“Me? I’m a student.”
“Oh, good for you. Where do you study?”
“South Bank. I’m doing law.”
“I’ve always thought the law requires a rather different kind of mind. You’ll never be short of opinions at the dinner table, I imagine.”
“I—yes, I suppose so.” Eliza laughed.
The conversation moved on, and I caught Andrea’s eye. The urge to shut Bonnie down had been sudden and unfamiliar—like something inside me had decided I had to protect Andrea without considering whether I should.
She hadn’t asked me to. It wasn’t up tome.
On the other side of the room, Ben chuckled at something Hugo said. Miranda and Eliza were getting along like they’d known each other for years. Andrea watched them with me for a while, and I dropped a hand onto her knee and gave it a tiny squeeze. She turned and gave me the slightest smile. As always, I felt my heart lift in a way that wasn’t in the contract.
Delicious smells were coming from the kitchen. Not long and dinner would be served. It was going well so far, all things considered.
“What’s on the menu, Liam?” Ben was pouring another drink, possibly his third. I’d have to keep an eye on him.
“Dorset crab, followed by lamb cutlets. Strawberries for pudding,” I said. “That work for you?”
“Acceptable.” Ben grinned and went back to entertaining Hugo and Bonnie.
A waiter hovered with more canapés, and I reached to grab one.
“Isn’t that true, Andy?” Eliza waved her sister over. “I wasjust telling Miranda you’re the only person I know who can argue someone into doing exactly what you want and still have them thanking you for it.”
Well, that made sense.
“Andy? Andrea Jones?”
I turned. The waiter with the long hair was staring at her.
“Kale?” she said faintly, her face white.
“Kai,” he replied. “What the fu—” He stopped, sensing the room grow quiet.
“Oh, how funny, do you two know each other?” said Miranda.
Kai looked from Andrea to me and then swept the rest of the space like he’d only just noticed there were people in it.
This couldn’t be good. Who the hell wasKai, and why was he looking at her like he had a claim?
“You’re withhimnow?” he whispered to Andrea, dropping his head and glancing sideways at me. Not a good move, considering I was paying his wages tonight. From the corner of my eye, I saw Bonnie discreetly slip out of the room. She knew an impending disaster when she saw one.
“Ah—yes. Liam and I are… together.”
“Since when?” Kai’s voice was low. “Rudy still thinks he’s got a chance.”
Who the fuck wasRudy?
Someone who’d been there before me, who still felt he had the right to want her? Or someone she was stillfucking?
Nobody spoke—the whole room was looking at Andrea.
I dropped an arm over her shoulders, aiming for casual. It didn’t feel casual. “Kai, do you—”
Andrea turned to me and placed a hand firmly on my knee, smiling between gritted teeth. She wasn’t quite so pale now.
