Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

I didn’t want anything

until the day I wanted Zayne.

~ Ethan

CHLOÉ WOKE THE next morning, stretched beneath the soft duvet, cuddled into the pillow under her cheek, and smiled.

Her body ached in the most delicious ways imaginable, and even though she hadn’t been allowed to come yesterday, she felt a different kind of satisfaction as she looked at the gold bracelets still surrounding her wrists this morning.

They hadn’t cut her loose. They hadn’t told her that they were done with her after her ridiculous outburst. If anything, they’d doubled down and reminded her of whom she belonged to and what they expected—and holy hell, that was a lesson she wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

The room was quiet except for the rustling of the sheets. When she noticed the bed was empty, she sat up and looked around, but Ethan and Zayne were nowhere in sight.

Chloé ran a hand over her hair and took a quick peek under the covers to see she was still completely naked. She couldn’t see her clothes anywhere, so she wondered if they were still downstairs on the foyer floor.

Moving to the edge of the bed, she swung her legs over the side and spotted Ethan’s jacket tossed over the end of the mattress. She threw back the covers and smiled to herself as she slipped it on. The silky lining brushed over her skin, and she wrapped herself in the luxurious material and nuzzled into the collar.

Mmm, it smelled like Ethan. Strong, sexy, and powerful. The spicy, masculine scent made her thighs tighten, and the fresh underlying fragrance made her crave another taste.

She buttoned it up and looked down to make sure everything that needed covering was covered, then headed for the door. When she got to the top of the stairs, she heard laughter coming from across the landing and out on the roof. They must’ve headed out there to let her sleep.

Chloé made her way to the patio and pushed the door open, immediately spotting the two of them relaxing in the morning sun on the patio chairs. They looked her way, and Ethan gestured for her to join.

As she got closer, she noticed his eyes trailing down over her to where the hem of his jacket brushed against her bare thighs.

“Good morning, petite fille. You’ve finally woken.”

Chloé stopped by Zayne’s chair and smiled. “Yes, um, sorry. I didn’t mean to sleep in. What time is it?”

“It’s just turning nine, and no need to apologize. You had a long, hard night.”

She flushed at the reminder, and couldn’t help but wonder if she was still in trouble. Were they still upset with her and the way she’d acted? She didn’t think so, although she didn’t remember much after she’d collapsed from exhaustion and been carried upstairs.

God, just thinking about what they’d done to her in that foyer… But she’d deserved every second of it, and truth be told, she’d appreciated the reprimand. It made her feel like she belonged. That she was theirs.

She shivered at the memory.

“I bet I know what you’re thinking about.” Zayne turned in his seat and trailed his finger across her bare thigh. “What have you got on under here?”

When he slipped his hand between her legs and smoothed it up under the jacket, Chloé sucked in a breath.

“Oh, nothing.” A devilish grin crossed his lips as he grabbed her wrist. “You can sit on my lap.”

She giggled as he tugged her down on top of him then captured her lips in a sweet kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. Then he nipped at her lower lip, and Chloé snuggled into his chest.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Ethan asked.

“I’m good.” Her voice was a little breathier than usual, but that was to be expected when Zayne was trailing his fingers up and down the inside of her thigh.

“Just good?”

“Well, I’m a little achy and, uh, sensitive.”

“We figured. That’s why we left you to rest and came out here.”

Chloé appreciated the gesture but at the same time wished they hadn’t. The mentally frustrated side of her wanted nothing more than to roll around in bed with the two of them until she was finally satisfied. But the physical side knew they were right to wait.

Plus, there was something she needed to say before they went further anyway.

“About yesterday. I wanted to apologize again for the way I acted. I know I can be hot-tempered at times.”

Zayne chuckled and kissed her head. “No… You?”

She offered a half grin. “Hard to believe, I know. It’s the hair. Still, it’s no excuse, and I’m a little embarrassed that I let my frustration get the better of me.”

“It’s all good, Red.”

“Zayne’s right,” Ethan said. “We accept your apology. We did as soon as you gave it. But the next time things get like that, you need to talk to us, let us help you, guide you, even argue with you if that’s what you want. Just remember who you’re talking to and where the next time you decide to question one of us. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good girl. Now, let’s move on.”

