Page 76 of Reveal Me
‘We’ll make this work, baby, I promise.’
‘I love you,’ she whispers.
‘I love you too.’
The clicking sound of footsteps approaching sends us darting apart. A knock sounds on the door. This time, the person behind it waits before barging in.
‘Yes.’ Irritation clips my tone.
The door opens and Mrs Medway enters, her beady eyes raking over the scene in front of her. At least she knocked this time. Maybe she got my less than subtle message earlier.
‘Dinner is almost ready. Please be seated in the dining room.’
‘Thank you,’ Layla smooths a hand over her dress.
‘We’ll continue this later,’ I whisper. As we walk towards the doorway, my eyes do a final scan of her art collection. ‘You know these pieces are exceptional.’
‘You’re just biased.’ She shoots me a small smile.
‘I’m not, I swear. You’re exceptionally talented. They’re better than anything I’ve seen in my life. They’d sell for tens of thousands each. Maybe more.’
The realisation hits me like lightning.
This is it.
Her independence hangs on these walls, waiting to be discovered.
She’s been sitting on her own escape route without even knowing it. Not through marriage. Not through me. Through her own talent. I know just the man to showcase it.
Chapter Thirty-Four
SEAN
In addition to creeping into Layla’s bed each night, I’ve called to the castle for tea twice this week under ruse of discussing fencing between the estate boundaries. Maybe Layla is right; maybe the nosy housekeeper genuinely has a thing for me because it would seem Mrs Medway hasn’t passed the information on. Or if she has, it hasn’t flagged as a red warning to the Queen. But it’s only a matter of time now before she finds out either way.
I called Jaxon the second I left Ardmore and told him that I’d stumbled across some paintings of interest. He agreed to review them. All I have to do is persuade Layla to let him.
She’s agreed to step down, so I need to step up—be everything she needs and more. I want to give her the world. I want to be everything she’s never had, and to shower her with the love and attention she’s never experienced. Romance isn’t my forte, but I’m trying. Which is why I sent her a thousand red roses this morning, and enough art supplies to keep her going for a year.
‘Earth to Sean?’ Caelon clicks his fingers in front of myface. I must have been staring into space again. It’s been happening a lot lately, which isn’t ideal—especially while I’m out with my brothers.
I asked Caelon and James to help me scope out a potential purchase: an old manor house with a thousand acres of land in the Kildare countryside. Though I’m the only one scoping out anything. They might be dressed for business in sharp three piece suits, not entirely dissimilar to my own, but the only business they’re interested in is discussing their sex lives, which for some reason, is bugging the hell out of me today. Probably because I’m dying to tell them about mine. To scream from the rooftops that I’m head over heels in love. But as usual, I keep my mouth shut.
‘Is Ivy pregnant yet?’ James says to Caelon, as Ben negotiates the Bentley around the perimeter of the land.
‘I’m working on it,’ Caelon shoots James a shit-eating grin. ‘Morning, noon and night.’
‘I bet you are.’ James’s eyes gleam as he elbows Caelon.
‘She’s insatiable,’ Caelon says with a hint of pride. ‘I’m not complaining. I never thought I’d have this again.’
‘Wait until she is pregnant, and the hormones kick in. After the first twelve weeks, Scarlett is feral.’ James lets out a long low whistle.
‘I remember it well.’ A wistful look mists Caelon’s huge eyes. ‘The hormones tend to bring tears too, though. Don’t forget all the hearts and flowers stuff. Women like spontaneous presents. It lets them know we’re thinking about them.’
‘You don’t need to give me marriage advice.’ James scoffs. ‘My wife got a nice little present this morning.’
Caelon smirks, eyes James’s crotch, then raises his baby finger. ‘You said it.’
