The Bet Read online

  There went that wish of a silent retreat from Tobias. Not that it was any of his brother’s business. For once, Xavier felt that he wasn’t the one who had done all of the chasing. Savannah’s cousin had made it very obvious that she was interested. But he wanted to keep his brother calm, especially since he had already pissed him off once already. “She got a little too friendly.”

  “Try keeping your dick out of the equation,” said Tobias, his voice as steely as his gaze. “She’s Savannah’s cousin, for fuck’s sake.”

  He should have known better. “Nothing happened,” he replied, feeling defensive. “I know she’s off limits.”

  “Do you even know what ‘off limits’ means?” growled Tobias.

  “Will you calm down?” You’re supposed to be relaxed. It’s the night before your wedding.”

  “I was calm and relaxed until you arrived.”

  “Jeez,” he muttered. Tobias could be a moody, miserable little shit at the best of times. He knew better than to say anything.

  An apology seemed the only option. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to be late.” And if the big bust-up with Gisele hadn’t happened, he would have been here earlier.

  “Then why were you?”

  He didn’t want to piss his brother off by telling him about Gisele, especially not given what he might or might not have seen taking place just now. “Complications. I got delayed leaving. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I should have been here. Happy Birthday, bro.”

  Tobias exhaled loudly. “Okay.”

  Okay?

  It was as rare and it was unexpected. Tobias Stone accepting his apology. Xavier stared at his brother. The dude seemed to be softening up. “Just don’t be late tomorrow.”

  “Hell, no. I won’t.” He tried to reach out. “You’re nervous. I get it.”

  “I’m not nervous. Not about the wedding.”

  “Then what?”

  “The usual media bullshit.”

  He snorted. “Don’t let that crap bug you, Tobias. It’s not worth it.” Stuff like that never changed. He didn’t get it as much as Tobias, and he was glad.

  Tobias scrubbed his hands over his eyes. “I didn’t expect to be putting out fires on the night before my wedding.”

  “No, I guess not—”

  “Tobias!” They both turned at the sound of Savannah’s voice, soft, yet indignant. “I hope you haven’t been working.”

  “I haven’t.”

  She looked at him as if she didn’t believe him.

  “I had to make some phone calls,” he confessed, “needed to get the lawyers to take care of some media nightmare crap.”

  “Can’t you take some time off?” she asked, walking up to him with a smile, her tone light and jovial. She exuded happiness.

  “I am,” replied Tobias, his voice soft, like syrup, the way it always was when he spoke to Savannah. “Izzy says Jacob’s ready for you to tuck him in.”

  “Let’s tuck him in them,” she said, sliding her arm around Tobias’s waist. “Goodnight, Xavier.”

  “Set your alarm early,” Tobias told him.

  “Don’t worry,” he replied. Bed, he thought, watching Tobias and Savannah walk into the main house with their arms around each other’s waists. It would be better to go straight to bed and not make any detours.

  He wondered where Lime Green Bikini had disappeared to, and it was only when he had entered his room that he remembered Kay had vanished completely.

  ~ ~ ~

  Tobias’s brother was a bigger creep than Shoemoney.

  The sight of him with his lips wrapped around Savannah’s cousin was more than a shock to her system. Hadn’t Cara told her that he was currently dating some actress?

  “Tobias has gone to find your mommy,” she told Jacob when she returned. She hovered over him, tucking the duvet under his chin.

  “Are you excited?”

  “Soooo excited.”

  “Soooo excited?” she echoed.

  “I can’t wait for Tobias to join our family.” He gave her a look that made her insides melt. Waiting for Tobias to join their family? What an endearing way to think about it, she thought.

  “Goodnight, Jacob.” She blew him a kiss.

  “’Nite, Izzy.”

  She walked out just as Tobias and Savannah walked in.

  “Goodnight,” she said, and left them to have their own private moment.

