Cruel Money (Cruel 1)

“I thought so. I was studying luxury fashion design and marketing at the French Fashion Institute while interning at Vogue Paris. I could swear that I saw you at a party held by Harmony Cunningham.”

I opened my mouth in surprise. “I was at a Cunningham party. I worked for her mother for a time.”

“I never forget a face,” Jane said. “I met Harmony through Bishop McHugh, the British diplomat while he was in Paris.”

“Honestly, I’m usually better with faces.” In fact, I remembered everyone I met generally. I must not have been introduced to her or else it probably would have stuck.

“Of course. Well, Bishop and global environmentalist Marin Russo’s daughter, Camilla—you know, she’s an up-and-coming Italian fashion designer—are helping to back my new club. I’d hoped to get Harmony involved. Is she going to be here tonight?”

“I’m not certain,” I said, staggering over how connected this girl was. “But congratulations on your club.”

“We’re just in the investment stage, but we’re getting there,” Jane said, finishing her drink and getting another one handed to her immediately. “Champagne?”

“Oh, yes please.”

I got my own drink and tried to ignore the tension settling between Penn and Court. Neither had said anything while Jane and I talked about our chance meeting in Paris last summer. And I knew that anything that came out of Penn’s mouth now would be far from pleasant. It would be better to extract us from this.

“Why don’t we go dance?” I asked Penn.

“All right,” he said.

“Wait, don’t you want to do shots first?” Court asked. He snapped his fingers at the waitress. Actually snapped them. “Four tequila shots.”

Camden smacked him in the chest. “One for me, too.”

“Make that five.”

“Oh, good. Tequila and champagne—the perfect mix,” Jane said dryly. “Can’t us girls skip out on this one?”

Court grinned down at her, and she seemed to melt in the same way I did when I looked at Penn.

“Do it for me, Janie. This is the first time you’re meeting my brother.”

“Ah yes, Penn Kensington,” Jane said with a smile. “How are your classes? I knew Professor Friedrich Weber, who studied metaphysics back home in Germany. Of course, not what your focus is, but he certainly went off with a bang back home.”

“Ah, Weber,” Penn said, momentarily stunned by someone who knew anything about philosophy. “I studied him some in grad school. He’s quite renowned.”

“To be fair, his wife threw lavish parties that I attended with my family, and I know hardly anything about his work, except that he had exceptional taste in champagne, which I consumed rather frivolously.”

Penn laughed, obviously charmed by Jane’s demeanor. She seriously seemed to know everyone. “Well, metaphysics can be dull, so I don’t blame you.”

“Here you are,” the waitress said, holding a tray of five tequila shots.

Jane sighed, and her wide hazel eyes stared back at me. “What do you say, Natalie?”

“All right,” I agreed, taking the shot and lime.

Court held his glass up. “To lingerie parties on Halloween. May we all find out if the ears match the tails.”

Camden snorted. Penn rolled his eyes. Jane and I giggled. And then we all tossed our shots back with ease.

“Whoa!” I cried, putting the drink back on the tray. My vision blurred for a second, and I teetered. I was really a terrible lightweight. “That was intense. Haven’t done that since college.”

“Well then, you really must hang out with me some more. I might even be generous and invite my Court,” Jane said. She fluttered her eyelashes up at him.

“Yes, Natalie,” Court said with a devious smile on his face. “Do come out with us more often. Any friend of Penn’s is a friend of mine.”

“Is that how you want to spin it?” Penn ground out.

Court just ignored him. “We’re going to the back room later if you and that halo want to join,” he offered me with a wink.

“Uh…”

Penn stepped between me and Court. “She’s not interested.”

“Court, leave them be,” Jane said.

Camden cackled. “As if little Natalie would be into that.”

Penn looked like he wanted to deck his brother, and I already knew he hated Camden.

“Come on, Natalie.”

He directed me away from Court and Camden to where Lewis was dancing with some model in mouse ears. Rowe and his date were doing something that approximated dancing as well. Mostly Jessica Rabbit was throwing herself at him, and he appreciatively stood behind her.

“Trouble?” Lewis asked.

“Court,” Penn growled.

Penn grabbed me around the middle and pulled me into him. His movements were slow and sexy to match the music. I could have gotten lost in him, but his interaction with Court was still caught in my mind.

“Hey, what was up with that?”

“Up with what? My brother?”

“Yeah,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Why were you so upset with him?”

“I’m always upset with him. But you don’t know him. You didn’t even realize what he was suggesting when he invited you to the back room.”