Page 27 of The Reluctant Billionaire

‘Venus is doing an outreach programme with Aide here. We’re sprucing this place up.’

I can’t last another second. ‘How come you two know each other?’ I grunt.

Carlotta beams at him adoringly. ‘I know Noah’s wife, Honor. We have mutual friends.’

Of course they do. Of course Carlotta hangs out with the rich and famous. I employ every fibre of my willpower not to roll my eyes.

‘Lotta’s friends, Elle and Nora, know Honor.’ He wrinkles his nose as if summoning a memory. He’s onLottaterms with her too, then. ‘You were at uni with those two, right?’

‘Well remembered. You going to Elle’s wedding?’

‘I hope so, given she’s having it my family’s chateau,’ he says.

Her eyes widen and she pats him on the arm. ‘Of course! Duh. Oh my God, I can’t wait.’

‘Cosy,’ I say. I aim for light snark, but it comes out heavier than that. Noah’s family owns Chateau des Anges, a vineyard near St Tropez that produces a great rosé. Even so, all this socialite stuff is way out of my comfort zone.

He grins at me. ‘Seriously, mate. I’m still getting used to the high life. Elle Hart and Josh Lander’s wedding—should be fucking amazing. I’m not complaining.’

‘Oh Jesus.Thatwedding? Good luck to you,’ I say, to hide the inexplicable fact that I’m jealous. Not that these two are off to the wedding of two of the biggest movie stars on the planet. More that Noah’s getting to do something likethatwith Carlotta. Something exotic and decadent and glamorous, where she’ll look like an angel. And dance like a she-devil on steroids, no doubt.

I stand there like a muppet, holding the loaf of lemon drizzle that Noah’s passed to me, and listening to the two of them prattle on about people I’ve never met, when the screams of pain and terror start.

12

LOTTA

Ijerk around at the noise.

Oh my God. It’s Gaz, and he’s screaming his head off. There’s a scuffle as we all run towards him from wherever we’re standing. Sylv appears from the kitchen. It’s a horrible noise Gaz is making, almost inhuman.

We crowd around him and I see him on his knees, bent over in front of the skirting board he was fitting and wailing. I have no idea what the hell’s just happened, but it looks like it’s not life-threatening, thank God.

‘Let me see, please,’ Noah orders firmly. The reassuring sound of his doctor voice has everyone stepping back and giving him space. ‘What’s happened, Gaz—oh, I see.’

‘What’s he done?’ Aide barks. His tone has me looking up. His face is all red and twisted.

‘Nail gun injury to the finger. I need a clean towel or cloth, please, as soon as possible.’

‘On it.’ Sylv takes off at a run towards the kitchen.

‘Oh my God,’ Judy exclaims. ‘The poor lamb.’

I suck in a breath at the horrifying array of possibilities the phrasenail gun injury to the fingerpresents. Poor Gaz is whimperingfuck fuck fuck. I can only imagine how agonising it is.

‘Shit!’ Aide shouts. ‘You stupid fucking idiot. Why weren’t you wearing gloves?’

Noah interrupts him. ‘Not now, Aide. Right, mate, I’m going to hold your arm up to stem the blood flow, okay? We’ll bandage you up, but we’ll need to get this out in a hospital. Any idea when your last tetanus shot was?’

‘No fucking clue,’ Gaz manages through gritted teeth. He’s gone as white as a sheet.

‘Not a problem.’ Noah slowly lifts his arm up and oh myLord.Holy mother of God. There’s an actual nail sticking through his fucking fingernail, and there’s blood everywhere. It’s like something out of a horror show. I think I might barf. Or faint. It’s the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen.

‘Any sign of the cloth?’ Noah shouts.

‘Got it!’ Sylv returns, breathless. ‘Found the first aid kit, too.’

‘Well done.’ Noah continues to hold Gaz’s arm aloft. ‘Open it for me, will you? Grab any antiseptic wipe you can find and open it up for me, please. Aide, take this.’

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