Page 45 of Scorned Beauty (Scorned Fate #5)

“I know! I’m trying, all right? I just get so pissed when she turns that privileged nose at people. Her health doesn’t give her a pass to do that.”

I walked toward her. “You know, she’d be more agreeable to your point of view if you didn’t antagonize her at each turn.”

She laughed, lifting her bowl and finishing her soup. “Your strategy, I presume.”

“Yeah, you won’t make a good lawyer.”

“Hey…”

“Is the coast clear?” a voice spoke from the stairs.

Sloane must have been eavesdropping. Not that I blamed her.

My mother was a lot to take for people not used to her.

She was standing midway down the flight of steps that led to the second level of the penthouse.

She was wearing cute blue pajamas that set off her mass of red hair.

I could see the green of her eyes. My chest tightened.

I wanted to come home to this. And this penthouse wouldn’t be my home until Sloane made it hers.

I met her at the bottom of the stairs. “I’m sorry my mother ambushed us.”

“Why are you sorry?” she said. “This is still your penthouse. Looks like she’s the one who owes you an apology.”

“What?”

“Boundaries,” she said. “You asked me to stay here. I’m not feeling guilty about that anymore.”

“You shouldn’t.”

She nodded to the foyer. “Your mother was civil enough not to call me a gold digger to my face, even if that sentiment is closed-captioned over hers.” She laughed in a way I wasn’t sure was mocking or pure humor.

“Aaaand, judging from the look on yours, she did say it to you, and no, I didn’t hear it. ”

And as though the subject was closed, she walked to the kitchen. “That looks good.”

“Here.” Lucy slid a bowl toward her. “I’m still hungry, though. I’m not sure pastina is going to cut it.”

“We can order takeout.” Sloane fished out her phone from her pajama pocket.

“For fuck’s sake,” I growled and walked toward the fridge and opened it. “The fridge is full. I called in a whole grocery order.”

“Yes, and we’ll have to cook it,” Lucy retorted.

“What do you feel like eating?” Sloane asked.

I forgot I was in the presence of two women who didn’t like to cook unless it was simply to boil water. “Put that phone away.”

I grabbed the marinated short ribs and broccoli from the refrigerator. “I can bake it or fry it.”

“Fried,” Sloane and Lucy piped up in unison.

After dinner of Korean short ribs, rice, and steamed broccoli, Sloane shooed me from the kitchen, insisting that Lucy and she were on cleanup.

My sister protested that she was sick, but I now knew she was full of shit.

She was exhausted because she’d been eating crap when I wasn’t around.

I wondered how she survived in DC, probably on delivery and eating out.

I’d finished packing more clothes into a duffel and several suits into a garment bag. When I returned to the main living area, the women were already browsing streaming channels.

“What are we watching?” Sloane asked.

“Action,” I suggested.

“There’s this new political thriller about an ambassador,” Lucy said. “It’s two seasons. I’ve been avoiding it since I already worked in DC, but I’ve been missing the rush.”

“I’m game,” Sloane said.

“You don’t have to go with what Lucy wants,” I told Sloane.

“Sit your ass down, bro.” Lucy pointed to the comfy armchair.

She was using her phone to control my home theater system. What the fuck? “You reconfigured my shit?”

Lucy laughed. “What did you expect? You own a high-end club, yet you’re still relying on so many remotes for your different crap.”

“I change my phone all the time.” I sighed, resigned to let my sister take over. “And I wasn’t good about backing things up.”

“Don’t say that to me,” Lucy teased. “Or I can use that against you.”

“Have at it.”

I glanced at Sloane to ask her if she wanted a drink before settling down for the show, but the warm look on her face gave me pause.

“You two are so cute when you argue,” she said.

“Cute?” I drawled, but if it was something that would change her mind about what she thought of me, that I was a regular guy, an older brother joking around with his kid sister, then I was all for it. I caught Lucy’s secretive smile.

The little she-devil knew what she was doing. She wasn’t blatant about it, but she was giving me a chance not to fuck up and to show Sloane I wasn’t simply a ruthless crime boss.

Just don’t mess with my family, or my woman.

“Okay, enough with the flirting.” Lucy took over the coveted chaise seating of the sectional. Sloane sat in the middle, tucking her legs under her. Ginger jumped up on her side.

Sloane glanced at me. “You can sit beside us if you want.”

I raised a brow.

“I trust you enough not to try anything with your sister around unless…” She eyed Lucy. “Do you have a habit of falling asleep while watching television?”

“I slept all day, which means I’ll be awake all night, so you’re safe.”

It seemed like a courtship, complete with a chaperone.

I moved to Sloane’s side, just enough distance to feel her warmth, but not too close I was crowding her.

Ginger transferred from her lap to mine.

“Traitor,” Sloane muttered.

“I’m warmer, that’s all.” I shot Sloane a heated look. “If you’re feeling cold…”

Her cheeks pinkened.

“Stop flirting!” Lucy yelled. “Show is starting.”

“How many episodes is this?” Sloane asked.

“Eight.”

“We can binge it all tonight!” the woman beside me said.

I kept quiet, just enjoying the camaraderie between my sister and Sloane.

The first episode started rolling and I could already tell that this wasn’t a show Sloane liked to watch.

Before the end of the first episode, Sloane had already fallen across the couch, fast asleep.

She tucked her cold feet under my thighs.

Normally when we were watching TV, she’d have them on my lap, and I would massage the soles of her feet. Ginger didn’t seem amenable to that and resisted my attempts to push her off my lap.

After the first episode ended, I rose to my feet. Ginger gave an annoyed meow.

“I’m taking Sloane to bed,” I told Lucy.

“No funny business,” my sister said. “Five minutes, or I’m coming to check on you.”

“What do you take me for?” I asked, half offended.

Lucy laughed. “Go! You’re no fun when you’re in love.”

I didn’t deny it. I watched Sloane sleep for two heartbeats and an ache stabbed me in the chest. I missed this.

Missed watching her sleep. Missed admiring the freckles on her face.

How they added to the unique beauty that was all her.

Ma said Sloane’s face was exquisite, but what my mother hadn’t seen yet was the strength beneath that beauty.

I gently lifted Sloane from the couch and started walking. A few seconds in my arms and she started stirring. “Show’s over?”

“You fell asleep, baby.”

“It’s boring.” She snuggled into my chest.

Fuck. I didn’t want to put her down. I slowed my ascent on the stairs, my eyes drinking in the woman in my arms. Entering her room, I didn’t turn on the light and let the hallway lighting illuminate my path to her bed.

Laying her carefully on the mattress, I wanted to crawl in beside her. It wasn’t even about fucking her. Her body was soft and warm in my arms and I just wanted to wrap my whole body around her and sleep.

Soon. After you unfuck what you fucked, Dominic.

I had my duffel and garment bag the next time I walked into the living room.

“You’re leaving?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah.”

To my surprise, my sister got off her ass and walked over to give me a hug.

A tight squeeze.

Tighter than her normal squeezes.

She stepped away and stared up at me. “You’re doing good, brother.”

My brows drew together. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

“Sloane is a tough cookie with a lot of pride and a mile-long streak of independence.”

I huffed a short laugh. “I guess it takes one to know one.”

“You have good instincts for this,” Lucy said. “Your family trained you.”

“They have,” I deadpanned. “De Luccis and Morettis are tough customers.”

“Thanks for dinner.” She rose on tiptoes and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I needed my brother’s company.”

Emotions backed up my throat. Lucy and I hadn’t seen eye to eye in a long time. She thought I was an overbearing asshole, but she’d witnessed my panic attack and finally realized her brother was also human.