually dry off and sit around an electric firepit, making s’mores and drinking wine.
I soak up every story that Blanche tells about the Sinclairs’ childhoods.
The stories from Ledger and Jack make me laugh more than I have in my life.
Sasha recounts some stories of him and sister Kat, and even though I’m the only one here who hasn’t met her, I still don’t feel left out.
It’s the closest to family I’ve felt in years.
I don’t even protest when everyone insists we stay for the night.
Sasha has packed everything I need anyway.
Sasha holds me steady as I stumble up the stairs to our room, wobbly from all the alcohol.
As soon as I get to the bed, I collapse.
I’m barely conscious as he takes off my clothes and dresses me in something cozier.
The last thing I remember is being pulled into a warm cocoon of Sasha as I drift off to sleep.