Leon turns to me. “Please, Mrs. Wright.” He grabs my chair and pushes it back, motioning for me to do as he says, and I sit down just as Orion does the same. I end up occupying the chair opposite Actaeon, but to the right of my husband.
“Well, well, well.” My brother-in-law clicks his tongue and points at Leon. “Would you look at?—”
“Actaeon, shut up or your ass will be out in an instant. My patience is not absolute, and you’ve tested it enough already.” They share a long look, and, to my astonishment, Actaeon nods, which makes Leon exhale in relief. Matilda shakes her head before heading to the kitchen. “Leon, there’s no need to serve us. Leave us alone, please.”
“As you wish, sir.” He puts his hand on my shoulder and gives it a reassuring pat. “I put the fresh roses in your room, Mrs. Wright.”
Since I don’t have it in me to tell him I’m starting to get sick of them, I just smile. “Thank you, Leon. I appreciate that.”
“Just call me if you need anything.”
He exits the dining room next, and Actaeon fills the silence right away. “So how did you two meet?” he asks, lifting his fork and knife and cutting into his medium-rare steak. I resist the urge to gag. I could never stomach rare anything when it comes to food. If I see blood, I’m not eating it. “I’m really curious because you don’t seem like people who share similar interests.”
I grab my glass of water and take a large sip, waiting for his brother to answer him, as I have no idea what he wants Actaeon to know.
And I’ve never been good at lying. Another reason I prefer to stay holed up in my wing. I don’t want to go outside, bump into a reporter, and accidentally spill something I shouldn’t.
“I decided to buy her father’s company. That’s how we met. You can call it obsession at first sight.” My eyes widen at this,and I cough on the water, causing Orion to look at me. The intensity in his gaze shoots electric volts through my system.
He said it with such confidence and conviction that for a second, I almost believed it was the truth.
What an idiot I am. He’s been ignoring me for almost a month, and one gaze is enough to make me weak? My feelings for him should be studied.
Or maybe that’s what people call lust, and my starved-for-affection-and-carnal-desires body sees it as a green light to finally indulge in all these cravings that drive me insane at night.
I’ve lost count of how many times I woke up in the middle of the night, soaked in sweat, after Orion played with my body in my dreams like the most skilled of artists.
Either way, it will be catastrophic to my heart, so I should zip them all up in a metaphorical bag and throw them away. Except it’s hard to do so when he looks at me like that. At least when he ignores me, he reminds me why I dislike him.
Actaeon whistles and breaks our stare off, so we shift our attention to him, chewing on his steak, before replying, “Really? Because, according to some people, her father sold her to preserve his company.” I choke on my water again and push the glass away. I’m better off not eating or drinking during this dinner. “I have to say, I liked that theory more. Gives a rather gloomy spin on this marriage.”
“You shouldn’t believe rumors. You know better than anyone how people love to talk. Like they do about you and that girl you like to harass.”
Actaeon pauses in the middle of cutting his steak, and while his features appear unreadable, I see his fingers flexing around the fork. “I guess we make quite a pair, don’t we, Brother?” He smirks, though a different kind of coldness glazes his eyes, speaking of the cruelty hidden beneath his indifferent facade.I should know since my brother loved to act indifferent and torment people behind closed doors. “You’re intobuying,and I’m apparently intoharassingwomen. The fucker’s genes seem to be strong in us. He’d be proud.” He winks at me and picks up his glass, taking a large sip of water before twisting the cup in his hand as the tension rises between the two brothers. “Welcome to our fucked-up family, Diana. Some secrets will crush you, but if it’s true love, you should be very understanding.”
His words cause even more fear and confusion to spread through my system because what the hell does he mean by that?
Buying and harassing women would be something their father would be proud of? This rings alarm bells in me right off the bat. A man who has so much power…it’s just unbearable to think what he could actually do with it. “Who did your father buy and harass?” The question slips past my lips before I can stop it, and it creates a nervous energy all around me at once, for the fury that crosses their faces makes me want to run. “Never mind,” I whisper, grabbing my fork and shoving a piece of broccoli down my throat to focus on anything else besides the scary thoughts swirling in my head.
Maybe I misunderstood, and it’s just two brothers blowing off steam, saying whatever they can to hurt each other? Considering everything I know, Conrad could have bought escorts or harassed some poor women who refused his advances. Awful things, of course, but it’s not what they are implying.
“That’s a good question. I’m sure my brother will answer it someday. This steak is cold.” I blink when Actaeon pushes his chair back and gets up, threading his fingers through his messy hair that only adds to his handsome appeal. “I’m going to head out. Boston’s nightlife is an experience in itself. It was nice to meet you. Artemis, you fit right into the family with your piece-of-shit father. I see now the common interest between the two of you.” I barely hold back the laughter threatening to spill from my throat at that. He walks around the table and leans forward to kiss me on the cheek. Actaeon sighs when Orion pushes him away, making him swing to the side. He clicks his tongue. “No need to be so possessive, Brother.”
Ignoring the flutter in my stomach, I zero my gaze in on Actaeon and say, “My name is Diana.”
“Same thing. Either way, have fun, guys. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’re going back to school tomorrow, and don’t even think about causing any mayhem tonight.”
“Relax. I’m just going to see my friends.”
“You don’t have friends in Boston.”
“Wyatt King and Levi Scott are in town. I grew up with them, if you remember, despite their difficult characters.”
“Because your character is such a gift to society?”
Actaeon grins. “Glad we’re on the same page, Brother.”