Chloé nodded as Zayne smoothed a hand down over her hair, then Ethan gestured to the platters of food spread out on the table in front of them.

“Would you like something to eat?”

Her stomach growled as she shifted on Zayne’s lap to get a better look. “I think I’m going to go with the avocado toast.”

Ethan placed two pieces of the toasted sourdough on a plate, and Chloé’s mouth watered at the sight of the fresh cherry tomatoes, feta, and balsamic drizzled over the top. It looked delicious.

“Who’s the chef?”

“That’d be Zayne. He was trying to impress you.”

She glanced back at Zayne and caught a bashful grin on his lips.

“Consider me impressed. This is one of my favorite breakfasts. It’s like a bite of summer. All the perfect flavors merging.” She shut her eyes and moaned.

“Damn, Red. You do that every time I put food in front of you, I’ll keep making it.”

She laughed and settled back in his arms. “It’s gorgeous out here this morning. I practically live on our deck from spring to fall.”

“Us too when we’re here.” Ethan settled back in his seat, a fresh orange juice in his hand. “Or down at the lake when we’re at the estate.”

“What do you like better?”

“The lake.” Zayne waggled his brows as he hugged her into his body. “It’s private, so I can tan naked and no one sees.”

Chloé laughed. “Sounds naughty to me.”

“Sounds like a long, torturous afternoon to me.”

They both looked to Ethan, who was watching them with laser-like focus.

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Zayne asked.

“Depends what kind of mood I’m in.”

Chloé trembled at the intensity in Ethan’s stare as her mind began to conjure up all kinds of delicious ways he might torment their naked bodies.

“What do you think, Red?” Zayne asked. “Would you rather it be a threat or a promise?”

Ethan arched a brow, then ran his gaze down her bare legs. Her body clenched.

“A threat.”

“Feeling brave, petite fille?”

Jesus, he was intense. “Maybe. Or maybe I just want to know.”

“Want to know what?”

“Everything.”

His eyes narrowed a fraction. “Careful, Chloé. Once you give me that kind of permission, there’s no turning back.”

She shivered, and Zayne pressed a soothing kiss to her temple. The juxtaposition between the two men was never more apparent, and Ethan’s words from a couple of weeks ago echoed in her head: He’s the light in a dark room. I’m the dark room. She believed it.

There was something mysterious and almost dangerous about Ethan, but she wasn’t going to run away from something that made her feel this alive, even if she was slightly wary.

“No need to worry too much, Red,” Zayne said. “Your parents are gonna be with us this weekend. He can’t do anything too nefarious.”

“Oh God,” she groaned, and took a bite of her toast, hoping the delicious flavors would sidetrack her. “Don’t remind me.”

“Aw, it won’t be so bad.”

“Says the man who hasn’t met them,” she said around her mouthful.

“Actually…” Ethan took a sip of his juice. “Speaking of your parents. Do you have any questions about what happened when I went to see them?”

“Only about a million. But do you think we can we have one day where we don’t talk about me and my family?”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. What do you want to talk about, then?”

Again, the word everything came to mind. They’d learned an awful lot about her in the last few days, and would no doubt learn a lot more this coming weekend. It only seemed fair she got something in return, right?

The only question was: Am I brave enough to ask what I want to know?

“Chloé?”

“Oh, um, okay. Let’s see. What about you two?”

“What about us?”

If she wanted this, she was going to have to be direct. Ethan wanted her to feel comfortable in asking questions, in trusting them. But that was easier said than done when asking something this personal.

“Well… How did you two end up together?” She looked between them. “I know you met in boarding school, but that’s all Zayne told me.”

“And you want to know…?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes you do.”

“No need to be shy, Red.” Zayne kissed her ear. “Admit it—you want all the juicy details.”

She was about to deny it—but couldn’t. She was curious about all the juicy details, and her hesitation made Zayne chuckle.

“Dirty girl.”

“Well, it’s interesting, that’s all.”

“Mhmm.”

“It is.” She sat up in his lap and looked around at him. “You said you saw Ethan across the lunch hall on your first day and had to go and speak to him, but what happened after that?” She turned back to Ethan. “Did you become friends?”

