The Dinner Guest

LAUREN

I wasn’t thrilled about having dinner with his family, but Mason insisted. He said I shouldn’t let them intimidate me into hiding. He had a point.

His mood swings were puzzling. One moment he was sweet, the next he was cold.

Mason led me to the table, pulling out a chair for me before taking his place at the head. His parents were noticeably absent.

I hadn’t met his father yet, and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.

The gloomy faces around the table made it clear that my presence wasn’t appreciated. Chloe, in particular, seemed to be taking out her frustration on her steak, as if she wished it were my head.

She reminded me of Jade in that moment.

“Are you enjoying your stay, Lauren?” Sebastian asked, surprising me with his kindness. He even offered a supportive smile.

Before I could respond, Mason’s sister Rebecca chimed in.

“How could she not enjoy it? She’s living in luxury for the first time, Seb.” She sneered, lifting her wine glass with a flourish that would make Cersei Lannister proud.

“Judging from everything about her, I can tell she’s living in a dump, and this is just paradise to her.”

I met her gaze with a smile.

“Living in a dump or not, I’m happy, and that’s what matters. Yes, you have money, but I’m guessing I live happier than you.

“I have real friends who would love me even if I were homeless. Can you say the same for yourself?”

Sebastian tried to hide a laugh with a cough, while Rebecca glared at me.

Mason placed his hand on top of mine. He was leaning back in his chair, watching me with a lazy expression that suddenly annoyed me.

“Eat.”

I looked down at my plate—so much food that I could never hold it all in my stomach. I looked back up at him.

“All of it,” he added.

“You’re bossy,” I retorted slowly. “And what if I don’t?”

His jaw tightened for an instant before he leaned forward and grinned.

“Unless you want a repeat of earlier right here.” His voice was almost a purr and my eyes widened.

Sebastian was listening blatantly, and he grinned as he caught my eye. “What happened earlier?” he asked.

Mason’s eyes still hadn’t left mine and I glared at him in a warning. He raised his brows in return. I sighed and picked up my fork, biting into my steak as he smirked in satisfaction.

“You two are going to keep up the mystery, aren’t you?”

“Do you ever shut up?” Chloe snapped at Sebastian, glaring at him. Clearly, she didn’t take any amusement in this.

“And Mason, how can you do this to me? How can you choose someone like her?”

I rolled my eyes, looking down at my food.

“I chose someone like you,” he replied icily as he watched her, gauging her reaction. “Why can’t I choose someone like her?”

He only spoke a few words, and she stared at him disbelievingly, her face red and angry.

“I’m different! I grew up with your family and I’m supposed to get married into it! Everyone knows that.”

“Well, it’s a good thing the Campbells aren’t short on men.” Mason’s voice was bored. “You can choose anyone you like. My distant uncle’s wife died five years ago. Maybe you can fill his empty heart.”

Sebastian chuckled loudly and I couldn’t help the grin that appeared on my face. Chloe looked like she could burst into flames any second.

But he wasn’t done yet.

“Or maybe Sebastian here can take you up on your offer, right?” he asked his cousin who looked sick to his stomach at the thought.

“No, thank you. Even if she came with gold skin, I wouldn’t take her. Sorry, Chloe.”

His face and tone sounded unapologetic to me. Her hands clenched into fists on the table.

“What do we have here?” a new, welcoming voice asked softly. He was toweringly tall and slender, jeans and a blazer that fitted him.

What you see when you stare at him is the fiercely beautiful face, its striking profile, and the shapely mouth under the cropped beard.

His dark hair was clustered in thick curls with gray eyes set in the face of a dark angel.

The room grew quiet and tense, and I was only left with more questions.

He spotted me immediately and his eyelids dropped, a faint, disquieting smile on his lips.

He moved deliberately around the table toward me, halting his steps in front of me.

Drawing my chair back a little, he grabbed my hand from the table and drew it to his lips, placing a soft kiss at the back of my hand, watching me with hawk eyes. What the hell?

“What on earth do you think you’re doing, Dom?” Rebecca demanded in outrage.

He ignored her.

“Hello, I’m Dominic,” he said, his lips quirked up with a smile. “You must be the fiancée.”

I glared at him and pulled my hands back.

“If you knew that, then you must know it’s inappropriate to kiss someone’s fiancée.”

He chuckled lightly, stepping back a little, but his eyes didn’t leave mine.

“My apologies. I could never resist a beautiful woman.” Then, he looked at Mason.

I didn’t know what he saw there that made him chuckle, but he walked back to take a seat next to Sebastian, addressing the room. “It’s nice to see everyone here.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you were in Italy.”

“Still keeping tabs on him?” Mason smiled at Chloe, but it was not pleasant.

“Why, cousin? I believe you almost sound jealous,” Dominic replied, still ignoring Chloe.

Mason narrowed his eyes at him. “I was just telling Chloe here how we aren’t short of Campbell men. Seeing as the two of you have history, it’s only fitting you rekindle that relationship.”

His gaze hardened, but it didn’t hold the same icy chill as Mason’s. A laugh, devoid of any real humor, echoed through the room, somehow making the air feel warmer.

