“How long have you two been together?” He maintained a nonchalant tone to his voice. He dreaded the answer to the question, but it was essential that he know.
“How long has it been, babe?” Derrick asked, slipping his arm around Celeste’s shoulders. He proceeded to answer the question himself. “We met over a year ago, but we’ve been together for a few months.”
A few months. The words cut through him like shrapnel.
No wonder she left the way she did. He’d been a one-night stand, a passing fling for her before she returned to her relationship with his brother. His gaze shifted to where Derrick rubbed his palm up and down Celeste’s bare arm—the same arm he’d licked rainwater from. His neck muscles worked to dispel the slow burn creeping across his throat.
He was usually a good judge of people, so he couldn’t understand how he’d missed her dishonesty. Had he really been so enthralled by her physical appearance he missed the cues to her lack of character? To think he’d entertained the thought of pursuing her and a lasting relationship. It infuriated him and made him question his own common sense.
There hadn’t been any signs . . . well, yes, one. A huge, glaring sign he’d chosen to ignore. She’d left him without a word, not even a note. She’d never intended for their night together to be anything more than sex. She’d made a fool out of him.
The flow of conversation continued between the others, and Roarke felt an upsurge in his body temperature as he watched her smile and chat with his brothers and sister.
He despised cheaters and cheating. She’d used him, and in the worst way possible. She’d made him a party to the one thing that was anathema to him.
His gaze held fast to her face. With the moment past, she now bore the look of someone with a clear conscience, as if their night together never occurred.
He couldn’t stand the sight of her.
Chapter Six
After Derrick brought in the luggage from the car, he left Celeste and went into town. She should have gone with him, but she didn’t think she’d be good company.
Her hammering heart pushed blood through her veins so fast she felt light-headed. She rested her head against the cool glass of the window in the room where she would spend three nights. Her bedroom, situated between Cassidy’s and Roarke’s, should have been the maid of honor’s room, but Cassidy insisted on giving it to her because there would be no other rooms available once the rest of the family arrived. The bride-to-be also quickly pointed out her aunt and grandmother would not approve of anyone sleeping in the same bed unless they were married, just as Derrick had said.
Celeste opened her eyes and stared out at the rolling blue waves, wishing she could enjoy the tranquil beach scene before her. She couldn’t. Not with her insides turned upside down at the god-awful situation in which she found herself. Roarke and Derrick were brothers!
Derrick’s lighter-colored skin and narrower nose were products of his white mother. The only true resemblance she saw between both men was in their height and strong jaw. Otherwise, no one would ever suspect they were brothers.
Her so-called vacation could potentially turn into a big mess. She didn’t know if she could successfully carry through this weekend charade with Roarke here.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. On leaden feet, Celeste made her way across the thick carpet, past the four-post bed and antique dresser.
When she opened the door, her stomach felt as if it dropped ten stories. Roarke stood there, his face lacking the warmth to which she’d grown accustomed during their brief time together. His cold gaze met hers, rooting her to the spot.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“What do you think I’m doing here?” he responded. “Are you going to let me in?”
“It’s not a good idea.” An invisible fist squeezed tightly at her throat. These were not the type of circumstances under which she wanted to see him again.
His face hardened, and his voice turned raw. “You think I don’t know that?”