Beauty from Pain(69)

“Zac’s.”


Good. At least she finally had the guts to stay all night. “Ben and I had an incident last night. He came into our room while I was packing a bag to take to Lachlan’s. He asked me to stay with him instead of leaving. I told him no and he tried to kiss me. When I pushed him away, he called me a whore.”


“Oh, Laurelyn. Ben was really drunk last night. I’m sure he regrets the whole thing this morning.”


She’s his sister, but I didn’t expect her to take his side so completely. “He may, but I can’t live with someone who calls me a whore. We’re coming for my things and I’m going to stay with Lachlan.”


“You mean until this blows over.”


“No, he’s asked me to stay with him until we go home, and I’ve decided I’m going to. I’ll make arrangements to come to the apartment for my things in a couple of days.”


“But you don’t know him.”


“Addison, I know him as well as you know Zac. There’s no difference.” That wasn’t entirely true, but I felt like I knew most of the important things, even if it didn’t include his name.


“Fair point well made, I guess.” Good. I didn’t feel like arguing with her over this.


“Lachlan works long days, so call me next week when Zac is busy and we’ll get together. Maybe we’ll go shopping.”


“Okay.”


I hang up and think of how differently our stay in Australia is from what I imagined. Addison and I haven’t been apart for more than a day in four years, and now our time together is barely existent. I could tell she didn’t care much for me staying with Lachlan, but she’d get over it. She was spending as much time as she could with Zac and that meant I was going to be stuck alone with Ben, so I didn’t feel a bit guilty about leaving to be with Lachlan.


I’m still wearing Lachlan’s T-shirt, which barely covers my panties, when I leave the bedroom in search of him. I go into the kitchen first and find the open refrigerator door. I slip over to him with the agility of a lioness and wait for him to close it so I can surprise him, but when the door swings shut, it’s me who gets the shock.


I’m standing face to face with a woman, not Lachlan.


She smiles at me while diverting her eyes away from my bare legs. “Miss Beckett?”


I reach for the bottom of the T-shirt and pull it lower on my legs, as if it’s somehow going to cover my bareness. “Yes.”


I tug harder on the shirt and realize I’m stretching it to the point of almost ripping. “I’m Mrs. Porcelli. It’s very nice to meet you. May I cook you something for brekkie? Do you like omelets?”


Oh, shit, I’m mortified. I completely forgot that Mrs. Porcelli would be here today. Now, here I stand to greet her wearing my panties and Lachlan’s T-shirt, which I’m sure she recognizes since she does his laundry.


“Umm, yes. Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back in just a moment.”


“Of course, dear.”


I pull the shirt over my panties as I streak toward the bedroom. Once inside, I shut the door and lean against it. I put my finger gun to my head and pull the trigger. “I can’t believe I did that.”


I’m bent over rummaging through my bag when I’m startled by hands creeping around my waist and warm breath on the back of my neck. I let out a panicked screech and spin around to give Lachlan a slap across his chest. “Don’t sneak up like that. You scared the shit out of me.”


He thinks it’s hilarious. “Sorry. I promise that scaring you wasn’t what I was going for. I had something much more like this on my mind.”


He brings his lips to mine and I forget my disgruntlement with him. I feel one of his hands slide inside my panties over my bottom. “Oh, no you don’t, Mr. Henry.”


“Why not?”


“I just met Mrs. Porcelli, while wearing this, I might add, and now she’s cooking breakfast for me. It’ll be rude, not to mention awkward, if I don’t go back out there to eat what she’s cooking for me.”


He slides his other hand inside my shirt until he reaches my breast and flicks his thumb over my nipple until it’s hard. He lowers his mouth to my ear. “She’ll never know, babe. I’ll be quick.”