  She returned to her room next door with her cell phone. Tobias returned her cell phone , just for the night, in case she needed to speak to her parents. He didn’t seem to be anything like Shoemoney. He hadn’t even reminded her about his privacy policy; no texting, no emailing, no photos, no recordings. It had surprised her, that he seemed to trust her enough to hand it back to her, after all the commotion he had made of everyone giving up their phones and signing non-disclosure agreements.

  Her fears about Tobias had been unfounded. He’d been the opposite of Shoemoney in every way. She’d been led to believe that he was a shit-hot negotiator, a genius, ruthless and sharp. Yet he seemed to her to be softer and more human than she had originally given him credit for.

  But as for his brother?

  He was exactly the type of asshole she had believed him to be.

  Chapter 6

  “How do I look, buddy?” Tobias bent down to Jacob’s level while Xavier looked on. His brother looked the happiest he had ever seen him.

  “Is this good enough for Mommy?”

  The boy giggled. “You look cool.”

  “Cool?” Tobias frowned. “Did you hear that?” Tobias glanced back at him. Xavier shrugged. “If the kid says you look cool, I’d take it.”

  “I don’t want to look cool. I want to be the most handsome man in the universe.”

  Jacob seemed to appraise him carefully. The kid was like a wise old man, sometimes. And he was what—6? 7? 8? Xavier wasn’t sure.

  “You’ll pass.”

  “Pass?” Tobias roared. “You’re too funny, buddy!”

  Xavier opened the ring box to double-check that the ring was still inside, as it had been three minutes or so ago, when he had last looked.

  “You make Mommy really happy.”

  He looked up, caught off guard by the boy’s words.

  “Mommy makes me really happy.” Tobias tapped the kid on the nose. “And, you make me really happy. I consider myself to be a very lucky guy.”

  Xavier felt out of place, as if he was intruding on a tender moment. When his cell phone vibrated in his pocket, he quickly pulled it out, turning his back on his brother as he stole a quick glance at the caller id.

  It was Gisele. A tight ball fisted in his gut.

  What the hell was she calling him for now?

  He rushed out of the room before his brother’s bionic hearing picked up on the vibrating hum of the ringtone which he’d put on silent. Tobias had been so annoyed when he had turned up late yesterday, that he hadn’t even remembered to confiscate his cell phone. Family—their parents and Savannah’s, were allowed to keep theirs, except for him. Tobias didn’t trust him, and that hurt Xavier.

  “It’s not you,” Tobias had told him once, “It’s your girlfriends that I don’t trust. Maybe if you managed to hold onto the same girl for longer than a month, I’d trust you more.”

  He walked outside, caught between answering the call and diverting it to voicemail, when suddenly, Lime Green Bikini appeared from nowhere.

  He stashed his cell phone away into the pockets of his linen trousers, his interest piquing to see her coming towards him in a knee-length black and white striped dress.

  “Have you seen Jacob?” Her voice had that pissed-off-edge to it that he was accustomed to. Before he could answer, Tobias appeared with Jacob.

  “Jacob, your mom wants to see you,” she said, then to Tobias, “Are you guys ready? I think they’re all waiting for you.”

  “I’m ready.” Tobias sounded sure, strong, and confident.

  “Savannah looks amazing,” Lime Green B
ikini told him.

  Tobias smiled. “She always does.”

  “Come on, Jacob.” Izzy reached for his hand and led the small boy away. She hadn’t even looked at or acknowledged Xavier.

  “Ready, bro?” Xavier asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  They walked over towards the gardens, to the grassy area in the middle which had been done up in garlands of flowers. White chairs had been dressed in white silk. A wedding officiant waited patiently at the front, but looked as if he was melting under the heat of the midday sun.

  Xavier wasn’t a poetic man but it was too glorious for words, the setting, with the glittery sea in the distance, and the white sand before.

  Everything was running according to schedule, even in the hot mid-morning sun which often slowed everyone down.

  When the wedding march began, Xavier knew, even before he looked at his watch, that it was noon.

