“Don’t be so dramatic. Unless you’ve gotten soft hanging out with the Sinclairs and you’ve forgotten how Taranovs fight!” She laughs as we enter the kitchen to find Henry finishing his breakfast.
“I resent that,” he says, shaking my hand. “I think we can handle ourselves just fine. And you’re a Sinclair now, Kitten. Don’t forget. Sasha, it’s nice to see you again. I trust you’re keeping an eye on my mother?”
Oh, Christ.Henry Sinclair is looking down at me with an arched eyebrow, and all I can think about is his mom’s hand on my dick.
“Kidding, of course.” He laughs and claps me on the back as I stand in a daze. “Nobody can keep Blanche Sinclair in line.”
He leaves Kat and I to catch up, and I shudder to think of the outcome if he ever learns exactly what his mother currently employs me to do. Grabbing the snack tray Kat thrusts into my hands, I follow her to the conservatory for lunch.
“I was starting to think the two of you would be honeymooning forever,” I tease, catching a grape she throws at me in my mouth.
Rolling her eyes, she sighs. “Well, you’d be surprised how much there is beyond the estate walls. Who knew keeping me locked away for nineteen years would make me such a travel fiend.”
I hum my agreement, sensing she’s about to qualify that statement with a “but.”
“But I missed home. It doesn’t matter if the other properties arehometoo. Nothing compares to being here. I feel more balanced and peaceful.”
This surprises me a little. I assumed she would want to move, or at least renovate extensively, after the ordeal that she and Henry went through last year. Having their home broken into and her bedroom ransacked threw us all for a loop before we caught and eliminated the perpetrator.
“I’m glad you’re able to feel safe here. Was it hard to travel with the security detail Henry demands these days?”
“It’s not that bad. I know you travel solo, and you consider yourself your own weapon, whatever that means, but the crew is basically invisible. They handle all of the planning for trips and run things by Henry, then once our itinerary is set, they’re in the background.”
She makes it sound like it’s not that big of a deal, and they can still enjoy life.Maybe this won’t be the herculean task I thought it would be.
“Well, I’m glad you were able to see the world on your yearlong honeymoon. Some of us were here missing you, you know.” Ithrow a retaliation grape at her, which she fails to catch. Instead, it plonks her on the forehead before landing in her drink.
“It wasnota year. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t need me around for the things you were getting up to at Rendezvous.”
She’s not wrong about that. Hopefully, the things I’ve gotten up to sinceleavingRendezvous stay hidden forever. Before I can shift the subject away from my sordid activities and ask more questions about Kat’s honeymoon, she surprises me.
“Who is she?”
I choke on my mouthful of lemonade mid-swallow, struggling to catch my breath as I cough. Finally, I accept a napkin for the sticky mess I’ve made of myself, feigning ignorance as she fixes me with a raised eyebrow.
“She who?”
Kat rolls her eyes and scrutinizes me.Shit.What does she think she can see? I’m excited to tell her about Lucy, but if she can tell I’m in love within five minutes of us sitting down, I’m in even deeper than I thought.
“You’re happy.Toohappy. I mean, nottoo happy.I love seeing you happy, but it’s not normal. Your eyes are bright, and your skin is glowing, like someone is reminding you to moisturize. You’re less tense than I’ve seen you in years.” She sips her drink daintily. “You also have a giant hickey on the entire left side of your neck.”
I slouch down in my seat, eyeing my sister as she nibbles on a tea sandwich. Well, there’s no lying to her when she’s seen through me so clearly. Even if my intentions were to ease Lucy’s introduction to my family, and get some of Kat’s opinions on security concerns, that ship has sailed. Might as well lay it all out there.
“I’m in love.”
Whatever Kat thought I was going to say, based on the widening of her eyes, it wasn’t that. Once I start telling the truth, I’m unable to stop.
“I’m in love, and I’m terrified. You know what my future looks like. We’ve learned more shitty things about the romantic lives of our dad and uncle in the past few months than I could have imagined, and every revelation convinced me I was right to avoid catching feelings for anyone. But this woman…”
I stop to look out the windows of the conservatory, a family of ducks catching my eye as they waddle around a fountain. A ray of sunlight peeks from behind a cloud to bathe them in a golden glow, six ducklings by my count, scurrying after their mother…
“This woman wedged herself into the tiniest crack in my heart and then took it all over. She’s so funny, Kat, and she’s made me laugh more than I have since you moved out. I tried to push her away and convince myself I could keep it casual, but there was no way. We’ve been working together for Blanche, and we live together—”
“You live together? And your grumpiness in the morning hasn’t sent her running yet? She must be a keeper.”
Even her teasing can’t stop the flood of emotions, tears threatening to fall from my eyes. When Kat realizes I didn’t laugh, she comes to sit beside me and hold my hand.
“Sheisa keeper. You have no idea. I want you to meet her, you’ll love her. She’s met the rest of the Sinclairs already, while you were on vacation, and she fit right in. But I’mterrified, sister. She should be running away from me. She might, once she finds out what I do.” I sniffle, feeling the weight of the truth of that statement sink to the pit of my stomach like lead.
