Chapter 31
Tilly: You’re suspiciously quiet.
Chloe: I’ve been busy.
Tilly: GETTING busy?
Chloe: Maybe.
Tilly: I’ll cancel the intervention I had planned with your vagina.
CHLOE
It’s been five days since I woke up in Zeke’s bed and he spent the day playing nurse.
Mi amor. The words rattle around my head like marbles in a Solo cup.
Sighing as I place an empty glass on top of the paper plates to prevent them from scattering across the sun terrace in the breeze, I cast my eyes around.
Kids tear around the third open-air level of the penthouse in bathing suits, one leaping into the pool with a splash that sends a deluge of water raining down on a couple of young girls perched on a sun lounger, making them squeal.
My eyes fall on Zeke, his tall frame consuming space by the bar where he stands with tight shoulders next to his brother and father.
A low whimper rushes over my lips as I drink him in, casually dressed in a white polo shirt and Levi’s.
His dark hair glints in the sunlight and his tanned bicep flexes as he raises his bottle of beer to those decadent lips.
Lips that are pressed down into a signature scowl.
I have feelings for Zeke. Big, scary, messy feelings that make me want to run for the hills.
It would be easier if the sex was mediocre, but as it stands, I have a feeling I will be comparing all the subsequent men in my future to him.
Logan turns to Zeke and mutters something to him, which makes his scowl deepen.
I compare the two objectively, both tall, imposing men with chiseled features and dark eyes.
Logan sits an inch shorter than Zeke and his hair is a little longer, a little more carefree.
He’s definitely handsome—these two lucked out in the genetics department—but in my eyes, he doesn’t hold a flame to Zeke.
All three of the men’s attentions are pulled sideways as a shrill voice floats over the hubbub. “My baby!”
One of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen walks through the French doors onto the sun terrace in six-inch stilettos and a tight white dress that hugs generous curves.
A mane of glossy dark hair fans around striking features, all full lips and perfectly painted cosmetics.
My stomach plummets out of my ass as I see her statement is directed at Diego, who has frozen with wide eyes, his bathing shorts dripping onto the bleached timber decking.
Of course, the mother of Zeke’s child would be a knockout.
I mean really, she looks like she’s just walked off the cover of Vogue with a healthy splash of Angelina Jolie circa 1999.
Jealousy, hot and corrosive, rushes through my veins and I take a deep breath to try and shove it back into the dark box it came from, labeled Things We Don’t Want to Acknowledge.
She crouches and pulls Diego into a hug that he hangs limply in, his arms at his sides as he frowns.
Zeke enters my vision stage right and places a large hand on Diego’s head as he is released.
I’m too far away to hear what is being said, but it seems like a cordial greeting is offered by Zeke before the Jolie smoke show reaches up on her tiptoes, her hand splaying across his chest as she kisses his cheek slowly.
Sharp talons rake the inside of my skin as I scrutinize Zeke’s face, which is perfectly impassive. Turning myself forcibly away, I start to fuss over the cups of fruit punch laid out in neat rows, my mind spinning like a top.
“Hey, Red.” My eyes snap sideways to see Chase Walker standing there with his sister-in-law Mia on his arm, both smiling widely at me.
In that moment, I’m so fucking happy to see two familiar faces I could cry. “Hey!” I throw myself at them, wrapping them both in a hug.
When I release them, Mia’s smile dims a little. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, all good. Just lots to do with all these kids and…” I swallow roughly, my eyes tugging sideways without my permission to where Zeke still stands with Diego’s mom.
“Ah.” I glance back at Mia, who has followed my line of sight and is pursing her lips.
“The wicked witch makes her annual appearance,” Chase snipes, tipping a swig of beer into his mouth.
“She’s still his mom, you shouldn’t say that,” the words spill out on default, because it pisses me off when a man criticizes a woman. Period.
“Actually, she isn’t,” Mia replies casually, taking a sip from her own beer bottle. Both Chase’s and my gaze jerk to her. “Sandra signed away her parental rights a while back, Zeke just keeps the door open because he feels it’s the right thing to do.”
My eyes flare as a high-pitched tinkling laugh rings out across the pool and I tear my gaze from Mia’s sparkling eyes. I swear I see Zeke try to mask a grimace as the woman, Sandra, laughs and trails a manicured hand down his arm.
“How could she do that?” I murmur, my eyes tumbling to Diego, who has turned his attention away from his mother and is staring longingly at the pool.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I try not to judge because you never truly know someone’s reasons for something so personal, but it’s possible she’s just a piece of shit.” Mia sighs, and I let out a shocked laugh.
