Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Wow, was my only thought as I parked in Dax’s driveway and took a good look at his home. The modern, flat-roofed, two-story villa was all alabaster paint, tall reflective-glass windows, and pure unadulterated opulence. The small courtyard added to the opulent feel, along with the pretty fountain bordered by topiaries.

The lot on which the villa was built wasn’t expansive, but the heavy use of tall trees gave the building a secluded feel. It looked calm. Tranquil. Idyllic.

Dax’s car—a sleek, black vehicle that had “style” metaphorically written all over it—was parked off to the side. I’d seen it around, but not the town car that was situated beside it.

Exiting my own vehicle, I was immediately greeted by the scents of greenery and clean air. Beneath them hovered the barest smell of wet stone emanating from the fountain.

I smiled as I again took in the villa. Damn, this could be my new home. Unless the interior was an absolute dump—which seemed supremely unlikely—I’d have absolutely no issues living here.

Not at any point in my life had I imagined myself marrying Dax Mercier, let alone moving in with him. He was just so elusive. You couldn’t laya claim to a guy like him. Not unless he allowed it. But I’d have one when I became his wife—there would be a band on his finger to prove it.

Although … there was a possibility that he wouldn’t want to wear one. Not all guys did, and he’d once told me he didn’t like wearing rings.

He had mentioned that he’d buy our wedding bands, but it could be that his only intention was to use them for the exchange-of-rings part of the ceremony. If I was honest, I wouldn’t be too pleased if he afterward removed his band. Maybe it would be different if we were all wrapped up in each other—I’d feel secure in my claim to him. But we weren’t, and so his refusal to wear a ring would feel like a rejection; like he didn’t really see me as his wife.

Jesus, I was going to become his wife. At least in the legal sense of the word.

There were moments when it felt so surreal I wanted to laugh. At the present moment, I didn’t feel the need to laugh. I felt the need to give my heart a slap, because it was beating a little too fast at the mere thought of seeing him.

I locked my vehicle and then headed for the entrance, marveling at the peaceful feel to the pocket of land. There was no noise other than for the sprinkling of the fountain, the light breeze sliding through the trees, and the clicking of my heels against the stone walkway.

Noticing a chauffeur sitting in the town car, I felt my brows lift in surprise. I gave him a brief wave, which he easily returned. Huh. Since it was highly unlikely that Dax would have a chauffeur sitting in a car outside his home, it seemed more probable that said chauffeur had driven someone here.

I pressed the doorbell and waited, my nerves a little too tetchy for there to be anything patient about that wait. He opened the door, his eyes fixed on mine, and my entire system—every cell, every hormone, every nerve-ending—quite simply went zing.

“Addison,” he ever so smoothly greeted. Backing up, he opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Clutching the strap of my purse unnecessarily tight, I walked inside, my body brushing his. Catching movement in my peripheral vision, I twisted my head slightly. It was a battle not to tense. I easily recognized the tall, dark, fartoo good-looking Sicilian male who stood there. Anyone in Redwater would.

Dax sidled closer to me. “This is a friend of mine, Rafael Cabello. Rafael, this is my fiancée, Addison.”

A corner of Rafael’s mouth tilted upward. “I’ve heard plenty about you.”

Given the guy ran a crime syndicate … “I can certainly say the same.” The rumors were plentiful.

“Thank you for the invitation to the wedding,” he said with a short, gracious nod. “I’ll be there.”

I’d emailed the invitations earlier today after booking the church and securing a venue—it was faster than dishing out physical invitations. When I’d seen Rafael’s name on Dax’s guest list, I’d almost fallen off my damn chair. I knew they were acquainted, but I hadn’t thought they were close friends. There’d been a few other names that had taken me by surprise.

I gave him a polite smile. “In that case, I’ll see you then.”

He and Dax exchanged goodbyes, and then the Sicilian male elegantly breezed out of the villa with an animal grace.

Once Dax closed the door, I said, “You have interesting friends.”

“So I’ve been told.” He tipped his chin, gesturing for me to follow him as he added, “Come.”

“Your place is bigger than I thought it’d be,” I said, trailing after him.

“I’ll give you a quick tour before we eat.”

The sound of our footfalls echoed along the marble flooring as he showed me around first the living area and then the dining room. Both were spacious and elegantly furnished, as was the room he said I could use as a home office if I wished.

