Page 27 of Until You (Forgive Me)

It was nearly Halloween, and Christian had promised Skylar he would come to her after-school Halloween disco. She and her best friend Olivia were dressing up as their favourite characters, and she’d been bubbling with excitement. He’d agreed to meet up with Andrew and Damian for a drink before they braved the school gym.

Damian was already there when he arrived.

“How was Thailand, old man?” Damian asked as he took his seat at the table.

“Problem averted. The new CEO will start within the month. The GM is overseeing everything until then, and I trust him. He’s worked for the company for years.”

“That’s very trusting and completely unlike you,” Damian teased.

Christian ignored him. “I would’ve given him the CEO role, but he turned it down. He wants to spend more time with his family and is happy with his current position and responsibility.”

Samuel, turning down the role, had initially disappointed Christian, but he couldn’t blame him. He knew better than anyone what happened when you sold your soul to the devil, his life no-longer his own. He envied Samuel the choice.

“How are Henri and Patrice?” Damian asked. “I take it you saw them while you were there?” Damian had spent years working for his family’s marketing firm in New York, so knew Henri and Patrice well.

“They’re both fine. Patrice was enjoying the sights. I don’t think travelling there will be a hardship for Henri.”

Patrice’s love for Chiang Mai had pleased Christian. She intended to travel with Henri, now their children had grown up. As Henri had agreed to help support the new CEO, it would mean spending a fair amount of time travelling back and forth between New York and Thailand... It had been the perfect solution. But now Christian found he wanted an excuse to go back. Whether it was the red-headed beauty who had snuggled so well, or the fact he had felt so at peace there. The trip had thrown him off his game.

“Is everything okay?” Damian’s brow furrowed as he stared at Christian.

“Everything’s fine,” Christian said.

Happy to see Andrew had turned up and was about to become the perfect distraction.

“Part-timers,” Andrew grinned as he sat down at their table.

Christian smiled and pushed a pint across the table at him. “What good is it if you own and run a multi-million-pound company and can’t make it to the pub early on a Friday night?”

Andrew shrugged and nodded in agreement.

“No Star?” Andrew asked Damian.

Damian grinned. Healwaysgrinned when anyone mentioned Star.

“Laura roped her into helping on the sweet stall at school. A downside to your best friend being a teacher... so it’s a boys-only night.” Damian said, raising his glass.

Christian had to admit, it’d been a while since they’d got out on a boy’s night.

“How was your trip, Christian?”

Christian found himself unable to meet Andrew’s gaze. Out of his two friends, Andrew was the most astute and would realise something had happened in Thailand. Christian wasn’t ready to talk about it. Isabella hadn’t been a simple conquest. He didn’t want to sully what they’d shared bylaughingwith the boys, but there was nothing happening. He hadn’t heard from her... it was impossible to label.

“It was fine,” he said, not wanting to expand.

Damian laughed, “I’ve been trying to get out of him how it went since we arrived, but he’s giving nothing away.”

Christian grimaced. He wanted them to drop it. It was awkward enough discussing sex with these guys, especially when he’d only just come back into Skylar’s life. His relationship with Star had improved during the past year, but he wanted nothing to undermine the progress they’d made. Star had every right to hate him for what he’d done to her sister. The last thing he needed was Damian going home and making a joke or flip comment about Christian’s sex life, and it offend her.

Christian breathed a sigh of relief as Damian turned to Andrew.

“How’s it going with the new nanny? I hear she’s made the most amazing costume for tonight’s party, and got you out of a heap of trouble. She’s apparently causing quite a stir in the playground, from what I hear.”

Christian’s mind wandered as the other two continued their conversation. He needed to get his head back in the game. He’d been home almost a week, and his dreams were being plagued and his mind going places it shouldn’t. His hand had undergone quite a workout since he’d arrived home.

“I’m happy for you,” Damian was saying to Andrew. “I know Olivia’s had a hard time. Skylar has been worried about her.”

“I thought my relationship with Skylar was complicated,” Christian added, taking a large swig of beer as he realised he’d missed a chunk of what they’d been talking about.

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