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The front door was so massive, I was an ant at a mountain base. Kyle pushed the door open. Inside the empty foyer, I stopped short. It was like stepping into a Las Vegas hotel lobby. I saw vaulted ceilings, wall-to-wall windows, infinite halls, and a split staircase sweeping upwards. The excess of polished wood, marble, wrought iron, plated gold, and stained glass could put a European palace to shame. To top it all off, aqua string lights, holly, wreaths, gold garlands and the merry music was a punch-in-the-face Christmas décor. Despite the cheesiness factor, it was beautiful.
“Wow. You grew up here? It’s magnificent,” I said.
Kyle’s teeth nipped his full lower lips and he searched my eyes. “Liar. Tell me what you really think. No PR filter.”
“Okay. It’s like Hearst Castle and the Trump Tower got married and had a baby.”
He laughed. “Yes, flashy and twisted like the Paxtons.”
“Ah, Mr. Kyle. You are back.” A smiling uniformed butler walked towards us, apologized for no reason, and asked for our coats.
“This is Stewart,” Kyle said and clamped an arm on the man’s shoulder. “He has been with our family forever. Has the patience of a monk. Discretion of the secret service. Secrecy of a dead body. Needed for my family.”
Stewart gave him a dour look. “I did not hear that, as always.”
Kyle chuckled. “Stewart, this is Miss Juniper Mills.”
“Merry Christmas, Miss Mills. Welcome.”
“Thank you. Happy Holidays.”
Stewart took my trusty navy winter coat and left.
Kyle held both my hands and faced me. “Let me look at you, gorgeous. That dress looks like it was designed for you.” He kissed me and when he drew back, I explained that it was all Evan. He shot me a look of surprise and nodded in approval. “Bastard knows his stuff. Good.”
Leading me down a disorienting number of halls and fancy pimped-out rooms, Kyle said in my ear, “My current, hopefully last, stepmother is Marissa. She’s always tipsy and gets batshit drunk, but she’s nice. I told you about my brother Tyler, remember? He’s here with a few crazy L.A. friends. Willow and Clive are here. Royce and Denise too. Just pretend they don’t exist. And there will be a whole bunch of other shady sharks and piranhas. Drunk Cougar Alert—all my stepmothers are here too.”
Bats. Sharks. Piranhas. Cougars. Is this the Paxton home or an animal menagerie?
“Is your mother here?”
“Nope. And phew.”
“Why?”
“I hope you never have to meet her. She’s a disaster on Vicodin in heels.” He put an arm around my waist. “June-Bug, it means the world to me that you came today.”
We exchanged saccharine smiles and almost bumped into a woman exiting a room.
“Kyle! You’re back! You picked her up,” she exclaimed.
“Yes,” he said. “This is Marissa, my stepmother. And this is my girlfriend, Juniper.”
I basked in the pride in his voice. “Thank you for having me, Marissa.”
“Welcome to my home!”
She shook my hand and tried to balance the two lipstick-rimmed wine and champagne glasses she was carrying. In her mid-thirties, Marissa was a tall brunette with tipsy dark eyes and pasty skin. Large diamonds winked from her hands, neck and ears, and she wore pointy heels and a red lace dress glued to her curvy figure. She looked mildly like Denise. Well...a poor man’s version of Denise.
I heard barking and looked down. Marissa giggled. “These are my babies. Chanel and Lulu. Hush, sillies.”
Hiding behind her were two tiny Pomeranian dogs who nipped at her heels. They were fuzzy snowballs with such munchkin faces I wanted to kiss both of them. I stifled a smile at their tight Gucci Christmas outfits. “How cute.”
She inspected me with a tilted head. “Now aren’t you a pretty little kitten! I’m glad Kyle finally brought a girl to this house. We wondered if he and Evan were an item. Ha-ha. Now we are proved wrong.”
Kyle shot her an irritated look and she did not bat an eyelid—it seemed Marissa lived in her own echo chamber.
Chanel and Lulu started barking again and she put down her glasses on the marble floor and scooped them up. Crushing them against her bosom, she nuzzled their cotton fuzz. “It’s okay, sweethearts. Mama has you now. Kyle and Juniper, come now.”
We followed her as she started to walk down the hall, still rambling...er...screaming on with her habit of yelling every syllable.
“Today will be such fun! Dinner is followed by a revue group and a live band. Gosh, Kyle, did you know it took me months to get them? It’s so hard to hire entertainers around Christmas. Anyhow, I finally got them. So we shall dance tonight! Such fun! Enjoy! Enjoy, children.” She grinned and dug her elbow in my arm. “Children. Cracks me up every time. Yes. I am Kyle’s stepmother though I’m three years younger. Why I’ll warrant, half my children are older than me. Lula! Stop barking.”
She got distracted by her pets and Kyle whispered, “She’s three years older than me. But not officially.”
I stifled a laugh.
Marissa stopped in front of an arched entryway. “Everyone is in the leather lounge. Now go on, you lovebirds. See you at din-din. Gotta run. I have a million things to do!”
I asked if she needed help.
