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I stiffened and pushed his hand off. “You yelled at me like I did something wrong. I thought this wasmyhome—”
“It is your home. I called and told you who I had with me. Your text message said come over. What was I supposed to think? The last thing I expected was to find you in a bikini with someone I forbade you to see—”
“Forbade?” I sat up on the bed and glared at him. “Are you even listening to yourself?”
“Damn right, I forbade you to see Sophie Wilkes, and you knew that.” Paul’s voice elevated. “She drugged you and left you with a group of predatory men where anything could have happened to you. So why the hell was she here?”
I furrowed my brows. “No, Paul, you have no right turning things around to blame your actions on me. You treated me like a misbehaving child in front of everyone. In private, that’s different, but you embarrassed me out there.”
Sophie always knew what buttons to push with people. She wanted to prove a point. I lived here, but the place didn’t belong to me.I’m here at Paul’s mercy.
“Nadia…shit.” Paul’s jaw ticked, but I could see he was struggling between his anger and wanting to comfort me. He ran his hands through his hair and cursed, then took a deep breath and reached for my hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “You’re right. I could have handled that better. I’m sorry, but we agreed you’d vet visitors. Sophie was not approved, and by her behavior, I believe you understand why. Now tell me what happened here?”
I swallowed hard. “Sophie silenced my phone, then sent the message for you all to come over. She wanted to skinny dip, but I refused.” I tilted my head down and let my hair fall in front of my face. “She wanted to embarrass me.”
Paul grunted, “Fuck her.”
“What happens now? Are Tomas and Cecil still here?” I mumbled.
Paul sighed. “No. They left for Rockefeller Plaza for Chef Renault’s show finale. We will still join them.”
I shook my head. “No. I can’t face them now; they must think I’m stupid. Even Laurence…what was Gunnar doing here?”
“He came to apologize. There was a text.”
I blew out my breath.Oh yeah.
“Laurence adores you. He will never bring it up. Has he ever mentioned anything to you?”
The corner of my mouth turned upward.
“Your bikinis were to turn me on, and I hadn’t thought of anyone else seeing them but me. That’s my fault too. I can’t blind Tomas or my cousin Gunnar, so I’ll have to get over it.”
He smiled at me, and I smiled back. “That’s better. Now tell me why Sophie was here.”
I hunched my shoulders. I knew that Paul’s lack of trust in people came from a sordid history of being manipulated. He’d told me that he’d never felt true and trusted friendship outside of his family.And he even doubted his family.But what Paul wouldn’t understand is the loneliness that comes from always feeling like an outcast.
“I guess, I wanted the popular, sophisticated girl to like me.” It sounded immature, but I pressed on. “Growing up, I was often alone. Whether that’s because of my family or my quirkiness, I don’t know, but I never seemed to have girlfriends. And I guess … I hoped Sophie might have been putting true effort in. I feel so foolish now.”
Paul lifted his arms. “Come to me, Nadia.”
“But your suit…”
Paul smiled.He doesn’t care.
I left the covers and crawled over to him, and he pulled me across his lap, tugging away the towel. However, he pulled a blanket over me. My heart swelled in my chest. Just that slight action made me feel less vulnerable. I snuggled against his chest, and he closed his arms around me. I hated that he’d treated me like a child before, and yet, the irony wasn’t lost on me that I loved the comfort he gave me in moments like these where I needed support. I never felt like a child in his arms, which did seem strange. Just soothed. Cared for.
“I’m glad you shared that with me, Nadia. I believe we can both agree now that Sophie is not your friend.”
Sophie assessed my situation so well. She knew what buttons to push to cause problems, though she hadn’t anticipated how it all played out.She was shocked when Paul wanted her to leave.Still, there was something weighing my conscience. Paul may have been upset with my tiny bikini, but he also saw Sophie naked.I have to ask even if I’m afraid of the answer.
“Were you upset because you were attracted to her?” I ask, my voice raspy.
Paul snorted. “I find her repulsive.”
I lifted my head so he couldn’t miss me rolling my eyes. “Come on. She’s hot.”
Paul’s gaze bore into mine. “To some, but not me. Everything about her turns me off. She’s cunning, manipulative, and deliberate. What she did was grotesque.”
