knows when to stop fucking around.
Breath leaves me profoundly as I narrow my eyes at her. She’s more of a burden than I would like to be stuck with.
“Seems someone enjoys trolling the gutters. Come on, out with you,” I call.
Caroline shrugs apologetically and slaps the head of one of our landscapers, causing him to jerk and peek out. He looks at her nervously and back to my indifferent face. She smiles at me sweetly, but I give nothing back. She knows I’m over her antics.
Caroline locks eyes with the guy and brings her foot to his shoulder, pushing back slowly until he’s sitting up, taking the blanket with him and exposing her bare center.
“Kai,” I level, motioning with my eyes to her nude body.
“Do cover up, darling,” he instructs teasingly, tugging the blanket between her legs to cover what’s showing.
Her voice is a purr as she ignores us and bites out, “Get out. Grey’s just fired you. And because you suck at head, you won’t be paid for today.”
I think she’s more turned on by being cruel than by the sexual act itself. Her words are punctuated with a hard shove of her foot that was still resting on his chest. His body lands on the floor with a thud, but he stands quickly, reaching for his shirt. Thankfully, he’s wearing pants. I’m done seeing shit that will haunt me. Caroline’s pussy is enough for one day.
“Chop, chop. Out you go!” Caroline calls out, laughing, resting her arms above her head.
The fucking idiot hops around, putting his shoes on, muttering apologies to me. But I jerk my head toward the door, a not so subtle hint at what he needs to do. He walks quickly, keeping his distance as he leaves, with his shirt and pride in his hands.
The moment the bedroom doors close, I turn my focus back to my twisted sister. Her little games are ridiculous.
“Seriously, Caroline? That piece of shit must have been in his thirties. Do you have to be such a whore?”
She isn’t going to listen. She always does as she pleases.
“Hashtag me too, Grey.”
“That’s not what the movement’s about, Caroline. But you’d know that if you weren’t busy sexually harassing our landscaping staff,” I respond dryly, turning and walking out the door. “It’s good to see you, Kai,” I call out over my shoulder as I exit.
“You too, Grey.”
His answer bounces off the doors I’ve closed behind me. My grip’s still on the knobs as I take a deep breath. I push off roughly and run my hands lazily through my tousled hair.
She’s only my problem for one more year. Then she can become Dartmouth’s issue.
Stalking down the hall, I turn the corner to my section of the second floor. Besides my bedroom suite, I have a library that’s adjacent. Caroline claims the first section of this wing, and I have the back portion. I prefer it that way.
I need silence. It’s the only time I can be still, no expectations to live up to. No emptiness to pretend I don’t feel.
My phone makes a thud on my desk as I toss it down and remove my cufflinks, dropping them next to the phone, before reaching for the book I left open last night. The screen on my cell lights up with another message, and I swipe to see it as I finger through the pages to find where I left off.
Liam: Dick. I wasn’t finished.
Shaking my head, I dial my best friend. Hitting Speaker before shrugging off my suit jacket, I fold it over the arm of the deep black velvet chair and relax down into it. My fingers instinctually skim across my slate desk to find the antique silver cigarette case that lives there.
“Oh man,” Liam answers. “Heard you lost another gardener.”
I huff out a half laugh, turning the case around and around.
“Word travels fast. Caroline’s pussy strikes again.”
“Dude. Kai texted. She’s a handful. You need my help?”
Outside of me, Liam is the only person who seems to be able to reason with Caroline.
“No. If she doesn’t start listening, I’ll cut her allowance when I take over.”
“Ouch.”
We both laugh, but the sound of wood clanging in the background grabs my attention.
“You rowing out this morning?”
“Yeah. I could use the peace.”
When Liam needs quiet, it’s because his father’s demands have fucked him up so severely that he can’t hear his thoughts anymore. I know the feeling, but he’s been needing reprieve more and more lately, so I throw out a bone I