The sound draws the attention of the woman and her hazel eyes zero in on me where I stand.
Holding her gaze, I subtly square my shoulders and incline my head politely before looking away.
I’ll be damned if I let her know she’s rattled me.
“I hear you’ve been a busy boy, Chase.” I smile sweetly, tilting my head at him.
He puts on a good show of innocence. “Me? Nope, never.” A boyish grin slips through the facade, and he barks out a laugh.
“Chase rolled out of my sister's bed last week, so I hear,” I explain to Mia, who’s raised a delicate brow.
She grins. “High five to her.”
“That’s what I said!” I laugh and Chase chokes on the sip of beer he just took.
“Wait, hang on. So, what I’m hearing is that you both think I’m hot, and yet you both turned me down?” His head swivels comically, looking like it’s about to pop off and roll across the decking at any moment.
“Oh Chase, you’re pretty to look at, but a hopelessly lost cause when it comes to monogamy.” I giggle, reaching up to pat the scruff on his jaw.
“It’s true, he’s like a randy old dog that will hump your leg if you stand next to him for too long,” Mia quips, flashing me a conspiratorial smile.
Chase groans and runs a hand audibly across his jawline, muttering something that sounds like, “I am not old.” We’re laughing at him when the sound of heels clicking on wood approaches from behind.
“Oh boy,” Chase mutters, swiftly downing his beer and ditching it on the side.
“I’m tapping out of this one.” And with that, he hightails it out of here.
“Coward,” Mia hisses after him as I turn and paint a polite smile on my face as Sandra approaches.
“Was that Chase Walker?” she trills breathily, her striking gaze peering in the direction he just disappeared.
“Yep, the one and only,” I reply. A cloud of expensive-smelling perfume cloys in my nostrils. In fact, everything about this woman reeks of money. From the red bottoms on her heels to her neat little pink Birkin bag that rests in the crook of her arm.
“Gosh, he’s handsome.” The woman laughs, throwing endless locks of shiny hair over her slim shoulder.
“Don’t let him hear you say that, you might end up with a damp leg,” Mia says dryly.
I snort into my hand and disguise it as a cough.
Sandra’s perfectly painted brows twitch in what I’m sure would be a frown, but what I suspect to be Botox keeps them neatly pinned in place.
I snatch up a cup of fruit punch from the table for something to do with my hands.
It’s in a farm animal-painted paper cup, meant for the kids, and I find myself wishing it was something stronger.
“It’s Mia, right? Married to Mason?” Sandra enquires, her inquisitive gaze appearing to scrutinize my friend where she stands.
To her credit, Mia doesn’t so much as bat an eye. “Yes.”
“Congratulations, you did well to snag that one.” She sniffs and I don’t miss the subtle dig. Sandra clearly doesn’t think Mia a worthy match for her husband.
“He’s the one you should be congratulating. His wife is a ten out of ten knock-out with brains and a personality outside of shopping.” I totally shouldn’t have said it, but fuck, it feels good to see the slight widening of the woman’s eyes as she turns her assessment on me.
It’s only there for a second before it’s masked with a feline smile. “Of course! I only meant that many of my girlfriends tried and failed to get his attention over the years.”
Mia hums a noncommittal noise as she sips her champagne.
“Would you mind awfully if I had a moment alone with Chloe?” Sandra smiles, turning back to Mia. Yikes. My friend's sky-blue eyes slide to mine in silent question, and I nod.
“I’ll go and find Chase.” She smiles graciously at us both before walking away, her sandals slapping softly against the wood as she waves at someone she recognizes.
Sandra sighs happily and then shifts so that she is standing beside me, following my lead as I gaze out over the kids that frolic in the crystalline blue water.
“Of course, you’re the one I should really be congratulating.
” She clicks her tongue, her French-tipped nail tapping on her champagne flute.
I press my lips shut, not trusting myself to speak.
“How did you do it? I would ask if you’re pregnant but I can vouch from personal experience that doesn’t work with him. ”
“Well,” I start in a carefully measured tone, “I don’t see him as a free meal ticket, for starters.
” My skin prickles and my attention is pulled to the right as though by a magnetic force.
Two smoldering mahogany eyes are glued to my face from across the decking.
Zeke’s jaw muscle ticks as he watches us, and I hold his gaze for a beat while Sandra laughs airily beside me.