Chapter 126: Interrupted Condom

"God, no!" Ginny’s horrified voice came from somewhere behind them. "God, please, no." She immediately lowered her face and threw both hands up in front of her eyes.

Dorian dropped his head forward and groaned. "I hate this fucking house!"

Naomi burst into a laugh.

Of all the things he could possibly blame for getting caught about to fuck his wife, the six-floor townhouse was the problem.

She peeked around Dorian’s shoulder. "Hey, Ginny!"

"Do you guys ever get your hands off each other?"

Naomi considered that for all of half a second. "No, not really, no." She laughed again, mostly because Dorian looked genuinely embarrassed now.

That made everything much funnier.

Naomi had no idea that Dorian’s misery went beyond being caught with his belt halfway undone. He knew his sister. He knew exactly what would come next.

She was the chat group blogger. Ginny slowly lowered one hand, carefully checking that everyone was decent enough for her. "I thought you would be ready?"

"Yeah..." Naomi looked down at herself. "I was getting ready."

Ginny glanced pointedly at both of them. "Clearly."

Naomi pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh again. "I’ll be ready in five." She slipped off the island, smoothed down her clothes and hurried out of the kitchen.

Dorian sighed, straightened his clothes and finally turned toward his sister. "Ginny!"

Ginny shook her head in disgust. "I’m never eating anything from your kitchen ever again."

"Your loss."

She made a face at him.

"How long will you be having her for?"

Ginny shrugged. "The stylist decides that, not me." Her gaze dropped suddenly.

He was still holding the unwrapped condom.

"I guess I can tell Mum to forget about grandkids."

Dorian immediately shoved his hand into his pocket. "Mind your business."

"There are perks to being the last child of the family."

"Is one of them having absolutely no respect for boundaries."

Ginny’s smile softened. "You should wed her properly Dorian."

"What’s bringing that on?" Dorian asked.

Ginny shrugged. "Well, both of you seem to be getting along nicely. Right now, only a handful of the family actually know your wife. Even Lexie hasn’t met her properly. You know, throw a reception party. Invite everyone. Your family, hers. Let people meet each other properly."

"No."

"Why?"

"None of your business." He moved around the island toward the plate of toast and eggs he had abandoned before Naomi distracted him.

"D?"

"Leave it alone, Ginny."

"I’m just saying—"

"And don’t go mentioning it when you two are out."

Ginny stepped closer. "D?" She reached out and caught his arm. "She’s good for you. I know you don’t consider the marriage real because it was a drunken decision, but..." she studied his face. "Why won’t you give this everything you’ve got? Talk to me."

"There’s nothing to talk about."

"You’re happier. Are you afraid this marriage will end too?"

"Ginny, don’t," Dorian said quietly. "Please. I don’t want to talk about this."

Ginny released his arm. "Fine." She stepped backward. "Clearly, you don’t want anyone worrying about you."

Dorian shoved a piece of toast into his mouth. His family worried because they loved him. He knew that. He understood all of it. He just didn’t know what he was supposed to give them this time.

Tell them he had started imagining things he had absolutely no business imagining because there was an expiration date sitting on their marriage?

How was he supposed to tell them he was in love with his wife this time, but their marriage came with a countdown?

To everyone else, Naomi had simply crashed into his life.

Dorian knew better. He ignored Ginny as she sulked beside him, choosing instead to focus very seriously on his breakfast.

Ginny, meanwhile, seemed to be searching for somewhere to put her bag. Her face twisted with disgust. "Would you kindly point to a spot where you both haven’t crapped all over?"

He refused to answer.

"You’re a dog."

Dorian shrugged. "I’m removing your car from my VR. Why did I even add you in the first place?"

Ginny clutched her bag tighter against her chest as though even setting it down might expose it to unspeakable things.

Then casually, she said, "Oh... did you hear Lillian will be at the conference too?"

Dorian’s entire body seemed to shrivel. His mouth stopped mid-chew. "Why?"

Ginny frowned. "Didn’t Adrian tell you?"

"Adrian left the firm."

"Excuse me? He left?"

"I fired him."

"What the hell?!"

Dorian ignored the outrage completely. "Back to Lillian. Is she coming with Uncle Alistair?"

"I don’t know. You fired Adrian? Adrian Adrian?"

Before he could redirect her again, another voice came from the doorway.

"You fired Adrian?"

Dorian closed his eyes briefly.

Ah, crap.

He turned his head.

Naomi stood at the entrance to the kitchen, looking freshly changed.

Apparently his wife also liked his assistant. At this rate, firing Adrian might turn out to be the most unpopular decision he had ever made, and that included three divorces.

"Yeah," Dorian said offhandedly. "Issue with a case."

Ginny pointed at him. "He has been with you for more than ten years, Dorian!"

"I cannot believe you would fire Adrian," Naomi added as she stepped farther into the kitchen. "I’m sure he merely made a mistake."

Dorian looked from his wife to his sister. He was being ambushed by two women.

The odds were not remotely in his favor.

"We cannot afford mistakes," he said. "We make mistakes, people’s lives get ruined. The firm is compromised."

"Dorian!" Both women yelled his name at exactly the same time.

"Oh, for goodness’ sake." Dorian rubbed a hand over his face. "Can you girls go to your stylist or whatever?"

"This is not over," Ginny warned, shot him one final glare and stormed out of the kitchen.

Naomi remained. She stepped closer and placed a hand gently on his arm. "You don’t want to talk about it?" she asked.

Dorian looked down at her hand before meeting her eyes. "No... not yet."