“Fine. I’ll have my accountant contact you with the details.”
Gavin sighed and rose to his feet. “Thank god Dad isn’t here to see this cluster-fuck.”
Indeed, Ethan thought as his brother left. Their father would’ve had a fit, while their mother would’ve done her best to calm him down. The thought brought a small nostalgic smile to Ethan’s face. But he hated that his mother had to see this family drama. It was more fitting for a soap opera than real life.
Would Gavin tell their mother his suspicions about Kerri? Even compare her to Lisa?
Ever since Lisa’s death, Ethan had deliberately pursued women who had a range of interests other than him—career, education, and other personal aspirations. So what if Kerri’s eyes sometimes held a hint of grief? Everyone had something they regretted or felt sorry about. Kerri wouldn’t pull what Lisa had. Kerri wouldn’t slit her own wrists and scrawl, “Ethan, it wasn’t supposed to be like this” in blood for the police to find at their place.
Still, Gavin talking about how Kerri was just like Lisa to other members of the family could irreparably damage Ethan’s relationship with Kerri. She had no problem cutting Simon down to size, but she wouldn’t fight to win approval or acceptance in a non-professional capacity. She’d vanish again rather than try to change his family’s mind about her. He was sure of it.
Ethan put his feet back on the floor. He needed to find out more about Kerri and her background to prove Gavin wrong and counter whatever damaging move his younger brother might make in his desire to help Ethan avoid another costly “mistake.”
Chapter Fifteen
“HEY THERE!”
Kerri looked up from her laptop and saw Natalie waving from the door, her sun-kissed face glowing. The vivid jewel tones of her top and mini skirt accentuated her golden skin and dark almond-shaped eyes, making her look even more exotically beautiful than usual. Kerri closed her computer and ran over. “Natalie!” She hugged her friend. “I had no idea you were coming today! If I’d known, I would’ve gone to the airport.”
“Don’t worry. Ethan came to pick me up, even though he didn’t have to.”
They went to the table. Kerri sat, while Natalie went to the kitchen.
“I never suspected you guys would move in together,” Natalie said.
“Well, number one, this isn’t actually his penthouse,” Kerri said. “And number two, it’s a temporary arrangement.”
“Uh huh.” Natalie grinned, then suddenly her smile disappeared. “Hey, I can’t believe you quit and didn’t tell me!”
Kerri sighed. The cat was obviously completely out of the bag. But then why wouldn’t Ethan tell Natalie? She was her best friend, and he’d probably assumed she already knew. “Well. I kind of had to leave.”
“Leave? Why?” Thankfully, before Kerri had to come up with a way to explain, Natalie snapped her impeccably manicured fingers. “Does it have something to do with your fainting? You do look thinner than before.”
“Jealous?” Kerri joked, unwilling to talk about the real reason for her weight loss. Ta-da! I got my granddaddy’s liver! “And since when do you get your nails professionally done? Is that a requirement to be Mrs. Alex Billionaire?”
“Stop trying to change the subject.” Natalie rummaged through Ethan’s fridge and dug up a couple of apples. “I mean, you were already model-thin except for your boobs, but you must’ve lost at least ten pounds.”
“Tons of work and stress. Does wonders for your figure.”
“Uh-huh. You need to tell Ethan to stock up on ice cream.” Natalie tossed one of the apples to Kerri. She caught it and bit into the crisp flesh. “And you have to tell me everything. I mean everything.”
“What is there to say? I fainted a couple of times, and so I went to see my doctor. He did some blood work and said I was in awful shape. Ordered me to give up sugar, fat, and everything else that makes life sweet.”
“But you quit your job. Why?”
“Too much stress. It was killing me.” And because I’d rather be fried in hot oil than face Barron. She’d promised herself she’d never grovel for his approval and love, and she didn’t want to see her grandfather who’d only cause her pain.
“Oh my god, you should be in a resort somewhere, getting pampered, instead of slaving away for Ethan’s empire.”
Kerri laughed. “It’s not like that.”
“Really? He can be a difficult boss.”
“Tell me about it. He keeps ordering me to rest because it’s the weekend, or because it’s after five, or because the sun is out. Like I know what to do with myself when I have free time.”
Natalie gave Kerri a theatrically sly, through-the-eyelashes look. “I bet you know what to do with Ethan though.”
“Well…I am an expert at managing difficult bosses.”