13. Thirteen

13

THIRTEEN

Z ach’s frustration at my involvement with the dancers didn’t dissipate.

For days after the meeting in the Paris tunnel, he refused to engage with me. That meant thanking him for the daily lattes that were showing up at our door was difficult. I refused to make myself small so his life could be easier, though. Helping Halley and the other women—people I’d become genuinely fond of—was giving me purpose. I needed that purpose because I had no idea what my professional life was going to turn into. At least now I had a project.

He was on the couch watching a basketball game when I left my bedroom in a glittery pink cocktail dress. We’d been married almost a month at this point—how had time gone so fast when I thought it was going to drag?—but we rarely did things together. That’s why, when Tallulah messaged that she had an unexpected night off thanks to a scheduling snafu, I jumped at the chance to go out with her.

Zach’s mouth fell open when he saw the dress. “Where are you going?” he blurted.

I raised an eyebrow. This was the most interest he’d shown in days. “Out with Tallulah.” I slipped my keycard inside the small wrist purse I was carrying. It was only big enough for a credit card and the door key. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” he replied, recovering. His eyes darted to the television. “I just haven’t seen you that dressed up before.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Well, I’m not going anywhere I have to strip,” I replied icily. “I know that’s what you’re worried about. Your reputation won’t take a hit because of me.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” He matched my tone. “Also, I didn’t say you looked like a stripper.”

“No, you didn’t say anything,” I agreed. I cast a quick look toward the mirror on the wall. I’d gone through the trouble to pull my hair back in a messy—although ornate—bun. I’d even affixed little rhinestone clips in certain places so the lights would reflect off my hair. “You could say I look nice.” Why I felt the need to prod him that way was beyond me. I’d gone all out, though. He could at least acknowledge it.

His eyes skittered back to me, landing on my legs first. I’d rubbed my favorite sea salt oil over them so they practically glowed. It was supposed to remind people of the beach. We had enough sand in Vegas that I figured I could pretend we were actually on a beach and it wouldn’t be a big deal. The ocean was just extra far away.

“Whatever,” I said when it became clear that he wasn’t going to comment. “Have a nice night with Lebron.”

I reached for the door handle. His response was quiet when it came. “You look beautiful.”

I froze, my fingers gripping the handle. “Thank you.”

“You always look beautiful.”

When I glanced over my shoulder, I found him studying me with an intensity I wasn’t used to. “Thank you.”

We held each other’s gazes for several seconds. My heart—my traitorous, stupid heart—started beating harder. Even though I knew it was impossible, I had to wonder if he was feeling the same thing I was because I swear I could hear his heart pounding from ten feet away.

“Have fun,” he said finally. “Don’t let Tallulah get you into trouble.” He glanced at my wrist purse and frowned. “Where is your phone?”

“On my nightstand,” I replied. “It doesn’t fit in my purse and I want something that I don’t have to worry about leaving behind.”

Zach ran his tongue over his lips. “What if you get in trouble?” he asked finally. “I mean … if you can’t call me, how will I know where you are?”

“I won’t get in trouble. I’m a good girl, remember? That’s why you married me.”

A muscle worked in his jaw. “Tallulah isn’t a good girl,” he argued.

“Yes, she is. She talks big, but it’s not like high school. She’s outgrown that wild streak she used to have.”

Zach didn’t look convinced. “Where are you going?”

I shrugged. “Wherever the night takes us.” I unleashed the sultriest smile in my arsenal, although that wasn’t saying much. “It’s Vegas. You never know where you’ll end up.” I pulled open the door. “Don’t wait up.”

I added a little sway to my hips and somehow knew he was watching right up until the door fell closed.

“SO, HOW IS MARRIED LIFE TREATING YOU?” Tallulah asked as we got comfortable in OMNIA night club. It was a three-level club inside Caesars Palace. Inside wasn’t our normal scene—it was too crowded—but the rooftop bar was a particular favorite, and the concierge at Stone Casino had offered up some VIP tickets during one of our conversations. She had a sister who was a dancer, and she’d—secretly of course—been encouraging me to help them ever since she found out I was part of the negotiation team.

“It’s nowhere near as fun as I thought it would be,” I replied as I sipped my purple concoction. I had no idea what was in it, although it was strong. I wasn’t feeling particularly picky this evening, though.

“And why is that?” Tallulah settled on one of the couch seats across from me. For some reason, when I’d presented the VIP tickets, a whole new world had opened for us at OMNIA. We were in the velvet rope section, which I happened to appreciate while also feeling self-conscious at the same time.

I shrugged. “He’s intense. I don’t remember him being so intense when we were kids.”

“Yes, well, he’s got a lot more responsibility now.”

I snorted. “He’s a nepo baby. I mean … the only reason he has the gig he has is because his father handed it to him on a silver platter. His sisters aren’t even being considered when it comes time to take over for Ryder. Do you want to know why?”

