“I can handle them,” she insisted.
Grimacing, Piper gripped her hand. “That’s the biggest concession he’s going to give you. You know that if the Thurston-Hughes brothers hurt you, my husbands won’t care that you’re an independent woman. They’ll only care that you’re their sister.”
“Precisely,” Tal agreed.
“I’ll be fine,” she insisted. She really hoped she was telling the truth. “Excuse me.”
Tori marched down the stairs to find Callum. If what she suspected he’d done was true, she had a few words to say to him. Then…well, she might lose her job today after all.
* * * *
Rory took another glass of champagne from the waiter and looked up at the second floor balcony overlooking the ballroom. “Where did Tori get that dress? It should be illegal.” He let out a rough breath. “She looks edible.”
Tori leaned lightly on the railing, a fond smile on her face as she looked down, her cleavage displayed to ripe perfection. Rory followed her gaze as she watched her sister dance with the sheikh. Did she fancy a dance herself? How would she react if he asked her?
Surely, she wouldn’t object. There could be no betrayal in squiring his potential sister-in-law around the ballroom floor. Certainly, Oliver would approve of him looking after her when his eldest brother couldn’t take care of her himself. As long as Rory shoved his own lust for her aside, they’d be fine.
“The dress is Versace. I knew she had a good eye.” Callum’s gaze drifted up to where she stood. “I picked out four gowns I thought would suit her, but I have to admit, that’s the one I would have picked for her myself.”
Rory wondered what Oliver would say about Callum selecting her wardrobe. “Did the other three come with a bodice?”
Callum shot him a confused glare. “What do you mean?”
His brother shouldn’t be allowed to dress Tori again. Not only would Oliver find it inappropriate, but Callum seemed to have forgotten important bits. “That dress is missing the proper fabric to cover her breasts. Every man in the room is looking at them.”
Including him. He’d nearly salivated when she’d walked out and those breasts had caught his eye. The green of the gown provided a gorgeous contrast to the creamy expanse of her skin.
Callum shrugged as he took a sip of champagne. “Let them look. She’s beautiful and tonight she feels that way. She knows every man in the room wants her. What she doesn’t know is that if one of the buggers makes a pass at her, he’ll find his head relocated up his arse.”
“Still, you could have given her some more modest choices.” Rory knew he sounded like a prude, but he didn’t like the idea of all those other men staring at her. She had three already. She didn’t need more.
He actually liked how she dressed for the office. She wore bright colors, but her skirts were always professional length and she tended to button up. He constantly wondered how it would feel to strip off those prim cardies, then rip off the pretty blouses and skirts until he eased down her knickers and spread her across his desk like a virgin sacrifice.
He had a suspicion that’s exactly what she was—a virgin.
Rory knew Oliver needed her, that she alone could lead him from that dark place in his soul and back into the light. But he worried Oliver would tear her up.
Perhaps he should rethink everything. If he told Callum what he suspected, his middle brother would be gentle with her. He could be a playboy, but when he cared about a woman he tended to take excellent care of her.
Yes, but then Rory would spend the rest of his own life wanting her for himself. At what point should he figure out what Tori needed and do whatever it took to make certain she got it? He’d spent so much time worried about Oliver’s happiness that he’d neglected to consider hers.
“She doesn’t need modest choices,” Callum argued. “She needs to know how beautiful she is. She needs to see that marrying royalty isn’t the only way to be a queen. She looks like one tonight.” Callum sighed. “Ah, the al Mussad brothers have found her again. I’ll be happy when they’re gone. They’re practically barbarians. Did you know the youngest one threatened to play football with my cock if I so much as thought about getting Tori into bed?”
Bastards. “Yes, I was accosted by Rafiq. Seems he doesn’t think much of the three of us.”
Rafe al Mussad had briefly spoken with him at the beginning of the ball. He’d explained that Tori might be an orphan but that didn’t mean she was without protection. Rory had tried to convince the man that Oliver was perfect for her, but Rafe had merely scowled and told him to get his brothers on the same page or leave her alone.
Rory doubted the man had meant persuading Callum to align with him in supporting a marriage between Oliver and Tori. He rather thought Rafe meant all three of them should pursue her.
Together.
“I don’t think I’ll travel to the country this year,” Callum said suddenly, jarring Rory from his thoughts.
The family always ventured to their country home for three weeks during the summer. In years past, when Callum hadn’t been busy practicing or promoting his team, he’d joined them. The holiday had been a tradition since they were children. “It’s your first year free. Why would you not come? We were all looking forward to being together.”
“I don’t want to leave Tori alone.” Callum held a hand out. “Before you berate me, I’m not simply plotting to seduce her. She’s a bit too trusting when she’s wandering around the city. She’s made some friends in very bad parts of town and she walks or takes the bus to see them. I want to make certain she stays safe.”