I pointed to the tray on my dresser. “Take that with you.”
She blinked a few times before shifting her gaze to the untouched dinner she’d brought to my room last night. “Oh…yeah. Sorry. I’ll take it. You didn’t eat. I’ll have your breakfast—”
“Did I tell you I didn’t eat? I simply said take the tray as you leave.” I watched as she tried her best to hide the disappointment on her face as she moved to take the tray. “Thank you. That’s all, and this will be our last…personal call together.”
“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, hanging her head and gripping onto the tray tightly.
“Yes,” I answered as I walked over to her, ignoring the sharp protest in my shoulder. I lifted her chin up, forcing her to look at me. “You’re starting to want more. Hope is plastered all over your little face despite me making it very clear I was just looking for a fuck. Apparently, that’s too much for you, so find a new wing of the house to clean.”
“I’m sorry. I swear I’ll be good,”she nearly begged. Part of me, my cock mostly, wanted to see how much more I could make her beg. However, unlike most men, I wasn’t ruled by my cock.
“Do you know how many women who have told me something along the same lines. All of you keep thinking you’re special. That somehow, I’ll magically see we are meant to be together. That your pussy is divine and will make me see the light the more we fuck. The truth is, you aren’t special. You just happened to be in my room while I was horny. I will never think we are meant to be together, and your pussy is so far from divine, it might as well be in hell. Though I’ll give you credit, your mouth was nice. Which is why I let you in my bed more than once. But that’s done. So, clear your head of any silly fantasies.” I held her chin, and she stared at me unable to speak. “And get the hell out of my room!”
She jumped away from me and dashed to the door, taking her leave. It was only when she was gone that I felt like I could breathe again. I grabbed my bed kit before moving to my bathroom. I took the bandage off my shoulder, and a whole rush of memories engulfed my mind. I could feel her long fingers on my shoulder.
“God-fucking-damn it!” I hollered, slamming my fist on the kitchen counter. I thought screwing the maid would help...instead I found myself imagining her? Why? Why the hell? Out of nowhere was I thinking of her like this? She was drunk.
But she’d always been the most honest when she was drunk. That’s why…that’s why I wanted her to drink.
“Fuck me,” I grumbled to myself, picking up the alcohol to clean my wound. This was all my fucking fault. I made a mistake. And because of that mistake, I went to her. I wanted her to stop being angry, so I tried to make her talk it out by giving her wine…and she did talk it out. Too much in fact. But it was my own goddamn fault for doing this.
“But why am I always pushing her?” The question came out of my mouth before I even realized it. I looked at my reflection, as if that was going to help. Instead, I just saw how pitiful I looked.
Putting another bandage on, I covered my shoulder wound, sealing over it with tape. I turned on the shower, stepping in under the hot water, inhaling the steam. I’m always pushing her. I’m always pushing myself for her. Just like the memory I recalled. Ethan thought it was a bad idea to cause a scene at our Uncle Neal’s wedding anniversary back when I was eleven, but I told him I’d do it alone and make sure he got in trouble anyway. I wanted to get Darcy and Sedric in on it, too, but he told me not to go overboard. Back then I didn’t know I was going overboard. I wanted everyone to know and everyone to be just as angry as I was. Was I wrong? Was I going beyond my role as her cousin then? I killed to bring her back home. If it wasn’t Helen, would I have done the same thing? Yes! If it was Dona I would have—but when my father sent her to boarding school, I hadn’t really fought him. When Gabriel came I was pissed, I wanted her to stay, but I didn’t go to the extreme. With Helen, I’m always forcing her to stay with me. I even made sure to help her open a company in Boston so she’d have to stay.
Why?
What did this mean?
Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed two towels, tying one around my waist before drying my head with one hand. As I headed back into my bedroom, I saw one of the last people I wanted to see waiting—
“Isn’t sex supposed to relax you?” Darcy questioned as he flipped through a book on my sofa. He was dressed in tan trousers and a light blue dress shirt.
Not when I’m thinking about your fucking sister! I hollered back in my mind
Instead I said, “If you ever have sex, let me know.”
I heard him curse me when I walked into closet, only to come face to face with Thing 2.
“You’re relaxed afterward? I’m just hungry. Though sometimes I just pass out. Is that healthy?” Sedric questioned before stuffing pudding into his mouth.
“I don’t fucking know, move!” I snapped at him before pushing him to the side.
“Your bedside manner sucks.”
I flipped him off before grabbing my black boxer briefs. “Don’t both of you have other things to be doing this morning?”
“We penciled in bothering you, so we’re right on schedule,” Darcy responded, and I rolled my eyes, putting on my trousers before stepping toward the closet entrance.
“So that means I don’t have to worry about your press conference this afternoon?” I asked, looking between them both. “It would be a shame if you both fucked up on your first day on this side of the family…especially after those passionate speeches you gave to your fathers.”
Sedric’s demeanor changed as he glared into my eyes. “It seems our cousin has mistaken our teasing for weakness, Darcy.”
“Ironic, seeing as he’s the one who ran away from his responsibility the second he had the chance,” Darcy replied, rising from my sofa.
Smirking, I nodded in agreement; “True. I did run. Neither of your fathers’ have ever doubted that I could do this job. That this is where I am supposed to be. Can either of you say the same?”
“You sure you want to keep pressing, cuz?” Sedric said, his jaw set.