  He stared at his brother’s profile, at his strong jaw, and the prominent forehead, and the smile that settled on his lips as he gazed ahead. Xavier stood to the side and looked over his shoulder. Savannah walked down the pathway strewn with petals, on her father’s arm. She looked pretty in her long white dress, wearing no veil and carrying a bouquet of brightly colored flowers.

  Xavier placed his hand in his trouser pocket—and froze when he couldn’t feel the ring box in it.

  Crap. Fuck. Shit.

  The ring.

  The goddamn ring wasn’t in his pocket.

  He jerked upright, as if an ice-cold pole had jabbed him. Where the fuck had he put it?

  Somewhere along the periphery of his panicked vision, he caught sight of Lime Green Bikini as she walked Jacob over to sit in the front row with Savannah’s parents, and then she moved to a seat at the back.

  And then he remembered.

  Fuck. When Gisele had called, before he’d left the room, he’d put the ring box on the table when he’d checked the caller ID.

  “I’ll be back,” he whispered to Tobias’s chin, not daring to meet his brother’s gaze. And he raced away, as discreetly as it was possible to be, knowing that there would be hell to pay for this fuckup.

  ~ ~ ~

  Where was that idiot rushing off to?

  Izzy watched Xavier turn a deathly shade of pale as he rushed away. She preferred to sit in the row at the back, observing from the sidelines, even though Jacob’s grandmother had told her to sit with Jacob in the front row. She didn’t want to impose or get in the way of such an intimate occasion.

  At least this way she could observe everything and everyone. It took her breath away, to see how pretty everything looked—to see the garlands draped around the seating area, and to see the chairs done up so elegantly. She had kept her call to Cara last night as brief as possible, but her friend had wanted a minute-by-minute report of the wedding. She’d even had the cheek to ask for pictures.

  Izzy gave nothing away.

  She looked at the front, at Tobias and Savannah standing together, at the wedding official who hadn’t yet started the wedding, and wondered what was causing the delay.

  The answer revealed itself a moment later, when Xavier rushed back.

  Her head snapped back in amazement.

  He couldn’t have.

  Oh, goodness. Had he?

  She pulled her shades down and looked over the rims, observing everything with an eagle eye.

  He had forgotten the ring.

  The guy was a bigger asshole than she had ever given him credit for. Not only had he messed up the one job that Tobias had given him, he was cheating on his girlfriend, and with Savannah’s cousin of all people. She felt a sudden sense of solidarity for the poor actress he’d been dating. Any girl stupid enough to go out with Xavier needed her head examined.

  Chapter 7

  “You may now kiss the bride.”

  The words snapped him back to attention. In his head he had floated away to a safer place, one in which Tobias wouldn’t skin him alive afterwards.

  There hadn’t been too much of a delay, and he had returned within minutes. He doubted anybody noticed. Tobias had, of course. That man never missed a thing, and there would be hell to pay afterwards, but for now, he was safe as long as he mingled with the guests.

  As soon as the ceremony was over, he had rushed to congratulate the happy couple before they became surrounded by a sea of well-wishers. “Congratulations, bro.” He shook Tobias’s hand and hugged him.

  He was met with Tobias’s clipped tone. “I’ll speak to you later.” Xavier swallowed and turned to Savannah, kissing her and congratulating her.

  And then he had escaped and saw Kay. “Hey,” he flashed a smile at her, but she seemed not to notice him and walked past.

  “How could you forget the ring?” his father asked.

  His mother turned on him with a menacing stare. “One thing, you had to do one thing only.” The crepey wrinkles around her lips furrowed deep. “And you couldn’t even get that right. How could you let him down like that?”

  “I didn’t let him down.”

  His father tried to reason with him. “It wasn’t much to remember, son.”

  “I—” He stopped. What was the point of trying to explain? “I didn’t do it on purpose.”

  “But still, Xavier.”

  He let out an angry breath. If he had known they were going to guilt trip him to an early grave, he would have super-glued the ring box to his hand. It had been a goddamn accident. “He got married, didn’t he?” he muttered, then stared at his mother in shock. “Aren’t you hot?”

