Fuzzy socks.
Hot caramel apple cider.
Sasha’s endless quest for the perfect Halloween costume.
For a brief moment, her heart seized up again, but then she relaxed, deciding right then and there that she had nothing to worry about. OfcourseSasha would be home for Halloween. In fact, maybe they could even talk Dorian into throwing a costume party at Ravenswood. Sasha would go nuts for it.
“Sasha adores this room,” Charley said now, remembering how much her sister had gushed about it when she’d visited. “It’s easy to see why.”
Aiden smiled. “We spent quite a bit of time chatting in here between dips in the pool. She said it reminded her of floating in a big bubble.”
“Sounds exactly like something Sasha would say.”
“Here—this is what I wanted you to see.” Aiden guided her over to the far corner of the room, where a small café table and two chairs were set up near the window. On the table, an antique chess set gleamed in the sunlight.
“Is this yours?” Charley asked, crouching down to admire the craftsmanship. The board was made of polished wood, but the pieces were antique ivory, each one painstakingly carved and painted with so much detail, they almost looked alive. “It’s beautiful, Aiden. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It was crafted in France in the Renaissance period, passed down to Dorian’s mother through her family. She was a kind woman with the patience of a saint—as you’d expect from the woman tasked with raising those little hellions.” Aiden laughed softly, his eyes glazing with memories. “Sometimes, when the boys were out with their father and I’d gotten lost in the shuffle, she’d take me into the sitting room, order tea service from the kitchen staff, and chat with me for hours, teaching me how to play. Years later, she gifted this set to me. It was one of the few possessions I cared enough about to bring with me to America.”
“I wish I could have known her,” Charley said, trying to imagine what she looked like, what she sounded like, how she called Dorian’s name when he was late for a meal.
“She would’ve loved you, as her son does.” Aiden held her gaze for a beat before turning his attention back to the chess set. “Anyway, I haven’t played in an age—Dorian doesn’t play, and it’s not easy to find a partner. But when Sasha expressed an interest, I thought… I mean, I wanted… I…” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, clearly flustered.
Charley bit back a smile. She’d never seen him so off-balance before.
When he finally looked at her again, his cheeks had taken on a deep red blush.
“Sasha deserves to learn on a nice set, not some cheap plastic knockoff. That’s all.” He brushed off a bit of microscopic dust from the board, then rearranged some of the pieces, turning them just so. “I set it up last night. I want it to be ready for her when she comes back to us.”
When, not if.
One little word, and it made all the difference.
“She’s going to love it, Aiden.”
“Yes, well… I just thought you should know we’veallgot an incentive to bring Sasha home safely. I can’t very well play chess on my own, can I?”
The tears fell again from Charley’s eyes, but now she was smiling, drawing Aiden in for a warm and grateful embrace. “No, Aiden. I suppose you can’t.”
“Right, then.” He held her for just a moment longer, then pulled away and said, “Better get you back before that boyfriend of yours startsmissingyou and tears down the whole bloody east wing in a fit of love-induced psychosis. He really is a bit mad for you, isn’t he?”
Charley bit back another smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Chapter Seventeen
Alone in Dorian’s bedroom, Charley stared at the money she’d stacked on the dresser.
Five thousand two hundred and thirty-nine dollars.
Along with a hastily packed suitcase full of her remaining clothes, the tampon box where she’d stashed the money was all she’d grabbed from home the day Dorian had taken her into the city for her gear.
She didn’t plan on returning to the penthouse without her sister. And when theydidreturn—together—Charley would be damn sure she could take care of them.
The money was just a start.
“I hope you’re not planning to keep that under the mattress,” Dorian said, entering the room with a curious grin. “Do I even want to know where that came from?”
“I earned it,” Charley said, with more than a little pride. “Rudy canceled my credit card, so I sold all the couture stuff in my closet. Not a bad haul, considering.”
