Page 39 of Tainted Love
I manoeuvre the phone so Bea and I are both in the frame, then I swing my arm casually around her shoulders. She stiffens but still manages to force a fake smile for our parents. “Hey, Dad. Hey, Elena.”
“Hey, honey.” Darren’s face lights up at the sight of his daughter. “I’m glad to hear you and Elias are getting along.”
“Yep. How’s New York?”
“Cold,” he laughs. “Hey, listen. I’m glad you’re both there. I was talking to your granddad earlier. The company has a fundraiser on Tuesday night for the new music conservatorythat will open in Melbourne next year. I thought you two might like to go. There will be people from the music industry there, and it might be a great networking opportunity for your band.”
“Are you serious?” I burst out enthusiastically at the same time Bea looks away and mutters, “I don’t know …”
“You can use the credit card to go shopping for something to wear,” Darren says. “I’m sorry I can’t wrangle some more tickets for the other boys, but it’s been sold out for months. I bought these for your mother and I before the trip to New York came up so they may as well get some use.”
“No worries,” I reply with a shake of my head. “They won’t care. This is incredible. Thanks, Darren.”
“You two enjoy yourself.”
“We will. Chat to you guys later. ‘Bye Mum.”
The moment I hang up the call, Bea shoves me away from her, and takes a step back.
“You’re a piece of work, Elias,” she spits. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
She buries her hands in her face. “This is really messed up.”
“I don’t know what you’re freaking out about,” I say, reaching out to pull her hands away. “Didn’t you see how happy they were that we’ve been getting along?”
Snatching her hands out of mine, Bea levels me with another death glare. “Stay away from me, Elias. I mean it.”
My body moves with hers until she’s pressed up against the railing behind her. She lets out a gasp as I snake one hand around her neck, and the other to grip her hips. I pull her close so she can feel what she’s doing to me.
“Are you sure that’s what you really want, Duchess?” I whisper into her ear, nipping at her lobe.
“Yes,” she snaps, bringing her hands up to my chest and shoving me away. I allow it, chuckling softly as she scowls upat me. “What happened last night was a lapse in judgement, and it won’t happen again.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
She narrows her eyes. “I mean it, Elias. This ends now. No more touching, no more dirty words. It was a mistake.”
“Says who?” I arch a brow.
Bea blows out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know what you want from me. We arenotgoing to that fundraiser together.”
The smirk slips off my face. “Yes, we are.”
“No, we’re not.”
I study her face; at the way she nibbles on her bottom lip and refuses to look at me.
“We’re going to the fundraiser, Bea. You heard your dad, there’s going to be people from the music industry that could get Forever Summer signed to a record label. If this is about what happened last night?—”
“That’sexactlywhat this is about,” she grits out, glancing down the hall to where Kill and Asher are keeping themselves scarce. “You’re mystepbrotherfor fuck’s sake. Our parents are married, and?—”
“—And nothing,” I finish for her. “This isn’t over, Duchess. It’s only getting started.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “Just … no. It’s not happening. We had our fun last night, but now it’s over.”
She takes off down the stairs, and the front door slams closed behind her. Asher sticks his head into the hallway.