“I thought you were hungry?” Ethan asked.

She had been, but her physical hunger had now changed to an appetite for information. She wanted to know everything she could about these men, starting with this.

“You asked me what I wanted to talk about. I want to talk about this.”

“If we became friends after that day in the lunch hall?”

“Yes.”

“That’s easy enough.” Ethan’s eyes shifted past her to Zayne. “No, we did not.”

Chloé’s jaw almost landed in her toast. “Really?”

“Really.” Ethan placed his empty glass back on the table. “Not that it stopped Zayne from being a total pain in the ass. For two months he tried to get me to talk to him. To ‘be’ friends with him.”

Zayne chuckled. “I was relentless.”

“But you didn’t want friends?” she asked.

Ethan turned serious. “I didn’t want anything—until Zayne.”

“I knew it.” Chloé’s heart thumped a little faster at the potency in his stare. “So what changed? What happened to make you two closer?”

“His father.”

Chloé’s eyes widened, and Ethan nodded.

“Ironic, isn’t it? The one man who wanted us to have nothing to do with each other is the one who brought us together.”

“How?”

Ethan once again shifted his eyes to Zayne, as though he were asking for permission, and when Zayne didn’t say anything to stop him, Ethan continued…

* * *

THE INCESSANT BEEP of Ethan’s alarm invaded his sleep, so he rolled over and reached out to shut the damn thing off. It felt as though he’d just climbed into bed, as restless as his night had been, but that was always the case around this time of the year.

October. He hated this month.

And he hated October twentieth even more.

If he had his way, he’d lock his dorm room door on September thirtieth and skip the month altogether. Unfortunately, Principal Morton had only let him get away with that the first year he was there. Now, the deal was that Ethan was to be present in all classes, and only then would he be excused from the extracurricular activities that came with the spooktastic month—and it wasn’t like he could argue.

Kings Boarding School had been his home for the last six years, and with no family or friends to claim him, he had no other choice than to conform or be homeless.

Yeah, fate had really screwed him over. One day he’d gone on a family vacation. The next, he’d woken up with no fucking family. But he’d survived this long on his own, and that was the way he liked it now. If no one got close, no one could hurt him. So that was the way he kept it. He went to class, did his work, and then he came back to his dorm and stayed the hell away from everyone and everything.

At least, he had until the new kid showed up—Zayne.

What kind of name was that? An annoying one that wouldn’t leave him alone, that was what. Every time Ethan turned around, there Zayne was, watching him, smiling at him, talking to and about him.

Yeah, he’d heard his name in his mouth and didn’t like it. Though he didn’t hate it either, and that made Zayne even more annoying. The guy couldn’t take a hint. Ethan must’ve told him a hundred times now to leave him the hell alone—it was literally all he’d ever said to him—and still he showed up every day to sit at Ethan’s lunch table. Zayne was a glutton for punishment, apparently, because Ethan sure as shit hadn’t rolled out the welcome mat.

When the alarm went off a second time, he cursed Zayne’s name and tossed his covers aside. The last reason he wanted to be late was by thinking about that guy. So he quickly brushed his teeth and threw his uniform on, then grabbed an apple from the bowl on his desk, picked up his backpack, and headed out to his first class.

The sooner he got this day started, the sooner it would be over.

Ethan hurried through the east hall on his way to first period. As he came around the corner to head downstairs, he heard an argument taking place below.

“I couldn’t believe it when Principal Morton called me out here. What have you done now?”

Ethan stopped on the stairs and moved over to the side to see if he could see who it was talking, but they were out of view.

“How the hell should I know?”

“Don’t play stupid with me. You know exactly what you’re doing and why every time. So I’m going to ask you again. Why am I here, Zayne? I only dropped you off two months ago.”

Ethan groaned and almost turned around. But they were in his way, and he had to get to class.

“You didn’t drop me,” Zayne said. “You dumped me. And I’m so sorry to be such an inconvenience to you.”

“You’re not an inconvenience—you’re a waste of time. Mine, your mother’s, this school’s—”

Ethan’s annoyance took a back seat as he peered over the rail, trying to get a look at Zayne’s asshole father. He wasn’t sure why he cared; he didn’t know Zayne, who’d been nothing but an irritation from the moment he got here. But to hear Zayne’s father talk to his son this way really pissed him off.

