Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Never have I ever wanted a family dinner to be over before it was started as much as I want this one to be.” He kissed me hard and then reluctantly released me.
The emotions, the need to dump those emotions into each other in a primal, physical way, hovered between us for the rest of the night.
Adding to the perfect storm.
* * *
• • •
It happened after we left the restaurant.
Greg Whitman’s favorite restaurant was this tiny little seafood place in a port town near the Connecticut border. It had been a great night despite the shitty day and heavy unspoken emotion and sexual tension hanging between me and Rafe.
Pippa and Hugo’s nanny stayed home to watch Charmaine, so it was an adults-only evening. Jen had driven everyone but me and Rafe to the restaurant, which meant she and Rafe weren’t drinking, but the rest of us indulged in some wine.
Some more so than others.
“Some” being Hugo.
He’d made a couple of muttered comments throughout the evening after I’d spoken on whatever subject we were discussing, and I’d pressed a hand to Rafe’s thigh every time he tensed at my side in reaction. My boyfriend had already had the worst day, and I didn’t want him to allow himself to be goaded by his brother when he wasn’t feeling himself.
Other than those moments, dinner was excellent. There was lots of laughter and storytelling. They loved having me as an audience to share family memories with, and I enjoyed being able to give them the chance to reminisce.
Pippa had asked about the job with her friend Pamela before our meal arrived, but Gigi had saved me from answering by interrupting to ask me another question. I knew it was deliberate when Gigi did it the second time Pippa asked, and I decided I pretty much adored Rafe’s little sister.
The subject didn’t come up again.
It was all good.
Until it wasn’t.
We’d left the restaurant, Jen and Gigi talking over each other, and we all walked the short distance down the street to a small parking lot where Rafe had parked the Pontiac next to Jen and Greg’s Range Rover.
“I think this was the best family dinner we’ve had in a long time,” Greg announced.
“Happy birthday, Dad,” Rafe said again, patting him affectionately on the shoulder.
Hugo, however, snorted. “Family?” He waved a hand at me, swaying a little, and I noted his bleary, red eyes. He was not sober. “She’s not family. She’s a fucking temporary joke my little brother is playing on us.”
Shocked silence filled the lot and dread roiled in my gut as I slowly turned to Rafe.
“Hugo—” Greg started, but Rafe put a hand on his dad’s shoulder, stopping him.
Rafe glowered at his brother and Pippa looked uneasy at Hugo’s side. “What the hell is your problem?”
“I’m just saying what we’re all thinking. She’s a joke!” He gestured to me again. “Look, she’s not good enough for this family. Pippa offered her a decent job and she turned her nose up at it and do you know why? Because she’s a gold digger, bro. She’s counting on your money to see her through. So you need to get your mind off your dick and recognize she’s lazy, hippie trash—”
He never had time to finish his insults because Rafe bridged the distance between them and swung his fist so hard into his brother’s face, Hugo hit the ground like someone had dropped an anvil on him. Gigi, Jen, and Pippa cried out, falling backward out of the way. I gasped, blood rushing in my ears as Rafe bent over his brother, gripping his chin, fist still primed. “You speak about Star like that again and I will fucking end you. Do you get me?”
Jen cried out again, but Greg wrapped his arms around Rafe and yanked him away. “That’s enough, son, that’s enough.”
“Oh my God,” I murmured, shaking from head to toe as Rafe shrugged off his dad’s hold and turned to me, fury blazing in his eyes. Hugo groaned on the ground and turned his head to spit out blood.
“Let’s go.” Rafe grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the car.
“Rafe!” Jen called after him.
“Son,” Greg tried too.
But Rafe wasn’t listening to anyone.
We pulled out of the lot, Rafe staring stonily ahead while I shared a quick glance of worry with Gigi as we passed.
The initial shock of the event waned enough for my panic to rise.
Hugo had said some horrible things about me and I understood Rafe’s passionate reaction, especially after the day he’d had . . . but I couldn’t be the cause of discord among them.
I couldn’t cause a rift within the Whitman family.
A family that was the antithesis of mine.
Who loved each other through everything.
And I think beneath Hugo’s asshole remarks was a genuine desire to protect Rafe.
He thought that someone like me, with no direction, no ambition, was using his brother.