‘Nothing as yet, but give them time,’ Elvi said lightly. ‘I shouldn’t imagine Dmitri went to the trouble of offering my mother his house and setting her up with a job for no good reason.’
‘You don’t mind?’ Xan queried.
‘Mum’s been on her own a long time. Does it bother you?’
Xan ignored the question, deep within his own thoughts. He blamed Dm
itri for not sharing his doubts with him concerning Sally Cartwright’s guilt. Had he known there were grounds for doubt, would he still have offered Elvi that iniquitous arrangement? He knew he was splitting hairs and was grimly amused by the fact. After all, no honourable man would have offered Elvi the option Xan had.
Joel signalled her from across the room and she left Xan’s side with a warm welcoming smile. ‘Thought you weren’t sure you could come,’ she greeted her old friend. ‘I’m so glad you could make it after all.’
Joel dealt her a comprehensive appraisal, taking in the diamonds glittering in her ears and outlining her slender throat. ‘You look amazing,’ he told her thinly, curving an arm to her spine to guide her out to the bar, which was quieter. ‘I’m glad sour grapes didn’t keep me away—’
‘Sour grapes?’ she queried, not getting his meaning as he drew her into a secluded corner.
Joel sighed. ‘You never did work it out, did you? You didn’t notice what was right in front of you. I wanted you to turn to me when you were ready for a relationship but obviously I missed the boat—’
Elvi turned pale in shock and frowned at him in dismay. ‘You don’t mean that—’
Joel studied her in frustration. ‘I always wanted you, even when we were at school...that’s how far back it goes for me,’ he admitted ruefully. ‘When you didn’t pick up on my signals, I told myself that it was because you were still immature and too wrapped up in your family but I’ve always loved you—’
Her tender heart was pierced by the vulnerable look in his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry, Joel. I didn’t realise—’
‘You don’t come to a wedding to tell the bride that,’ Xan intoned harshly from behind Elvi and she spun round in consternation, disconcerted by his arrival.
‘There’s no harm in telling her,’ Joel argued defiantly. ‘After all, when you mess up, I want her to know I’m here waiting for her—’
Elvi froze in disbelief as Xan pressed her back out of the way with one arm and punched Joel with the other. Stunned by Xan’s behaviour, she staggered back as Dmitri appeared out of nowhere to band his arms round Joel and restrain him when he tried to throw himself at Xan. There was a tough exchange of words between the men, but when Elvi went to Joel’s side to apologise for the bridegroom’s behaviour and check that her friend was all right, he told her angrily to leave him alone and he stalked out.
‘What on earth did you think you were doing?’ Elvi demanded of Xan.
Xan didn’t have an answer for Elvi. Thumping the pretty boy with the dimples and curls had been instinctive and if his security team hadn’t prevented further violence Xan would have enjoyed hitting him again. And again. How dared the little twerp? Who the hell was he anyway? Who had invited him? What sort of relationship did he have with Elvi? Xan wanted answers too.
‘Who is he?’ Xan bit out in a raw undertone.
‘Joel is my best friend...and you hit him!’ she condemned.
‘Your best friend is a man?’ Xan countered in disbelief. ‘Well, that ends now. I’m not putting up with that kind of nonsense. You’re my wife...you’re mine. You don’t let other men come onto you like that!’
Elvi was fit to be tied but she was conscious that people were watching them and she chose discretion, walking away and heading fast for the cloakroom.
Xan was tempted to yank her back because he was determined to hear the entire history of her involvement with Joel with no detail overlooked. Her best friend? How was he supposed to react to a crazy announcement like that? The sneaky little bastard had been telling Elvi that he loved her, trying to tempt her away when any decent man would have accepted the reality that she was newly married. Pregnant into the bargain, Xan recalled with sudden immense satisfaction.
CHAPTER TEN
ELVI BOARDED XAN’S private jet with a sense of liberation because the strain of the day and the pressure of being the centre of attention as bride and groom were now safely behind them. Being forced to act as though nothing was wrong between her and Xan after that incident with Joel had stressed her out. His aggressive reaction to Joel’s declaration had shaken her and she knew she had to confront him. Violence would never ever be acceptable to Elvi.
‘You still haven’t told me where we’re going,’ she reminded Xan gently once they were airborne.
‘The South of France. I have a house there that I rarely use. I did think of taking you back to the island, but my family wouldn’t have given us much peace on Thira,’ he told her wryly.
‘I like your family,’ Elvi protested.
‘We need alone time,’ Xan countered smoothly. ‘That’s your cue to start telling me about Joel...’
Elvi tensed and stirred her coffee. ‘There’s not much to say. We’ve been friends since primary school. He was so into art even then that he didn’t fit in with the boys but I got on great with him. He’s now making quite a name for himself as a portrait painter.’
‘If you’re that close, you should’ve told me about him,’ Xan informed her disapprovingly.