“Then why are you here?” Zayne fired back. “I don’t want you here. Oh, lemme guess. You were worried if you didn’t show when the principal called that you’d look like a bad father.”

“You know what your problem is?”

Zayne scoffed. “What?”

Something about that show of bravado had Ethan moving down the stairs. It sounded forced and unsure—the complete opposite of what Zayne was trying to project.

“You’re under the misguided belief that I want to be your father. That I want people to know you’re my son.”

Ethan strained to hear what Zayne said in response, but when there was nothing but silence, he moved down another step.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Zayne’s father sneered in a voice that made Ethan’s skin crawl. “You are on this planet for one reason, to make me look good. You are a product of necessity, and you are failing at your purpose.”

Ethan had gone through a lot in his fourteen years on this miserable earth: grief, anger, torment. But one thing he’d never experienced was the kind of abuse this disgusting human being was dishing out to Zayne right now—and no matter how annoying he thought the guy was, Ethan wasn’t about to stand there and listen to it anymore.

The silence in the stairwell was telling. He understood when someone was retreating, when someone was disappearing inside themselves to protect what little was left of them. Zayne was doing it now.

Ethan jogged down the stairs, and as he came around the corner, all he could see was the broad back of a man crowding over someone like the bully he was.

He marched up behind him and, without a moment’s hesitation, said, “Hey, asshole?”

The man’s back stiffened and he turned to face Ethan, and Zayne’s eyes widened.

“Excuse me?”

“I said, hey, asshole.”

Shock crossed the man’s expression, right before he narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know who you think you’re talking to—”

“I’m talking to you.” Ethan took a step forward, refusing to back down. This man didn’t scare him—nothing did anymore. “And I heard what you said to Zayne.”

Zayne sucked in a breath, but Ethan didn’t dare take his eyes off the father. He had no idea whether this guy was physically abusive or just verbally. Either way, he wasn’t about to let his guard down.

“And what’s that got to do with you?

“Nothing. But I’m sure Principal Morton would be interested. Plus, we’ve got class, and you’re in our way. So can you get the hell out of it?” Ethan looked around his shoulder to Zayne, who was watching with an expression full of shock and awe. “You coming?”

Zayne pushed off the wall, his eyes locked on Ethan’s, and something in the air shifted.

His father grabbed his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

A fury like he’d never known bubbled up inside of Ethan. “Let him go.”

Zayne’s father glared at him. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but—”

Zayne yanked his arm free and moved to Ethan’s side like he belonged there.

“Zayne. Where do you think you’re going? We are not done here.”

Zayne shrugged his bag up onto his shoulder. “I am.”

For the first time years, a feeling other than melancholy filled Ethan. “Me too. Now, can you move?”

Zayne’s father looked like he wanted to strangle him but reluctantly stepped aside. “Don’t think I won’t find out who you are.”

“You don’t scare me.” Ethan stopped and looked Zayne’s father in the eye, then said under his breath, “But I bet I scare you. He listens to me…”

Ethan couldn’t help his smirk as they walked away from Zayne’s father.

Okay, that felt fucking good. For the first time in years, he felt alive.

“Let’s go.” Ethan headed down the hall, and when Zayne followed, a deep sense of satisfaction filled him. He couldn’t explain it, the rush he got from knowing he held the power and control in that moment. But it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. Not only did it make him feel alive, it made him…excited.

“Uh, hey?”

Ethan paid no attention to Zayne, too busy trying to understand where this new feeling was coming from.

“Hey? Hang on a second, would you?” Zayne moved in front of him and turned to walk backward up the hall. “What the hell was that back there?”

Great. Of course, the first thing Zayne wanted to do was talk. “What’d it look like?”

“I dunno. You kinda stuck up for me.”

“Kind of?”

Zayne came to a stop, forcing Ethan to also. “Okay, you did. But why? I thought you hated me.”

Ethan shrugged. “So did I.” He stepped around Zayne and continued down the hall.

“You’re really fucking weird—you know that, right?”

He did know that, but still… “If I’m so weird, why do you keep trying to talk to me?”

