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I had no real idea of his family’s wealth other than to know he’d never have to worry about having a roof over his head.
The only goal I’d had in life was to be a fashion model. Thus, I’d barely scraped by in secondary school and had certainly never considered attending university.
Shamefully, I didn’t have much work experience either. Certainly not any that would allow me to land a job paying enough for me to rent my own flat. None of that was Cayman’s fault or problem, though, and relying on him because of my lack of forethought wasn’t fair.
“I’d love to know what is going on in that beautiful head of yours,” he murmured.
I cringed. My beautiful head? I wasn’t foolish enough to think Cayman still saw me that way. My hair looked as though it had been cut with a fish knife, my skin was sallow, there were dark circles under my eyes, and I weighed less now than I did in year nine.
“Bex, look at me.”
I stared into his bourbon-brown eyes, itching to run my fingers through his hair. It was only over the last couple of years that he’d let it grow long. When we were kids, we’d laugh about how wild and unruly his father’s was, and now, Cayman’s was the same. It was dark brown, almost black, and always looked as though he’d just stepped from the shower and, rather than run a comb through it, he’d toweled it dry and left it in a mess of waves.
He’d grown a goatee since I last saw him, and I found it sexy as fuck. It wasn’t just the facial hair; his features had matured. Sexy wasn’t a word I often associated with Cay. He’d been my best friend since we were very young, and I sometimes still saw him as the gangling, awkward boy he was then. Except he wasn’t any longer.
He’d grown quite tall—six feet five, I believe he’d said the last time I asked—and his body had filled out too. Where he had been skinny before, now his shoulders were broad, and the muscles of his chest, shoulders, upper, and lower arms strained against his clothing. His legs felt powerful, too, when I’d sat between them in the bath.
Cayman, my geeky childhood best friend, was heart-poundingly handsome.
When he’d stalked into Nonna’s second-floor apartment and demanded Xavier release me, I saw him as I never had before.
Now, staring into his eyes that darted back and forth, maybe trying to read my thoughts, I wondered how he’d react if I leaned close enough to kiss him. Most likely, he’d be aghast, given how hideous I looked.
“Bex,” he whispered, reaching up to cup my cheek.
I closed my eyes and leaned into his hand. Was it fair of me to do so? No less or more than asking him to climb naked into a bath with me. Or to hold me while I slept, or promise to be with me forever if it was what I needed.
I’d known for years that Cayman had a crush on me, as they say. He’d asked me out on one non-friendship date, which I’d turned down. The only other time he’d acted on his attraction was a night we’d both had too much to drink. Honestly, I’d been tempted to give in—the desire had definitely been there—but it was the potential aftermath that prevented me from doing so. Cayman was my only true friend. If I lost him, I’d be alone in the world. I couldn’t risk it then, less so now.
I opened my eyes. “I’m so tired, Cay.”
He put his arm around me and snuggled me closer. “Sleep, Bex. I’ve got you.”
It wasn’t long after that the plane landed on a tarmac I didn’t recognize.
“An SUV, actually more than one, will meet us here and transport us to Shere. If you’ve changed your mind about going, say the word. We can always go directly to my flat in London.”
“What about Moretti?”
Cayman sighed. “I’ll know more after we’ve had the chance to review the intelligence we received.”
“I’m okay going to your parents’ place.”
“I suppose you wouldn’t have any way of knowing.”
“Knowing what?”
“It’s mine now. My father deeded it to me.”
My God, here I was, on the brink of homelessness, and Cayman had been handed an estate with not one house but several. As much as I didn’t want to begrudge his good fortune, I couldn’t help but feel envious.
“Ready?” he asked once the plane came to a stop.
“Sure.”
His head cocked at my tone, but given there were several people behind us, waiting to deboard, he didn’t say anything. On the drive to Shere, I rested my head on his shoulder and feigned sleep.
I opened my eyes when the SUV came to a stop and the engine turned off. I’d expected the estate to appear different than the last time I visited, but it didn’t. In actuality, it had only been a couple of months. It just felt like a lifetime ago.