Tallulah blinked as if I’d asked the most ludicrous question in the world. “Because he has a penis I’m guessing.”

“Exactly.” I sipped again. “Man, this is good.”

She smirked. “It had better be, given how much they charge for cocktails here.”

At twenty-eight bucks a pop, she was right. “Yes, well…” My gaze moved one table over, to where I recognized three familiar faces. They were all dressed to the nines, icepick heels offsetting short dresses and fancy up-dos. They were all also looking at us.

“Hi,” I said blankly as Ruby, Opal, and Pearl raised their glasses.

“Hello.” Ruby was the youngest sister, and Zach had once mentioned that he was closest to her simply because of their ages. “This is a surprise.”

I glanced at Tallulah, briefly wondering if we should stay or not. If we drank too much, I ran the risk of saying the wrong thing in front of the Stone sisters.

“It will be fine,” Tallulah assured me under her breath. Her smile was at the ready when she pointed it at the other women. “I haven’t seen you guys since, well, I’m not certain I’ve ever seen you guys together.”

“This is my friend Tallulah,” I offered. Zach’s sisters made me uncomfortable. It was as if they were in their own little world sometimes. They weren’t triplets—Opal was thirty-eight to Pearl’s thirty-six to Ruby’s thirty-four—but they could’ve passed for them.

“We remember you.” Opal smiled. She seemed to be struggling with the same internal debate that was hampering my communication skills. “You know what?” Her grin broadened. “We should probably take advantage of this situation to get to know our new sister-in-law. I mean … you are part of the family now.”

“Awesome.” Tallulah grabbed her drink and motioned for me to follow her to their table. She didn’t wait to see if I wanted to join them. “I bet you guys have all the gossip on Zach.”

“Oh, we have some stories,” Pearl agreed on a giggle.

Well, that was all I needed to hear. If they had stories, they were going to have to share them. Zach’s head was so hard I could never tell what he was thinking. They could give me insight. I grabbed my drink and joined the foursome. “This is … interesting,” was all I could manage when I was seated between Ruby and Opal.

Opal threw back her dark head and laughed. “You don’t need to be afraid. I know Zach is afraid of us—and he probably should be—but we’re nowhere near as evil as he likes to pretend.”

I sipped my cocktail and considered it. “I think he feels guilty.” Spreading my husband’s private business probably wasn’t a good idea. At my core, though, I was a nurturer. If the only thing I managed to do during my marriage to Zach was make his relationship with his sisters better, then I would consider it a win. “Your father seems to have anointed him as the chosen one, and Zach struggles with it.”

Pearl nodded. “We know it’s not Zach’s fault that Dad puts all of his efforts into him. Zach didn’t ask for it. Frankly, he acts downright uncomfortable with it. That doesn’t change the fact that Zach is given preferential treatment simply because he has a Y in his chromosomes.” She looked bitter, and I didn’t blame her.

“It sucks for you guys,” I agreed. “It sucks for him, though, too. He feels a lot of pressure from your father.”

“Is that why you guys decided to get married when you did?” Ruby asked. “I mean … we didn’t even know he was dating you.”

“Oh, well…” This conversation was dangerous, and I shifted uncomfortably on my seat.

“We knew he’d gone quiet on the dating scene,” Opal explained. “We used to laugh at his exploits. He had a specific reputation.”

I nodded, letting them know that I wasn’t bothered by the topic. “I’m well aware of his reputation,” I assured them. “My brother is still playing that game.”

“Ah, Rex.” Ruby looked temporarily twitterpated, throwing me. “I used to have the worst crush on your brother. I know I’m older?—”

“Two years isn’t really older,” I volunteered. “Unfortunately for you, my brother’s mentality still puts him firmly in his mid-twenties. He’s just never grown up.”

“He will,” Opal said. “I don’t blame him for taking advantage of the situation. He’s a good-looking guy with a great job. You can tell he’s one of those guys who is eventually going to settle down. He’s going to hit a wall at some point and want to get married and have kids. And you know what?” Her eyes sparkled. “When he does settle down, he’s going to be faithful. I bet he’ll be a great father, too. He just hasn’t reached that point yet.”

I nodded. It made sense. “Yes, well, he still makes farting noises with his armpit when he wants to irritate me. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t see the potential just yet.”

Ruby burst out laughing. “That’s an older brother thing.” She paused a beat. “Actually, that’s a brother thing. Zach went through the farting armpit stage too. He doesn’t do it to us now, though.” Briefly, she looked concerned. “He doesn’t do it to you, does he?”

The image of that made me laugh. “No.” I shook my head. “He’s been pretty serious lately.”

“Yes, well, Dad is putting a lot of pressure on him,” Pearl volunteered. “It’s good he has you to help him. We were actually thrilled when we heard you guys got married.”

“You were?” That was shocking to me.

“Totally.” Opal was grim. “We knew he was going through something in the run-up to Dad dropping the hammer. We thought he was going to have a meltdown before he got it together. Then he showed up with you.”

