“And it’s hung here ever since,” I said, butting my way into their conversation. This little interaction made my hackles rise. I wanted Theo as far away from my mother as possible. I didn’t like how easily he’d ingratiated himself, or the smoothness of the upper-crust American accent he was using. His transition was almost as frightening as his outburst of violence, and it had me back to wondering who the hell this man was and what he was really after.
Taking a page out of Mom’s playbook, I slid my arm through his and tugged at him. “We should join the party.”
“Tippi will be so glad to see you,” Mom said. “I’ll be out in a moment. I just need to grab something from upstairs for Babs.”
We parted ways, my mind spinning as I led Theo away.
“How do you plan on convincing anyone we’re dating if you only let me have five seconds with them?” he whispered.
“Trust me, I was doing you a favor. My mother is incredibly observant. The more time we spend around her, the more likely she’ll realize we hate each other.”
“Hate?” Theo said, and I could hear the grin in his voice without having to look up at him and confirm it. “Such a strong word.”
“Well, let me go after one of your family members, blackmail you, attack that same family member, and then force my way into your life. Then tell me how you feel.”
He shrugged. “Go ahead and try. I don’t have any family.”
“That explains a lot,” I muttered.
Unfortunately, he heard me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
He slowed his steps. “Say it, Stella.”
Fine. He really wanted to know? I’d tell him. “I was just thinking that it’s probably easy to be such a heartless bastard when you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said, sounding like he wasn’t even insulted. “I have friends, like anyone else.”
“Yeah, friends who are probably as fucked up as you are.”
For some reason, that made him chuckle. “Oh, Sunshine. You have no idea.”
Second life goal: never meet his friends.
Our conversation died as we reached the party. The rear rooms of the house had oversize windows to take advantage of the view over the rolling rear lawn and trees. Through them I saw a crowd of people gathered around a series of tables, umbrellas overhead to block the midday sun, fans blowing a gentle breeze to keep it cool. The patio was large, spilling downward in a series of terraces that eventually ended at the pool. I could tell from the shrieks and splashes echoing through the open bifold doors that the young guests were taking advantage of the water.
“Ah, welcome back,” Richard said, coming up beside us.
Theo’s grip on my waist tightened painfully before easing into a looser hold. Another warning? If so, I didn’t need it. I was finally well and truly afraid of what would happen if I got on his bad side, and I feared that even going to the cops wouldn’t keep him from getting his revenge on me.
“I had to go collect my boyfriend,” I said, the b-word rolling a little more easily off my tongue. “Richard, this is Theo. Theo, my parents’ business partner, Richard Lawson.”
Richard stepped forward with his hand extended toward Theo. They were almost the same height, and both blond, though Richard’s hair was mostly silver now. His skin was also a few shades darker, tanned from his recent trip to Italy, making his light blue eyes pop in the midday sun. Between his well-preserved good looks and wealth, he was one of the most eligible bachelors in the city, but he hadn’t dated anyone in years, at least not that I knew of. We all assumed he was still recovering from the lingering heartbreak that had almost destroyed him a few decades ago.
“Nice to meet you, Theo,” he said.
Theo released his hold on me to shake the older man’s hand, his smile easy, gaze lasered in. “You, too, Richard.”
The men released each other, and Theo re-draped his arm around my waist like it belonged there. Richard had been part of my life since the day I was born. He was my godfather, and more like an uncle to me than any of my actual uncles. Aside from my family, he knew me better than anyone else at this party, and I needed to keep Theo moving before Richard picked up on my discomfort.
“Have you seen Tippi?” I asked. “I want to make sure Theo meets her before the food is served.”
Richard tipped his head toward the yard. “Last I saw, she and your dad were down on the lawn.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Theo said as I dragged him away.
“You, too,” Richard replied.
