Beautiful Secret
Page 30
“Careful what you wish for,” George said. “Chloe the Barbarian is meeting us here.”
“Chloe the—I’m sorry, are you talking about Bennett’s wife?” I asked, positive I must have misunderstood.
But Bennett waved me off. “Sara and Hanna are at some sort of party. Chloe should be here shortly. And don’t worry,” he said. “They call each other much, much worse.”
George shrugged and then leaned forward. “Chloe and I have a special bond. Namely being so terrible nobody else would want us.” Bennett cleared his throat and George blinked over to him. “Except for him, and he’s pretty rotten himself.”
And as if she were summoned, one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen walked into the bar. She wasn’t tall, but she certainly carried herself as if she stood head and shoulders above everyone around her. Dark hair spilled halfway down her back and she wore a tight black dress and heels so high I feared for her ankles.
“Speak of the devil,” Bennett said, and stood, watching with a proud smile as his wife walked toward him.
“Look away,” Will said, just as Chloe reached us.
Confused, I glanced at each of the men before I blinked back up to Bennett and Chloe and had to quickly look away. To say that their embrace was passionate would be a gross understatement, and once again I felt the sting of my failed relationship, and the fact that I’d barely even pulled my head from the sand to join the world, let alone considered finding that for myself.
Will groaned. “Get a room, would you?”
Chloe kissed her husband once more before she turned her attention to us. “You’re just jealous because your fiancée is sitting with a bunch of women talking about books, instead of here, gazing adoringly at you.”
“When you put it that way . . . yes, I am,” Will said. “Why aren’t you with them, again?”
Chloe ordered a drink from a passing waitress and took a seat at our table. “Because this is my only free night this week, and I intend to spend it banging my husband. Speaking of”—she looked at Bennett commandingly—“finish your drink.”
Bennett lifted his glass. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Gross,” George said.
“George,” Chloe said, greeting him with a smile.
“Dark Mistress,” he replied.
“And you must be Niall?” she said, turning her attention to me.
“Yes,” I said, and offered my hand. “Lovely to meet you.”
Chloe returned my handshake with a firm grip. “You, too. Where’s the girl?”
“Girl?” I asked, looking at each of them.
Chloe smiled, and I had to admit the effect was quite stunning—if somewhat frightening. I could only imagine the terror this woman could inflict on a poor soul when she put her mind to it.
“I assume she’s talking about your Ruby,” Max said.
“She is not my Ruby,” I corrected.
“Sure she isn’t,” Chloe said. “That’s what they all say.”
As I was busy choking on a bite of truffled Tater Tot, the realization settled in. I’d nearly kissed her at work. “Right, you all settled this the other night.”
“Course we did,” George continued. “You’re the only one who was confused. You turn into a robot around her—”
“To be fair, he’s always a bit of a robot,” Max cut in.
“Cheers, mate,” I mumbled sarcastically. “Funny how I’m the only one here who seemed to be in the dark about it.”
Chloe’s drink had arrived, and she lifted the stemmed glass. “That’s because men are idiots,” she said over the rim. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, women can be jackasses, too, and are every bit as capable of messing things up as men. But in my experience, when these things go wrong, it’s usually the one with the penis who’s fucked it up.” She looked at me with her amused certainty for a moment before adding, “No offense.”
“Well said,” Max told her with a laugh.
They studied me for a few seconds longer before turning back to each other, picking up where they’d apparently left off when I joined them. All except for Chloe, who continued to eye me.
“You never said why you and the girls can’t come to the Catskills this weekend,” Bennett said to Max.
“Sara’s remodeling the entire flat,” Max said, running his palm over the top of his head. “Her designer is coming. I think walls are coming down and . . . oi.”
“Chloe the—I’m sorry, are you talking about Bennett’s wife?” I asked, positive I must have misunderstood.
But Bennett waved me off. “Sara and Hanna are at some sort of party. Chloe should be here shortly. And don’t worry,” he said. “They call each other much, much worse.”
George shrugged and then leaned forward. “Chloe and I have a special bond. Namely being so terrible nobody else would want us.” Bennett cleared his throat and George blinked over to him. “Except for him, and he’s pretty rotten himself.”
And as if she were summoned, one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen walked into the bar. She wasn’t tall, but she certainly carried herself as if she stood head and shoulders above everyone around her. Dark hair spilled halfway down her back and she wore a tight black dress and heels so high I feared for her ankles.
“Speak of the devil,” Bennett said, and stood, watching with a proud smile as his wife walked toward him.
“Look away,” Will said, just as Chloe reached us.
Confused, I glanced at each of the men before I blinked back up to Bennett and Chloe and had to quickly look away. To say that their embrace was passionate would be a gross understatement, and once again I felt the sting of my failed relationship, and the fact that I’d barely even pulled my head from the sand to join the world, let alone considered finding that for myself.
Will groaned. “Get a room, would you?”
Chloe kissed her husband once more before she turned her attention to us. “You’re just jealous because your fiancée is sitting with a bunch of women talking about books, instead of here, gazing adoringly at you.”
“When you put it that way . . . yes, I am,” Will said. “Why aren’t you with them, again?”
Chloe ordered a drink from a passing waitress and took a seat at our table. “Because this is my only free night this week, and I intend to spend it banging my husband. Speaking of”—she looked at Bennett commandingly—“finish your drink.”
Bennett lifted his glass. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Gross,” George said.
“George,” Chloe said, greeting him with a smile.
“Dark Mistress,” he replied.
“And you must be Niall?” she said, turning her attention to me.
“Yes,” I said, and offered my hand. “Lovely to meet you.”
Chloe returned my handshake with a firm grip. “You, too. Where’s the girl?”
“Girl?” I asked, looking at each of them.
Chloe smiled, and I had to admit the effect was quite stunning—if somewhat frightening. I could only imagine the terror this woman could inflict on a poor soul when she put her mind to it.
“I assume she’s talking about your Ruby,” Max said.
“She is not my Ruby,” I corrected.
“Sure she isn’t,” Chloe said. “That’s what they all say.”
As I was busy choking on a bite of truffled Tater Tot, the realization settled in. I’d nearly kissed her at work. “Right, you all settled this the other night.”
“Course we did,” George continued. “You’re the only one who was confused. You turn into a robot around her—”
“To be fair, he’s always a bit of a robot,” Max cut in.
“Cheers, mate,” I mumbled sarcastically. “Funny how I’m the only one here who seemed to be in the dark about it.”
Chloe’s drink had arrived, and she lifted the stemmed glass. “That’s because men are idiots,” she said over the rim. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, women can be jackasses, too, and are every bit as capable of messing things up as men. But in my experience, when these things go wrong, it’s usually the one with the penis who’s fucked it up.” She looked at me with her amused certainty for a moment before adding, “No offense.”
“Well said,” Max told her with a laugh.
They studied me for a few seconds longer before turning back to each other, picking up where they’d apparently left off when I joined them. All except for Chloe, who continued to eye me.
“You never said why you and the girls can’t come to the Catskills this weekend,” Bennett said to Max.
“Sara’s remodeling the entire flat,” Max said, running his palm over the top of his head. “Her designer is coming. I think walls are coming down and . . . oi.”