The scent of various foods reached me before we entered the top-of-the-range kitchen. Three plates covered in stainless steel toppers waited on the small dining table there, and I guessed one of Oakengrove’s chefs had prepped the meal. Residents could order food to be delivered from a central kitchen, and most took advantages of the perk.

Next, Dax ushered me upstairs. There were four bedrooms in total, all en suite—one of which he used as an office. The largest was, of course, the master bedroom. Taking in the sight of his bed, I almost whistled. Now that was a bed. A big-ass one that could sleep at least four people. If those four people were snuggly sleepers, that was.

I doubted Dax was a nighttime cuddler. I, personally, was not. Nor did I move much in my sleep. I always picked my own side of any mattress, and I rarely left it—no matter how big the bed, no matter if I was alone in it or not.

The room boasted other features, such as a massive walk-in closet, a jacuzzi, and also a large balcony that overlooked a pretty garden, modern patio area, and sizeable swimming pool. Again, there was a feeling of seclusion due to the amount of trees—they apparently didn’t only border the front of the lot, but the whole of it.

As I again stared down at the bed, my belly did some pathetic fluttering as I imagined rolling around in it with him. But then my stomach dropped as it occurred to me that other females had no doubt done some rolling in it.

Dax stalked closer to me. “I bought it new when I moved here not so long ago. The only women who’ve been to the villa other than you are my mom and sister.”

I arched a brow. “In other words, you haven’t fucked anyone in this bed?”

“Not yet,” he said, pinning me with a heated, meaningful look that promised all sorts of pleasure and made my hormones a little dizzy. “I fully intend to wreck you in it.”

A flush of warmth bloomed in the pit of my stomach.

“But not until you have two rings on that finger.”

Not until he’d closed our “deal,” he meant. “Are you going to wear one?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

A feeling of relief fluttering over me, I gave a slight shrug. “I remember you once saying you didn’t like to wear rings.”

“Generally, I don’t. But”—he narrowed his eyes—“you and I would have serious problems if you refused to wear your wedding band. I can be a selfish asshole, but I’m no hypocrite.”

Yeah, I’d never be able to describe him as “fair.” He could be as ruthless as any business mogul. But he had a deep sense of integrity and held himself to a certain standard—he avoided doing anything that seemed beneath him, as if refusing to disrespect himself.

“Come on, time for us to eat.” He turned away and headed for the door.

My gaze admittedly straying to his rather perfect ass, I followed him out of the room, across the landing, and over to the staircase.

As we descended it, he very briefly glanced at me over his shoulder. “So, what do you think of the place?”

“I like it.” It was bright. Airy. Elegant. Bigger than we’d need initially, but that wasn’t exactly a con. There seemed little point in requesting that we get a place elsewhere, particularly since I loved Oakengrove itself so much. “I could see myself living here.”

Reaching the foot of the stairs, he slid me a satisfied look. “Then we’ll move your things here the day after the wedding.”

“Why not before?”

He didn’t peer at me over his shoulder as he responded, “Because there’s no chance of us sharing a bed without me fucking you raw.”

My step faltered at the flatly spoken statement.

“As such, it’s best that you don’t officially move in until we’re married. Do you have a lot of things that will need bringing here?”

The way he so easily switched from making heated comments to asking casual questions was enough to unbalance a girl. “Not really. I don’t see the point in hauling all my furniture here when yours suit the place better, so I’d rather leave the bulk of it with Alicia—she’ll be buying my house.” It would mean she didn’t have to go through the trouble of furnishing it. “But there are some items I’ll want to bring.”

“There’s no lack of space here, so you won’t have a problem finding places for any of them to go.”

That was a fact.

He strolled into the kitchen and gestured for me to take a seat at the table. I guessed that he’d had someone set it for him, because I doubted he’d have personally gone through this kind of trouble. There was a soft white tablecloth, crystal glasses, stylish dishware, votive candles, and a small floral centerpiece. It was all set neatly, the two sides of the table symmetrical in their layout.

I wasn’t surprised that we weren’t eating in the dining room—the table there was long. Sitting at the small table here in the kitchen made the meal more intimate.

As Dax removed the covers from the plates, fragrant steam rushed up from my food to greet me. Taking in the sight of the chicken fried steak, cream cheese, mashed potato, and green beans, I glanced at him as I sank onto a chair. “Who told you this was one of my favorite dishes?” It was too much of a coincidence for him to otherwise have ordered it.

