Borrowed Beauty

Chapter Three: Instant Dislike

OLIVIA

The Prosperity Springs pack house was about forty minutes outside of the city, perched in the foothills on the side of a small, pristine lake. It looked like a rustic hunting lodge, made of exposed hand-hewn logs and local stones, if you turned a hunting lodge into a twenty-million dollar two-story sprawling mansion. It had massive windows that overlooked the lake and the valley below. I’m not a person who is overly impressed with money and opulence, but even I was a little awed by the majesty of the place. And the sheer amount of manpower it must take to wash all of those huge windows.

The inside was just as fantastic as the outside. The central part of the house had cathedral ceilings, an enormous stone fireplace, and cozy-looking leather furnishings. There were animal skin rugs strewn across the polished hardwood floors, and an assortment of stuffed animal heads displayed on the walls.

I felt their glass eyes glaring at me in offended disproval as I rolled my suitcase through the great sitting room, trailing behind my sister and the twins as they headed directly to a winding staircase that climbed to the second story. Even the handrail of the staircase was a curving branch of a tree. Aaron and Brock each had one of Renee’s suitcases, leaving me to struggle up the stairs alone. Not that I need a man to carry my bag, mind you. I’m strong and capable. It's just that I was a little paranoid about scratching all that perfectly polished woodwork, so I tried not to let my heavy bag bump or drag as I climbed.

By the time I reached the landing, Renee was already way ahead of me, entering a room at the far end of the right-hand wing. “My room is just next door if you need anything,” Aaron was saying, “and Brock is just across the hall.

I poked my head into her room curiously to observe a luxurious-looking guestroom that seemed to have been decorated and furnished with a woman in mind, since there were a lot of soft pastel colors and a massive vanity with three mirrors.

“Oh, I love it!” Renee gushed, as she danced around the room like an excited child. “This is great!”

Aaron caught her around the waist and pulled her against his body, his hands sliding down to her backside as he bent to kiss her. I averted my eyes and cleared my throat loudly to remind them that I was still there, and that I still needed a room.

Brock gave me a mildly annoyed look. Why was he annoyed, when he wasn’t even the one doing the kissing? “Right, Olive-”

“Olivia,” I corrected him.

“Yeah. There aren’t any more empty rooms on this wing, so I hope you don’t mind, but you are on the other end.” I followed him out of my sister’s room and back down the long hallway to the left side of the stairwell. I can’t say why, but this wing had a different feel to it. It felt darker, quieter, almost somber, even though the decor and the lighting were exactly the same.

Brock pushed open the last door on the right. “Here you go.”

He stepped aside so that I could drag my bag inside. “Dinner is at seven in the family dining room.” He glanced down at his gold Rolex, “I’ll leave you to get settled.”

“Thanks,” I said dryly. I could plainly see he was anxious to get back to my sister’s room and get in on the welcome party. There was little more than an hour before dinner, they still had time for a quickie, if such a thing existed with a threesome. I really didn’t care to know. I shut the door behind his retreating back with a grateful sigh. I was rather glad to be at the opposite end of the house from the three of them.

My guestroom was pretty generic, decorated in white and gold and deep rich earth tones. There was a big, queen size bed, more of that rustic, slightly asymmetrical furniture made from logs and branches, and a couple of big overstuffed chairs arranged in front of one of those big floor-to-ceiling windows. It was already dark outside, so I couldn’t tell exactly what view the window offered. I had a very nice ensuite bathroom with a huge carved wooden bathtub. I had never seen a wooden bath before. I ran a hand over the tub, thinking I would definitely be taking some long, hot bubble baths with some scented candles in the near future. Just what the doctor ordered after a long taxing day of babysitting my darling sister.

I unpacked my bag, hanging my clothes in the large walk-in closet and arranging my toiletries in the bathroom. I stacked the novels I had brought to read on the bedside table, along with some travel guides to East Africa and a “How to Speak Swahili” guidebook. I tested the mattress, and it was just as pillowy and soft as it looked. I think it had that memory-foam stuff on top because it hugged my body so nicely that it was really difficult to roll off from it.

At seven sharp I went in search of the dining room. Brock had neglected to tell me exactly where it was located, so I wandered around the ground floor a bit before I located it by the sound of my sister’s giggles.

