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‘So, Miss Soames,’ Xander said, as if it weren’t the first thing he’d ever uttered in her direction, ‘how long have you known my brother?’
Skye wasn’t quite sure what angle he was playing here, because she didn’t really know enough about Xander to assume anything. She knew how Benoit felt about him and she didn’t need the way he had clenched her hand in his to tell her that he was suspicious of his brother’s motivations. Perhaps Xander wanted to disprove their relationship to the family so Benoit wouldn’t be able to secure the CEO position permanently, perhaps not. She could hardly ignore the question, but neither was she going to leave Benoit open to any kind of suspicion or doubt.
‘It feels like years,’ she simply replied.
‘I’m sure you could forgive us for thinking that this engagement is oddly fortuitous.’
So he was trying to undermine Benoit. Everything in her rose to his defence and she wouldn’t let this go quietly. She didn’t know these people, she didn’t care about these people, but she did know Benoit. He had shown her time and time again that, despite his hurts, he wanted the best for his company, his family. He didn’t want to make the same mistakes as his father or his mother, and not only had he led her to the map, he had shown her a part of herself she had long forgotten.
‘I could forgive you for thinking that, but perhaps not for saying it,’ she replied.
Xander nodded, accepting the criticism. ‘But, with so much at stake, I’m sure that you can understand the family’s concern. We would all love to hear how your relationship came into being.’
‘Well, you could say that we crashed into each other’s lives quite suddenly,’ she said, a small smile pulling at her lips. ‘And now I couldn’t imagine mine without him in it,’ she pressed on, surprised at how the sentiment rang true within her.
‘I’m presuming the engagement will be short?’
‘There’s certainly no need to wait,’ she fired back, finding strength in the way Anaïs’ smile warmed her, while she tried to ignore the brooding anger vibrating from where she touched Benoit.
‘I just find it hard to believe that you know each other well enough in such a short space of time,’ Xander replied, his eyes flicking between her and Benoit.
Skye let loose a small laugh. ‘Ask me anything,’ she said, relishing the feeling of power that glowed within her. Because she did, she realised. She did know Benoit. And, for just a moment, she saw doubt spread across Xander’s features.
Holding his gaze now, and refusing to look towards Benoit, she pressed on. ‘How he likes his coffee? Black, strong and he doesn’t stop until he’s had three cups—and please, don’t try and talk to him before then, he’s impossible.’ A small laugh rose from the other guests at the table. ‘Benoit likes a very rich red wine, but prefers whisky after dinner. He’s proud and hates to admit he’s wrong, which, admittedly, is rare but does happen on certain occasions. He has a penchant for crime fiction and autobiographies, likes print books instead of E-readers, and once a year travels to Costa Rica to switch off from the world. No phones, no internet, no neighbours and, more importantly, no contact from the company that every other day of the year he gives one hundred and ten per cent to.’
She saw the moment that surprise entered Xander’s gaze, didn’t miss the way that Benoit’s hand had fallen slightly slack beneath hers and knew that she was about to cross a boundary, but she also knew instinctively that what she was about to say needed to be said. For Benoit and, yes, even for Xander.
‘As a child he wanted to be an explorer, but gave it up for family duty. He still misses the forts that he once built with you in the forest here and, although he probably wouldn’t admit to it on pain of death, he bitterly regrets the distance between both of you now. Something that may be undermined by your rather uncouth assertions that my relationship with him is built on nothing more than a desire to control the family company.’
Silence met her declaration until Anaïs shifted beside her, a sheen of tears glistening in the older woman’s gaze.
‘You love him,’ she stated rather than asked. ‘Why?’
‘Because he saw me when I couldn’t yet see myself,’ she answered simply and honestly while her heartbeat raged within her chest. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll retire for the night.’
CHAPTER ELEVEN
NEARLY AN HOUR later and fury still roiled within Benoit’s chest. Just when he had been softening towards his brother, Xander had gone on the attack. He cursed as he stalked back to his room.
For the first time he’d actually wanted to strike his brother. Camilla’s betrayal hadn’t even affected him like this. The only thing that had prevented him from launching across the table at Xander had been Skye. Her words. Her declaration.
And that had floored him. She’d left not only him but the entire table in shocked silence as she’d regally retreated from the ballroom. But, once the shock had faded, the fury he felt towards his brother was nothing.
You love him.
Even Anaïs had been able to see it. Clear as day. And Benoit knew that Skye wasn’t that good a liar.
She had shown her vulnerability. And he knew himself. He would take it and use it. His selfishness meant he would bend her to his will. His mind showed a kaleidoscope of his misdeeds, countless broken hearts, his brother... Even before, when he’d been fighting his selfish nature, he could hardly pretend that he had offered Camilla a proper relationship. He’d not been there at all, working all hours for his company, selfish even then. And he would ruin Skye. He simply couldn’t let that happen.
The betrayal this time was not Xander’s—it never had been. It had been his own.
He pulled up in front of his bedroom door, knowing that she would be there, needing to steady himself. To push down the roiling emotions that were making him nauseous. It was all her fault.
He found her perched on the end of his bed, waiting for him. The smooth silks of her cream dress presented her as the perfect package. But Benoit knew there was no such thing as perfect.
‘I’ve arranged for the jet to take you anywhere you want to go,’ he announced, his tone bland and completely emotionless.
‘And why would I want to go anywhere?’ Her tone matched his and it infuriated him.
