Chapter 120
And then, just as I start to lean into it, start getting addicted to his words and the butterflies they erupt in my lower belly, he kisses my nose, gives a smaller, more serious smile, and says, “Thank you for the meal, love. It’s perfect.”
I’m not sure if he’s still talking about the food. I just nod, voice caught somewhere in my throat. “You’re welcome.”
And just like that, he pulls away and keeps eating like nothing happened. I sit there, stunned, doing a terrible job hiding the crash of disappointment that follows.
He glances up a moment later. “We should figure out how Céline knew about your brother.”
That snaps me back to reality. I take a steadying breath and nod. “You’re right.”
But my pulse is still racing.
ZANE
Arms crossed, back pressed to the wall, I wait.
The bastard’s taking his time. Every second that ticks by grates at my nerves, winding them tighter. When the suite door finally creaks open, Stone stumbles out like he’s got somewhere urgent to be – duffel bags slung over each shoulder, head down, avoiding the world.
He doesn’t see me right away. Fumbles with the door like it’s
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giving him a hard time. When he finally clocks me standing there, his body goes rigid. “Za-”
Too late.
My fist snaps forward and cracks against his already bruised jaw. The force knocks him off balance, sending him stumbling into the hallway wall with a grunt of pain, one hand clutching his face.
He’s still upright. Shame.
I close the distance, grab him by the collar,, and slam him hard against the wall. The bags hit the floor with a heavy thud, but his grip on them is stubborn, like they’re his last damn lifeline.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” I growl, my voice low and sharp, heat rising in my chest. “What the hell are these?” I slam my boot against one of the duffels. When he flinches, my fists clench. That twitch sets me off all over again.
“I just want to get off for a while,” he mutters, eyes glazed like he’s halfway between exhausted and detached. Like he doesn’t even realize what he’s doing.
My fury surges like a wave, slamming into my chest. “You want to get off the ship? Are you fucking serious right now? The wedding’s in less than two weeks!”
I close the distance between us, standing so close I can see the pulse ticking in his neck. “What the hell am I supposed to tell Becca? What do I say when people ask why my best man bailed like a goddamn coward?”
He flinches – barely – but it’s enough. His eyes shift away, jaw
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clenched tight.
“You never cared what Becca thought about this wedding anyway,” he mutters.
“That’s not what I fucking asked!” I snap, voice cutting through the hallway like glass. His gaze finally meets mine, and whatever’s in it – shame, regret, fear it pisses me off even
more.
—
He exhales, rubs a hand down his face like that’ll buy him time. “I’ll make it up to you before the season starts,” he says finally. Then, as if struck by some brilliant idea, he adds, “You remember Cole’s fiancée? The redhead with the long legs and that perfect little ass? You were eyeing her last month. I can get you her number.”
For a beat, I say nothing. He’s not wrong – I had looked. I wouldn’t mind screwing her brains out for a few nights. But whatever part of me entertained the idea gets steamrolled by the fire climbing up my spine.
I step closer. “Okay. Let’s say you do that. Let’s say I fuck her, twice, maybe three times. What then?” I pause. “What the hell do I tell Becca?”
He shrugs like it’s simple. “Tell her I had shit to handle. That I couldn’t make it. Give Toby my tux, it might be tight on the shoulders, but it’ll do.”
I shake my head slowly. “That’s not good enough. You don’t just vanish without giving me something, man. So what is it? What the fuck is going on, Stone?”
Then I hear a door creak open behind him. My head whips.
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—
toward the sound – and Céline steps out of his room, dragging her suitcase behind her.
She sees us frozen in place and lets out a flat, “Oh.”
My brain stalls. My fists unclench just enough to let the confusion sink in. “What the hell is going on here?”
Céline glares at Stone like she could set him on fire with it. “You didn’t tell him? Are you out of your goddamn mind? How are we supposed to leave if he doesn’t even know? Are you stupid?”
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