  She was wearing what looked like one of her favorite cream and black Chanel numbers.

  Jeez.

  Even on a tropical island, his mother had dressed as if she was attending a New York society Gala event.

  “Where are you going?” his mother called out after him as he stormed away. “I haven’t finished talking to you.”

  “To get a drink.” He didn’t need to stand around listening to this.

  ~ ~ ~

  She wasn’t a champagne drinker, ordinarily, but she’d had a sip of the pink champagne when Tobias’s father had proposed a toast to the newly married bride and groom as everyone milled around.

  Waiters skirted around with platters of seafood and canapes, and the champagne and cocktails were never-ending.

  Jacob seemed especially intrigued by the trays of gargantuan prawns, lobster and crab. He fiddled about with the collar of his shirt. Like Tobias, he had worn casual clothes, beige linen trousers and a casual white shirt. “Can I get changed into my other clothes now?”

  “You want to get changed now?”

  He nodded.

  “You can’t put on your Iron Man swim trunks.”

  “I want to wear a t-shirt and shorts.”

  She looked around for Savannah. “I need to check with your mom first.” She wasn’t sure if Savannah wanted more photographs taken. “Have you seen her?”

  “I think she went inside.”

  “Let’s go and ask her.”

  They went into the main villa and towards Tobias and Savannah’s bedroom which was sectioned towards a corner of the ground floor. She was about to knock on the door and stopped when she heard voices coming from inside. Her hand stilled.

  “Don’t give it up all at once,” she heard Savannah say. “And especially when it comes to someone like Xavier. You need to be careful.”

  “I am careful.”

  It sounded like Kay.

  “Why do you always need to hook up with someone?” Savannah sounded annoyed.

  Jacob came up in front of her and before she could stop him, he knocked on the door. “Mommy?” He knocked again.

  “Wait, Jacob.” But Savannah had already opened the door.

  “Hey, honey.” She was still in her wedding dress, and behind her, perched on the edge of their super king-sized bed, sat Kay, looking visibly upset.

  “Sorry,” said Izzy. “We didn’t mean to interrupt, but Jacob wants to
get changed.”

  “I thought you might,” said Savannah, ruffling Jacob’s hair. “I knew you’d be uncomfortable wearing that all day, so I got you a change of clothes, honey. Over by the chaise longue. Go ahead,” Savannah told Izzy.

  Izzy walked in to the room and gave Kay a quick smile.

  “I know my son,” said Savannah. “He would have spent the entire day in his Iron man swim trunks. Honey, I’d like you to wear those in case we have any more photos taken. Do you mind?”

  Jacob shook his head. “No.”

  “You can get him changed in the master bathroom,” said Savannah.

  “Come on, Jacob,” Izzy beckoned, and followed him into the bathroom.

  “Did anything happen?” she heard Savannah ask, but she couldn’t make out Kay’s reply. They were talking about last night. They had to be. She wondered if Kay had ended up being another one of Xavier’s conquests.

  She folded the clothes which Jacob had discarded.

  “Are you listening to them?” he asked.

  She looked up guiltily. “No.”

  He looked as if he didn’t believe her.

  “Why can’t you enjoy being single for a while?” she heard Savannah ask. “Why do you always need to be with someone?”

  “I don’t! He was there, and he showed me some card tricks, and we got talking.”

  “You told me it was more than talking.”

  “Okay. So we kissed. He’s a good-looking guy. I’m single, so … what’s the harm?”

  “How well do you know him? According to Tobias, Xavier has a girlfriend, and she was supposed to come.”

  “He’s got a girlfriend?”

  So it was true.

  The dirty little rat. Izzy refolded Jacob’s shirt, trying to kill time.

  “I feel used.”

  “Serves you right.”

  “We’re on an island, Kay. You’re away from work, why not enjoy the vacation? Spend time with your mom now that you’re here?”

  “I have spent time with her, and with your parents. I don’t know what you take me for, Sav. I’m not that bad!”