There was a pause, and for a second he thought Zayne might ignore the question.

“Maybe I’m bored.”

Ethan scoffed but continued on his way. “Yeah, okay.”

“What?” A hand grabbed his arm. “You don’t believe me?”

Ethan turned and looked down at the hand on his wrist. It was big, strong, the nails were painted black, and on two of Zayne’s fingers were chunky silver rings. Something about Ethan seeing it on his arm reignited that excitement from minutes ago.

He took a step forward, and Zayne automatically backed up—but Ethan kept coming. He walked Zayne into one of the side alcoves until his back was up against the wall.

“Still bored?” he asked, crowding in so close that their shoes touched.

A dark kind of excitement, much like his own, flickered in Zayne’s eyes, and while Ethan knew he should move away from it, he found himself drawn further in.

“Your dad’s a dick.”

Zayne’s lips twitched. “I think that’s an insult to dicks, but yeah, he is.”

Ethan looked down to where Zayne still had a hold of his wrist, and Zayne instantly let him go.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“To touch me?” Ethan wasn’t sure where the words came from or why he even said them, but the second they came out of his mouth, he felt his cock jerk behind the zipper of his pants.

What the fuck?

Zayne swallowed and angled his chin up a fraction, trying to keep them the same height, but Ethan had him by a couple of inches.

“I grabbed you so we could talk. That’s different from just touching you.”

“Right…”

Zayne’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is your problem, man? One minute you’re saving me, and the next—”

“And the next what? Ever since you got here, you’ve been getting all up in my face, trying to get my attention.”

“So?”

Ethan took a step back and ran his eyes over Zayne. “So, now you have it.”

“THAT’S HOW YOU became friends?”

Ethan looked to Chloé, who sat wide-eyed and fully engrossed in his story, her half-eaten toast in her hand.

“I’m not sure friends is the right word. But that was the day everything changed.”

“What does that mean?”

Zayne’s eyes met his over Chloé’s head, and there was no mistaking the dark desire swirling in them. “He means that after that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

“Arrogant,” Ethan said.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

“I can’t. That day changed everything for me. Every time Zayne walked into a room, I felt him. Every time he looked my way, I knew it. It was as if he was suddenly hard-wired to my soul.”

“Wow…” Chloé took a bite of her toast, then asked, “So what happened after that?”

“After that”—Ethan winked at Zayne—“I let him eat lunch with me every day.”

Zayne chuckled. “Dinner and breakfast, too. I told you, I’m relentless.”

Chloé fell back against his chest and sighed. “I love that story. You were like…his Prince Charming.”

Zayne laughed. “I’m not sure Prince Charming ever called Cinderella’s dad an asshole, but it worked for me.”

“You know what I mean.”

Ethan eyed her closely. “You’re a romantic.”

“Maybe a little bit. I love a good love story. My fathers have a great one, and every time I hear it, my heart feels happy.”

Ethan caught Zayne’s eye as she took another bite of her toast, and he made a mental note to file that piece of information away and talk to Zayne about it later.

Romance. That was something they hadn’t done before. But then again, when it came to Chloé, they were doing a lot of things they hadn’t done before—what was one more?

* * *

“OKAY, I’M READY to go.”

Zayne looked across the living room to see Chloé fresh-faced and wearing the same dress she’d arrived in yesterday. She was on her way home, and had promised that she would steer clear of the restaurant until at least Monday—hopefully, by then all of this insanity with the senator would’ve passed.

Fuck, just thinking about his father left a bad taste in his mouth, and that was saying something after that delicious breakfast they’d all eaten out on the deck.

Ethan glanced up at him from the dishes he was stacking in the machine. “I’ll finish up here if you want to walk her down?”

“Sounds good.”

Chloé stopped on the opposite side of the counter and smiled at the two of them. “You look so domestic right now.”

Ethan wiped his hands on a dishtowel. “Looks can be deceiving.”

He crooked a finger at her, she leaned over the counter, and he took her chin and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.

“We’ll see you tomorrow. I’m going to send a car for you and your fathers.”

“Ugh, okay. That’ll be a fun ride.”

