The girls and Alayna’s mother are already outside when I arrive at the spa. I’m just in time. We will meet a fashion designer for the ball on Sunday, and we basically have two days left. The preparation time is brief, but it’s much better than waiting for days. I can’t wait to be officially engaged to the love of my life.
However, to my confusion, as I look from a distance, Alayna’s sister’s eyes and cheek are burning red. Cassius’s Aston Martin is parked in front of the building as well. My cousin gets off his and approaches Casey first. It’s as though she is explaining something to him, and Cassius seems furious by the look on his face.
Suddenly, Cassius catches Arianna in his arms, cradling her, and she cries on his shirt. He speaks with Alayna and Elizabeth, then takes her to his car. I cross the road, and my fiancée’s face meets my gaze.
She just looks fucking incredible.“Hey…” she greets me with an affectionate embrace and kisses my cheek.
I gaze at her gorgeous face. Her hair is different—her curls are more defined, her skin is smooth and glowing, she looks delectable in that green floral dress. If only we were at home, I might’ve made love with her already. Damn. I sound like a teenager in my head, with my crotch growing.
I have always admired her exquisite beauty from the first time I saw her. Because why the hell have I bothered coming out of my comfort zone last year? I wanted to see her face to face too. As simple as that. Of course, that was the first case. I had never interacted with any woman for the past decade until she came. I wondered if it was just about my lack of sex, but I couldn’t even bear skin-to-skin contact before, so it was never that. She didn’t just satisfy my stomach—she showed me a different side of the world I never knew existed.
And we’re about to wed next month. It still seems unbelievable. Honestly, I have already expected the worst. I predicted she’d decline, given her situation. But I tried asking her to marry, anyway. I’d die in regret if I didn’t.
I’m a lucky man—she said yes.
Surprised by my actions, I take her breath away as I kiss her deeply. I don’t care about our audience or if we are at the side of the road. And because I don’t want to appear disrespectful, I greet her mother.
“Elizabeth. How are you?” I say while her daughter is still in my arms.
“It was perfect.” She looks up at the building, smiling. The way she smiles is a tad similar to her daughter. “I never felt so light before. Thank you for this wonderful treat, son.”
“Anytime, ma’am.” I smile. “Casey?”“Brandon.” She hugs me.
“Glad you came,” I say.
She smiles back a little. “I have nothing to do in the penthouse.”
“But don’t stay out too late,” I remind. “I’ll have John drive you and Mrs. Hart.”
I avert my attention back to Alayna. “What’s going on?”
I catch recognition in her eyes that she knows what I’m talking about. “Arianna?”
“Mm.” I take her hand and kiss her knuckles. “What’s that all about?”
“Oh, right—” her brows met “—but hold that thought. Mom?She holds my arm. “But how about you?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be staying at the penthouse.” She grins with a spark in her eyes.
“Oh, right.” Elizabeth nods in recognition. “But you haven’t even started packing.”
“Yes, I’ll be back tomorrow morning because I have something else to tell you. I love you.” She kisses her mom’s cheek and fondly embraces her again.
“Oh, I love you, dear.” Elizabeth caresses her daughter’s cheek, then glances at me one more time. “Brandon. She’s your responsibility now. Laynie told me about your plans.”
“Of course, Mrs. Hart,” I promise. Alayna must’ve already told her mother about our plans of moving in together, and I’m glad she isn’t traditional.
John attentively tends her and Casey and ushers them into the car. Alayna waves at the two women before disappearing into the car.
I possessively claim my beautiful fiancée’s waist, pulling her against me. The feel of her is enough to complete my day. Her hips feel narrow and delicate in my arms, making me wonder how she survived the abuse. That fucker. He had physically hurt her. My stomach churns every time I think about it.
Alayna extends her hand to my face and fondles my stubble. She watches me with such affection and warmth. I know she loves me when she looks at me like that. Those eyes don’t know how to lie. I’ve learned how to read her a little by looking into her eyes. I know when she is happy, sad, troubled, or afraid—I also see the look she makes whenever she is aroused. I can’t wait to have her alone again.