“Gosh no! I have an event planner and the caterers and I are driving her bananas. My regular staff is on holiday. Hard to get good help on Christmas. Now Kyle, behave. Don’t go around smashing any more jaws. You’ll ruin my party.”
He winced and, holding my elbow, led me into the room where his large family lounged. I caught the impression of dark wood panels, heavy furniture, leather couches, silk curtains, and massive classic paintings. The walls were covered with leather panels and I got why Marissa called it the leather lounge. Clustered around the two stone fireplaces, the Paxtons were talking and laughing with brandy and wine glasses in their influential fingers.
There was a lull in the conversation as we entered. At least thirty pairs of eyes fixed on us. Kyle’s siblings were as terrifyingly beautiful and elegant and snooty and dismissive as I expected. In a few seconds, they appraised me, scanning my clothes and poise for an evaluation of my net worth and the estimation of my superficial worth. Their calculating eyes processed me and ripped me apart in their heads and I saw instant derision in their faces, which soon turned to polite indifference.
Every muscle in my body tensed and, sensing my anxiety, Kyle snatched my hand.
To calm myself, my eyes went to the massive paintings in the room.
Oh my God, is that an original Albert Bierstadt? Yep.
And is that the Green River of Wyoming by Thomas Moran? Yes. Eek.
“This is Juniper, my girlfriend,” Kyle announced to the room.
Holding my hand, he bypassed a group of Paxtons in the center of which I saw Denise and Royce. They both identified me with narrowed eyes. I was a surprise to Royce but Denise gave him a superior I-told-you-so-look.
Kyle made a beeline for Willow and Clive, who looked to be the only ones pleased to see me. Willow shrieked and hugged me and made a huge fuss over how lovely I looked. I returned the compliment. She was a bombshell in an aqua bohemian dress, which was utterly unsuitable for Christmas, unless you were in the Bahamas.
Clive pumped my hand, kissed my cheeks and said in his cultivated Brit accent, “Juniper, pretty tree, I remember you. You’re the museum girl who hated my car. I have it here today. Do you want to see it? I’ll take you for a spin and then you will change your mind.”
He kept pumping my hand and I was a bit dazzled that Clive Anderson, the world’s most famous action star, wanted to take me for a ride in his ridiculously minuscule and expensive car.
“No one is taking her for a spin.” Kyle’s voice was low but firm and Clive let go of my hand with a startled glance at him.
Willow giggled and said, “Jelly dork. The way Juniper looks at you, she’d never let anyone but you take her for a spin.”
“He is a jelly dork,” I said, pouting at Kyle. “As a curator, I know what belongs where.”
Willow linked arms with me. “I get why he’s possessive. You’re beautiful inside and out. And that dress is on point.”
“Thanks. Command me, priestess, I worship you now.” I bowed to her. Though I was flippant with Willow, it was a sobering moment. I realized what I felt about Kyle was plainly written on my face.
Kyle was pleased by this.
We locked eyes in a wordless gaze and he held my hand and pressed it until my fingers lost all sensation. I tore my gaze away and said to Clive and Willow, “So is there paparazzi hiding around here?”
“We don’t really get hassled by paps in Michigan. At times, the public will put out social media alerts and they may turn up. They do camp out at LAX though,” Clive said.
Willow nodded. “But the coolio thing about living in L.A. is most of the public is immune to us. Especially where we hang.”
“That reminds me. Kyle, my indie film is done. And the distributors are rather dodgy. Any chance you’d like to come in as a tail-end investor?” Clive asked, catching Kyle’s attention.
Willow chimed in and they all started talking about film financing.
I looked around the room, feeling a mild anxiety disorder crawling up my throat. Kyle’s stylish siblings were tall and towered above me—with the exception of the petite waif Willow. The few older women with Botox-strained faces and wearing glossy furs were Marissa’s predecessors, I had been told.
Everywhere I turned, I was dazzled by the flash of designer gowns, fuck-me pencil heels, pay-me glinting jewels and sparkling diamonds. It was a post-Oscar party in here and I imagined fashion bloggers asking the ladies whose dress they were wearing. Even the men looked red-carpet ready in their tuxes. Kyle and Clive had obviously rebelled, as both wore midnight blue suits with black shirts and no ties.
I don’t belong here.
Kyle’s world was irreconcilable with mine. At home, my dress and shoes had seemed too much and here I felt drab as a mop and irrelevant as dust. I was an outlier, a social refugee, not likely to be granted an entry visa from the natives. I was painfully aware of the looks I was getting—some curious and others hostile. They got to me. Deep in the shallow part of me, I questioned if I belonged with a man like Kyle, and my doubts and anxieties surfaced with a splash. Now and again, Denise gave me long sly looks and I realized when she and I had talked at the museum, she had made me out.
Let it go, Juniper. Ignore her. Ignore them.
Willow and I talked amicably until she forced all of us to circulate the room and I was introduced to Kyle’s family. Everyone greeted me, expect for Royce and Denise. Willow told me the family was split into two camps: Team Kyle and Team Royce. Most of the Paxtons spoke politely to me, but I saw in their smug smiles and bored eyes they dismissed me as a passing fancy of Kyle’s.
