***
She doesn’t talk to me all the way back to the mansion. I feel like death warmed up and slump my arm over the steering wheel. I keep glancing toward her. I try to read her face. One moment, I feel like I want to please her. The next, I feel I want her to get the hell away from me and stay away. The trip is exhausting. By the time we pull up the mansion drive, I’ve thoroughly confused myself. Or maybe she has. I don’t even know.
But I put on my swagger. My nothing-can-rattle-me swagger. I walk to the door without a look back at her.
She hurries up the steps after me. “I still want to talk figures with you. Let’s do it now.”
Maybe that will make her happy. Open up a bit. “Yes. In the dining room. Come.” We go through the hallway, past the dusty tapestries and windows that aren’t quite clean enough, like once you’re inside, you can’t see out properly. My vision of the world is covered with a film of dust.
When we get to the dining room, I’m ready to listen attentively. To make her see that I can be serious. That responsibility means something to me.
Isabella smiles and places her laptop on the table. It looks like she’s going to warm to me again.
“Eh hem.” We both whirl around. My stomach sinks the minute I see who’s sitting at the head of the grand polished table, grinning at us. Lilly.
“You again?” The fury’s hot in my voice.
“I’ll be going to my room.” Isabella turns on her heel and hurries away, clutching her papers under her arm.
Lilly watches her leave with a sick smile. “Yep. She knows who the queen is around here.”
“I hope to god you’re not talking about yourself. Unless you mean queen bitch.” I pick up Isabella’s laptop to go take it to her room.
Lilly laughs and starts to walk toward me. Her walk is slow. Seductive. She brushes her fingertips over the curved back of each chair as she makes her way toward me. “Gray, I’ll never understand why you would like a woman like her. She’s so boring.”
I turn to face her and square up. She’s doing a dirty battle, and there’s no way in hell I’m falling for it. “Isabella’s worth more than a dozen of you.”
She pretends to look hurt. She pauses her procession and puts her hand on her heart. “Gray. How could you say that?”
“Truth hurts.” I watch her manipulative, sly face with all its fake hurt, and with a jolt of rage, I remember the past. “You were only with me for money and status.”
“Status? Ha!” All of a sudden she’s smiling. A horrible, leering grin. “Your family name can’t hold a candle to mine, Grayson. Don’t think you’re special because you have money. That’s vulgar of you.”
“You’re not seeing a penny of it. You know that, don’t you? No woman will ever use me.”
She laughs then advances in that flirtatious way again. “Are you sure about that?” She traces her finger up my arm. I don’t pull away. She would think I was weak. “What about Isabella? She’s plainly here for your money.”
Well, in a sense, she is. Of course, that’s what this fake engagement is based upon. I’m not about to tell Lilly that. But Isabella isn’t just here for the money, I can feel it. “Isabella is real. She’s not after money. She doesn’t pretend. She’s not a snake.”
“Every woman wants diamonds and gold,” Lilly says. “I can’t lie, I want it too. But at least I really love you, too. I really do. That Isabella? She looks at you and sees pound signs.” Then she fakes an American accent. “Sorry, dollar signs. I know all about the solicitor deal, you know.”
“Who told you that?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she says, a sly grin on her face. “Isabella doesn’t love you. You don’t make her happy. The money does.”
An idea flashes through my mind. “Oh, yeah? Watch this.” I sit at the table and flip open the laptop. I think back to Isabella and her Kindle. She always has her head in it, especially when she’s stressed. Hell, she’s probably on it right now. I’ll order her some books on Kindle. That will make her happy. I know what kind of woman she is. She was so touched when I remembered her favorite foods from school. If I can buy her a business book now, and maybe a fiction book, too, she’ll love it. “See how simple this is?” I tell Lilly, while I click onto Amazon. Isabella’s account is already logged in. “Just… perhaps twenty pounds on two Kindle books, maybe even less. And this will make her feel happy.”
Lilly snorts. “Good luck. Go ahead and try it. See if she doesn’t laugh at you.”
“Whatever.” I go onto Isabella’s purchase history to see what she likes. Maybe they’ll have some suggestions on there. I scroll down the fiction books she’s ordered, some business books, too. Books on business debt, expansion, things like that. She really does care about her father’s business. So much. For the first time, that fact makes me feel warm inside. Like she’s a safe person. A really safe person. “You know, Isabella is much more—” I freeze. I can’t help it. My eyes track over a title that hits me in the gut. How to Play with Men’s Minds and Have Them Wrapped around Your Little Finger. I check the date. Fuck. It’s just after we met.
I forgot Lilly existed for a second. “Gray?” she says.
I try to slam the laptop shut, but she gets there faster. “Ooh hoo hoo!” she squeals. “Look at what your perfect little Isabella is reading! I told you she’s no good, Gray!”
The world closes in on me. I don’t know what is up or down, left or right.
Lilly pushes the laptop away and perches on the table in front of me. Her voice changes to soft and sweet. “Hey, Grayson, forget about that horrible bitch. You know I’m the only woman who can understand you. You know it.”
I feel numb. I don’t even move. She puts her hands on my shoulders then comes close. She’s going to kiss me.