White Lies Read Free Page B

let his urge to comfort her show, not the desire to go obliterate the man who had dared to frighten his precious baby sister.
     
    After a little while, she pulled back, wiping at her eyes. He handed her a tissue, and she carefully blotted under her eyes, picking up the eye makeup that had run .“I’ m really sorry , ” she said.
     
    “ Does Olivia know where you are ? ”
     
    “ You should call her Mom , ” Claire said .“ It breaks her heart that you do n’ t . ”
     
    He did n’ t bother to answer. By the time Claire had been born, their parents had basically maintained separate homes, married only on paper. She had n’ t had to live through the hell that had ensued while they were still trying to pretend they gave a shit about each other, and not just what they could get from each other.
     
    “ Does she know yo u’ re here ? ”
     
    Claire shrugged.
     
    “ I have to let her know , ” he said .“I’ ll make sure she is n’ t going to just burst in and demand that you come home . ”
     
    “ If she tried, Sophia would kneecap her . ”
     
    Alex chuckled. The girl was n’ t wrong. Sophia had come with the penthouse, for all intents and purposes, but h e’ d hired her on full time, and he had told Zoey the truth about what he paid her. H e’ d found the compensation packages that every person in his social sphere offered their live-in housekeepers, and then h e’ d topped them all, and told Sophia to tell him if anyone tried to make her a better offer, that h e’ d match it. She adored his little sister nearly as much as he did, and would probably have less patience than he would for anyone who made Claire cry.
     
    On queue, Sophia brought in a tray of sandwiches. Chicken salad, it looked like, along with chips and salsa. Sophia was a wiry woman, in her forties. Her hair was blonde, threaded with white strands, and her hairs were a crystal shade of blue. Her skin was the extreme pale of northern Europe .“ Thank you , ” Alex said .“ It looks like Clair e’ s going to be staying with us for tonight, maybe a bit longer than that . ”
     
    Sophia nodded and smiled at the girl .“ Excellent , ” she said .“ I changed the sheets on your bed just the other day, Claire, everything should be all set for you . ”
     
    “ We have another guest as well , ” Alex said, and from the flicker of amusement in Sophi a’ s bright blue eyes, she already knew that .“ Zoey Gardener will be staying with us for tonight. Sh e’ s in the west room. If you would n’ t mind, sh e’ d love some soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, maybe a cup of coffee . ”
     
    “ Of course , ” Sophia said .“ Will she be here for breakfast in the morning ? ”
     
    It was absolutely scandalous, the way everyone around him seemed to be just so delighted that h e’ d finally brought someone home. He did n’ t dare walk out of the room; Claire and Sophia would probably start tittering about something as soon as he did. Dammit .“ Yes, I believe so , ” he said, trying to make it sound like there was some doubt.
     
    “ Anything else tonight ? ”
     
    “ I do n’ t think so , ” Alex said .“I’ ll take care of the dishes once Claire and I are done . ”
     
    “I’ ll make sure to have a lunch in the fridge for you in the morning, Claire. Coffee for you ? ”
     
    Claire wrinkled up her pert nose again .“ Absolutely not. Thank you, Sophia . ”
     
    Sophia nodded, and left the room, her soft bottomed shoes making a shushing sound as they slipped over the hardwood.
     
    “ So , ” Claire said, her voice stronger, which of course meant that she was ready to tease her brother ,“ Tell me about your new girlfriend . ”
     
    He shook his head .“ Sh e’ s not my girlfriend, sh e’ s jus t —” There was no word to describe what Zoey was. Someone he met at a club, fucked until his balls ached, and then fantasized about for hours on end ?“ Someone I took on a date , ” he finished. It sounded