The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(47)
When Charlotte and Jack returned to the dining room, it was clear that Whit and Angela had had a very different but equally effective chat with Caroline. She seemed to be on her best behavior.
More importantly, the lobster was perfect. It was sweet and succulent, and it gave Jack a constructive outlet for ripping something apart with his bare hands. The sky outside had taken the color of dusk and was nearly as red as the lobsters.
Mostly, the dinner seemed like it would never end. Each Coburn picked a lobster, from the tray, going in order of seniority. Jack's mother spent about five minutes sizing them up before making her pick. When she finally did, she tapped Charlotte on the shoulder and told her that, as a guest, it was her turn. Charlotte grabbed the nearest one and put it on her plate. When Caroline picked hers, she looked at each remaining lobster and then back at Charlotte's as if she had been robbed of the one suitable crustacean in the world.
None of it would have been irritating if Charlotte hadn't been completely caught up on that kiss in the hall. She couldn't get it out of her mind. It had been a ploy to get Jack through dinner, and instead it was making her wish that anything would bring the meal to an end so she could grab his hand and drag him up to the bedroom.
After the meal itself came the cake. It was evident to Charlotte from the pain in Angela's eyes how much Jack's mother loved her children and hated to see them fight. And it was nice to help Jack and his siblings bring the sheet cake into the room after clearing the dinner plates. When Caroline wasn't giving Charlotte suspicious glances over the candles and when Whit wasn't staring down into his drink looking like he'd rather be anywhere other than the table where his brother and sister were so obviously straining to be civil, everything almost felt like Charlotte was already family.
The entire time, Charlotte struggled to keep her mind from wandering back to the promise she had made to Jack. The cake was finished quickly, and Caroline and Whit said their good nights soon after. Charlotte was afraid of making a faux pas by leaving too early, but Angela excused herself as well.
"Off to bed. I'm older than you'd think from looking at me," Angela said with a smile, "and I find the more of these birthday candles I blow out, the earlier my bedtime comes. Thank you so much for a wonderful night, both of you." She kissed Jack on the cheek before kissing Charlotte on the forehead.
Charlotte and Jack walked back to the living room to watch the silver of the moon spreading across the peaks and valleys of the ocean swells. Jack wrapped his arm around Charlotte and she leaned into him as they admired the view.
"Thank you for tonight," Jack said.
"You're the one who brought me to your family dinner. I should be thanking you," Charlotte replied.
"You kept it from becoming yet another family fight. I know my mother and brother were happy to have you calm the waters."
"It wasn't a big deal. I know you'd do the same for me."
"Honestly, I spent half the meal thinking about the way you kissed me in the hallway. I was too surprised to stay mad."
"Is that right?" Charlotte asked.
"That's right," Jack said. "How about you let me keep that promise and come with me to continue that kiss upstairs?"
Chapter 17
As soon as Jack had led Charlotte upstairs to his bedroom, she launched herself at him. Her body collided into his so suddenly that they fell against the bedroom door, closing it with an unexpected slam. To Charlotte's surprise, Jack stepped back from her kiss.
"Before we do anything, there's something I've been meaning to tell you all day. It's about my family and why we're all the way we are. I think maybe it would help explain some of the tension between everyone," Jack said.
"Whit told me about what happened to Peter," Charlotte said. "I didn't know."
"It was before I was born," Jack said. "As far as I can tell, it was one of the things that set this family down our path. This is all secondhand information, but my mother decided she wanted another baby. My father was dead set against it."
Jack held out his hands.
"Well, here I am. For my entire childhood, I never had a moment to myself. If I left this room, there was always a nanny watching over me, if not my mother. It's like she thought she could make up for what had happened by being as overbearing as possible.
"I've tried too. I really have, but nothing I've done has ever made things better. Every personal and professional success just seems to drive everyone further apart. I feel like I'm always trying to be there for people who don't want me.
"But that actually wasn't what I was going to say. When my father died, he left me in charge of the family trust. Caroline doesn't think that's fair."
"Do you?" Charlotte asked.
"I've tried to explain to her that it's a responsibility I don't really want, but one that I will keep as long as it's in the best interest of the family. If I thought it would make anything better, I'd give away control in a heartbeat, but it's never enough. Nothing I do is ever enough. It's like I'm to blame for everyone else's choices."
Charlotte reached out and grabbed Jack's hand, squeezing his palm as she looked into his eyes.
"They don't know how lucky they are to have you," she said softly.