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Chapter 37: Upstairs

Author: Scribe
last update Last Updated: 2025-08-23 04:54:33

Startled, I was dimly conscious of losing my balance, of needing the hand he was still clasping. Wrenching it free, I heard an ominousthunk as my fingers collided with something cool and smooth, Marco pulling away just in time for me to watch the wine glass bounce from the pristine cream table cloth, a torrent of red wine arcing upwards before splattering spectacularly all over the front of Marco's dress shirt.

"Oh my God." My lips tingling, I stared helplessly at the carnage and watched the pool of wine seep into the tablecloth, creating a rapidly-expanding circle of crimson. I was acutely aware of the woman seated at the next table, her look of disdain causing my already hot cheeks to burn with shame. But if that wasn't enough, waiting staff swooped in on us from all directions, fussing over Marco—who, it had to be said, appeared rather as though he'd been shot at point blank range in the chest—and using napkins to mop furiously at the table before any of the liquid trickled over th
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  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 46: Montague Street

    "No, of course not! I was just thinking that there was no point in us both sitting down here and that you could..." To my enormous relief, because I really didn't have any idea how I might have talked my way out of that one, the doorman beckoned towards us. "Ah, it's here already. That was quick."Saying nothing, but then he didn't need to—I could see the amusement in his expression—Marco held out a hand to help me. I rose slowly, more to make sure that neither coat slipped from my grasp than because I was unsteady on my feet then turned to smile at him. "Thank you for a wonderful evening. It's been..."He laughed. "Interesting?" he suggested."Yes." I knew I was blushing. "Very. And I'll call you tomorrow, okay? To talk about—business."He was still laughing. "Okay." He pulled me towards him and kissed me on both cheeks, making no attempt to kiss me on the mouth this time, much to my relief. "Tomorrow," he agreed, letting me go. "Sleep well, cara.""Thank you. You too. Oh—" As I reac

  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 45: Half past Eleven

    "Here you are, bella. But I'm not sure it's much colder, I'm afraid."Shit, Marco was coming back! Bending down, I balled up the soft leather jacket and closed the door, only then realising I had no place to hide it. How the hell was I going to explain where I'd got it from? "Fuck," I muttered under my breath as a waft of Drew's aftershave, both familiar and delicious, assaulted my already reeling senses. "Come on, Sam. Think!"I looked around frantically, my gaze finally landing on my own coat draped across the back of the sofa. And racing across the room, throwing Drew's jacket over my arm as I went, I snatched up my long black coat, threw it over the top and took a wild dive towards the sofa."Oh." Stopping short outside the bathroom door, Marco regarded me with understandable surprise. "You're over there now."Sitting primly with one knee crossed over the other, I gestured to my coat and my handbag as he came to hand me the refilled tumbler. "Just... Just getting these," I said ch

  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 44: Leather Jacket

    it seemed there was little I could do, other than obediently offer my right arm. I watched as he eased the bracelet from its presentation mounting and unfastened the clasp, my heart thumping ridiculously loudly when he finally looped it around my wrist, the metal cold and unfamiliar against my skin."There," he said, looking pleased as he held out my hand to inspect his handiwork and thankfully not seeming to notice that I winced when he grasped my fingers. "It looks well on you, cara."It did, there was no denying that. It was quite the most beautiful piece of jewellery I'd ever been given—and almost certainly the most expensive too. "It's beautiful," I told him again, forcing myself to smile, hammering back my misgivings. "Thank you."Marco gave a nonchalant shrug. "My pleasure. Now..." He reached for the champagne flutes and gave me one. "Let's toast your birthday properly, shall we?" He clinked his glass against mine, his eyes seeming to darken slightly as he regarded me for a mom

  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 43: Time

    I managed another bright smile and started back along the corridor, rediscovering as I moved just how much of me was aching. In fact, I concluded, allowing myself a grimace as Marco disappeared back into his room, pretty much every part of me was sore. No doubt I'd been running on sheer adrenalin for most of the evening, that and the couple of hours sleep I'd managed to grab after lunch. But the excitement of being offered a new job in a foreign land had definitely worn off. Drew's reaction had seen to that.

How much longer was I obliged to stay here with Marco to discuss the finer details of an offer I probably shouldn't have accepted? How rude of me would it be to fob him off with my "actually, I'm really sorry but I'm knackered" excuse and leave? Probably very rude, I decided, heaving a sigh. It still wasn't that late, at least, not by Marco's standards. I knew from experience he rarely turned in before midnight. Could I keep going until then without collapsing in a heap? What ti

  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 42: Gotcha

    What the hell...? Completely taken aback, I felt my eyes growing wider and wider. "Drew," I began, not knowing quite what I was going to say. "Look—""Or do you know?" he added, his eyes narrowing, that cold glint returning. "Maybe you're not that naïve after all. Maybe this is all part of the deal?""What?" I gazed at him, bewildered now. "What deal?""You know." He gave me a withering look. "You get a job in Italy, he gets laid. Nice work if you can get it."Drew made the mistake of staying exactly where he was while his words permeated into my consciousness. It was a mistake, because my reaction was to take a wild swing at him, my hand colliding with his face with a resounding slap.Have you ever had one of those moments when you feel totally disconnected from your body? When, although you know you must be awake, it feels more like you're dreaming and that what you're experiencing can't be real? I had one of those out of body moments as Drew staggered backwards a step or two, his h

  • Rule Number One: My Brother's Best Friend    Chapter 41: Some more planning

    I looked past him to see a man dressed from head to toe in the hotel's distinctive bottle green livery, pushing a cloth-covered trolley upon which was a bottle in a shining silver bucket."Room service?" he offered, inclining his head towards the bucket"Ah yes, of course!" Marco exclaimed, motioning to Drew that he should step aside. And as he obliged, we all watched as the man wheeled the trolley in, produced two champagne flutes with a theatrical flourish and then seized the bottle from its nest of crushed ice."I should go," Drew said, frowning. "Leave you both to it.""Drew...""No, stay," Marco insisted, as though he hadn't registered the sarcasm in Drew's tone. Maybe he hadn't. How was he to know that that was a blatant dig at me? "I'm sure that," he leaned forward to peer at the porter's name badge, "James here could bring another glass?"Drew shook his head. "That won't be necessary, thanks all the same. It's getting late and to be honest, I'm pretty tired. You see, I ended u

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