“Huh,” was all I could manage. Seriously, what else was I supposed to say?

“I kind of always knew he had a thing for you,” Ruby said out of the blue.

“You did not.” It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. “There’s no way.”

“I did.” Ruby was adamant. “He would tell us stories after spending the night at your house when he was a teenager. Sure, Rex was the lead in all those stories, but you always made a cameo.”

“I had braces and didn’t hit my final growth spurt until I was almost eighteen,” I argued. “That just did not happen.”

“He might not have been in love with you back then,” Ruby conceded. “He always liked you, though. He just couldn’t show it because of Rex. It’s that brother thing again. You guys were smart keeping your relationship under wraps and easing Rex into it the way you did. Now you get a happily ever after, and nobody will give you grief for it.”

I swallowed hard. “Yes, well, it seems to be working out.”

TWO HOURS LATER, I WAS TIPSY ENOUGH that my inner warning voice had started sounding an alarm.

Don’t have another drink. If you do, you’ll say something stupid.

Zach’s sisters were surprisingly fun. Before tonight, I’d known next to nothing about them. Now we’d already made plans for a group lunch later in the week and Ruby and Tallulah were talking about going to some new bar off the strip together. They’d become fast friends.

I was just about to suggest that Tallulah and I should call it a night—one more drink and I was going to turn into a rambler of the highest order—when two individuals appeared at the edge of the table. I assumed it was a member of the waitstaff. I was disavowed of that notion quickly, however.

“Sexy Rexy!” Ruby squealed as she hopped to her feet and threw herself at the closest figure.

Rex, dressed down in jeans and a T-shirt, caught her and laughed as he managed to smooth down the skirt of her dress so it wouldn’t fly up. “Booby Ruby,” he replied automatically.

“Don’t call her that,” I hissed, horrified.

Rex proceeded to laugh harder. “I’ve called her that since we were twelve and she was fourteen.”

“My boobs popped overnight,” Ruby explained as she pulled away from him. “I was embarrassed, and he made things worse.”

Yeah, that tracked. “I didn’t get boobs until I was almost eighteen. Some things are worse. Trust me.” Slowly, I tracked my eyes to the individual with Rex and found myself staring at my own husband. “Well, this is a surprise.” My mouth had gone suddenly dry. Zach was in simple black pants and a baby blue button-down shirt but he looked ridiculously good.

“How did you find us?” Opal asked from the other side of the table. She looked suspicious at their sudden appearance rather than happy.

“I’m good at what I do,” Rex replied simply. “This one was getting worried about his wife.” He gave me a severe look. “Do you know how late it is, young lady?”

Was he kidding me right now? “I didn’t realize I’d missed curfew, Pa,” I drawled. I flicked my eyes back to Zach. “I told you not to wait up.”

“I figured we weren’t doing anything back at the penthouse,” Zach replied. He looked distinctly uncomfortable as he took in the roof bar. “Why not spend some time with my wife instead of watching the Lakers lose?”

“That should be your philosophy every night,” Opal offered helpfully.

Zach nodded. He clearly wanted to say something to me. The presence of his sisters was stymying him, though. Ultimately, he took us both by surprise when he extended his hand. “Dance with me.”

It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t an order either. It was something in between. “Um…” Dancing? It was obvious why he wanted to dance. He wanted to get me away from his sisters—likely so he could tell me what a stupid idea it was to drink with them—but I wasn’t in the mood. “Pass.”

He frowned but kept his hand stubbornly extended in my direction. “Dance with me, please.”

It was the added “please” that did it for me. It was a word I was convinced his father had never taught him. He said it to me, though, and it was obvious he meant it. The word said more than I was prepared to absorb.

He needed me to meet him halfway. Up until this point, in the fight over the dancers—and maybe a little more—I hadn’t been willing to do that. Maybe it was time for that to change.

I slipped my hand into his, telling him I was willing to do the work to get through this year if he was. He tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me to my feet.

Our chests bumped because he didn’t step back, and his gaze was seeking as he looked over my face. “We’ll find our own way home,” he said to his sisters and my brother as he dragged me to where people were swinging their hips to a sexy jazz number. “Don’t wait up.”

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. He’d repeated the exact phrase I’d said to him when leaving the penthouse.

“Are you angry?” I asked when he pulled me into his arms on the dance floor.

“I can’t decide,” he replied. “You need to be careful around my sisters. They’ll drown you in alcohol just to get the good gossip from you.”

He didn’t see them. Not at all. I was starting to think that the problem was he didn’t see himself either. “They’re not so bad.”

“If you say so.” He was surprisingly light on his feet. “Just … give me five minutes. I need five minutes to think. Then we can discuss … whatever it is you want to discuss.”

“Fine. I’m going to remember you said that when I want to discuss the book I just read, though. It’s grumpy-sunshine and the sex scenes were hot. You’ve been warned.”

He scowled. “You always have to take it there, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “It’s the only card I have to play.”