Placing the covers on the counter, he replied, “Brooks. He called me this morning to congratulate me on our engagement. He said you told him about it.”

“He was on my ass first thing demanding to know if we’d be going ahead with the wedding or not.” He was also devastated that he’d be unable to make it—he wasn’t able to get the time off work. Lifting my cutlery, I asked, “Can you cook?”

“Yes. My mother insisted all of us learn so she didn’t have to worry we’d live on junk food when we moved out.” He grabbed a bottle of red. “I know you’re driving, but you can have one glass, yes?”

I nodded. Even if I hadn’t been driving, I would have stuck to one to ensure my inhibitions behaved themselves. The kind of attraction I felt toward Dax was the type that could cause a person to give their hormones too much control if they weren’t careful.

After tipping wine into both our glasses, he took the seat opposite me. “Did you get started on the wedding preparations?”

“Yes, they’re well underway.” With the help of my team, I’d ironed out the budget and settled on an event concept. All the logistics of the planning were done, and I’d determined the timelines in addition to booking the venues. It was now simply a matter of securing vendors and negotiating with suppliers etc. None of which I told him, because I suspected he wouldn’t be interested in specifics. “Thanks for sending the guest list so quickly.”

He cut into his steak. “I said I would.” He seemed offended that I’d doubted he’d come through.

“I wasn’t thinking you’d let me down,” I clarified, slicing into my own steak. “It’s just that I’m aware you’re uber busy, so I knew there was a chance there’d be a delay.”

“This is a time-sensitive matter, so of course I’d prioritize it. I don’t put my business life before my personal life in any case, irrespective of how busy I am.”

That was good to know. “Have you told the rest of your family about our engagement yet?”

“I have.” He ate a mouthful of food. “My sister, Raven, very much wants to have her own family before she reaches my age, so she can understand why I might choose a fallback pact over taking the risk that my situation will remain unchanged as time goes on. She came round to the idea fairly quickly. My parents aren’t exactly keen on it for obvious reasons but, after a long discussion during which their attempts to talk me out of it failed, they agreed to go along with it.”

“Do you think they meant it, or is it possible that they’re giving up for now?”

He gave a slight shrug and then lifted his glass. “I believe my mom meant it. As for my dad, he probably holds out hope that he can change my mind.”

“At least your sister is behind you. On the subject of Raven, do you want to have her as a bridesmaid?”

“I offered, but she’s hesitant.” He sipped at his drink. “She thinks you might not want that, since you don’t know her well.”

I frowned. “I’m more than happy to include her in the wedding party. Give me her contact details and I’ll hit her up—which reminds me that you and I should exchange numbers.” We hadn’t done so yet.

He inclined his head. “I appreciate you involving her.”

“Back to the subject of my family … I don’t know if you know much about Dissociate Identity Disorder.”

A surprised frown slipped over Dax’s face. “It’s where a person develops additional personalities, generally in response to trauma, yes?”

“Pretty much, yeah. My maternal biological grandfather, Simon, has DID. None of his alters are, like, evil or something. They’re essentially his protectors. Maggie is a sweet, fiercely maternal forty-year-old. She’ll likely say hello to you, and she’ll probably be nice so long as you don’t swear. Freddie is eight, pretty shy, and not at all trusting, so I doubt you’ll meet him anytime soon. Or Deacon, for that matter—he isn’t shy, but he only really comes forward at times where Simon feels threatened.”

“And you’ve met each of them?”

“Yes. They’re all very loving toward me. It might sound strange to an outsider, but they’re family. I only wanted to give you a heads-up so you’re not confused if Maggie says hi to you at the wedding.” I paused. “The disorder is heavily sensationalized and misrepresented in movies and books, so I can understand if you’re weirded out or—”

“I’m not at all. I may not know much about mental disorders, but I know they’re no reason to look at people differently in negative ways. If Maggie says hello, I’ll be sure to say hello back.”

Relief was a warm flame in my belly. “Okay. Good. She’ll be polite, though she texted me to say she has strong reservations about the marriage. That doesn’t exactly set her apart. Most of the attendees have reservations. Speaking of, I noticed you didn’t put Felicity on your guest list. That’s a shame. I was hoping to have her as a bridesmaid.”

