Page 6 of Shy Innocent In The Spotlight

His brother’s cheeks developed twin flags of colour high on his cheekbones. ‘I’m not going to answer that because it’s none of your damn business.’

Mack frowned. ‘Because it’s too confronting to openly admit you’ve been a prize jerk?’

Fraser gave him a glowering look. ‘It was only the once. No damage has been done. Sabine doesn’t know and I’d like it to stay that way.’

Mack let out a curse in Gaelic. ‘Damage has been done. Sabine thinks the man she’s marrying tomorrow is loyal and faithful. How many other women have you been with since you’ve been engaged to her?’

‘It’s none of your business, Mack. You’re not my father.’

‘No, but you’re turning into ours,’ Mack shot back. ‘Dad didn’t have the guts to be honest about the mistakes he made, the lies he told, the truths about himself he refused to face either. He was a coward and it destroyed our mother’s life and that of his lover and child. Do you really want to do that to Sabine? Because that’s the way it starts—one lie, one misstep, one betrayal and then a thousand lies and cover-ups until it all comes crumbling down around you like a house of cards.’

Fraser gave a convulsive swallow, his eyes showing raw fear. ‘I can’t tell Sabine. It’ll destroy her. She thinks I’ve never met Elodie before. She met her at a charity function and got a little star-struck by her. Next thing I know they’re chatting online and, hey presto, she’s invited her to be one of the bloody bridesmaids. I’m sure Elodie engineered it just to make trouble. I couldn’t say I didn’t want her in the wedding party because Sabine would have wondered why.’ He turned away and scraped his hand through his hair. ‘Can you imagine the scandal it will cause if it comes out now? What the press will make of it?’

‘Why did you do it? Aren’t you happy with Sabine?’

Fraser threw him a worldly glance. ‘You’ve met Elodie. Why do you think I did it?’

Mack had no argument with his brother on finding Elodie Campbell stunningly beautiful. Any man with his fair share of testosterone would find her attractive. But there was something about her that didn’t add up and he was determined to find out exactly what it was. It was as if she was acting a part, playing a role of femme fatale that didn’t sit all that comfortably with her. He was prepared to accede that most public figures had another side to their personality, especially if they were representing a brand. They could be quite different in their private lives away from the spotlight. He was convinced the young woman he caught a glimpse of from the upstairs window was not the same woman who sparred with him a few minutes ago. It wasn’t just about the hair and make-up and fancy clothes. Something about Elodie Campbell puzzled him and he would not rest until he figured her out. ‘Just because you find a woman attractive doesn’t mean you’re entitled to sleep with her. Did she know you were in a committed relationship at the time?’

The dull flush on his brother’s cheekbones darkened. ‘No.’

‘So you lied to her too.’

Fraser rolled his eyes and spun on his heels again. ‘She would have slept with me anyway. She’s a slut. Everyone knows that.’

Mack ground his teeth so hard he thought his molars would crack like his grandmother’s heirloom porcelain china. How had his younger brother become such a misogynist? ‘Careful, your double standard is showing. A slut is basically a woman living by a man’s morals, so I would advise you not to use such an offensive term.’

‘You would advise.’ Fraser leaned on the word and made a scoffing noise in the back of his throat. ‘It’s all you ever do—tell me what I should or shouldn’t do.’

Mack had had to step into a father role from the age of sixteen when their father committed suicide after his double life and the massive debts he’d built up were suddenly exposed. It had devastated their mother and Fraser, but Mack had had to set aside his own shock and grief and take control before any more damage was done. But even so, Fraser had subsequently acted out throughout his teens, skipping school, failing subjects he used to be star pupil in, dabbling in drugs and excessive alcohol. It had been a nightmare for Mack trying to keep his family together, to maintain some sense of normality when everything had been turned upside down. He’d had to put an end to his own career aspirations in order to run the estate.

Music had been his passion, his love, his everything and he’d had to give it up. He hadn’t touched a piano since. It was as if a part of him had died along with his father. He’d had to work three jobs, sell off valuable heirloom items he wished he hadn’t had to sell, beg and borrow huge amounts of money to cover the hair-raising debts his father had left behind. It had taken years of hard work and sacrifice to get the estate back in the black. ‘Only because you seem incapable of getting your act together. I know it was rough on you when Dad died. It was rough on all of us, Mum in particular. But you’re not fourteen any more, Fraser. You’re a grown man about to get married. You owe it to Sabine to be straight with her.’

‘It’ll hurt her...’

Mack gave him a look. ‘A pity you didn’t think of that when you unzipped your—’

‘Elodie started it. She came on to me.’

‘And you had no choice? No moral compass to guide you? You just got down and dirty and forgot about everything but getting it off with a beautiful woman behind your fiancée’s back.’

‘You’re such a hypocrite.’ Fraser curled his lip. ‘You’ve slept with dozens of women.’

‘I’m not denying it, but I have never done so while in love with someone else.’ Mack had never been in love. Had in fact avoided any emotional entanglements that would require him to invest in a relationship longer than a week or two. He wondered if he was even capable of loving someone in that way. Love was supposed to be blind and in their mother’s case it certainly had been. But when it came to that, he too had been blind about his father. Blindly devoted to his dad without realising his father was living a double life. Racking up gambling debts, keeping a mistress and child in another city for years, spending money he didn’t have to fund his crazy lifestyle. In hindsight, Mack could recall each of his father’s blatant lies. Lies that still hurt to this day. The fact that his dad had tricked him into thinking he was working hard for them for weeks at a time, missing important dates—birthdays, parent-teacher meetings, key sporting events—when the truth was he was with his other family.

The betrayal of trust had been life-changing for Mack. He no longer chose to be blind to a person’s faults. He no longer possessed a pair of rose-coloured glasses. He went into relationships with his eyes wide open and got out of them before any damage was done. Trusting someone, loving someone made you blind to their faults, to their lies, to their cover-ups. He kept emotion out of his relationships. They were transactional and temporary and could be terminated without tears.

Fraser’s expression was belligerent. ‘I’m not going to sabotage my own wedding by confessing one little mistake to Sabine. And I’d appreciate it if you would keep Elodie Campbell under control as I asked you to.’

Mack had a feeling trying to control Elodie Campbell even for twenty-four seconds was going to be a challenge. But, hey, he liked a challenge and she was a rather beautiful and intriguing one.

But controlling his own red-hot attraction to her was going to be the kicker.

---