Garrett ignored the doorbell. He would not be denied this, but then the doorbell sounded again. It shattered the moment, its persistent chime echoing through the villa and brought Lily back to her senses.
Garrett released Lily, who was quick to jump up to fix her dress to cover herself. Shyness was now kicking in and she said timidly, "Uh, I think you should get that. It might be Adam." Garrett nodded, noting the awkward energy now.
"I'll go find out," he said. He moved through the dimly lit hallway, the plush carpet under his feet muffling his footsteps. Garrett cursed the entire time swearing to beat whoever was at his door senseless for running the moment between he and Lily. As he reached the front door, a sense of unease prickled at his senses, his instincts on high alert.
With a flick of his hand, Garrett swung the door open, revealing a familiar face standing before him. Brandy, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, stood there with an insincere smile on her lips. She felt him hungrily eye his bare chest, before looking at his face. Whatever lustful thoughts he had left in his were now gone as he felt disgusted as Brandy leered at him.
'You have to be fucking kidding me,' Garrett thought.
'Just maul her and be done with it. Do our she-wolf a favor,' Berric recommended.
'And start a pack war, I think not. She is not worth the effort,' Garrett said. He noticed how she tried to mask her disgust as she saw his face and stepped back a little. And then noticed her nose wrinkle as he was sure she could smell Lily's scent all over him. Garrett's gaze hardened as he regarded her, his muscles tensing involuntarily.
"Hi there, I'm Brandy," she said, extending her hand in a calculated gesture of friendliness. "We've never properly met, have we?"
Garrett eyed her suspiciously, his defenses firmly in place. He made no move to accept her outstretched hand, his expression cool and guarded. "Save your pleasantries, Brandy," he retorted, crossing his arms defensively. "I know exactly who you are and what you've done to Lily."
A flicker of surprise crossed Brandy's face, her smile momentarily faltering. However, she swiftly regained her composure, the mask of indifference slipping back into place. "Well, aren't you a delight?" she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm. "But I didn't come here for pleasantries, I assure you."
Garrett planted himself firmly in the doorway, effectively blocking Brandy's path. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. "Then what's the real reason for your visit?" he demanded, his voice laced with skepticism.
Unfazed, Brandy reached into her purse and produced a small, ornately designed envelope. Holding it out, she presented it to Garrett with an air of forced grace. "I wanted to extend an invitation," she said, her tone nauseatingly sweet. "I'm hosting a Christmas party, and I thought you and Lily might enjoy attending."
Garrett snatched the envelope from her hand, his grip tightening around it like a vise. He tore it open with a swift motion, his eyes scanning the contents and his features contorting with disdain. He scoffed and tore the invitation into pieces, the fragments fluttering to the ground like snowflakes.
"I won't let you ruin Lily's Christmas," he growled.
"Then, why don't you come? You have yet to meet my family and I..."
"I don't care to meet your family. I have learned enough from the treatment of Lily," Garrett said, dismissing her offer.
"I am not sure what that drama queen has said, but we are not all bad. You should just come and see," Brandy said, grabbing hold of his hand.
Unlike how Lily's touch made his whole body hum, Garrett felt utterly disgusted by Brandy touching him. He barred his teeth at her, snarling loudly, causing her to release him and back up again. "Keep your filthy hands off me. You're not welcome here, Brandy. Leave."
Brandy's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and frustration, her mask slipping further. She took a step closer, her voice laced with venom. "You think you can protect her from me? You think you're going to protect her from the world? She can stay hiding out in your villa forever, and she'll have to fight her own battles," she spat, her words biting through the air. "You're fooling yourself, Garrett."
Garrett's body tensed, his claws threatening to burst through his skin. He matched Brandy's venom with an unwavering glare, his eyes blazing with a feral intensity. "Just because you were able to whore yourself into my little brother's good graces doesn't mean you will with me," he snarled, his voice dripping with icy resolve.
"What did you call me?" Brandy demanded as her face contorted in rage.
Whore, because that is what you are. Compared to Lily, you are worthless. You are not even worth a one-night stand. I'd rather use my damn hand to pleasure myself than to touch you," Garrett growled. "Leave now, and don't you dare come back here."
Brandy's face contorted with rage, but she turned on her heel, storming away in a huff. Garrett slammed the door shut behind her, the resounding echo filling the room as a stark reminder of the tension that had unfolded.
Returning to the living room, Garrett found Lily now in a silver night gown and was placing two plates of food on the coffee table. The gown clung to her but not as much as the cocktail dress. If she thought that this was turning off, Garrett found this more sexy than the cocktail dress. He beat down his lust as now as not the time.
"I thought to fix our food. Who, uh, who was at the door?" Lily said.
"It was Brandy," he confessed, his voice heavy with a mix of frustration and protectiveness. "She had the audacity to come here and try to ruin our Christmas."
Lily's eyes widened, irritation mingling with her concern. She wasn't that surprised as Mandy had called her earlier. Lily didn't expect her to send Brandy over to get her to come home. "What did she want?" she asked.
"She wanted us to go to a Christmas party. I tore up the invitation. Let's not focus on that. Let's just enjoy our night. I have a few Christmas movies that we can watch," Garrett answered and went to go get them.
Lily nodded but when Garrett left to get them her smile dropped. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that Mandy and Brandy were planning something.