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She blinks. Likely at my decisive tone. And instead of responding, she silently watches me whileIwatch her brain do a whole lot of thinking.
“Okay,” she finally decides, dropping her arms to her sides. “Pick me up at six but be here ten minutes before that. It’s black tie. And if you truly value your life, you will not, under any circumstance, agree to anything,not one tiny thing, on my behalf if my family asks for something.” Her eyes bore into mine like she’s extracting a signed agreement from me. “Are we clear?”
Christ, I had no idea how much I’d like being ordered around.
“You want me to pick you up at six but be here ten minutes before that?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Are you planning to spend ten minutes issuing more orders?”
Thatgets me my eye roll. But there’s a smile there too.
“I’ll be here ten minutes early,” I agree. “And I won’t offer you up for anything.”
“See, I knew you were a smart man.”
We finish cleaning the kitchen after that. The girls pop in and out, and we talk science fair plans like it’s business as usual between us.
But it’s not.
Far from it.
I just made plans to take her to a party. Lied to her ex. Promised to behave.
For a guy who wasn’t supposed to get involved, I’m doing a hell of a job.
8
Amelia
Gage arrives fifteen minutes early to collect me for my parents’ party. The second I spot him stepping out of the elevator, I suspect mistakes were made. The moment he closes the distance between us, Iknowthey were.
It turns out that Gage Black in a tuxedo is a whole situation.
Broad shoulders, precision tailoring, and the kind of presence that makes it hard to remember what day it is.
He smells expensive.
He looks like sex and danger dressed in formalwear.
He moves like the room already belongs to him.
His eyes sweep over me.
Slowly.
Thoroughly.
Deliberately.
And I feel it like a touch that lingers longer than it should.
Every cell in my body apparently got the memo that he’s hot. None consulted me.
“You look beautiful,” he murmurs.
I don’t have the bandwidth to fully appreciate that. I’m too busy holding myself together becausethisis a lot. And I made an error in not anticipating any of it.