Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend Chapter 88

Chapter 88: We Weren't Some Couple 

Brianna

“Champagne for us, please.” Jennet ordered in English even though I know she is from this country. She made me giggle, she was so strange, but in a good way.

Two flutes of bubbly champagne were handed to us moments later and as I thanked the server, she was already clinking glasses with me.

“To handsome men and expensive dress.” She muttered before pulling the flute to her lips. 

Her hand came down to my lower back before she swallowed and took in my appearance.

“You wear my husband's work so wonderfully by the way. His vision is exactly like a woman like you.” She said to me.

“And you as well,” I added, she smirked again.

“I was once like you,” she smiled.

“You still wear the gown very nicely.” I commented. She was so slender and you could see the gown was made to fit her specifically. It was too well tailored not to be.

“You are kind to this old lady.” She waved me off.

“You don't look very old.” I studied her face.

“I like you, Miss Fletcher. I should keep you beside me to stroke my ego.” She teased me, I smoked and just out of habit my eyes wandered over to Callan. Only this time, he was looking right back at me and I quickly turned to Jennet.

“See, I told you.” She pulled the flute back to her painted lips.

“He is extremely handsome, though and I know he must be troubled. No one that is attractive isn't.” She nudged me.

“He is trouble,” I sighed.

“It might be good trouble.” She whispered to me, I wondered why but then I felt it. The heat at my back telling me he just walked up behind me.

“Mr. Alinco, I didn't see you early. Thank you for having us.” Callan seemed to know who the woman was. She held her hand out, like she expected him to kiss the back of it and he did.

Gosh, I think this woman is cool. How confident must you have to be able to give a young, wealthy and wildly handsome man your hand and order him to kiss it without even having to say a word.

“Well, Brianna. It was nice chatting with you, unfortunately, I am expected to make rounds. I am sure this lonely gentleman can take care of you in my place.” Her eyes glinted at me in mischief before she gave me a double cheek kiss and walked away.

“I think she is the coolest person I have ever met so far in London.” I said to myself and chuckled.

“Do you know her?” Callan asked, I looked up at him and shook my head.

“Not at all, she just approached me, saving me from a boring touchy old man and we just started to chat. She ordered us some champagne.” I showed him the glass, he pressed his lips and nodded his head.

“What?” I could tell he was thinking of something.

“Well, she is not really known for being friendly, I was actually very surprised to see her laughing it up with you.”

“Really? She was so friendly and funny too.” I was surprised at his words.

“I am telling you, that is very unlike her.” He almost chuckled to himself.

“Fascinating,” I mumbled to myself.

“You too were looking at me.” He muttered once we were quiet.

“She finds you handsome.” I made it known that she was the one looking and not me.

“And what did you say?” He asked, my eyes shot up to his.

With the light turned on and one caught right in the middle of his irris, making it look like they were glistening.

“I said nothing.” I lied.

“You were chatting it up yourself.” I decided to call him out just the same.

“They just randomly approached me.” He replied with disinterest in my inquiry.

“And what did you say?” I mimicked his words.

“That I needed to return to my date.” His deep sexy voice muttered and my eyes snapped back up to him. His expression was stone but his stupid words flipped my gut.

“I didn't realize you brought a date this evening.” I decided just to be a smart ass.

“Well, technically, she brought me.” He corrected me.

“You and Elizabeth make quite the pairing.” I tried to sound disinterested as he could and I felt him take a step closer to me which made me straighten my spine.

“Funny, I was told that about us.” His voice dropped a tone lower now that he was a step closer. I swallowed and tried not to pay attention to how alert my body was at his presence. I couldn't take it anymore, I blurted out.

“Why are you here, Callan?”  He clenched and unclenched his jaw before taking another step closer. We were only a foot apart from each other now.

“I told you already, I came to check on my sister.” He reiterated.

“Why are you here at this party?” I clarified. He swiped his inked hand down his stubble jaw and shoved his hands back into his pocket.

“I was invited.” He replied.

“You don't like people,” I pointed out.

“So?” I huffed in frustration.

“So, you would have no problem denying an invitation, yet you are here.” I waved at him in front of me.

“Do you have a problem with my presence?” He asked, I laughed. I couldn't help it.

“You made it damn clear you no longer wanted to be in my presence, so yes, I have a problem with it.” I snapped, then had to adjust my tone so I wouldn't make a scene. He grabbed me by the elbow and dragged me to some unused corner of the party.

“How did you want me to handle that situation with Bryce other than agreeing to his terms? Huh?” His tone was clipped now too.

“You had no problem just fúcking me and cutting me off.” I turned away from him, he turned me back.

“We would have fought to death if I didn't already promise I wouldn't fuck you again. You saw how that went down, Brianna.” He held my arm to be sure I didn't turn away again.

I tried shaking him off but he didn't budge and I couldn't do much more while in the middle of a party. My hands started to tremble lightly with the pent up anger and frustration that came crashing into me once he brought up this topic of conversation that we had both been avoiding.

“This isn't the place for this, it is in the past anyway so no sense in talking about it.” I couldn't walk away so I turned my head instead.

“In the past, huh?” His voice was intimidating when it dropped this low.

“What would you call it? I know you put it in the past just days after that altercation anyways.” I snorted.

“Meaning?” He looked down at me from his towering frame.

“Meaning, you ignored me like I was invisible and walked off with a woman.” I muttered.

I shouldn't be bringing this up, but it is just pouring out of me. Everything I have been smashing down for a month now.

“We weren't some couple, Brianna. We were sexually attracted to one another and sexually frustrated because we couldn't act on it.” He crushed a little light inside my chest with those harsh words. I opened my mouth and shut it again. 

We just both stood there with moving chests and our stares hadn't broken off yet not until we were interrupted.

“Brianna, I think I am just about ready to go. Alinco is drunk and bringing out a violin I doubt he can play.” Elizabeth told me. If I wasn't so mad right now, I would have laughed.

“Agreed, I am over this.” I said to her but looked at Callan.

The three of us started walking towards the grand stair before I stopped and told Elizabeth to wait a moment. I lifted my dress and hurriedly walked over to a small group.

“Sweetheart, hello.” I cut into the middle and hugged Jennet Alinco, turning her away from the group.

“Excuse us,” I said to them and the woman smirked.

“You look bored.” I whispered to her, her long slender fingers came under my chin and she tipped it up to look at her taller figure and higher face.

“You are an angel.” She kissed my cheek.

“I am leaving,” I told her.

“Yes, well, I do think I will be seeing you again one day, Miss Brianna Fletcher.” She smiled.

Something about this woman was enigmatic, just as quickly as she appeared in my life, she released me and disappeared into the crowd again. When I went back to the staircase, Elizabeth was giving me a funny look.

“What?” I asked her as we walked up, she didn't say anything until we passed through the house and got seated in the car that was waiting.

“You do know that is lady Alinco, don't you? You just approached her in the middle of a conversation.” She was about to scold me.

“She wanted me to.” I said without explaining and she gave me a confused expression.

“She saved me from a boring conversation earlier and I was returning the favor before I left.” I replied.

“You spoke with Mrs. Alinco more than once?” Now she looked surprised.