Sweat beaded on Chase’s back despite the cool air. He was a Sterling, yes, but he wasn’t even important enough to be invited to the main family estate for holidays. How could he possibly dare to offend the young master of the Dixon family?
Maddox shoved a card into his hand.
“This is my room key. Get your wife to my room within the hour.”
Chase was stunned. He had heard stories about Maddox’s debauchery, but he never imagined he would be so brazen.
“Mr. Dixon, my wife…”
“What, you have a problem with that?”
Maddox’s patience had completely evaporated. He could manage a smile for a beautiful woman, but looking at Chase, he wanted to kick him.
Chase wiped the sweat from his forehead. He didn’t love Quinn, but he never thought Maddox would demand her from him so directly.
Seeing his hesitation, Maddox let out a cold laugh.
“You don’t need me to tell you what happens to people who cross me, do you?”
Chase’s heart pounded with fear as he stammered, “Mr. Dixon, my wife and I were invited here personally by Seven…”
He tried to use Julian’s name as a shield.
Maddox hated being compared to Julian.
“Julian Sterling? You think I’m afraid of him? Even if I decide to ruin you, to bankrupt your entire family, do you really think Julian is going to go to war with my family for a nobody like you?”
Chase knew, with chilling certainty, that he wasn’t that important. More sweat poured down his face as his mind raced.
“Of course,” Maddox added, “if you make me happy, your family’s business won’t just be protected by Julian anymore. You’ll have me in your corner. Anything you need, you can come to me.”
A flicker of temptation ignited in Chase’s gut, but he still said nothing.
Maddox’s patience was gone.
“One hour. If I don’t see her, you’ll face the consequences.”
He left Chase standing there, seething with regret. He should have never brought Quinn. Who knew Maddox would take an interest in her?
But, setting aside morals and ethics, if he could just make Maddox happy, his family’s business could reach a new level. The return on investment was enormous. Chase had heard stories. Maddox might be a degenerate, but he was incredibly generous.
Chase had to admit he was shamefully tempted.
But Quinn would never agree.
Sending your own wife to another man’s bed is the ultimate humiliation for a man.
But Chase had never really considered Quinn his wife. And the deal Maddox was offering was too good to pass up. His internal struggle was already skewed.
He found Quinn standing on the deck, looking out at the vast, majestic ocean.
Just moments before, she had run into Julian again. A man she thought she would never meet had crossed her path several times in just a few days. He had been walking toward her, his phone to his ear, and hadn’t seemed to see her in her quiet, secluded corner. She hadn’t expected him to come this way. He, in turn, hadn’t expected to find anyone here. He stopped when he saw the flash of vibrant blue.
Quinn’s first instinct was to hide, but there was nowhere to go. Since they were already face to face, she gave a slight nod.
“Mr. Julian Sterling.”
She decided the formal address was more appropriate.
Julian pocketed his phone, his deep-set eyes on her.
“Such a bad memory?”
Quinn blinked.
“What?”
She didn’t understand what he meant.
He walked to the railing, keeping a respectful distance of several feet between them. The sky was a brilliant, cloudless blue, melting into the sea at the horizon.
He didn’t look at her, asking, “Are you enjoying yourself?”
She wasn’t. But she couldn’t be rude to the host.
“Yes, very much.”
“Do you like the ocean?”
This time, Quinn nodded vigorously and replied, “I do.”
Julian turned to look at her, saying, “Good. Have fun. Forgive any oversights in hospitality. Feel free to make yourself at home.”
With that, he turned to leave. Quinn watched him go. He was tall, built like an athlete in his prime with a formidable wall of a chest and broad shoulders that narrowed to a taut, trim waist. Even the way he walked was powerful and steady, hinting at a strong core. She had seen men on social media try to affect a swagger, but none of them had half the raw masculinity of Julian’s simple stride.
As she was watching, he suddenly turned back.
Quinn belatedly realized she had been staring at a man’s backside, which was incredibly rude. She quickly raised a hand to smooth her hair.
When Julian turned, he once again saw the bright red tips of her ears. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink. Why was she blushing? He suppressed his own reaction, his gaze turning neutral.
“Next time,” he said, “remember to call me Seven.”
Then he was gone.
His deep, melodious voice echoed in her ears. It was only after he was out of sight that she understood what he meant. He had said she had a bad memory and then told her to call him Seven. He was chiding her for calling him “Mr. Julian Sterling.”
“Quinn!”
Lost in thought, she was startled by Chase’s voice.
He walked over, handing her a glass of wine.
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. This is good. Try it.”
Quinn didn’t take it.
“I’m not drinking. I’m a lightweight. I already had half a glass earlier. Any more and I’ll be drunk.”
“So what if you get drunk? I’m here.”
Quinn looked at him, asking, “Why did you leave me alone with that Maddox guy? Do you have any idea what he wanted?”
Chase looked guilty and avoided her eyes. He forced a laugh, lying, “Maddox just likes to joke around. Don’t take him seriously. In a public place like this, what could he possibly do to you?”
Quinn looked at him, unconvinced, and asked, “Really?”
“Really.”
Chase finally met her gaze and pressed the glass into her hand.
“Rosalie cares about you so much. If anything happened to you, how could I ever face her?”
That was what convinced her. When it came to Rosalie, Chase was always sincere.
“When can we leave?” Quinn asked.
Chase clinked his glass against hers.
“The yacht has already left the harbor. It’s not up to us when we go back. Have a drink with me. I’m here. It’s fine if you get drunk. There are private rooms to rest in.”
Quinn didn’t drink. She held the glass, her back to Chase, and looked out at the ocean.
“Chase, can you just give me a straight answer?”
He came to stand beside her, his gaze also on the horizon.
“About what?”
“I wasn’t joking about the divorce.”
Chase scowled.
“There you go again. We’re in a place like this, and you have to bring up something so depressing! I told you, this little act to get my attention isn’t going to work!”
“I’m not trying to get your attention…” Quinn said, exasperated. “What will it take for you to believe me?”
Chase glanced at his watch, then at her.
“They say the truth comes out when you’re drunk. You drink this, and if you’re still talking about divorce, I’ll believe you.”
Quinn looked at the glass. Half a glass of red wine was already more than she could handle. She looked at Chase, a flicker of hope in her eyes.
“Really?”
Chase met her clear gaze, and for a fleeting moment, a pang of guilt twisted in his gut.
But he quickly hardened his heart.
He loved Rosalie. Quinn was just a pawn.
He hadn’t touched her in three years. What would the difference be if another man did it? She would lose her virginity. And who knew if she was even still a virgin? If she was, Maddox would be more than satisfied.
Thinking of the benefits the Dixon family could offer, Chase’s hesitation vanished.
“Really! Drink it, and I’ll believe you!” he urged.
Quinn’s fingers tightened on the stem of the glass. She gritted her teeth, tilted her head back, and downed the wine. She hated the taste of alcohol, even red wine.
Seeing the empty glass, Chase took it from her.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.