His mouth bowed. “In the spirit of being upfront and open, I called Felicity earlier and made the situation clear. She and Blaise now know to leave you alone.”

Forking some mash-covered steak, I said, “In the spirit of being equally upfront and open, I figured you’d told her, because Grayden showed up at my house earlier.”

Dax went very still. “What did he want?”

“To understand why I was marrying you. I mean, he assumes we’ve been seeing each other on the down-low, but he struggles to buy that either you or me would get hitched to someone we’ve only dated a few months. He was worried I might be dying.”

Setting down his glass, Dax frowned. “Dying?”

“Getting married was on my bucket list, so he wondered if maybe I was now close to kicking said bucket.”

“I see,” Dax drawled, his voice toneless with a dark edge. “What else did he have to say?”

“Nothing, really.” I chewed my forkful of food. “He complimented the ring, and called you a lucky man. That’s pretty much it.”

Dax’s eyelids lowered. “He didn’t try to talk you out of marrying me?”

“No.”

He hummed. “That’s more than I can say for your father.”

I almost dropped my cutlery. “He called you?”

“We knew he likely would,” Dax reminded me. “He turned up at my office to see me, but I wasn’t there. So he settled for speaking to me over the phone.”

I winced. “Let me guess. He asked what was your price for walking out of my life?”

Dax dipped his chin. “It was a test to see if I had a hidden agenda.”

“What did you tell him?”

“The same thing I told your brother when I found him waiting outside the villa earlier.”

“Oh, God,” I muttered, flicking my gaze up to the ceiling.

“I made it clear that you’d be safe with me and that I wanted nothing from your family.” Dax cut into his steak again. “It didn’t placate them much, however. I made it clear that there wasn’t a thing they could do or say to make me call off the wedding. They didn’t like that.”

“I’ll bet.”

“I was originally going to suggest that we gather both our families together prior to the wedding so they could all get well-acquainted. You’ve met all members of mine, but my parents haven’t met your siblings, and I’ve never spoken with your youngest sister. It would have been good to get such introductions out of the way. But there’s a chance it wouldn’t go smoothly.”

I nodded. “Those from both our families who don’t support what we’re doing could either band together and give us shit, or arguments might start between those who are behind us and those who aren’t.” I was pretty sure that if Blake started complaining, my sisters would butt in and tell him to get a handle on his issues. Likewise, if my dad and Ollie began whining, it could set off Dax’s siblings.

“My thoughts exactly. So I say we scrap that idea. Our parents know each other well enough anyway.”

True. Dax and his parents had actually attended Vienna and Dane’s wedding reception, though Dax had been a toddler at the time so didn’t remember it.

“My baby sister, Harri, is looking forward to meeting you and your family.” More particularly Drey, but I’d keep that to myself.

I grabbed my glass and tipped it back, letting the red wine slide down my throat. Hmm, not bad. I lowered the glass … and realized that Dax’s gaze was locked on me with lethal focus. “What? You’re staring.”

He gave an unrepentant shrug. “I like to look at you.”

I snorted. “You like to unnerve people, so you sometimes stare at them until they get so uncomfortable they look away.”

“You don’t look away. Never did. You were always frustratingly difficult to ruffle.” It was an amused statement, not a complaint.

“Why bother trying to ruffle anyone?” I tilted my head. “Let me guess, you do it your employees to keep them on their toes.”

He pursed his lips. “I find it makes them more productive.”

I’d imagine it did.

“The only time I could really keep you off-balance was when we were in bed.” A dark heat crept into his gaze that made my stomach twist. “Do you still have that navel piercing?”

I flexed my grip on my fork. “Maybe.” I remembered how much he’d liked it, traced it, licked around it. I had the feeling he was recalling that as well.

“You used to have a little hip chain that you hooked on the piercing.” His eyes went hooded. “Just looking at it made me want to bury my cock in you.”

My thighs clenched. Well, since we weren’t actually going to end up in bed, I needed to get this conversation onto a playful track. “Stop with the smolder. My hormones can only take so much, and I don’t want my hand aching from too much self-love.”

He let out a wicked laugh. “You know, Addison, not many people make me laugh. But you could always manage to do that.”

I lifted and dropped one shoulder. “I’m gifted that way.”