Oh, she is happy now but a little anxious, it seems.
“How beautiful you are,” she whispers.
I chuckle. “No, you are.” I brush my thumb on her bottom lip. “Nothing compares to your beauty. Come on. Let’s talk in the car,” I mumble. I hold her hand and take her to my Mercedes.
She giggles as I open the door for her. “Thank you.”
“For you, princess.” I turn around and get into the driver’s seat. “So, what happened earlier?” I ask, referring to Cassius and Arianna as I buckle up and while she secures hers too.
“Okay, I’ll start from the beginning. She told me—” she briefly closes her eyes “—she likes Cassius or is probably infatuated with him. It’s not just a crush anymore. She’s falling hard.”
“I saw them talking a lot in Athens, but I didn’t suspect anything. I was busy with my own… thing. Hold on.” I start the engine and pull out onto the road. “I have an idea,” I add.
“But the problem is, Cassius seems, you know, complicated right now. Something’s different about him. He’s been reticent.”
“Well, I’m not surprised.” I focus my eyes on the road. “He’s back to his game.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cassius has probably fucked everything that moves in his lifetime. At least, that’s what Oliver had been telling me about him until he started caring again.” I smirk. He started caring like some kind of saint.
Saint Cassius.She blinks, thinking. “Is that why you’ve been so overprotective of me?”
“At first, yes,” I admit—and that was when she met him, but I know he doesn’t hurt or force a woman. He’s not an asshole. I also understand that at some point, he loved Alayna too. I hated to admit that, but it was true. “That’s another side of him he probably didn’t show you. And yes, of course, he wouldn’t.”
However, his sudden change must also be because of Alayna, and I will not tell her that. With her overthinking traits, she’ll think it’s her fault, which is not. Or there might be something else bothering him, too.
“You said he’s back to his game, and he’s doing this game “Yes, especially when we went back to Athens. He brought different women to his father’s home every week.”
She gapes at me. “He’s probably going through something he’s not telling us. Do you think it’s about Arianna?”
“What else happened?”
“Okay, so I know she had a crush on him the first time she saw Cassius,” she goes on. “But until the other day, when we were still in Portland, she told me they spoke. Arianna told him what she felt for him, but Cassius dumped her.”
I wanted to laugh at how she comically tells a story, but I don’t like to offend her, so I keep listening. I love watching her talk.
I catch up on her last sentence. “That doesn’t sound like Cassius.”
“Right? While we were in a spa earlier, Arianna cried while looking at a message. I didn’t know what it was about, but Cassius suddenly came. He was so furious and worried.”
“I saw it, yes.” What the hell are you playing at now, Cassius? She shakes her head. “No. He took her away.”
“I’ll try to ask him or Oliver. He’ll listen to his brother.”
“No!” She catches my arm. “Not yet. I’ll ask her first. I can’t tell Jason about this either.”
“Fine, but let me know what happened. I know how important this is to you too. She’s your family.”
“And he’s yours.”
After a few more minutes of driving, we arrive at the Redford & Taylor Clothier. “Darling, we’re here.”
“Oh, we are?” She looks outside the window.
I step out of the car first and open her door. She takes my hand, but she can’t take her eyes off the storefront.
“That’s a beautiful black dress,” she says, referring to the glittering piece of display. I instantly imagined her in that dress, and I’m already sure she’d look stunning in it. I’m certainly not letting her wear black at the engagement.
I grin. “Yes, and I can’t wait to see you in one of those. Come on. This is Oliver’s friend’s shop. Omar designs wedding dresses too, and if you like his work, he’ll design your dress.” Omar Taylor is also recognized as an official fashion designer for beauty queens. He made the dress of the crowned Miss World two years ago.
She looks at me in awe. “I get to wear a custom-made dress for our wedding?”
“Yes, darling. You can tell the designer whichever style you like.”
“That’s wonderful!” she says breathlessly. Her reactions are going to be the death of me. I like how relaxed she is about showing her feelings.
That’s it, love. You can tell me whatever you like, and I’d love to spoil you.I usher her first toward the door, but my phone suddenly rings. “Wait.”
