Page 15 of The Spare
"What does it look like?” I crossed my arms in annoyance.
“Like he wants to sleep with you.” His tone was detached, almost chastising. It was a line I had never crossed with any of them. I was mildly insulted at the insinuation that it would happen.
We had an interesting dynamic. Of course I found them attractive; they were attractive. Over the years, they became as alluring as Xander, which was not at all. Most importantly, they’d always been good friends to Xander and me. The trio helped pull Xander through some of his darker days. A time we kept largely concealed from Marcus at Xander’s request. The pedestal he put his older brother on was sky-high, and the thought of disappointing Marcus was too much for Xander to gamble on.
“So, what if he does? Does that mean he gets to?” I pushed. Tristan didn’t want to sleep with me, that I knew. But I was annoyed at Marcus’s insinuation. “Besides, if I wanted to sleep with someone, they’d be slept with.”
“Oh?” he said mockingly.
One syllable blew the fuse. He didn’t see it, but I was an attractive woman. “I know you’ve sworn loyalty to Henry’s royal guard, but you’re still a man.” My voice dripped in defiance as I ran my eyes down my body and back up to meet his eyes. “And I’m wearing a cocktail napkin.”
Surprise papered his usually unreadable face. Whatever else he was thinking, he hid it well. I had no idea what his motive with this conversation was, outside of pissing me off.
I wasn’t entirely sure why I was trying to argue with him, but I didn’t hate it.
After a few drawn out moments,thatsmile grew on his face. “A sparkly one,” he added.
“Can we drop it?” I begged, but my tone lacked any seriousness.
He nodded.
Talking to Marcus was like getting sucked into a different world. He was well-traveled, well-read, and knowledgeable about a wide array of topics. There wasn’t much he couldn’t keep you engaged in. And when in conversation, he spoke to me like an equal—high praise, given all he’d accomplished. I loved every second of it.
We were deeply entrenched in a conversation about the World Bank when I noticed the same blonde walk by us, again.
Although strut was probably more accurate.
She wore a tight pink dress and sky-high heels; her short blond hair was pencil-straight as it swept along her shoulders. She was cute. And transparent, having walked past a few times by now.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
It was pretty brazen, given I was standing right next to him. I didn’t know what irked me more—that everyone always assumed Xander and I were together, or the snap assumption that Marcus and I couldn’t possibly be. He was older, sure, but not by that much.
Marcus raised an eyebrow.
“Eleven o’clock.” I tilted my head in the direction of our spectator. “You have an admirer.”
He turned, saw her, then looked right back at me. He shrugged.
“Please.” I rolled my eyes. “You can’t tell me you didn’t notice that.”
He remained quiet, flicking another passing glance in that direction before looking back to me. “What would you suggest, Counselor?” His mouth quirked.
My stomach fluttered.
He was messing with me. Provoking me, maybe? If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that Marcus Sutton had no problem closing a deal, business or otherwise. I’d had a front-row seat, for a long time, to his and Henry’s escapades.
“Counsel for Marcus Sutton? No thanks.”
He scrunched his nose patronizingly. I hardly ever saw that side of him. Glimpses of it emerged at the gala and had me in a tizzy for days. “Yeah, I probably don’t need the help.”
“I’ll leave you to it then. You have your admirer.” I gently shrugged off the annoyance and glanced back at the table Tristan and the rest of our friends occupied. “I have mine.”
He gently grabbed my elbow as I turned to rejoin the guys. “If you leave me here to politely decline conversation with her, I’m going to ruin your night.”
“I’d like to see you try.” I didn’t know why I said that. He and Henry were always happy to ruin my chances of having any fun. Marcus was infuriatingly good at it.
“Is that a challenge?” He playfully threw his arm on my shoulders. The heaviness shot electricity through my chest. “Henry isn’t the only one who can scare off anyone who wants to talk to you. If I remember correctly, I’m excellent at it.”