We spoke of general things as we ate the rest of our meal. It was an hour or so later that he walked me out of the villa and over to my car. He held open the door as I slid behind the wheel and then clicked on my seatbelt.

“I have a request,” he said.

I eyed him warily. “What?”

Bracing one arm over the top of the car door, he bent over and planted his free hand on the vehicle roof. His gaze delved into mine, a dark glint there. “Wear whatever kind of lingerie you want for the wedding night, but I want your pussy completely bare. No little strip of hair here or there. I want not one thing between my tongue and your flesh.”

Fuck if my nipples weren’t tightening. “I’ll take that into consideration.”

A corner of his lips tipped up. “Appreciated.” He straightened, closed the door, and stepped back.

Subtly puffing out a heavy breath, I reversed the car. Well, I’d learned three things tonight. One, my soon-to-be-new-home was awesome. Two, the Oakengrove chefs he used were cooking angels sent from heaven and each deserved a damn halo. Three, my vibrator was gonna get some serious action between now and the wedding if Dax kept up with his little comments. Which, knowing him, he probably would.

The next day, I was in the middle of placing an online order for rental equipment for an upcoming event when a curt knock came on my office door. I looked up from my laptop. “Yeah?”

Sabrina opened the door and poked her head inside. “You have a visitor,” she said, her smile a little strained.

I felt my brow crease. I’d checked my schedule earlier—there were no appointments listed for today here at my office. “Visitor?”

She tucked a curl behind her ear. “It’s, um, Dax’s mom.”

I tensed, my gut twisting. “Oh.” Shit, this might not be good. Dax had said that he believed she truly was behind him as she claimed, but that wasn’t to say she hadn’t changed her tune. “Send her in.” I sat up straighter and closed my laptop.

It was mere moments later that a super pretty dark-haired woman with mismatched eyes entered the room. Her posture wasn’t tense or confrontational. But her steps were a little uncertain, as if she felt somewhat awkward.

Samesies, lady.

I pushed out of my chair, rounded my desk, and held out my hand with a smile. “It’s good to see you again, Mrs. Mercier.” Unless she was about to ream my ass, though it wasn’t the impression I was getting.

She shook my hand. “Kensey is fine.”

“Call me Addie or Addison, whichever you prefer.” I gestured at the chair Sabrina often claimed. “Have a seat.” I returned to my chair and rested my clasped hands on the desk.

Her gaze fell to my hand. “That’s quite a ring,” she said, her smile weak.

I looked at her own ring finger. “Right back at you.” Her wedding band was just as exquisite. “So, what can I do for you?” I asked, proud of how remarkably at ease I sounded when, in fact, I felt the complete opposite.

She sat up a little straighter. “I was hoping we could talk.”

“Of course.”

She raised one hand slightly. “Don’t take this the wrong way …”

“But you’re struggling to support Dax’s choice,” I guessed.

She gave me a sheepish look. “That’s the crux of the situation, yeah.”

“I get it. He’s your son. You’d rather he marry for the more obvious reasons. You’d rather have a better guarantee that he’ll be happy with whoever he ties himself to. I don’t at all blame you.” I’d feel the same if it were my son.

Her head tipped to the side. “Dax wasn’t clear on what your reasons are for marrying him. I mean, I know about the pact. But you’re not required to stick to your word. Why do it?”

“Because his persuasion techniques are off the charts,” I muttered.

She chuckled with a slow nod. “He’s always been good at getting his way.”

“My reasons … I don’t know if I can make you fully understand. To many others, my decision probably seems like an overreaction to my circumstances. But, to put it simply, I’m tired of waiting for what I want to come to me. It hasn’t happened. Maybe it would one day if I held out longer, but then it might not.”

Of all the men in my past other than Lake, only one stood out; only one never let me down; only one made their mark on me. That was Dax. If it hadn’t been for that, I might not have agreed to keep my word—I couldn’t be sure.

“I did some research on marriage pacts recently,” I told Kensey. “I saw plenty of success stories. I’m hoping that can apply to me and Dax.”

“I hold that same hope, but at the moment I’m kind of skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to ask that you call off the wedding. You’re both adults. Your choices are your own. And I do understand why he’s choosing to do this. But … I suppose I’d just like to hear that you feel something for him. Even if it’s only plain regard. Which may be unrealistic of me, but I hate the thought of him being stuck in an empty marriage.”

