Ah, the Byrne cousins.Got it.
“Tony said he went to your wedding,” she said, still shaking hands. “You’ve got a couple of kids now, too, I see.”
“Yeah, our son, Chandan, will be three on Wednesday. Ireland’s fifteen months.” Then, Jesse called out to a stunning redhead across the room, “C’mere, babe, Matt’s girl is here.”
“Our wife, Chloe.” Her brother didn’t exaggerate. The adoration he held for Jesse and his wife was there in Taylor’s eyes. “Chloe, this is Gina.”
“Oh, I’ve been dying to meet you.” The bubbly girl, who couldn’t have been much older than herself, hugged her like a lifelong friend she hadn’t seen in ages. “I know you from somewhere, don’t I?”
She looked familiar, but if she attended to her baby’s delivery, Gina didn’t remember it. And with two husbands, she surely would have.
“You, I know.” Chloe giggled. “How’s it going, Luca?”
“He’s Gina’s brother,” Matt said, slinging his arm around the boy’s neck.
“Rossi’s, of course.” Nodding, Chloe took the baby from her husband’s arms. “That must be where I’ve seen you before.”
Could be.
“Well, welcome to the madness.”
Thanks?
“Let’s get you some dinner.” Leading her away from Chloe, Matt took them toward the buffet. “Besides, you seem a bit overwhelmed.”
“Maybe a little.”
“C’mon, I got you.” And with a squeeze around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head. “It can be a lot all at once.”
Rock stars ate well. Prime rib. Shrimp the size of prawns in a lemon-butter sauce. While Matt piled everything there was on his plate, Gina took a small serving of the scampi and some salad. With her belly still doing flip-flops, she didn’t dare eat more than that.
“Well, if it isn’t little Miss Trouble.” Half-naked, the godlike cretin appraised her, strumming his fingers up and down his sculpted chest. “My, my, my, youhavegrown up, haven’t you?”
“Cut the shit, Sloan.” Glaring at him, Matt pulled out her chair.
“What? She’s quite pretty.” Sloan waited for Matt to sit down, then leaned into his ear. “I get it now, man.”
“Hey, Gina.” Kit raised his bottle of beer in a salute. “Ignore him. That’s what we do.”
“I will not.” With a sharp thrust of her chin, she set down her fork, and taking a deep breath, Gina haughtily stared into haunted blue eyes. “Why’d you call me that?”
“Because you’re both asking for it.” Sloan just smirked, his head dipping to the side. “How’s Tony been? Haven’t seen him in a while.”
“Oh, I see.” And ignoring Matt’s hand squeezing her thigh, she flashed the voice of Venery her coldest smile. “Tony’s not my dad; he’s my brother, but even if he were, like you said, I’m all grown up.”
“Heh, guess she told you.” Kit leaned back in his chair and drained his beer.
She should’ve expected it. Gina couldn’t be mad at Sloan for it. He just had the balls to come out and say what everyone else was probably thinking, and suddenly she lost what little appetite she had.
“Is there a restroom somewhere?”
“Our bus is here.” Matt laced his fingers with hers. “C’mon, I’ll take you.”
Gina took a few calming breaths in the tiny bathroom.Fuck Tony. Matt was worth any trouble that might come her way. Then, she blotted the shine on nose and opened the door. “Sloan doesn’t like me.”
“He likes you.”
“Well, he doesn’t like us together,” she countered, stepping past him.