I am. They are not wrong.
I met so many people in rapid-fire succession, I barely made out the names except for Tyler, the wild brother Kyle had mentioned.
“What’s this? Who’s this girl now?” Tyler asked on meeting me.
Kyle frowned. “My girlfriend, Juniper, as I just said.”
Like Kyle, Tyler was tall and had blue eyes and black hair, but unlike Kyle he was out of shape and had puffy eye bags from excess alcohol consumption. Tyler was escorted by two handsome over-tanned young men with on-fleek hair and two stunning girls, who wore short leather skirts and necklines below sea level. I was informed all four were part of Tyler’s L.A. entourage. The girls were both aspiring actresses. They smiled drunkenly at Kyle and me, but their eyes lit up on seeing Clive. Since Clive was solely focused on Willow, they pouted and went back to the boys in their party.
“Kyle has never brought a girl to this house,” Tyler said to me. “I suspect you are a special brew of extraordinary ingredients. Perhaps, you are not even real. Maybe even a lab creation of my bro.”
“I may very well be his new AI prototype,” I said.
“Let’s see if you can pass the Turing Test,” Tyler said.
“Let’s see if you can pass the sobriety test,” Kyle retorted.
Under the pretext of getting to know me better, Tyler flirted outrageously. Kyle put up with it at first but when Tyler dripped a trail of wet kisses on my hand, he stiffened and his eyes narrowed to slits.
“I don’t get it,” Tyler said with a charming smile. “How are you with my brother if you are a museum curator? My scintillating convo would suit your gray matter assuredly more than my brother’s techy talk. Double entendre. He is a tech guy and a techy grouch. If you are ever in L.A., hit me up...”
“Knock it off. You’d hit anything with a pulse,” Kyle said in Tyler’s ear.
Tyler laughed. “Yeah, but your new girl is just too gorgeous not to share. I’ve always had a thing for the hot librarian types.”
Kyle gave him a look that would freeze a raging forest fire. “Stay away from the bottle tonight. You’re already tanked.”
Tyler hesitated at the force of Kyle’s scowl but recovered quickly. “Congratulations, bro. You are finally serious about a girl. And she’s not a skank like—”
He was not allowed to finish the sentence because Willow and Kyle hustled me away. Throughout the night, Kyle stayed close to me and I adored him for that. Though we talked mostly with Willow and Clive, he kept a hand around my waist—and possessive or not, I found his touch comforting. Also arousing. Every time he touched me, my body tingled and I would see a leap of intense desire in his eyes too.
When Marissa announced dinner, Kyle and I walked out with the others to the dining room. Lost in our world, we lingered behind them.
“June-Bug. You’re going to stay tonight or I’ll spontaneously combust. I want you so bad right now,” Kyle whispered.
Every fiber in my body tensed. “I did not plan to stay. I told Cypress I’d be back.”
“You’re staying. I told everyone you’re staying.”
I swallowed. “But I didn’t bring any clothes.”
“Don’t worry about that. Clothing is optional.” He looked around the empty hall. In a swift gesture, he rammed my pelvis against his and pulled me close. To my shock, he tried to kiss my neck, right there in the hallway. Though I did not want to rescue my neck from his very welcome attention, I shifted away, worried someone would see us.
Entering the hall, Tyler strolled past us and yelled, “Get a room, vampire.”
“Keep moving, toad.” Kyle’s nostrils flared but he gave me some space.
When Tyler was out of earshot, I blushed. “Well. This is awkward.”
“If you don’t stay tonight, I’ll make sure it gets more awkward. You’re staying and that’s final.”
“You’d be an ace kidnapper if this CEO thing doesn’t work out.”
“Kyle,” said a voice out of nowhere.
I turned to see a tiny woman standing behind us. Face lighting up, Kyle leaned down to embrace her.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed both his cheeks. “We made it. Finally. The flight was exhausting. Colt fell asleep in the car and I just put him down upstairs. How are you?”
“I’m good. Hey, I’d like to introduce Juniper Mills to you. Juniper, this is Min-Jun Jeon, Colt’s mother.”
“Great to meet you,” I said.
“Juniper, I’ve heard so much about you from Kyle,” she said in a low voice.
I wish I could say the same about you.
Min-Jun was as beautiful and slight as a butterfly wing. She had a waterfall of black hair, velvet dark eyes, translucent skin, and such delicate bones I was sure her limbs could be snapped off like a teacup handle. Her wispy figure was draped in a one-shoulder teal dress and she held a round diamond-encrusted clutch. I shook her hand with a pang of unease. Willow had said Kyle beat up Royce because he accused him of having an affair with his wife. Min-Jun was gazing at Kyle with such adoration, I wondered if the rumors had any merit.
God, I hope not.
“May I steal him from you?” she asked.
I nodded.
She linked arms with Kyle and pulled him away from me, talking in his ear.
At that moment, Royce and Denise passed by shooting daggers her way.
Here comes drama.