I sat back in my chair. “I won’t lie to you, I can’t claim to love him. But I trust him. I respect him. I would never deliberately hurt him. And I hope we can build something good and strong. Like him, I don’t intend for this to be a cold marriage.”

“That does make me feel a little better.” She sighed. “I worry that you two are making a mistake but, as I told Dax, I’m fully behind him if this is truly what he wants. I mean it. I’m telling you this because I think, in your shoes, I’d worry that his family was against me. We’re not. We’re all on the same side.”

I gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.” I had been fretting that his parents would give me the cold shoulder.

“Not that I can honestly say Blake isn’t finding this hard to understand. But he has no issue at all with you. Only with the situation. He doesn’t fully get why Dax would consider this his best option.”

“If it wasn’t me he was marrying, it would be someone else. The impression I got is that he’s given up on trying to build a real relationship.”

“Yeah, I sensed that, too.” She took a moment to study me as intently as her son often did. “Are you sure this is truly what you want? I don’t only ask that as Dax’s mom. I ask it as someone who—being so happily married—knows what you could be missing out on by committing to someone you might never love.”

I really did like this woman. “It’s what I truly want.”

“Then I hope everything works out the way we want it to.” She got to her feet. “Take care, Addison.”

I rose from my chair. “You, too.”

No sooner had Kensey left than my best friend rushed inside, a hand on her chest.

“What was that all about?” asked Sabrina. “Did she come to talk you out of marrying Dax?”

“Actually, no.” I sank back into my seat. “She pretty much wanted the reassurance that I wasn’t utterly indifferent toward Dax. She was a lot nicer to me than what I suspect my dad and Ollie have been to him. Both sought Dax out yesterday to press him into backing out of the pact.” They’d also called me late last night to take another shot at making me reassess whether I was truly doing what was best for me.

Sabrina let out a loaded sigh. “I suppose we should have expected that.”

“I did expect it. I know how they are. Dax made it clear they were wasting their time, but I doubt they’ll so easily give up. It’s not in their nature.”

“Don’t be surprised if they give you a recommendation for a divorce lawyer as a wedding gift.”

A surprised chuckle bubbled up. “I wouldn’t put it past them. I’d make them pay for being interfering busybodies by forcing them to wear weird-ass buttonholes, but there’s no way to force them to do anything they don’t want.”

“You’re really no different in that respect, you know.”

“I do know. I’m fine with it. On a whole other subject, did you get Tamara to agree to be a bridesmaid?”

“No.” Sabrina’s lips thinned. “I tried. I really did. She wants to support you on your big day, but she has unflattering views of marriage and thinks the concept of it is bizarre and outdated. But hey, you’ll have Alicia and Harri.”

“And Raven, Dax’s sister. I called her earlier. She wants to be included.” She’d been so sweet about it. “I emailed her a picture of the dress Alicia and Harri chose—she gave it a thumbs up.”

“Awesome. We totally need to bring her into the fold. Who’s the best man?”

“Dax’s brother, Caelan.”

“What about the rest of the groomsmen? Who are they?”

“Drey and two guys who seem close to all three brothers. Jagger—or Jag, as he’s mostly referred to—is the son of Kensey’s best friend and also a tattoo artist who works for Caelan. Maverick works at CCC, the place that builds custom motorcycles.”

Sabrina hummed. “I’ve heard plenty about CCC. And I think I’ve seen pictures of Maverick—he’s always photographed with Drey, right?”

“Yes, those two are pretty tight. I haven’t officially met Maverick, but I did meet Jag once—they’re cousins. And equally pleasant to look at.”

“So, basically, there’ll be a hot guy buffet at your wedding.”

“Essentially, yes. I offered for Ollie to be one of the groomsmen. He stiffly but politely turned it down.” Which wasn’t a surprise.

“Because it means he’d otherwise have to give the marriage his stamp of approval.”

“Exactly. But it works out okay, actually. It means I have an equal amount of bridesmaids and groomsmen.”

Sabrina grinned. “You’re going to pair Harri up with Drey when it’s time for them all to walk down the aisle, aren’t you?”

“Well, of course. What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t?”

“The kind who doesn’t want to see Alicia turn a frightening shade of red at the sight of her baby sister linking arms with someone who’s ‘too old’ for her.”

I felt my mouth curve. “And why wouldn’t I want to see that?”