“Fair enough.” Sully gathered me close, tucking me into his side. “So far, the ball seems like a success.”
“It’s an overly glorified business convention, really,” Jethro said. “I invited you to catch up, but it’s also a good time to make new contacts for your business. Especially the new islands in the South Pacific. Rapture, was it?”
“Correct.” Sully nodded. “We’re thinking about a visit there ourselves, actually. You and your family are welcome to come.”
“Maybe.” Jethro smiled. “For now, how about I introduce you around? You’d be doing me a favour by taking some of the attention off me. I can feel it a little too keenly.”
Sully threw me a look. “I’m happy to come, but I don’t particularly want to leave Eleanor.”
“By all means, bring her—”
“Oh, don’t you worry about her,” Nila said. “She’ll be bored while you talk business. I’ll happily keep her entertained.” Coming closer, Nila murmured, “I’m sure you have questions about my strange husband. And I can give you a tour if you’d like? Show you the gardens or the greenhouses. Maybe the stables?”
“Oh, that’s kind.” My unwillingness to leave Sully vanished. Our chemistry faded in preparation of being apart. I looked at Sully, my heart glowing as he nodded gently.
“I won’t be long. I’ll come find you after.” His eyes heated with sinful promises.
“Okay.” Smiling at Nila, I added, “I’d love to see your horses. We saw you riding this afternoon.”
Nila beamed. “The stables it is. I should’ve offered that option first, seeing as I’ve heard about your fondness for animals.” She motioned toward my snakeskin dress. “That was designed in a collection a year or so ago, but I figured it was perfect for you. In hindsight, I should’ve embellished it with more creatures. There truly are unlimited patterns you can pull from nature.” She eyed my dress with critique rather than satisfaction. Annoyance clouded her gaze, then inspiration glowed bright. “Oh! I could do an entire collection based on the attributes of hunter and prey! I could design fangs out of wire and—”
“Needle, stop.” Jethro chuckled. “We have friends to entertain, not new wardrobes to create.”
Nila nudged him with her shoulder. “I can do both at once.”
“Don’t listen to her.” Jethro looked at Sully, then me. “If you let her discuss clothing, you’ll find yourself sitting in her sewing room while she sketches until tomorrow.”
Taking Sully’s elbow, Jethro bowed at me and his wife. “On that note, we’ll see you two ladies in a bit. Don’t get up to mischief.”
Nila fluttered her eyelashes. “But I like mischief.”
“Yes well, our intention tonight is to squash the rumours, not to create more by making me chase after you to ensure you behave.”
Nila laughed, glancing at Sully. “See what I have to live with? He can do whatever he wants, but me? No way. Do you threaten your wife on a daily basis like he does?”
“I’d say almost hourly, actually,” I said before Sully could. “Then again, I issue my own just as often.”
Nila laughed harder. “I’d like to hear these threats.” Stepping back, she opened her arm in invitation. “You can give me some pointers. Shall we? A quiet walk to the stables will be a perfect time for gossip.”
Sully groaned. “Jethro, I’m happy your wife provides you with the emotional stability you need, but I’m not so keen on her corrupting mine.”
“If anyone is doing the corrupting, it will be your wife, not mine.” Jethro grinned. “Come on. Let me introduce you to our guests.” Kissing Nila, he broke away from our group, giving Sully privacy to kiss me goodbye.
His kiss was swift and strict. A dominant reminder that we belonged together, and that he’d come find me soon. “I won’t be long. Stay safe, Jinx.”
I kissed him back. “You too.”
Nila took my hand and dragged me the other way as Sully followed Jethro into the crowd.Chapter Six
“SO HOW EXACTLY DID you get that stunning creature to fall in love with you?”
I punched Jethro in the arm as we left the ballroom and slipped into a quieter dayroom. “You saying I’m not lovable?”
“I’m saying you don’t exactly let down your guard.” My old friend grinned. “What’s it been, Sully? Over a decade of friendship and you’ve never once been involved.”
“Too busy.”
“No excuse.” He crossed his arms.
“You can’t talk. You never had anything serious until Nila.”
“That’s because I couldn’t get close to anyone but my brother Kes.” He flinched as if his brother’s death was still new and bleeding. In a way, it was. No matter how many years passed, I doubted Jethro would get over his middle brother’s death. He didn’t care about his younger brother’s demise, mainly because he deserved it. Just like his father’s end was justified.
Just like my own family deserved to be put down.
Wonder what he’d say if I told him what I’d done to my brother. How I’d broken his mind before Eleanor ended his body? How I celebrated his passing instead of mourned?