Alaric was the easiest man to kiss. Hard and soft at the same time, gentle and strong. His hands parted, one sliding to my bottom and tipping me against his… Oh, wow. Bigger might not always be better, but I hoped I’d get the opportunity to experiment for myself. His other hand came to the back of my head, tangling in my hair and then tugging it sideways so he could feather soft kisses along my jaw.
Then he pulled away.
“Shall we skip the audience this time?” He glanced at his watch. “We’ve got an hour and a half to fill before the farce continues.”
“You’ve got a sister of the bride to get into,” I murmured, then my brain caught up with my mouth and I screwed my eyes shut, which did absolutely nothing to help. “Can you just pretend you didn’t hear that part?”
“I could, but I’m not going to.”
Holy hotness. I grabbed his hand.
“The stables. We can go to the stables. Nobody keeps horses here anymore, so they’re empty. And I’m quite sure there are no ovenbirds.”
Alaric chuckled. I loved that he didn’t take himself too seriously.
“Lead the way.”
The stable yard had eight loose boxes set in a U-shape, plus a tack room on the end of one row and a feed room on the other. The boxes were all shut up and probably a bit dusty, so I tugged Alaric towards the tack room.
“There might be an old blanket. Or a cushion for my knees.”
“For…your knees?”
His filthy grin said he knew exactly what I was thinking.
“I’m not a bloody contortionist, all right?”
Nor was I very organised. I hadn’t even considered that I might end up screwing Alaric, which meant I hadn’t brought condoms. I was on the pill, but would he…
Alaric reached past me and yanked the tack room door open, and I was so busy imagining him sans clothing that it took a good few seconds for my brain to register what my eyes most definitely didn’t want to see.
Piers’s head snapped in my direction. “What the…?”
Wasn’t that meant to be my line? His disappointing dick hung out of his fly, but I couldn’t immediately see who he’d been boning because of the sheer volume of cream satin in the way. Hold on a second…cream satin?
My sister turned slowly, the shock on her face mirroring mine. “Bethie, what are you doing here?”
Becoming a witness for impending divorce proceedings?
“What am I doing here? What are you doing here? With him?” I pointed at Piers. “He’s engaged. And you just got freaking married!”
“Will you keep your voice down?” she hissed.
“Why should I? You’ve cheated on Tarquin within an hour of saying ‘I do.’”
Why the hell had she even married him? Oh, right, because he was rich.
“If you had to sleep with Tarquin, you’d do exactly the same. He just sort of…lies there. A girl has needs.”
“And you think Piers is the best person to fulfil them? You really need to get out more.”
I might not have been all the way with Alaric, but one kiss from him beat an entire night with Piers hands down. It was like comparing Van Gogh to a toddler with finger paints.
“You’re just jealous.”
“Oh, please.” Hold on, why was I even having this conversation? As a wise man once said, never argue with stupid people. They’d drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. I couldn’t fix Piers’s flaws, or my sister’s, and I didn’t want to try. “On second thoughts, you know what? I’m done with this family. I’d rather spend time with people I actually like.”
Andromeda knew Piers had cheated on me, and a leopard didn’t change its spots. It shouldn’t surprise her in the least that he was screwing Priscilla behind her back. And Tarquin was a conceited idiot. I turned to leave, but Alaric’s grip tightened on my hand, and he stayed put.
“We’re leaving,” he said. What was that in his hand? His phone? “And I suggest you be very careful what you say about Beth in the future.”
Piers bristled. His dick had gone limp now. Normal service: resumed.
“Are you threatening me?”
“Congratulations. You’re not as dumb as you look.”
“How dare you!”
“You’ve already hurt the woman I love once. Hurt her again and I’ll squash you like the cockroach you are.” Alaric waved a hand at Priscilla. “Please, carry on. Don’t let us stop you.”
CHAPTER 42 - BETHANY
I SNUGGLED AGAINST Alaric in the back of the taxi. Although I wanted to wash my eyes out with bleach, at least catching Piers and Priscilla in the act meant we could escape early. No way would she complain about my absence.
“I can’t believe you got pictures.”
“Video, actually.” Alaric leaned in and kissed my hair. “Definitely the most memorable wedding I’ve been to, for more than one reason.”
And I couldn’t believe he’d said he loved me. Did he mean it? Or was he just trying to hurt Piers? I didn’t dare to ask.
“What happens now?” I whispered.
The driver was wearing headphones, and he nodded in time to the music leaking out. Good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll. He’d be deaf by the time he hit forty, but at least he wasn’t listening to our conversation.
“Right now? Depends how daring you are.”
Alaric’s fingers crept up my bare thigh, and I gasped and clamped my legs together. “We can’t!”
“Fair enough. Then I guess we talk until we get back to your place.”
Talk. In that situation, teetering on the edge of everything I’d always wanted and despair, it was a word that struck fear into my heart.
“What do you want to talk about?”
“The future. Our future. I’m not sure the whole boss/assistant thing’s going to work out for us.”
“You’re…firing me?”
“Hell no. I very much want you to carry on working for Sirius. But I can’t treat you the way I would any other employee. The thought
