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I bent a little to meet her gaze, staring at her meaningfully. She paused, her expression softening. I hoped my look conveyed I’d be just as jealous if I heard a group of men talking about her. Actually, I’d be twice as jealous.
“Quit smouldering at me, Shay Riordan. It’s more than my nerves can handle right now.”
I silently chuckled as she moved away, heading back to our table. I went to the bar and ordered another soft drink for Maggie and a pint of lager for myself. I was surprised by her earlier statement she didn’t drink, but it made sense once I considered her mother, who very obviously had an alcohol and drug problem. I hated the idea of Maggie being around that when she was young. No wonder she preferred to avoid it now.
When I reached the table, she was quietly eating, while Rhys and the others spoke about an upcoming ski trip. It was weird how my cousin straddled two worlds, the ordinary one where he came to my house for Sunday dinner and we went to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Then there was his other life, where the Balfes invited him on ski trips or shopping outings to New York. Long weekends away to Dubai. It was a whole other reality. Stephanie’s eyes lit up hearing about the ski trip, and I knew she preferred that side of Rhys’ lifestyle far better.
I sat next to Maggie, setting down our drinks. She quietly thanked me before I stole a tempura prawn from her plate. She shot me a grumpy look, but I just widened my eyes at the amount of food she’d gotten. There was more than enough for both of us.
“Fine,” she allowed after a moment of glowering. “I’ll share with you.”
I rested my thigh against hers, happy to just share that moment of quiet eating with her while the music and revelry happened around us.
“This week, I found out I have a half-brother,” Maggie said out of the blue, and I blinked. “Well, another one, I mean. He’s older than me. We share the same father.”
I was stunned by the casual way she revealed the news. I wanted to type into my phone, but the music was louder now, and I’d forgotten to bring my air pods. Maggie sat back, exhaling a long sigh.
“It’s Jonathan Oaks. He’s my half-brother. That’s why he hired me. It’s so strange. He wanted to find out what sort of person I was before telling me we were siblings. Like, who does that?”
I reached out and took her hand in mine, squeezing softly to let her know she could keep speaking if she wanted. I was concerned for her because finding out you had a sibling you never knew about would be startling news for anyone. In Maggie’s case, I was sure it brought up lots of conflicting emotions, especially because she never knew her biological father. And hiring her without telling her who he was? That was messed up. It activated my protective instincts, and I felt the need to suss the guy out, make sure he was a safe person for Maggie to have in her life. Remembering Rhys knew of Jonathan, I made a note to quiz him about the bloke.
My thumb brushed back and forth over the inside of her wrist, a small comfort and reassurance I was there for her, for whatever she needed.
Her blue eyes came to me, so soft and distracting. “It’s loud in here. Is there anywhere quieter we could go to talk?”
I nodded and made a hand gesture for her to wait a minute before I went and nudged Rhys’s shoulder. When I had his full attention I signed, Are there any free rooms we could go sit in for a while? Maggie’s not feeling well.
“Ah shite, it’s not the food, is it? I’m always wary of shellfish when it comes in a buffet,” Rhys replied.
It’s not the food. She just has a headache. I lied because I didn’t have time to explain about Jonathan Oaks being her brother.
Rhys dug in his pocket and handed me a key card. “This is for room 903, the penthouse. It’s empty right now, so Maggie can go lie down for a while.”
Thanks, I signed before taking the card.
I turned to Maggie, motioning for her to come with me. I placed my hand on her lower back and led her from the event room. We walked to a bank of lifts and took one up to the penthouse. The doors slid open, and I approached the door to 903. I’d been in there once or twice and knew it was one of the largest rooms in the hotel.
“Wow,” Maggie exclaimed when I pushed the door open and ushered her in. “This room is beautiful.” I stood back as she took several steps inside before going to the window to take in the view. She remained standing there, and I moved to stand beside her, admiring the view, too. The dark city twinkled with lights.
