His gaze floated to the kerchief holding back my hair and warmed slightly. “I like that scarf, Marie. Another flea market find?”
I touched the kerchief. “I—yes, actually.”
Why did he seem to notice everything?
“Lucas, do you know that you have theworstfucking timing?” Daniel took another long drink.
Lucas’s gaze moved to him like he had just remembered he was there. “Quite the evening.” His tone was suddenly glacial.
“Can we help you?” Daniel tipped back the other half of his drink in one big gulp.
Lucas’s eyes seemed to follow its progression until he cleared his throat and turned to me. “Yes. Marie, I’m sorry to interrupt your evening, but I thought you’d want time to pack. We leave early in the morning for São Paulo.”
“What?” Daniel spoke a little too loudly, swaying in place. “Why?”
I blinked between them. “I…you’re taking me to Brazil?”
The idea sounded intimate, though I knew it wasn’t. That didn’t stop the flutter in my stomach from growing exponentially at the idea of being whisked off to exotic locations with Lucas Lyons.
It was broken. My flutter had to be broken.
“Correct,” Lucas said. “Followed by Tokyo, then London. I have to tour some of our investments, meet with stakeholders, finish some deals, among other things. We’ll be gone about a month.”
“And you wantmeto go with you?” The words came out choked, while Daniel looked like he wanted to punch his brother in the face.
Lucas shrugged. “I just paid a fortune to develop a private chef. I’d like her to accompany me while I travel instead of eating who-knows-what from random restaurants the entire time.”
He made it sound like he’d eat McDonald’s and cheap pizza for thirty days when we all knew he could close down a five-star kitchen for every meal and not dent his accounts.
Still, he had a point. I was his chef, not Daniel’s girlfriend. One of these titles took precedence. And while Ondine used to be the one who traveled with the family, it made sense that I’d be transitioning into that role before she retired.
“Does Ondine know?” I asked.
“She suggested it,” Lucas replied. “She doesn’t want to make the long trips anymore. Says she’s too old.”
“Suuuure she did,” Daniel muttered, right before Lucas silenced him with a glare.
“You might want to get some sleep,” Lucas told him. “Tomorrow you’re going to another dinner with the Hubbards. They’ve requested you specifically.”
Daniel straightened. “You can’t make me do that.”
“Can’t I?”
Something passed between the brothers. Something I couldn’t read, though the tension could have been plucked like a string.
Finally, Daniel relaxed before he downed the rest of his scotch. “You’re an asshole, Lucas. You know that, right?”
“And you’re drunk, Daniel.”
I looked between them, suddenly more than uncomfortable. “I should, um, probably go pack, then. What time do we leave?”
“Seven.” Lucas was still engaged in a stare down with his brother. But when his gaze moved back to me, it softened again. Just a little. “Lawrence and I will meet you out front.”
“Who the hell is Lawrence?” Daniel wondered.
“The driver,” Lucas and I said at the same time.
He nodded with a slight smile.
