Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Camden,” Harmony said stiffly. “What a pleasure to see your face here.”
“I’m sure, sis,” he said with a quirked eyebrow. “Making friends with your enemy?”
“We came together under common ground,” I said, gesturing to Candice.
“So, Candice brings you together when Penn always split you apart.”
Harmony and I glanced at each other. There was nothing shared in that look. Neither of us had Penn. Would ever have him again. And still, that animosity lingered.
“Don’t be an ass,” Harmony told him.
“It’s in his nature,” I said.
“Just trying to lighten the mood,” Camden said.
“No, you’re not,” Harmony spat.
“Illuminate the truth then,” he suggested instead. “Perhaps you can inform me what’s so special about Penn Kensington. Katherine has never been able to explain it.”
Harmony glared at him. “Maybe he’s not a total fucking douchebag, like you.”
She whirled on her heel and stalked away from us. Truce broken.
I deflated slightly in her absence. It hadn’t been horrible to have an ally in this room. Where everyone else was at each other’s throats.
“Why do you have to do that?” I hissed at him.
“What?” he asked with mock innocence.
“Take your anger toward your father and abuse everyone else around you with it?”
He had no answer for that. Perhaps I had illuminated the truth in the same way that he had.
I didn’t wait to see what else would come out of his mouth when he was in this mood. I headed deeper into the living room and found Elizabeth Cunningham excusing herself from Candice’s presence. She drew me into a hug.
“Katherine, it’s wonderful to see you,” Elizabeth lied.
Our mutual connection to Percy men had made us work together for a time. I’d been the socialite always in her couture, but Harmony’s grudge had ruined that as well. She’d designed my wedding dress. After that, we’d parted ways. It hadn’t been mutual. Though I’d never tell her how much it had wounded me. I’d been vulnerable about it all once, just once. My armor had hardened around it since. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to pretend in this moment, and most of my life was pretending.
“You look as fabulous as ever,” I told her.
Elizabeth’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you, dear.”
Just then the elevator dinged again. We all turned to find a man striding into the penthouse. He was exceedingly tall, as pale as fresh snow, with wheat-blond hair to his shoulders. His blue eyes were piercing against his pale skin, even from a distance, and his smile was the most genuine thing in the room.
Candice squealed and launched herself across the apartment. “Lars!”
Ah, so this was her husband, Lars.
They started making out in the foyer, and the rest of us quickly turned away from the display. If Camden’s father, Carlyle, hadn’t entered the room at that moment, they might have started fucking right then and there.
Carlyle cleared his throat, and it sent a shiver through everyone present. Even Candice wasn’t immune to it. She wrenched back from her husband, and a hesitancy flickered through her features. One I hadn’t been sure she had in her.
“Dinner,” Carlyle suggested sternly.
Candice and Lars hastened to catch up with the rest of us. Elizabeth entered the dining room with Harmony.
Camden touched my arm to hold me back. “Another drink?”
“God, yes,” I told him.
He nodded and headed toward the wet bar. I moved toward the dining room, passing Carlyle with his eyes fixed uncomfortably on me.
“Evening,” I said, keeping the bite from my voice.
“Katherine,” he said.
His eyes roamed up and down my body as if I were a piece of meat that he had purchased at the market. As if I were his for the taking.
It was not the first, nor would it be the last time Camden’s father looked at me like that. But the way his gaze fell on me… I knew that look in his eye. I had seen it on dozens of men. I knew their licentious thoughts.
For a long time, I’d hoped I was imagining it. Then we’d been out at a company function. Camden and I were in a fight. We were always in a fight. When his father approached me, I wasn’t on my guard. When his hand slid to my ass, I realized what was happening. I spilled my drink down the front of his tuxedo and rushed away. He’d never brought it up again, but I knew he remembered and I knew to keep my guard up around him.
I gave him my best blasé look and strode past him as if I didn’t give a shit that he was eye-fucking his daughter-in-law. I never told Camden. He’d likely go ballistic… or not care at all. I couldn’t decide which would be worse.
6
Camden
I needed more alcohol to survive this fucking dinner.
My father had been droning on about his latest golf partners and asking Lars pointless bullshit about Sweden. I’d discovered halfway through the conversation that he was not an actual prince. Though Candice called him that. He just smiled sheepishly and let her. I still didn’t know what his official title was, but apparently, he was part of the nobility, whatever good that did him.