Page 84 of Tangled Control

“Who’s that girl you’re looking at?”

Dylan’s question snaps me out of my stupor.Fuck!

“It’s um… That’s my assistant, Miss Taylor. You’ve met her a couple of times,” I reply reluctantly, while dark possessiveness stirs at my core.

“The lesbian with the personality of a brick?” Leo asks, his eyebrows attempting to rise up to his hairline. I withhold a groan.

“Lesbian or not,” Dylan chimes in. “She has two perfect ‘personalities’ I’d like to mingle with.” They all laugh; I don’t. I close my eyes and slowly count to ten to avoid punching Dylan in the face.

“Stay away from her,” I bite out after the number four. “She’s too valuable as an employee. I don’t want you to fuck things up.”

Like I’m doing.

Leo cocks his head, perhaps reading more into my outburst than I want him to. He’s been trying to talk to me aboutthe other girl, especially since my date with Alexandra, but I’ve avoided his questions, avoided him. I’ve been doing a lot of avoiding lately.

“Ach, come on, I’ll only cement her interest in working for you so that she can see more of me.” Dylan smirks.

I feel sick, and the feeling only grows as a delicate hand circles around my upper arm.

“Lads, there you all are.” Alexandra steps up next to me. Unsurprisingly, she looks like a dream in a pale-pink dress with her hair artfully styled in an up-do.

“Alexandra, you’ve outdone yourself.” I kiss her cheek, hoping Catriona isn’t looking our way.

“Hi, Sandie.” Alexandra hates short versions of her name, but for some reason she accepts Knox’s nickname for her. He taps the emerald and diamond clip in her hair. “Are you giving your great-great granny’s jewellery an outing?”

“It deserves better than to be kept locked up in a box.” Her lips twitch with a hint of a smile before she turns back to me. “Rian, can I steal you for a second? There’s someone I just have to introduce you to. Apologies, boys.”

And that’s all the respite I get before another round of endless small talk with the most important guests, none of whom I’ve any interest spending time with. It doesn’t help that wherever I turn, I catch sight of Catriona with yet another admirer trying to get her attention. And then there’s the knowing looks and not so subtle comments about Alexandra and me. The comments make my skin crawl. Alexandra takes it all in her stride, effortlessly putting on a show. I wonder if I know the woman behind the mask at all.

As the evening goes on, keeping up appearances becomes more and more draining. My shirt is too tight around my hiked-up shoulders, and Alexandra’s grip on my arm is digging deeper into my muscles. There’s no flirtation between us, no subtle touches or secret looks.

No love.

I don’t love her.

I’ve probably known that for a long time, but knowing it and admitting it are two different things. The two of us together is a business merger, and nothing more.Nothingmore. Sure, I care about her – I care about her a lot, but only as a friend. Does Alexandra have strong feelings for me? Does she love me? Somehow, I doubt it.

A loveless platonic marriage.

That’s my future. I can hardly keep the stiff smile on my face as I catch a glimpse of Catriona chatting with Dylan.

“Who’s that girl? She looks familiar.” Alexandra tips her chin in the direction of the woman I was sleeping with up until a few days ago.

I swallow thickly.

“That’s Catriona Taylor, one of my junior assistants.” I hope my tone is even.

“Oh, yes, I remember her now. She’s the one you don’t get along with, right?”

“She’s pretty headstrong, yes.” I eagerly greet another guest to distract from further questions, but I sense Alexandra’s eyes on me.

“Good to see you back on the island, Rian. I’m sure you’re happy to have him back home too, Alexandra?” Sean Moore, Leo’s father, smirks at Alexandra.

She responds with a low, warm laugh, one I know is false. Alexandra has learned to fake that low laughter to perfection so no one will notice the emptiness behind it. Can I really do the same, fake, for the rest of my life?

“I’m so glad you could make it tonight, Mr Moore. I hope you’re having a good time.”

Ihope to get away from Leo’s sleazy father as soon as possible. He reeks of alcohol and his glassy eyes swipe up and down Alexandra’s body.