“I need to tell you something,” she whispers, her words puffing against my lips.
I nod and resist the urge to kiss her again.
A little smile tugs over her lips. “I think my sisters are spying on us.”
My brows jump in surprise, and I crane my neck around, but I don’t see anyone. Then I look back at her. “Are they?”
She nods now, and my answering smile matches hers as laughter rises in my chest.
Aurora leans sideways in my arms, sticking her head out to glance past me. “Go away!” she calls, and from around the corner of the stage issues a little giggle, followed by anoomphand anow!
“That hurt?—”
“Shh!”
Another giggle, and then the faint sound of shuffling feet, and then there’s silence once more.
Aurora lets her forehead drop against my chest, but I just laugh.
AURORA
“Hmm,” I say, my eyes narrowed as I look around the living room. “This is not what I had planned.”
What I really wanted was to break to my sisters the news that our new landlord is also my new boyfriend. The three of us having a discussion with Roman—that’s what was supposed to happen.
I didn’t expect both India and Juliet to have broughttheirboyfriends over, too.
“It’s so they can all meet properly!” Juliet says when I send her alook. “Don’t you think they should all meet?” She givesLuca’s leg a little pat, and he leans further toward her on the couch—I’m not sure he even realizes he’s doing it.
“I’m not sorry,” India says, inspecting her fingernails. “The jury is still out.”
“Hey,” Roman says from where he stands next to me. He looks at India with a wounded expression. “I thought we bonded. Remember I mentioned I’d be willing to threaten someone who tried to bid on Aurora?”
“Oh,” India says, blinking. “I do remember that, actually. That was promising.”
I pull Roman over to stand in front of the TV so he can better address everyone. “Go on,” I say, nudging him. “Tell them what you did. The guys would find out anyway.”
He looks petulantly at me. “This feels a little harsh.”
“Tell them,” I repeat.
Roman sighs and straightens up, and the room falls silent, all eyes turning to him. Then he clears his throat. “I bought this house,” he says, the words matter-of-fact. “If you must know. So that it can remain securely available if the time comes when Aurora wants to buy it. If not, I’ll still have an investment property as another source of income, considering I’m otherwise unemployed.”
Juliet’s eyes pop wide, and India’s jaw drops.
But Luca just nods, his glasses glinting in the light. “Smart,” he says briskly.
“Nice,” Felix agrees, and he looks at me. “You bagged a rich one, Aurora. Way to go.”
“What?” India and I say together.
“It’s notnice,” India goes on, her red ponytail swishing as turns to stare at Felix. “It’s invasive!”
Meanwhile, Juliet’s wide eyes soften into something gooey. “That’s so romantic,” she says with a dreamy sigh. Then she looks over at Luca. “Would you buy me a house?”
He grunts, a sound that must meanyes, because Jules beams at him.
“Tell us more about yourself,” Felix says now, waving his hand at Roman—next to him, India boos loudly.
