are not,” she said and shook her head, still smiling. “I am.”
“Nope,” Rafe said and grinned wider. “That’s my claim to fame. I mean, we all know that Luc is Mother’s favorite. She’s always treated him differently than the rest of us. And you’re the baby of the family, so you get a free pass. Although sometimes I think Gabe is her favorite.”
“That’s because he’s her nephew,” Elana explained and smirked. “You know, abandoned, fatherless child, et cetera...pity is a solid motivator.”
“So, now she pities Gabe. What about me...don’t I deserve some pity, too? I really think I’m this family’s number-one black sheep.”
“Oh, please,” Elana said dramatically. “I’m definitely this family’s biggest disappointment. I didn’t go to college. Let’s be honest, I barely made it through high school. I’m window dressing for the business, that’s all. So I won’t have you trying to steal that crown from me.”
Rafe stuck his chin out. “I think I could pull off a tiara as well as you, little sister.”
She laughed loudly. “Of course you could,” she said and reached across the small coffee table to grab the sparkly headpiece that matched the earrings she’d added to her trousseau. “Want to try this on for size?”
“You think I won’t?”
Elana loved that her brother was always up for a dare. “Be my guest.”
Rafe reached across and grabbed the small tiara, propping it on his head with a laugh. “See...perfect.”
“You look so pretty.”
Her brother quickly ditched the headpiece and laughed. “We all know that Luc is the pretty boy in the family. And he’s a doctor. And he has a perfectly beautiful and well-connected girlfriend. Even if Rachel is so cold you could freeze ice cubes on her ass. Yes, Luc’s the whole package.”
“But you’re nicer,” she assured him, chuckling. “Anyway, I always thought Gabe was the handsome one.”
“And Dad’s favorite,” he said and grinned.
“Don’t let Luc hear you say that. Besides, I think Gabe has taken Dad’s accident personally...like he feels he should have protected him, or something.”
Rafe frowned. “Protected him from what?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know...it’s just a feeling. You know they work closely together. He’s Dad’s right-hand man.”
“The son he wished he always had,” Rafe said with a cynical smile.
But Elana wasn’t fooled. She knew her brother craved to be held in the same esteem as their cousin or Luc. “You know that Dad has always found it hard to show how he feels about things.”
“About me, you mean?” Rafe said and raised a dark brow. “It’s okay, Elana... I know he loves me. It’s just that sometimes...sometimes he acts as though he wishes he didn’t, if that makes sense. Anyway, let’s not get maudlin. Let’s talk about happy things. Like your wedding.”
Elana let out a long sigh. “Thom wanted to elope. He called the wedding a circus,” she said and sipped some champagne, looking around at the racks of gowns and the almost vulgar sense of wealth that surrounded them. The place reeked of opulence and entitlement. It really wasn’t her thing. Elana preferred a little more edge to her wardrobe. “I’m beginning to think he’s right.”
“Thom just wants to keep you safe.”
“Do you think?” she asked, thinking it seemed a strange thing for her brother to say. “Safe from what?”
“Overexposure,” he replied and shrugged. “Bad press. Particularly after that scuffle Luc and I got into recently.”
“Scuffle?” she echoed, one brow arched.
Rafe grinned. “Luc likes to think he can still beat me in a fight. Which he usually can,” he said and rubbed his jaw at the memory. “But I’ll never let him know that. Besides, you know the Scotts haven’t hogged the limelight like the Marshalls have for the past few decades. They might be wealthy, but they’re middle-class, suburban folk at their core.”
“Pompous snob,” she chided playfully. “I thought you adored Thom as much as I do.”
Something flashed across her brother’s face. Disappointment? Concern? Anguish? Was her caring, sensitive brother really convinced that she was doing the right thing?
“Of course I like Thom,” he said quietly. “And I’m not a snob. I just want you to be sure.”
“I am sure. I’m doing the right thing,” she said. “You’ve been friends with him for years, too. You know Thom is a good man. He’s just a lousy public speaker.”
Rafe made a sympathetic face. “No doubt he’s going to be reminded of his appalling speech at the engagement party for a while?”
“You know what the press is like,” she said and sighed. “But I’m sure he’s tough enough to take it. Although he did shut down his social media accounts as a precaution.”
“But not you?” Rafe queried and eyed her cell phone on the table. “You still tweeting our every move on this trip?”
She grinned. “Have to keep my followers happy. And it takes the heat off your fight with Luc and any nosy interest in Dad’s condition. Thom isn’t as savvy when it comes to turning bad publicity into good.”
“But you are?”
She chuckled. “I’m a pro. I just told him to keep his head down and be quiet for a couple of weeks. He liked that idea. You know Thom...he’s not one to hog the limelight. He really is too sweet for words. He’s kind and considerate, and he really wants to marry me.”
“Of course he does,” Rafe said. “Who wouldn’t?”
Elana managed a tentative smile. “Exactly,” she said and got to her feet. “And now, I have to get back to shopping. I have some serious lingerie decisions to make. I mean, do I go for demure ingenue, or sexy whore?” She pointed to a rail of gossamer-thin negligees, silk robes and satin corsets. “Which one do you think Thom will like?”
Rafe swallowed hard and adjusted his collar. “I’m sure he’ll like whatever you choose.”
“But which one?” she teased.
“White,” he said and smiled a little. “And demure.”
“Spoilsport. You’re only saying that because no one likes to imagine their little sister getting down and dirty on their wedding night. Right?”
One thing Rafe didn’t want to think about was Elana having sex with Thom.
Because he wished he was the one in Thom’s bed.
He wasn’t proud of his feelings. Thom was engaged to his sister. Thom was his friend.
And
