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“So,” I began, pushing the joint back andforth on the tabletop. “You’re the happiest you’ve ever been?”
She laughed stiffly and turned away. “Nowwould be a bad time for you to admit that you were attracted to mebecause of the ‘forbidden fruit’ aspect of our relationship.”
“Hey,” I said, and when she didn’t face me,I repeated it. “Hey. That’s not why I’m with you. I may have heldback in that conversation, but trust me, I feel the same. I’mhappier now than I’ve ever been.”
She tilted her head and regarded mewarily.
“It’s true,” I went on. “I’m not going to goall-out mushy in front of your brother, but come on. You know I’min love with you. That’s different from loving fucking you, by theway. I love you.”
Pushing her chair back, she rose and scootedfrom her seat to my lap. My bark of laughter was cut off by hermouth.
Charlotte kissed me like I’d handed her abillion dollars. No. I had given someone a billion dollars before,and I’d never been kissed the way Charlotte kissed me. As if shewould consume me like a dying star.
When we broke apart, breathing heavy, Iasked, “Is this what I can expect every time I tell you that I loveyou?”
She leaned back with her arms still loopedaround my neck. “Are you complaining?”
“Are you staying longer than a week?”
“Here?” She laughed. “Hell, no. I will besitting in the driveway, laying on the horn first thing tomorrowmorning. But with you? Hmmm… I’ll consider it.”
Scott emerged from the house and stopped inhis tracks. “Look, I love you both and accept your relationship.But I’m gonna have to ask you to keep your hands off my baby sisterright in front of me. The Big Brother code demands I takeaction.”
“Dude, what about the Bro Code?” I asked asCharlotte slid out of my lap.
Scott shook his head. “The Big Brother Codeoverrules the Bro Code every single time. Don’t forget it.”
In other words,don’t hurt mysister.
He had nothing to worry about.
* * * *
Formal dinners, followed by dancing, tendedto start late and run later. Grimacing at myself in the mirror, Iworried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up.
“I’m puffy,” I said flatly.
From the bathroom, Charlotte called, “I havesome concealer.”
“You laugh, but I might take you up on it.”Wouldn’t Mother love that. In her social set, the only appropriatecosmetic treatments for men came at the end of a scalpel or aneedle. And of course, epic amounts of tanning. Which was probablywhy so many of them needed the tucks and injections.
“What if I got a lower eyelid lift?” I musedas I tied my tie.
“What if you stopped being vain?” she shotback.
“Okay, I deserved that.”
The hinges on the bathroom door creaked, andI glanced over my shoulder in the mirror to watch Charlotteemerge.
Then, I had to turn around and see her inthe flesh, because I was too stunned to rely on a reflection.
Her big, gorgeously made-up eyes fell. “It’stoo much. I knew it was too much. Sophie picked it out for meand—”
It took me too long to find my voice. “It’snot too much. Not at all. I was…speechless.”
She swished the hem of the pale purple gownshyly, a smile slowly crossing her face. “I thought I might looktoo much like I’m going to the prom or something.”
“It’s kind of like the prom. With worsemusic and like 40 percent less dry humping on the dance floor.” Ipicked up my jacket from the back of the chair I’d tossed itover.