He brushed his thumb over the corner of her lips and then reluctantly pulled away. “Everything’s going to turn out just fine. You’ll see. Now, Zayne’s going to walk you downstairs and our driver will take you home.”

“Okay. Thank you. I can’t wait to get my car back.”

“It should be sometime next week. And you don’t have to thank us. Just be safe.”

Chloé turned to Zayne, who held his hand out. “Ready to go?”

She nodded, took his hand, and waved her goodbyes as he led her to the elevator.

Moments later, they made their way into the foyer, and Zayne squeezed her hand. “You okay?”

Chloé looked up at him. “Yeah, I’m great.”

“Great huh?”

“Well, I’m going to miss going to work. But I understand now that you’re looking out for me, and I appreciate that.”

Zayne scoffed. “No you don’t.”

“I do.”

“Uh huh. You just don’t think it’s necessary.”

She was about to respond, but before she could, Zayne’s phone went off with Ethan’s ringtone. Not sure why Ethan would be calling him, he answered.

“Hey, what’s—”

“You need to come back upstairs.”

“What?” He shook his head and looked at Chloé. “Why?”

“Chloé can’t leave, at least not out the front door. There are reporters out there. Lillian just called up to tell me.”

“You’re fucking kidding.”

“I’m not. I just pulled up the feed, and there’s at least a dozen.”

Fuck. This was exactly what they’d been trying to avoid.

“Do you think they saw her yesterday?” he asked, and Chloé frowned, suddenly realizing she was the topic they were discussing.

“I don’t think so. I did a quick search and haven’t seen anything online. I think they’re waiting for you or me to step outside. She would just be an added bonus.”

“Fuck that.”

“My thoughts exactly. Come back upstairs and we’ll work out what to do next.”

He didn’t have to tell him twice. Zayne ended the call and reached for Chloé’s hand. “Change of plans, Red.”

As he led her back to the elevator, Chloé followed with a few questions of her own. “What do you mean? Who was that? And who saw me come here?”

Zayne all but punched a hole through the button to open the elevator doors, then they stepped inside.

“Zayne?”

He turned to see a look of worry in her eyes and tried to bank the annoyance that was filling him. “Sorry. That was Ethan. There are a bunch of reporters outside the club.”

Her eyes bugged wide. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He cursed and rubbed a hand through his hair. “We don’t think they saw you yesterday. But…”

Chloé swallowed and leaned back against the elevator wall. “Oh my God.”

He nodded. “Yeah, this is why we wanted you to lie low for a little while.”

When the elevator arrived back at their floor, Ethan was waiting. A grim line had replaced the relaxed expression they’d seen minutes ago.

“Show me,” Zayne said.

Ethan turned his tablet around, and Zayne saw the vultures with their cameras standing around the front entrance.

“Fuckin’ hell. This is the last thing we need.”

“Agreed.” Ethan looked to Chloé, who was standing as still and silent as a statue. “Chloé? Are you okay?”

She blinked as she looked between the two of them. “You were right.”

“Unfortunately.”

Zayne handed the tablet back to Ethan and headed to the windows that looked out over the city. “Did you check the back?”

“I did as you were coming up, and no one’s out there yet.”

“Then we should go.”

Ethan gave a clipped nod and grabbed his wallet, as Zayne took Chloé’s hand and led her to the fire exit. They quickly made their way down to the back alley, and a second later their SUV pulled up behind them.

They hurried her inside, and once the doors were shut and the vehicle was moving, Zayne looked to Ethan. “The estate?”

Ethan nodded. “That’s the best place right now. It’s safe and private.” He looked to Chloé, who was gripping Zayne’s hand like it was a lifeline.

It was one thing to know that reporters might be looking for you. But it was a whole other thing to come face to face with the reality.

“We know you aren’t supposed to come out there until tomorrow with your fathers,” Zayne said. “Do you want us to drop you home, or—”

“I want to come with you. If that’s okay?”

He squeezed her hand, trying to calm some of the nervous energy he could feel swirling around her. “Of course it’s okay. We just don’t want to cause any more issues with your family.”

“No. No. I’m sure once I explain, they’ll be fine with it. They’ll understand.”

Zayne nodded then looked back to Ethan, who gave the go-ahead to their driver and set a course for Winnetka.