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“Absolutely, I do. Let me guess. My brother?”

“He’s frustrating me at the moment.”

“He does that sometimes.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “I’ll come pick you up. Are we bringing your guards?”

“Yes.”

“Be there at eight.”

CHAPTER59

WEST

I push open the double doors to Fairhaven. The rain has just begun. Warm, heavy droplets, but it’s only going to get worse. It’s a classic spring shower.

I need a change of clothes, and then I’m heading back to where Ben Wilde is having his party. Nora has said she doesn’t want to confront him, and I don’t want her anywhere near him, so it works perfectly for me.

Can’t wait to see his smug face?—

High, feminine laughter echoes from the sitting room. The click of heels follows, and my sister walks into the entryway. Nora follows close by, the two of them smiling.

Amber pauses when she sees me. “Uh-oh,” she says, and looks down at her glass of wine. “This is absolutelynotone of your fine vintages. I promise.”

I can’t look away from Nora. She’s done something to darken her eyelids, making her eyes look luminous. Her hair is swept back messily and she’s in a short skirt that leaves her legs mostly bare. Her top has long, draped sleeves, but there’s a stripe of skin visible along her midriff.

“Where are you going?”

“Out,” Amber says.

“To drink and dance.” Nora’s eyes land on mine, and she shrugs once. “Maybe flirt a bit. Who knows?”

“Flirt,” I say.

“Yes, flirt.” She tucks a bag under her arm. “We’re bringing Sam and Amos too. I might even be able to get Amos to drink tonight.”

“No, you won’t. He won’t.”

She shrugs. “I won’t tell if he doesn’t.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “What are you doing?”

“I think this is my cue.” My sister gives Nora a wide smile and mouthsgood luckat me before stepping toward the front door. “I’ll wait outside!”

The door shuts behind her, and it’s just the two of us left in the large hallway. “What am I doing? I’m having fun,” Nora says. “I’m going out. Want to come?”

“I can’t.”

Her lips thin. “I’m not surprised. You’ve been avoiding me for days.”

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” I say. It’s a fucking lie, but it’s also the truth, because she’s all I think about. I can’t avoid her even if I wanted to.

And I don’t.

She pulls a black card out of her bag. “Remember when you told me to spend more of your money?” She rises to press her lips to my cheek. “Thanks for tonight. Amber and I are going to buy the entire bar a round of drinks.”

Before she can dip back down, I grip her waist. My fingers brush over the bare skin of her lower back. “I know what you’re doing.”

“Do you?”