Page 43 of Bargaining

“In less than a year, you’ll be five million pounds richer. Thenyou’llbe the sickeningly rich person. Good for you. You’ve really landed on your feet.” She dropped her voice low. “Where is Billionaire Dick, anyway?”

I snorted. “Keep your voice down. He’s in London. He does his own thing, and he doesn’t bother me.”

“Separate lives.” She nodded sagely. “Like a real marriage, then.”

I chuckled. “If you say so.”

She lowered her sunglasses and nodded her approval. “So you get this place to yourself and you don’t even have to suck anyone off? Talk about living the dream.”

“Stop. There is none of that. You saw the contract.”

Just one noncontractual orgasm that we never needed to talk about. I let my eyes drift shut. The sound of splashing and my nieces’ cheerful voices filtered to my ears. At least they’d stopped trying to drown each other. Footsteps sounded, and I opened my eyes. A dark figure blotted out the sun. My heart jumped, but my excitement was short-lived. This man looked a little like Cole, but it wasn’t him. Reuben was dressed in clothes that looked casual but must have cost a fortune—dark-patterned tailored shorts and a lilac Balenciaga hoodie with what looked like a small coffee stain on the chest.

“Hey there!” He flashed a beaming smile.

An uneasy feeling settled over me. Cole had flipped his lid when I’d danced with his brother. He wouldn’t be happy about this.It was weird, because this man was all cheerful affability and good grace. Difficult not to like. But that was Cole’s choice. Now I had to sit here feeling awkward about it.

I straightened on the lounger. “What a lovely surprise.”

He held out the biggest bottle of champagne I’d ever seen. “No problem. I was passing. I thought I’d stop by and say hello.”

“Cole isn’t here, I’m afraid.”

Reuben’s smile widened. “That’s a shame.”

Tiff lurched over me and snatched the champagne bottle. “Thanks. I’ll take that.”

“Reuben, this is my sister, Tiff. Tiff, this is Cole’s brother, Reuben.”

Reuben almost tripped over his expensive-looking loafers in his effort to thrust out his palm to Tiff. Pink tinged his cheekbones as he shook her hand enthusiastically. I’d have to get rid of him. It was perfectly innocent, but Cole wouldn’t like it. Cole had been good to me with the house and the studio. I wouldn’t piss him off for no reason.

Tiff lifted her sunglasses and surveyed Reuben. “Hi.” A curious smile lifted her lips. “The famous Reuben Thorner. I watched Monaco on the TV last week.”

He brushed a hand through his floppy hair and laughed. “Oh God. The less said about that the better.”

I twisted to look at Tiff. “Famous?”

“You didn’t know your brother-in-law-to-be is famous?”

He flashed a self-effacing grin. “I’m notthatfamous. I just drive cars.”

Tiff’s impressed gaze drifted over him. “Not just any old cars. You’re definitely famous.”

Reuben frowned and scratched his unruly mop of hair. “You know, I can never seem to get hold of Cole. His PA is like a guard dog. What’s he up to these days?”

Miriam was perfectly nice. She’d probably just been told to screen Reuben’s calls.

I shrugged. “The usual. He works hard.”

“He definitely does that.” His eyebrows rose in amazement. “I have no idea how he sits in an office all day. I can’t think of anything worse.”

Tiff swung her legs over the lounger and sat upright. She held up the champagne and studied it. “This looks fancy.”

Reuben pulled up a deck chair and sat with us. “I swiped it from Dad’s cellar. He only has the best.”

Tiff grinned. “Better crack it open then. I want to know everything about the season so far. Do not spare me a single detail.”

Reuben’s lips curved upward. “You like Formula One?”