Page 33 of Entangled

Or, that’s what he was going to keep telling himself. Otherwise, he would be forced to admit how selfish of a fucker he truly was.

“Stay,” he said, kissing along the curve of Cara’s shoulder. “Stay for me.”

“Maybe.”

It wasn’t a no.

Gian grabbed one of the five new garment bags hanging in the walk-in closet. He used the second largest bedroom in the mansion, while his wife used the master bedroom, just across from his. He only kept clothes when it came to personal effects at the mansion, so that he could come and go as he liked, and it actually appeared as though he lived there.

Occasionally, he did business at the mansion, too. He had dinners for the men, and other nonsense that invited people into his “personal” space, though it was complete bullshit. Home was his penthouse, not this mansion.

He stripped down from the jeans and leather jacket he had tossed on before leaving the penthouse. He’d called his mother and promised dinner to make up for missing Mass, but she wouldn’t appreciate him showing up in jeans.

A suit it was.

He had just pulled the shirt up over his head, when a clearing throat froze him in his tracks. Turning slightly to face the opened doorway of the walk-in closet, he found Elena standing there, staring at him.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

“It’s good to see you’re still alive.”

“Is it?”

She just shrugged.

“Where were you when I came in?”

Elena flicked a loose, blonde curl over her shoulder. “Changing out of church clothes. I saw your car, so I came looking for you. Also, I could ask the same, Gian. Where were you last night and this morning?”

“Busy. Something came up.”

Gian turned back to the suit he had set out, picking up the pants as he said, “Ma is expecting us for dinner. You don’t have to go, but I would appreciate if you did.”

“Whatever. How did dinner go with my father last night?”

“Same as it always does. Gabriel is … Gabriel.”

Elena made an agreeable sound under her breath. “Did he want anything specific?”

“You have more contact with him lately than I do, so you tell me.”

“He asked you to dinner, not me.”

Gian rolled his eyes. “Like I said, it’s the same shit it always is. Business, family, and you. Nothing new, nothing to worry about. He isn’t about to climb through a window and steal you back in the night.”

Elena didn’t respond immediately and Gian shot a look over his shoulder to find she was staring at the floor, silent. She was as cold as ice, but there were buttons that a man could push, and she reverted into a shell of herself.

Gian had pushed that button.

“I could have phrased that better,” he said.

Elena shrugged one shoulder. “I choose not to underestimate my father. He used me from the time I was fifteen to do his bidding and play his games, right up until the day I met you. It’s only because he believes I’m no longer useful to him that he keeps a distance now, you know.”

Gian grunted, displeased. “Yes, and then you used me. So how different are you two, really?”

“I used you to get away.”

“It doesn’t justify the mode, Elena.”