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“And you are probably…most likely…also my boyfriend. If you’ll still have me.”

“You know you are. You don’t have to ever question that. But what have you done now?” He ran his fingers down my face, gave me another kiss.

“Veronica is in a bit of a tiff. I think she’s been…a little overwhelmed and also threw out the douchebag.”

“Bradley.”

“Brandon.” He did it on purpose to make me laugh. “She asked me if I’d take the kids for a few weeks.”

He just stared at me.

“It will be chaotic. I haven’t even had it confirmed. She might just be baiting me or playing a massively cruel trick on me, and I don’t dare to believe it, but she said she’ll have them on a plane tomorrow night.”

“Dylan,” he said, like he was catching his breath.

“Yes. And I realise, and it’s all wrong, and I need to ring Gun Larsen and… Stewart? What am I going to do?”

“You…” he said softly, gazing at me the way he did, with warmth, with love. I felt it. Warmth on my skin. “You’re going to be busy.”

“I know.”

Help! Just help me.What had I done?

What had Veronica done? And what on earth was Gun Larsen thinking? Was this her doing?

She picked up on the first ring, despite it being more than late.

“I don’t have the time now, Dylan.”

“Apologies,” I huffed out while Stewart stroked my back.

“Has she crumbled? I assume she has, by the excitement in your voice.”

“What did you do?” I whispered.

“Nothing you should trouble that dormouse head with. You just sit back and let her deliver those little brats to you. Then…”

“Then what?”

“Well. You need to speak to those brats and see how you feel about it all, but I have a sneaky feeling, Dylan.”

“I don’t like to be sneaky.”

“Well, look what honesty brought you. Now we’re playing my game, and I do play a good game.”

She hung up on me. Then rang me straight back.

“The Exchange. Tomorrow. Eight a.m. sharp.”

That told me, then. Fuck. Shit.

“So…” he started again, stroking those wonderful, strong fingers of his down my cheek, against my jawline, down over my throat.

My phone rang. Again.

“Constance,” I said around his kisses. He just smiled and carried on.

“Did you know?” she shouted. “I need to start packing. Are you ready for this?”