Page 111 of The House Guest

I’d just hung up the phone when the door opened. I rose to my feet to greet Benjamin, but then I almost immediately fell back on the couch.

Because it wasn’t Benjamin standing there.

It was Dorian.

CHAPTER 31

Dorian

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.

I’d walked over to Benjamin’s to find out if he had any eggs, and now I was face to face with Primrose.

Primrose.

What the hell?

“What…what are you doing here, Primrose?”

She was wearing a crop top. Not once had she worn one back in Cincinnati. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought I’d been transported back in time. Either that, or I was hallucinating.

When she didn’t answer me, I asked again. “Primrose, talk to me. What’s going on? Why are you here?”

Her eyes glistened.

Is she about to cry?“Are you okay? Did something happen in Ohio?”

She shook her head. “No. Nothing bad happened. I’m sorry to have scared you. My daughter’s fine. Everyone isfine. But you weren’t supposed to find me here. I’m just in shock right now.”

Now I wasreallyconfused. “Why would you be here if not for me to find you?”

Before she could open her mouth, the door opened again and I turned to find Benjamin, holding an iced tea in one hand and a coffee in the other.

His face reddened. “Shit,” he muttered.

Just as he opened his mouth again, I cut him off. “What the hell is going on here?”

“I haven’t had a chance to explain it,” she said to Benjamin. “He just walked in and found me.”

I looked between them.What the fuck are they doing behind my back?

“We were going to call you today to let you know she came into town last night,” Benjamin explained.

My head whipped toward her. “You’ve been here since last night?”

Her breath shook. “Benjamin, would you mind leaving Dorian and me alone for a bit?”

“Of course.” He set the coffee on the end table. “I’ll be out back drinking my tea.” Benjamin placed a supportive hand on her shoulder as he passed.

“When did you get in?” I asked her once he’d closed the door.

“I flew in yesterday and came straight to the mansion last night. Before I could ring the doorbell, though, I heard music coming from the pool area. I peeked through the bushes and saw you with your girlfriend.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. The security lights. That explained it.

She exhaled. “It didn’t feel right to interrupt, so I ran off. The motion set off some lights, and Benjamin ran into me while checking things out. I really wanted to leave, and I was ready to head back to the airport, but Benjamin insisted I stay the night and think things through before going home.”

“Why would you have gone home without saying anything if you came all the way here?”