Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 126589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 633(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
“Where did you find her?” Niall asked in fascination. The circles he and Nox traveled in were so rarefied that the women were pretty much all expensive carbon copies of each other. Variations of the same theme. They were so pampered, privileged, and perfect, it became hard to differentiate between them. With Botox treatments, lip plumping, facial implants, fucking arse implants, hair straightening, and slender figures being held up as the ideal, a woman like Beth stood out because of her imperfections. She was different and exotic and appealing in a sea of sameness.
“I found her in the real world, Niall,” Gideon said with a laugh. “Beth and Cam’s wife are best friends. Remember Cam? We met him when we were visiting Mum one summer?” Cam and Gideon had both been in their mid-teens at the time. They’d been firm friends ever since. Niall made an affirmative sound in response to his question and Gideon continued. “Anyway, Beth and I have known each other for more than two years now. We’re also neighbors.”
Niall appeared to consider his words, then smiled.
“I’m glad we had this opportunity to talk, Gideon,” he said.
“I am too. I hope—” He frowned, not sure how to finish that thought, but Niall nodded again, a small smile lifting his lips.
“I know. I’ll call more often. Visit occasionally, see what other interesting women your real world has to offer.”
“I’ll do the same. Call and visit. I’ll even tolerate Dad’s bullshit because I’ve missed you.”
“Same.”
Gideon smiled. Happy to have one of his brothers back. It was so much more than he’d ever hoped to achieve this weekend.
“Elizabeth Finch!”
Beth stifled a yelp at the peremptory shout coming from the open door of the small classy conference room she happened to be passing while exploring the twisty, turny house in search of Gideon.
She stopped in her tracks and glared at the man sitting at the long wooden table. He was surrounded by sober suited lackeys, Nox among them. Niall was nowhere to be seen.
“Join me,” he invited—demanded—waving an impatient hand at her.
Beth considered ignoring him and continuing on her way, but the good manners Granny June had drilled into her were too ingrained and she stepped into the hive of activity.
Nox wore a pair of dark rimmed glasses and he glared at Beth over the top of them. Beth wondered if that was the entire purpose of those glasses. A tool to make him seem more intimidating.
She returned the glare over the top of her glasses. Nox didn’t scare her; he was just a bully. As was his father, but James Hawthorne had an intimidating aura of power that she suspected was well-earned. Nox was just a pretender; his father was the real deal and Beth knew she would do well to at least acknowledge that power—even if she didn’t quite respect it.
“Sit next to me,” The Old Man commanded her, glaring at the poor, flustered minion currently occupying the seat beside him, until the man took the hint and scurried away.
Beth gave the guy an apologetic grimace and sighed before sitting down next to James Hawthorne.
He stared at her for a long moment, and she stared back unflinchingly, wondering if she was meant to be intimidated by this silent show of dominance. Instead she was amused, and tried hard to hide her smile, letting him do his thing.
“What’s so funny?” he finally growled.
So much for trying to hide her amusement.
“Nothing.”
“People don’t usually laugh in my presence,” he informed her haughtily, and her eyes sought Nox’s for confirmation. She learned nothing from his grim-faced countenance and refocused on the older man’s craggy, handsome face.
“How t-terribly sad for you,” she told him, genuinely sympathetic.
It was clearly not the reaction he’d been expecting.
“They don’t usually feel sorry for me either,” he gritted out through clenched teeth.
“Wuh-what do they do in your presence?”
“Cower.”
She snorted, then laughed and covered her mouth in attempt to hide her grin.
His eyes, so similar to Gideon’s, were glinting with what looked like suppressed amusement, even though his face was like stone.
“I d-don’t cower,” she said with a little shrug.
“You do stutter, however,” James Hawthorne’s casual observation completely stunned her and Beth’s eyes flew to his face in horror. People didn’t usually mention her stutter. This was the first time since high school that anyone had ever pointed it out.
She felt herself going hot and then cold, before inhaling deeply, all the while aware of his keen eyes scrutinizing her every move. Like a predator observing its dying prey writhe in agony.
She swallowed, composing herself, and taking deep breaths until she was sure she had herself under control, before answering him. “I d-do. E-ever since I wuh-was a child.”
The stutter emerged worse than it had been in a while, happily stripping her of her self-confidence and twisting its way around her tongue, until that useless appendage felt like a piece of lead in her mouth.