The Billionaire’s Forbidden Desire(39)
Placing his suitcase in front of the door, he went to the car. He started to knock on the window, then stopped. Her shoulders drooped, and her body seemed to have deflated like a day-old balloon. Something that felt suspiciously like sympathy stirred in his heart. Had he been too harsh with her earlier?
Don’t second-guess yourself.
Salazar might think she was his pawn, but the reality wasn’t that simple. Sophia was also playing a game of her own. Dane wanted them both to lose.
His mouth set in a flat line, he knocked on the window.
She blinked, then stirred and got her purse. A bit of her hair had escaped the tidy bun, and it floated around her face like wisps of cloud. Dane kept his hands by his side, so he didn’t do something stupid, like pull the pins out to watch the chignon come undone.
He would have loved nothing more than to unravel her right there, right that moment.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, opening the door.
The sleepy husky tone sent heat straight to his cock. Damn it. “Fixing the situation you’ve created.”
“Which is…?”
“Your refusal to move out.”
She shook her head. “If you’re here to ask Salazar to make me leave, don’t bother. I’m going to do that as soon as I can find a place.”
When? danced on the tip of his tongue, but he resisted saying it. “I’m not here to ask him to toss you out on the streets.” That would be pointless. Even if Salazar had thought about doing exactly that, he wouldn’t, just to spite Dane.
“Then what?”
“I’m moving in.”
Shock replaced fatigue in Sophia’s eyes. Her jaw dropped.
Dane shot her a triumphant smirk, then walked up the few steps to the main entrance to the house.
Within seconds of knocking, Al answered the door. “Sir?”
“Good evening, Al.”
“Good evening.” The butler frowned. “Is that a suitcase?”
“Very astute. In fact, it is.” Dane smiled. “I’m moving back.”
“Sir.” Al blinked twice, then opened his mouth and closed it. “You haven’t lived here since you turned sixteen.”
Shirley had gotten him an apartment in the city in addition to a car on his sixteenth birthday. Ceinlys had objected at first, but not many people could bend Shirley to their will. “Yes, I’m aware of that.”
“So…” Al cleared his throat. “I—”
Dane almost laughed. He’d never seen the family butler flustered before. “Where’s my father?”
“Resting in his room. I’ll let him know you’re planning to move back home.”
“Yes, you do that.”
“And I’ll take care of your bag. Will you be taking your old room?”
“No.” He hated that horrible place. There were no good memories. He pretended to consider, then said, “I’ll take the guest suite next to whichever one Sophia is using.”
Al’s gaze flickered behind Dane, and he could feel Sophia’s stare on his back. Yes, my dear, take that! It was about time he got involved even if he didn’t want to.
The butler nodded. “Of course, sir.” He pulled out a phone and spoke discreetly into it. “Please follow me.” He led Dane and Sophia up to the second floor, walking a bit more slowly than usual, probably to give the staff time to ready the room. Not that there would be much to do.
As they mounted the staircase, a maid passed them going down. Her eyebrows rose slightly when she saw Dane. “Oh! Good to see you, sir.”
“Thanks.” Dane gave her a small smile. Good to see you. Right. That was the last thing she was thinking, since every staff member was well aware of the tension between him and his father.
They got to the top of the staircase; Dane’s eyes narrowed slightly as Al directed them away from the master bedroom suite that Salazar used. When they reached the end of the hall, Al stopped. “Here you are.”
The suite’s double doors opened, and a housekeeper walked out. “All ready for you, sir.”
Dane turned to the butler, about to ask if he hadn’t understood Dane’s instructions about wanting a room next to Sophia’s. Then he saw that Sophia had peeled off from the small party and opened the next door along the hall. “Good night, everyone,” she said, and slipped inside.
Dane tilted his head. Interesting. He’d assumed she’d be sharing his father’s room, or the one right next to it. Was this distance simply for the sake of appearances? If so, who would talk? Al would never gossip about it, and the housekeeper knew better than to tell anyone who Salazar slept with. The only possible exceptions might be other family members.