“I need you to stay away from Ian and George, princess,” Kingston explained softly, his eyes moving over my shoulder. “I know you don’t like being rude, but if he does that shit again, just walk away.”
I didn’t disagree, but… “Why?”
Kingston’s fingers tapped on the table as I took a sip of my champagne. When he finally answered, it wasn’t what I expected. “I don’t trust myself to not lose it.”
Oh.
I blinked, mid drink, and pulled my glass away from my lips and frowned. “Lose it?”
“Yes.”
I examined his face. “Because he is talking to me?”
“Yes.”
Oh.
Nodding, I took another sip and then reached over to squeeze his hand, not understanding his reasoning fully but trusting that King losing it wouldn’t be good. “I told him I was uncomfortable with taking a photo, and I wasn’t very friendly this time, if we are being honest. But I will make sure to be more forceful about it.”
“Motherfucker,” Yates hissed as I mentioned telling Ian I’d been uncomfortable.
“It’s fine.” I looked at the silver-eyed man before returning my gaze back to King. “I promise.”
Kingston nodded, his jaw clenching as he seemed to shake himself. Before I could say anything else, we had a new guest join us at the table. Well, actually five. I mean, they were tables for twelve, so it wasn’t surprising, but it was surprising that I didn’t recognize them. My eyes met the woman’s gaze, the men she was with sort of fading into the background.
Instantly, I was smiling. “India Lexington?”
The woman’s face transformed into shock as she dropped her purse and stayed standing. “Dahlia?”
Walking around the table, I hugged the woman I hadn’t seen in what felt like five or six years. I would have recognized that gaze anywhere, though. She always had the most fascinating eyes out of anyone I’d ever met. Honestly, a bit freaky, but still beautiful.
I couldn’t remember exactly how much older she was than me, but our families ran in similar circles, and one time when we had been in Europe, we’d spent a week or so exploring together. I think I’d been around fifteen at the time, and with her being older, I had thought she was the most fascinating person on the planet.
That theory still held.
The Lexington family was East Coast old world money. I couldn’t remember exactly what her family had their fingers in, but I think it was politics. Or had been politics. My brow dipped, remembering how she had lost most of her family in a plane crash only a year or so ago. Pulling back, her dark eyes ran over my face as her golden hair bounced around her face. There was something very different about India.
There was a calculated and cold edge to her that I didn’t really know how to read. Her smile and expression were friendly, but her frame held tension to it, and the outfit she wore was the opposite of me in every possible way. Her all-black silk suit was accented by a diamond necklace and kickass stilettos. Honestly, I could admit that she was intimidating to be around.
“How have you been?” she asked. “I hadn’t realized that you would be here.”
“Our families own the club,” I explained easily. “But what about you? Have a thing for golf?”
“Hardly.” She chuckled and then motioned to the men she’d arrived with, all of whom seemed to have introduced themselves to my boys. “We needed to be in the area for an event, and I figured it would be a good break. Let me introduce you.”
“This is Bishop Vos,” India said as I met the hand of a blonde-haired man that offered me a charming smile before looking back at India, seeming to communicate something.
“Silas Huntington,” she said as she pointed out the next man, who offered me only a short head nod. I tried to not feel uncomfortable, because the man seemed normal enough… but he had a weird energy to him, and the way he was watching India was far from normal. Then again, I could feel my guys staring holes into the side of my face, so I didn’t blame them for feeling a bit off.
“Oh, Eugene and Lawson.” I flashed a smile, not having recognized the two men at first. “It is wonderful to see both of you again.” They’d been with us in Europe, and it didn’t surprise me that they were still attached to India at the hip. They’d always been a bit infatuated with her, at least from what I could remember.
“And Callum is somewhere around here.” She flashed a smile.
“Well, you may remember Yates,” I pointed out as the man in question offered her a polite smile, his eyes moving back to me. “And this is Kingston Ross and the Gates twins, Sterling and Lincoln,” I explained as India nodded in understanding.
Before I could say anything else, the microphone came alive as my father’s voice greeted the guests. I squeezed her hand and rounded the table as we both sat down, everyone’s attention moving to my dad as he began his welcome speech. I couldn’t help the little buzz going through me at having a positive interaction with a female that wasn’t one of the moms.
Kingston’s arm wrapped around the back of my chair as he smoothed his fingers over my bare shoulder. I offered him a curious look as he kissed my temple, making me blush. Another man joined the table suddenly, a massive man that looked somewhat like a cowboy, boots and all. He sat down and offered India a look as she flashed a small smile. But that wasn’t what caught my attention—no, it was the fact that King was frozen next to me.