“And he wasn’t just some guy,” he continues, voice darkening. “He looked at you like he knows exactly how to hurt you.”
He leans down, invading my space. His fingers tip my chin up, forcing my gaze to his.
Storm-dark hazel eyes.
“Who is he, Sloane?”
“He’s… complicated. He’s the past.”
“The past shouldn’t make you shake like this.”
His thumb brushes my cheekbone—a possessive touch that clashes with the edge in his voice.
“Tell me one thing. Is it over? Whatever that was—is it over?”
I meet his gaze.
I see jealousy there—but more than that, I see worry.
A man trying to identify the threat so he can protect me.
“Yes,” I whisper.
He searches my face for a long, loaded second.
Then he nods.
“Good,” he murmurs, his grip softening. “Because now you’ve got me. And that idiot has no idea who he just picked a fight with. If he looks at you like that again, I’ll rip his eyes out.”
It’s a real threat.
Primal.
Wildly inappropriate.
And somehow, the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.
I want to tell him everything.
But humiliation and fear knot in my chest.
Before I can decide, the speakers explode with static.
“ATTENTION, LOVE BIRDS!”
Aunt Tina’s voice blasts through the hall.
“I hope you’re fueled up, because in fifteen minutes I want everyone in the Main Hall! Our first couple challenge—Domestic Harmony—is about to begin!”
Her tone drops into a delighted purr.
“They say cohabitation is the graveyard of love. Well, today we find out! Get ready to test your patience, communication skills, and your ability not to scream in small enclosed spaces!”
Silas groans and drops his head on the table.
“Domestic harmony. Perfect. Someone’s gonna bleed.”
Daisy claps, thrilled.