There was a long table surrounded by ten tall, straight-back chairs. Over the table was an impressive chandelier made entirely of deer antlers. Renee was seated with one brother on either side of her. I noticed that she had changed her clothes, and her shoulder-length hair was freshly combed, which only confirmed my suspicion that they had done the nasty before dinner.

There was an older, elegant-looking woman seated across the table, and I guessed by her icy blue eyes and the shape of her face that she must be the mother of the twins. There were two only two empty place settings at the table, one next to the not-so-mystery woman, and one at the head of the table. No one was paying attention to me, and no one invited me to sit, so I took it upon myself to head to the vacant seat next to the older lady. “Hi,” I said, offering her a friendly smile. “I’m Olivia. Is it okay if I sit here?”

“Oh,” she looked up at me and seemed mildly startled. Maybe she’d been expecting a carbon copy of Renee, and was shocked to see me instead. “Of course, dear, have a seat. I’m Veronica Salvador, but you can call me Vero.” She seemed genuinely warm, and I felt slightly comforted as I sat in the chair. “My nephew is running a little late,” she said with an apologetic smile, “he’ll be with us shortly. I hope you don’t mind waiting…”

She had barely finished the words when the nephew in question breezed into the room. I felt him before I saw him. The air changed and there was a very distinct powerful Alpha aura that charged the atmosphere.

“Sorry I’m late,” the voice was like warm honey to my ears, deep, masculine, and just a little rough around the edges. I felt an unfamiliar shiver of excitement run up my spine. Just from the voice! Holy s**t!

And then he moved into view.

Oh…

Oh my…

He moved like a panther, like he was all coiled muscle ready to spring at any moment. Although there was a vague resemblance between him and his twin cousins, he was both taller and broader, and everything about him was more. More defined, more rugged. His jaw was square, his nose was a little larger, and his eyes, instead of being light blue and icy, were a dark, midnight blue. When those eyes landed on me, they appeared hard and annoyed, and I had the urge to sink down in my chair.

Damn, I hadn’t even opened my mouth yet, and the man already didn’t like me. I was so focused on him that I barely noticed Aaron making the introductions.

“This is our cousin, Alpha Josiah Salvador. Josiah, this is the woman we were telling you about, Renee Forest. Oh, and her sister, Olive.”

“Olivia,” I corrected absently, my eyes never leaving the alpha as he pulled out the chair and sat at the head of the table. The kitchen staff must have been watching for his arrival, because as soon as his ass hit the chair, they started streaming into the room, pouring the wine and setting salad plates in front of each diner.

I love food, and it shows on my well-padded figure. I love trying new dishes, new flavors, and the whole foodie experience. But under the alpha’s disapproving stare my appetite failed me. I was confused. What had I done to earn his instant dislike? Was my appearance that disappointing?

And why did I care?

I picked my way through the meal and let the casual conversation swirl around me. The brothers discussed business at the club, problems with a certain bartender who was caught skimming cash from the till, and a waitress who had tripped in her stiletto heels in the parking lot and now wanted workman’s comp for her injuries.

I kept stealing glances at the alpha, while trying not to be too obvious about it, and probably succeeding because no one was paying attention to me. His hair was brown with blond sun streaks that appeared to be natural, not salon-made. It was longish and unruly, and I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers through it to try and tame it. His face had probably been smooth and clean-shaven that morning, but his jaw was now darkened with stubble that gave him a dangerous, roguish appearance. I noticed he had a scar under his lower lip and a decided cleft in his chin. He didn’t have the smooth, polished, pretty-boy look of his cousins. He probably wouldn’t be asked to model in any calendars any time soon, and that was a damn shame because I was dying to see what was under that suit coat. I bet his tan wasn’t fake.

Never in my life had I experienced such a visceral, s****l reaction to any man. It was startling and unsettling. As I looked across the table, though, I saw my sister was also staring at the alpha with unabashed hunger. Never mind that she already had two men vying for her attention, she was also trying to catch the eye of the alpha. Therefore, I knew it wasn’t only me. Alpha Josiah must have that panty-soaking effect on every woman he came into contact with.

Imagine what it would feel like if he had actually looked at me with kindness. It was better that he’d taken an instant dislike to me, otherwise, I might just have embarrassed myself.