Page 28 of Until I Own You

“Yeah, pretty sure…” I trail off when I spot Dory stroll by. On his own. Tip tapping away on his phone. The business type. Doesn’t have time even for personal events like a wedding. Works hard, plays hard.

Yeah, don’t want him anywhere near Bridget.

“Sorry, I gotta go do something.” I duck away from the conversation, leaving Mason and Nate to stew in their nervous energy in front of their soon-to-be fiancée.

My focus is lasered in on Dory.

He must feel me coming because he lifts his head and locks eyes with me. Offering me one of those smug I’m-god’s-gift-to-women smiles.

I’d love to punch that smile off his face.

“What’s up, mate?” he asks as I close in.

Shit. I can’t just come up and start talking about Bridget, can I? Would that be weird? Do I need to make small talk? “Enjoying yourself?”

Smooth, Seth.

Dory holds up his phone and grimaces. “Work never stops, does it?”

“Know the feeling,” I say. “I’m in tech.”

“Edwin mentioned. Baby prodigy or something, eh?” Dory pushes his elbow toward me, not daring to touch me.

I nod, attempt to smile.

I made my fortune at fifteen by working on a crypto algorithm that took off like gangbusters, especially when the market blew up. Now I’m proprietor of my own financial software company. Been working since before I could drive.

No wonder I’m tense.

“Yeah, hey, listen–” Fuck small talk. “I want to talk to you about Bridget.”

Dory’s eyebrows pop up. “Oh?”

“Yeah, just…I’m her… brother.” God, I feel sick. “So, you know, I’m just looking out for her.”

He nods. “That’s good of you.”

You probably wouldn’t say that if you knew the way I think about her most the time. “I can tell that the two of you are getting kind of close.”

Dory’s eyelashes flutter, eyes rolling back. “I mean, you know, it’s all in good fun.”

The exact reason I was wary of him. He’s just biding time. Having fun.

Bridget isn’t deserving of some guy’s attempt at fun at a wedding.

“I totally get it. But Bridget, she’s sensitive.”

The Englishman cocks his head to the side. “Oh?”

“She’s…” Now or never, Seth. What kind of guy are you going to be? “Just gotten out of a relationship.”

A liar, apparently.

“Oh,” Dory repeats, this time with a knowingness I wish I could celebrate with a happy dance.

“Right. So, she’s very vulnerable, and I wouldn’t want her getting confused that your flirtations are anything more than–”

Dory puts his hand to his chest. “Oh, of course, mate,” he says in a dower, low voice. Quintessential British person. “You needn’t worry. I’ll be very careful. In fact, I’ll keep it strictly friendly from now.”

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