I watched as Dominic tried to maintain a facade of calm, but he was failing spectacularly.

“Your jokes always crack me up, Mason. They’re the kind of thing that makes me miss you every day.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on between the three of them. The tension was palpable, and I was worried it might explode at any moment.

Mason’s jaw was clenched, his shoulders rigid. There was a storm brewing in his eyes, and I felt the need to diffuse it. So, I did the only thing I could think of—I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

He jerked his head towards me, and I quickly looked away, surprised at my own boldness. I wasn’t the only one taken aback.

“Mason…” Chloe began, breaking the silence that had settled over us. “Maybe we should talk about this in private. Try to sort things out.”

Mason seemed to ignore her plea, the only sign he’d heard her being the deepening scowl on his face.

“Enough,” he said, his voice flat. “If she doesn’t stop talking, can someone please get her out of my sight?”

Before anyone could respond, he was on his feet, his hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me up with him.

He waited for the room to fall silent before he spoke again, his voice filled with disdain.

“I’d forgotten how much I dislike you all.

“Being around you does nothing but irritate me, especially you, Chloe. You can’t seem to understand that there’s no chance for us.

“I have a fiancée who doesn’t appreciate you talking about getting back together with me. She’s been polite so far, but if you push it, I’ll send you back to where you came from.

“I’ll take away your privileges, everything you hold dear, until you’re out on the streets begging for bread.

“I hope, for everyone’s sake, you think carefully about what you say next time.”

With that, he led me away, back through the double doors we’d entered from earlier.

His grip on my wrist was firm, and all I could do was follow him. We seemed to be heading outside, towards the balcony.

The night air was cold, but the view was breathtaking. The stars twinkled in the sky, and the city sprawled out before us.

I shivered, my strapless top and shorts offering little protection against the chill. It wasn’t the best outfit for dinner with the in-laws, but I’ve never been one to dress for others.

I didn’t care how I looked, and I didn’t care what others thought of me.

Mason’s grip on my hand tightened. I looked up at him, his eyes smoldering behind the smirk on his face.

The thought of being alone with him again, of what had just happened in the room, made me try to pull away.

But he held on tighter, watching me struggle without any change in his expression.

Finally, he let go, walking over to the railing.

“What’s going on between you and Chloe?” I asked.

“Nothing worth mentioning,” he replied, his voice curt.

Ignoring his impatience, I pressed on. “I know something happened between you, Chloe, and Dominic. You can talk to me, you know.

“I’m a good listener, and I doubt you have anyone else to confide in. It’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up.”

I moved to stand next to him, meeting his gaze.

“Is she the reason you hate women?”

His hand twitched, but he didn’t respond for a long time. I waited, hoping he would open up to me.

If we were going to get married, he needed to know he could talk to me. I wasn’t just in this for the money. I wanted us to be friends, even after all this was over.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he finally said, crushing my hopes.

I reminded myself that he was a tough man, and nothing with him was ever easy.

“That’s a nice story, Hart, but that only happens in movies.”

“Yet,” I countered, “it did happen.”

“And what? She hurt me, and I was left broken, and it changed me so much that I started hating women?” he asked, laughing bitterly.

“It’s not funny when it’s true. Why else would you hate her?”

“For the same reason I hate all women.”

“And what’s that? Oh, right. Because you think every woman is a gold digger.”

“If I thought that, would you be standing here with me?”

I grinned. “I’m special.”

He snorted in response.

Deciding to change the subject, I asked, “Where’s your tattoo?”

He looked surprised, and I savored the moment.

“Who told you about that?” he demanded, his voice rising slightly.

I smirked. “That’s for me to know.”

He sighed. “It’s Athena. That girl talks too much.”

I was amused, and a little surprised, to see him looking uncomfortable about me knowing about his tattoo.

“Come on, don’t be shy. Let me see it. I’ve been dying to see it since I found out it existed. How’d you get it?

“I would’ve bet my life that ~the~ Mason Campbell would never get a tattoo, even if his life depended on it.”

He shot me a wickedly arched eyebrow. “Right?”

“So, spill it!” I nudged his solid arm. “Were you wasted when you got it?” I couldn’t help but grin. “Wait, what am I saying? You’d never get drunk. You’d be too scared of losing control.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“You think you’ve got me all figured out, huh, Lauren? I’m not that easy to read.”

I giggled and nodded. He just rolled his eyes.

“I got it back in high school. I regret it now.”

“So, what is it? I’ve been wondering all week. I’m dying to know,” I asked, barely able to contain my excitement.

“That’s your problem.” He stepped away from the railing and started to walk away.

“You’re not easy to like, you know,” I called after him, trying to keep my voice steady.

He was back in front of me in an instant, his eyes hard and unapologetic. They promised me nothing.

“I don’t need to be liked. I’d rather be hated than liked. That includes you.”

His words should’ve hurt more than they did. But that wasn’t what was on my mind.

His scent—fresh mint—lingered on his clothes. I could feel the warmth radiating off him, he was standing so close.

“Good night, Lauren,” he said, before walking away.