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NINE
“Miss Huntington.” Allan smiled as I stepped into the foyer of the Cavendish house, the taxi pulling away behind me with a loud screech. “I’ll show you to your room.”
I trailed him up the wide, curving staircase, down a long corridor, the walls hung with portraits, to an ornate gilt door. He opened it with a flourish and indicated I should enter the room first.
“This is your bedroom.”
The room was huge, with a mahogany four-poster bed taking up the centre, plush carpets, and heavy curtains either side of a large window that had a stu
“The bathroom is through those doors.” I turned around to Allan as he pointed to my left. “I’ll leave you to get settled in. Mistress Cavendish is expecting you downstairs at seven o’clock.”
I nodded, and he left, closing the door behind him.
When I’d received the text from Arlo Cavendish, requesting my attendance at a party, I’d begun pla
So. Here I was. Dressed and ready for the party. My long, dark hair was perfectly curled, falling down my back, and my dress was…not quite the formal wear my mother had insisted on. More an approximation. Black, super short, and silky, with a flared skirt and a deep V-neck that ended underneath my breasts, it made my legs look miles long especially when I paired it with my sky-high Louboutins—a brand of shoes I’d never owned until my mother had couriered me a note written on heavy vellum paper, ordering me to visit a particular boutique in Alstone. I’d turned up to find the shop assistants prepared for my arrival, and I’d spent almost an hour trying on clothes and shoes. While I hated the thought of owing my mother anything, she’d been the one who had pla
I peered into the mirror one last time to make sure that the remaining bit of redness from my carpet burns were covered by foundation and slicked on some lipstick—“Scarlet Witch”—before fastening a delicate gold chain around my neck.
I was ready.
Heading downstairs, I skated around the red velvet rope that marked the upstairs as out of bounds and followed the sounds of talking. I was about to enter the room where the noise was coming from when my arm was yanked back. Wobbling on my heels, I lost my balance and flailed, trying to stop myself from falling.
I was caught by a solid body at my back and large hands at my waist, steadying me.
“Wait.” The low hiss was right by my ear, his face so close that his stubble was brushing the side of my jaw.
Caiden. I shivered at his proximity, and then the pain radiating up my arm registered. And just like that, my lust or whatever hormonal reaction I was having to him disappeared as I stiffened in his hold.
“How many fucking times have I told you not to manhandle me?”
He kept hold of me. “Actually, it wasn’t me that grabbed you. That was Zayde. I stopped you from falling.” His lips were so close to my ear. Too close.
I didn’t want to move.
Despite knowing it was a bad idea, I relaxed against him, feeling the heat of his body warming my back.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing, Snowflake?” His words were hissed in my ear, vaguely threatening, but his tone was more curious than a
Interesting.
“Leaning on you,” I answered nonchalantly.
I had no idea what I was doing.
He stepped back, dropping his hands from my waist, moving one to my back to make sure I was balanced before he let go.
I whirled around. “Cai—” My words died away as I took in the four of them. Weston, Zayde, Cassius, and Caiden. All dressed in formal suits.
So. Fucking. Hot.
Cassius and Weston were smiling at me, as usual, Zayde gave me a blank look, and Caiden stared at me, his stormy eyes darkening as his gaze raked over my body.
“Fucking hot,” Cassius stated, licking his lips.
“I was just thinking the same about you. All of you.” It was easy to see why they were so popular on campus.
I shifted on my heels, suddenly uncomfortable with being the object of their focus. “Why’d you stop me, anyway?” My question was to Zayde, but he ignored me. It was Weston who spoke up.
“We need to display a united front. No sign of tension, act politely, mingle, basically act like we’re all friends. Oh, and like we just love being around our parents.”
A united front. I guess they’d been given the same talk I had. Of course—that was why Caiden had stopped me from falling. Keeping up appearances. No doubt he would have let me drop to the floor in a heap if we hadn’t been in our parents’ house.
“Why do you want to do this? You’re all adults. Why do you even have to be here, if you don’t want to?”
“Trust fund. We don’t get it until we’ve graduated from university, so until that point, Dad likes to remind us that he has control over what we do. If we don’t play nice when he wants us to, we don’t get the money.” Weston shrugged, and Caiden glared at him. Guess he didn’t want Weston sharing that piece of information with me.
“Right.” I rolled my eyes. Money was more trouble than it was worth. I mean, yeah, it was great to have it, but I’d rather not be indebted to anyone. Then again, I’d never been rich. Maybe my view would be different if I was.
Of course, I didn’t have to worry about the trust fund issue since I doubted my mother would have made provisions for me. I had no idea what her financial situation was, either. All I knew was that she was on the board of Alstone Holdings, which probably meant she had money of her own, but it could well be tied to Arlo Cavendish. If he had any sense, he’d have made her sign an ironclad prenup before they got married.
I sidled up to Weston, tucking my arm through his. “Come on, bro. Let’s do this.”
“The feelings I’m having about you right now in that dress aren’t very brotherly,” he told me, pulling me closer to him.
“That’s okay, we’re not properly related. I’m fine with you ogling me.”
“I don’t think Cade shares your opinion.”
Swinging my gaze from Weston’s to Caiden’s, I noticed the tense set of his jaw and the way his fists clenched at his sides.
“I’ll escort her in,” he bit out. “I’m the older brother. It should be me.”
“You’re pulling the older brother card. Really?” Weston snorted in amusement.
“Woah, boys. No need to argue. I don’t need escorting anywhere.” I stepped back from Weston, towards Cassius.
“You can walk with me, babe.” He bent down to murmur in my ear, and I smiled up at him.
“Why can’t Caiden be as nice to me as you?” I didn’t mean to speak as loudly as I did.
I noticed Cassius smirking over the top of my head. “His social skills aren’t as good as mine. It’s sad, really.” He raised his voice. “You want some pointers on how to treat a woman, Cade?”