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I step away when Archer and Zane walk into the kitchen, laughing at something. Zane shouldn’t look so sexy in my brother’s old gray sweatpants and a ratty white t-shirt, but God, he does. His eyes catch mine, and he pauses, just staring at me for a moment, until Archer slaps his back,hard. “That’s mysister, you asshole.”
Zane snaps out of it and puts the veggies down on the counter, a sly smile on his face as he shrugs. “That’s my girlfriend, Archer. I can’t help it.”
I still melt every time he calls me his girlfriend, and he knows it. My cheeks are blazing as I begin to wash the vegetables, and I try my hardest not to check Zane out as he walks up to me to wash his hands. The heat of his body next to mine is so incredibly tempting, and the way his fingers trail over mine under the water stream makes me wish I could just kiss him right here and now. His eyes find mine, and he smirks knowingly before pulling away and drying his hands. I’ll make him pay for teasing me later, and I just know we’ll both enjoy every second of it.
“Sorry I’m late! Clara told me to get some things!”
I look up when Lily comes rushing in, a sack of potatoes in her arms. She freezes mid-step, her eyes widening when she spots Zane. The color leeches from her face, and she frowns. “Zane?”
He smiles awkwardly. “Lily,” he says, nodding at her politely. It must be odd for him to see one of his employees in such an informal situation. Each time I invite Lily to hang out with us, she declines for that exact reason.
“This is weird. I can’t believe I have to see my boss on a Saturday.”
Dad wraps his arm around her and shakes his head. “He’s not your boss here,” he tells her, his tone reassuring. “He’s just Celeste’s boyfriend.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, and she glances at me. I nod at her excitedly. For months, she’s had to hear me complain about how I didn’t think my parents would ever accept Zane. I’m pretty sure she was getting tired of it, but she never stopped encouraging me.
Lily smiles at me before walking over to Mom, but I notice the way she ignores Zane as best as she can the entire time. I know she’s been worried about me, but I hope that in time, she’ll begin to believe that he truly doesn’t have any bad intentions toward me.
ChapterThirty-Two
Zane
I smile as Archer steps out of his car and looks up at my mansion in surprise. “Sometimes I forget that you’re a Windsor, you know?”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I say as I lead him into my home. Over the last couple of months, Archer and I became friends — something neither of us expected. He’d extended an olive branch and asked for my help choosing a new car, and I offered him one of Windsor Motors’ new models. Both of us were just trying our best for the woman we love, but in doing so, we got to know each other and found that we had a lot more in common than we thought.
“Are you sure it’s okay if I join?” he asks nervously.
I smirk at him, surprised to find him so anxious tonight. I suppose I succeeded a little too well in making him forget who I am, other than his sister’s boyfriend. “Of course. Poker night is an informal kind of thing. It’s just my brothers and me, and it’s only fair to include my brother-in-law.”
Archer shakes his head. “You do realize you’re not actually married to Celeste, right?”
I shrug. “Notyet.”
His expression falls, and the sympathy in his gaze nearly wrecks me. It never hurts any less to know that no one around us believes we’ll make it, not truly, not without sacrifices that might destroy us.
My brothers and Xavier look up when we walk in, and I frown when Ares sighs and reaches for his wallet to pull out a fifty. Lex grins as he takes it wordlessly and leans back in his seat, looking pleased with himself. What the fuck were they betting on?
“This is Archer Harrison,” I tell them. “Celeste’s brother.”
Luca narrows his eyes. “You’re the co-owner of Serenity Solutions, aren’t you?”
Archer nods, his shoulders stiff. I’ve never seen him nervous before. “Luca Windsor,” he replies. “CEO of The Windsor Bank and Windsor Finance, right? It’s an honor to meet you.”
The two men shake hands, and I smile as they instantly begin to chat about the similarities in their businesses.
“Nice,” Lex says. “You actually brought someone interesting, instead of the trash Dion always drags in with him.”
I glance at Xavier’s unamused expression and bite back a smile as I sit down at the dining table. “You do realize I’m at least as rich as any of you guys, right?” he mutters. “Honestly, the abuse I put up with just to see my best friend when he’s in town.” He throws Dion a pointed look. “You owe me for this.”
Dion chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck no. I know better than to owe a Kingston a favor. I don’t owe you shit. If anything,youowemefor literally being your only friend.”
Xavier raises his brow. “You say that like you have any other friends yourself. Your siblings don’t count, they have to like you.”
I just about keep from rolling my eyes as everyone at the table chats utter garbage. The only quiet one is Ares, who shuffles the cards. “Grandma told me you asked to meet with her next week,” he says, his voice soft. “She called me trying to figure out what you needed, because your tone had apparently worried her.”
“She must know about you two,” Dion says. “Celeste is at the Windsor Estate several times a week, and even if she doesn’t go anywhere near Grandma’s house, Grams would’ve been notified of her frequent visits by now, right?”
