Carly felt herself blush. Beckett was being a complete plonker. ‘There was never anything between us, Beckett,’ she said coldly.
‘Oh Carly.’ Beckett thumped his chest with his fist. ‘You wound me.’
‘Just because you’re angry about what’s happened at BG Textiles doesn’t mean you have to make this personal,’ Dare bit out.
Carly smiled. His defence of her warmed her heart.
‘Besides,’ Dare continued, ‘I think we have more important things to discuss. Like your insider-trading efforts.’
Insider trading?
Carly’s eyes flew to Beckett’s. If Dare was right, then Beckett could be in a lot of trouble.
Beckett’s face took on a mottled hue. ‘Don’t you dare try to tarnish my name to get the inheritance for yourself,’ Beckett spat.
‘As you so rightly pointed out when you walked in, I don’t need Benson’s inheritance. Nor do I need to try and tarnish your name. You’re doing a good job of that all by yourself.’
‘Sometimes I wish I had been born two centuries ago,’ Beckett spat, ‘because then I’d call you out for that slur.’
Dare gave him a bored look. ‘Don’t fret it. You would have lost.’
‘You absolute, utter—’
‘I suggest you leave without saying another word, cousin,’ Dare broke in softly.
‘Or what?’ Beckett seethed. ‘You’ll take something else from me? Or hit me, perhaps? Go on, I dare you.’
Dare yawned.
Carly planted her hands on her hips. ‘If he doesn’t I might,’ she warned. ‘There’s absolutely no need for any of this, Beckett.’
Beckett turned to her, his expression tenderly forlorn.
‘Allow a man to express a little outraged jealousy, Red. I did find you first.’
Red!
He had never called her that before.
Carly noticed Dare take a step in Beckett’s direction and shot forward. ‘Wait.’ She held her hand up to Dare and turned to Beckett. ‘Don’t move and don’t say another word,’ she instructed. Then she rushed from the room and pulled the velvet box out of her bag, wishing she’d remembered it at the hospital the previous day.
‘This is yours,’ she said, pushing the velvet box into his hand. Her eyes flashed to Dare as he stood by the front door, unconsciously noting his lethal stillness.
‘I gave it to you.’ Beckett glared down at her and Carly wondered how she had ever thought he was handsome.
‘I don’t want it.’
Beckett sneered at her. ‘Not now that you’ve snared the bigger fish.’
‘Get out, Beckett,’ Dare said with icy fury.
Beckett had given her the necklace! Dare could barely believe it. His senses reeled, his mind shrouded in a red haze so thick he could barely see through it.
He could feel adrenaline coursing through his system like in the old days when kids used to laugh about his loser father.
He took a deep breath and did his best to ignore the beating of his blood that wanted him to beat the crap out of his insolent cousin. If Beckett didn’t leave by the door soon, he’d find himself using the window; a much quicker way to the sidewalk.
‘Goodbye, my lovely Carly. It seems I’m being asked to leave.’
Beckett strolled towards Dare, a swagger in his step. He stopped and shook his head at Dare as if he felt sorry for him.
‘Come in, spinner,’ he said softly, laughing when Dare slammed the door in his face.
Taking a deep breath, Dare turned towards Carly. She looked beautiful and shaken standing in his living room wearing only his shirt.
He frowned. Hadn’t she heard their voices? Didn’t she know better than to come into a room wearing only a T-shirt?
He glanced at his well-stocked bar and wondered if it was too early in the day to have a drink.
‘I never liked him,’ Carly said, hugging her arms around her waist.
Dare looked at her. Why had she felt the need to tell him that? Was she feeling guilty about something? Like sleeping with his cousin right before moving on to him?
Had she lied to him?
The adrenaline hadn’t left his body and he felt edgy and unsatisfied. Maybe he should have hit his cousin after all.
‘Come in, spinner.’