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It’s surprising enough that I raise my head. Still not smiling, he does appear to be making a sound similar to what I think of as amusement.
Great, a smug billionaire who finds my suffering funny.
“What’s wrong?” He crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side. He looks slightly more animated than he did this morning, if only because his five o’clock shadow softens the hard line of his jaw. He also looks as tired as I feel.
“Nothing.” At least, it’s nothing I plan on discussing with him. I look away, indicating that I’m done with the discussion. I don’t mean to be rude, but he’s not here to visit me, and this isn’t exactly a great moment for me to shoot the breeze.
Entitled billionaire asshole.
He doesn’t move even though I’ve basically dismissed him.
“What does PJ stand for? I assume it’s not your given name.” I wish the deep tenor of his voice didn’t sound like it’s rumbling from the engine of a vintage Mustang. I want to jump in that car and drive away. It’s distracting.
“Didn’t anyone teach you never to assume?” I can’t help firing back at his question with a challenge. It’s the “little sister” in me.
He rubs a hand over his chin and taps his lip with one long finger. “Okay, let me rephrase. Did your parents really name you after cute bedtime onesies with feet?”
I fight the urge to smile because damn him, he’s really great to look at, and right now, his face is a balm to my frazzled nerves. He looks like he came from a vacation on some European riviera, with crinkles around his eyes from squinting at the vacation sun and hair rakishly ruffled from exiting his helicopter. Or yacht.
My mother was the only person who ever called me by my full name.Penelope June, come give me a hug.I can still almost hear the lilt of her soft voice, wrapping around my middle name like a snuggly, warm blanket and bathing my name in a subtle Southern lilt. As a New York City native, she had no such accent, but I guess she liked the way it sounded.
That was a long time ago. It’s been years since I’ve seen her. She travels quite a bit and does a lot of volunteer work in Central America, so she’s hard to pin down.
“It’s Penelope June. No pajamas were harmed in the making of my nickname. It’s just easier.”
“Anyone ever call you Junebug?”
“Nope.” I pop the “p” at the end to make sure he knows that “nobody” includes him.
I’m rewarded with another deep chuckle. It’s oddly soothing, and right now, I’ll take that.
“Okay then. Arch and I are grabbing dinner, so I’ll be out of your hair. Nice seeing you again…Junebug.”
I don’t bother to respond. He can call me whatever name he pleases. Once again, it’s the last I plan to see him. Nothing will change that fact.
Chapter
Four
Colin
“What’s your sister’s deal, anyway?” I ask the question that’s been on my mind all evening, ever since I ran into her in the main house before dinner.
Over oysters and yellowtail crudo appetizers, I think about how new lines had creased her forehead in the hours since I beat her at chess, something that caused the first faint lines. I hated being the one to mar the delicate features of her face, but I’m a competitive son of a bitch, and she left me an opening.
I’ve never learned how to do what’s good for me, especially nudging an able chess opponent to see her mistake. Even if she is the prettiest goddamn chess opponent I’ve ever faced.
I suppose I could have gone easy to be polite, but it’s not in my nature. And judging from her reaction to losing, I doubt she’d have wanted that.
“What do you mean?” Archer asks as we’re joined at the table by his younger brother, Jackson. I didn’t mean to ask my question in front of more Corbett siblings, but it’s too late to reel it in.
“Hey guys.” Jackson slides into the red leather booth next to Archer. “Which sister?”
“Never mind.” I was willing to talk about PJ with Archer, but I don’t really feel like dragging another brother into the mix. He’ll make too much of my question. And my interest.
I wave a hand and reach for another oyster, but Jax acts like a puppy who sees I’m hiding a liver snack. His eyes brighten, and he might as well be wagging his tail.
“PJ.” Archer grabs a breadstick from a basket on the table and bites off an end.