I slip my hand into my pocket and immediately check my phone. I see Pauline’s name on the screen. I sigh.
What the fuck does she want? “What does she want?” she grumbles.
“Yeah, I asked the same in my head too.”
“Give me your phone.”
“What?”
“I said, give it to me.” She snatches the phone from my hand, and she answers the call. I’m a little surprised.
“Hello?” she answers. “Yes, Brandon’s here… Yes, this is Alayna. Uh-huh. Okay, I will tell him that.” She pauses. “Look, I’m about to fit my engagement dress and have my wedding dress designed, so you can call him back later.” Another pause. Her cheeks are red as crimson. “Yes, we are engaged.”
I’m impressed.“No, no. Listen. You said that is important to you, but this is important to us too. Yep, Brandon’s listening.” She looks at me with her beautiful eyes. I can’t help but smile at her boldness—another side of her she lets me see.
“He is listening, and he doesn’t care. Yes, yes. I will tell him that, of course. Uh-huh, okay. Thank you.” She cut the call and places the phone back in my hand. “She told me she’ll call you again later.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes. Are you expecting something else?” her tone remains frantic.
“No, baby. I mean, you answered her in six or seven sentences.”
“She’s surprised. You didn’t tell her about the engagement.”
What?She crosses her arms, her nose flaring. “No. I don’t like you talking to her about anything. I don’t want you talking to her at all.”
“So tell her all that.”
“And was I wrong to do that?”
“No, no. That’s not it.” I touch her arms and caress her skin fondly. “You’re rather fun to watch.” I chuckle.
She blushes. “That’s not funny, Brandon.”
“All right. I’m sorry.” I cup her face so she’d look at me because she’s avoiding my eyes. “She’ll find out about it anyway, and she cannot do anything about it because this is what we want. This is what IShe doesn’t answer. She is angry at me.
She’s still beautiful even when she’s angry.
“I’m just so pissed at her.”
“That was very brave of you.”
“She has been so antagonistic towards me. You don’t know the things she has told me before.”
Wait. This is new to me. “And you’re only telling me this now? Why?”
“Because I knew you needed her help, and she’s your friend. I swear, Brandon, I tried to be more civilized, but it’s just too much now.”
“What did she tell you?”
“That you’ll come back to her, and she’ll do anything to make it happen—to take you back. And that’s what I feel about what she’s doing now. Engaged or not.”
“You believed her?”
“Honestly, I considered what she said.”
“Oh, darling. Come here.” I pull her gently against me. Oh, she feels so soft. “That will never happen.”
“Not now, no. I believe you more.” She hugs me back. “But just so you know, I won’t back down now that you have resolved your family issue. She can try to call again, and I’ll answer her again.”
“Okay. How about this?” I adjust an inch away from her so I can look her in the eyes. “I’ll block her calls in my personal number.”
She pouts, and she’s being too cute right now. “You should have done that before.”
“Okay, maybe I should have, but since we’re working on a business project together, I didn’t consider that,” I explain honestly. “So later, when we get home, I will redirect Pauline’s calls to my work number—only my executive assistant answers that. Ms. Garcia also often asks for my approval first before transferring any calls to me. Better?”
“Better,” she mumbles.
“Good. So should we get inside now?”
“Wait. Are you not mad at me?”
“Why would I be?”
“Because I answered your call.”
“I’m not mad at you. Why would I be? Honestly, she had been trying to reach my number since I got here and back in Portland. I thought you should know. You have every right to know.”
“So, did you answer her during our vacation?”
“Of course not. My phone was off most of the time. I only opened it once when I phoned the office about the meeting, so I still don’t know why the hell she was calling.”
“Yes, I know. I believe you.” She bites her lip. “I’m sorry, I’ve shocked you. I just can’t help myself anymore.”
“No, darling. You did well.”
“I did?”
“She has to know and understand who and what you are in my life. I’d probably do the same.” I kiss her nose. “But of course, next time, you tell me first, okay?”
“Okay.” She finally smiles, and it’s priceless. “Thank you.”
“Now, let’s get your dress.” I take her hand again and push the storefront door open.