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“It’s all right,” Lia said. “I don’t want you to pretend.”
“You don’t mind having two wicked parents?”
“I’m getting used to it.”
“Good, because we aren’t changing anytime soon,” her mother said. She got up and kissed Lia on her cheek. “Better two parents who can’t keep their hands off each other after twenty-two years instead of two parents who can’t stand each other, right?”
“Much better,” Lia said. “As long as you keep your hands off each other in my general vicinity.” She waved her hand in a circle to indicate the general vicinity of the entire house.
“No promises.” Her mother kissed her cheek again and then started to leave. Lia wanted to stop her and ask her something. She wanted to ask if it really was possible to fall in love in a week. She wanted to ask who was supposed to say stupid stuff like “I think I’m in love with you” first in a relationship. She even wanted to ask if it was all right to fall in love with someone you never went on a real date with but had fantastic sex with...or was that just infatuation?
Her mother would know the answers to all those questions, but Lia couldn’t bring herself to ask them. What if Mum wanted to know why Lia was so unsure of herself with August? The answer was David, of course. Lia kept her mouth shut and hated David Bell a little more. He hadn’t just broken her heart, he’d bruised her relationship with her own mother.
“I should go change,” Mum said. “Don’t forget drinks with David before his show tomorrow night.”
“Oh, don’t worry, Mum. I haven’t forgotten.”
Her mother left and Lia dropped her chin to her chest.
She would be a very happy person the minute David was out of her life forever.
But would he be? Ever?
As long as she stayed silent about what had happened between them, her parents had no reason to not pick up their friendship with David where they’d left off. Her father might even talk David into finishing the mural. He’d be under their roof again. Lia would move out—her parents had a town house in London—but that would mean leaving David alone with her parents here at Wingthorn. She was sick at the thought of her parents being friends with the man who’d crushed her heart under his heel, who’d nearly beaten down her door in fury, who’d hurled horrible insults at her, who’d blackmailed her the second he’d gotten dirt on her.
Or worse, her parents beingmorethan friends with him again.
But what else could she do? Maybe she could quietly hint to her parents she’d heard rumors about David, that he’d screwed over a “friend” of hers? She’d have to figure something out to protect her parents from a blackmailing lying bastard like David Bell.
That would have to wait, though. First things first.
Lia hated to do it, but it was time. Thursday evening. She couldn’t put it off another day.
She found her phone and called David’s number.
“Lady Ophelia,” he said when he answered. No hello. Just his sneering voice sneering out her name and that ludicrous courtesy title of hers. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I’ll have your money tomorrow,” she said. “I suppose you’ll want cash?”
“You have the money?”
“Yes.”
“A million pounds?”
“As you demanded.” August had promised it to her. She knew he’d have it. Nice to be able to trust a man again.
“Who’d you sleep with to get a million in cash in five days?”
“A male prostitute,” she said.
“Usually doesn’t work that way,” he said. “Usually you pay the prostitute, not the other way around.”
“I’m just that good.”
“You’ve improved, then.”
“Your manners haven’t.”
