Page 29 of When Hearts Ignite

“I think I saw her as I was coming in. She mentioned something about using one of the spas on the upper floors with her friends from college and leaving us to our brawls,” Charles pipes up and crosses his arms behind his head. “She’s smart. I should do the same.”

He grins and turns to my two brothers-in-law. “Adrian and Parker, I think we can go to the steakhouse and I’ll wine and dine you guys while the ABCDEs of the Andersons, namely him, Mr. C over there,” he points to Rex, “gets down to business and ferrets all the details from Steven here.”

“What’s with the alphabet?” Parker quirks up an amused brow.

Rex rolls his eyes. “It’s a nickname. Apparently, there are too many of us and our family alphabetized our middle names by age as a joke. Maxwell, His Majesty, has a boring name, Angus, like the fucking beef, and Lana, our little sister, is Elise. We are your classic stuffy, boring rich-ass people with five names on our birth certificates. It comes with the territory when your ancestors are part of the aristocracy in England and our family still holds a dukedom and a marquessate.”

“So, what’s yours?” Also, Parker, the nosy prick.

Rex winks. “It’s a state secret.”

Adrian and Parker look at each other and dissolve into chuckles.

“Well, back to Steven’s little problem, I’m ready to start a bet if anyone wants in.” Parker takes out his phone and the rest of the room hollers obscene amounts of money at the idea of me being off the market within one year.

Pathetic. Ridiculous. Absolutely insane.

I look above the fray at Adrian, who is barely stifling a grin. “Aren’t you going to talk some sense into them?”

“I would if I think they’re wrong. But in this case, I think they’re onto something. And why have we never seen you with a woman or a girlfriend? Emily worries about you.”

Shaking my head, I mutter, “Not everyone needs a woman to complete their lives. Emotions are messy, complicated. Just look at what happened to you and Emily. It took you eleven years to get together after some crazy heartbreak. You built your adulthood around her. It’s too much power to give to one person.”

“But it’s worth it, Steven. I’m saying this as your friend and brother-in-law. Emily makes me a better person. She gives my life color. Don’t close yourself off because of fear.”

“I’m not afraid of anything,” I snap, the unease from earlier making a reappearance.

He holds my gaze, his pale blue eyes sharp and penetrating, and I look away, afraid of what he’s going to find when he stares long enough.

“Whoever this is, Steven, if she is someone who could be more, give her a chance. Not everyone has one,” Maxwell murmurs after placing his bid, a shadow crossing his face, but he turns toward the door before I see more.

Suddenly, he retrieves his phone from his pocket and holds it up. “Sorry, incoming call from Tokyo. I’ll be back.” He steps out of the room and Ryland and Rex trade frowns and a cryptic stare before looking at the back of their oldest brother.

“You guys are done ribbing me, right?” I pull my tie loose and let it hang around my neck.

Normally, this is something I’d do only in the comforts of my apartments or before my quarterly bouts in one of the Rose suites, but as annoying as this group of men are, they are the best of friends, all of them from old money and equally accomplished in their careers, and I feel comfortable enough in front of them to let down my guard.

Except for Parker and Adrian, who worked their way up the ladder from more modest means, everyone else understands the complications and pressures of old money families—the machinations, the rules, the way others get close to you with ulterior motives, the enemies lurking in the background waiting for a moment to strike and tear you down from the top of the food chain.

When they say life is lonely at the top, the statement is very much true. Everyone wants to climb Everest despite the risks and dangers. Many frequently lose their lives during the treacherous ascent. But upon getting to the top, many realize the air is too thin, the rough winds are too brutal, the view is marred by clouds and blizzards, and an avalanche may just be around the corner.

It’s often not that glamorous.

“Adrian and Parker are visiting from LA for business, which concerns Fleur as well.” I lean back in my seat now that the chuckles and jokes are behind us, and everyone is settling into place. “Parker is here to meet with his business partner, Dylan, who you all know, to discuss the remodel you’re planning for The Orchid. Adrian is handing over half of his investments to Pietra, and we’re thinking of putting some funds into Fleur. But he wanted to discuss in person.”

Ryland leans forward and clasps his hands on his knees. “What information do you need from us? I’m sure between Ethan, our CFO, and I, we can provide you with detailed financials or operational plans, if that’s what you’re seeking.”

Adrian nods. “That’s a start. I’d like to see your five-year investment plan, growth strategy, and any forecasts you have regarding…”

The conversation flows freely between them, and I release the stale breath trapped inside my lungs.

My thoughts trail to Grace and her bright eyes and teasing smile, my friends’ discussion fading into the background. It’s almost as if my heart, the organ which has only served to sustain life in my almost thirty years, is awakening, the telltale sparks of an engine sputtering to life.

The sudden thumping is disorienting, the thrumming in my veins unsettling, and I can’t help but think about what Adrian and Parker told me earlier about how meeting the right person could change my life. Then Maxwell’s sullen utterance, the lowest of murmurs about giving someone a chance because not every has one, echoes in my mind.

The thumping intensifies, as if the muscle is warming up, readying itself for a sprint or a long-distance run, and I suddenly find myself bereft, wondering if they’re all correct, if perhaps something precious and valuable is missing in that hole in my chest and if perhaps, there is someone out there who can fill the void.

And maybe one day, I’ll sleep soundly through the harsh winds and thunderstorms again.

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