“And you saw us”—my quickening pulse vibrates my tongue—“together?”
She nods.
“Did you tell Mom? Is that why she encouraged our date?”
“I mentioned it, yes.”
“To Dad and Dorian, too?”
She shakes her head.
“No. I didn’t even tell Diego until now. Look, I know Mal put doubt in your head, but why else would he be in Atlantis?”
“To score runes like Symeon’s exes?” I find myself suggesting. “Maybe Fi invites him.”
Calanthe arches an eyebrow over the rim of her sunglasses.
“Does he even know about our runes?” Diego asks.
“I never asked him,” I say.
“Want me to ask?” Diego offers.
“No, I’ll do it the next time I see him.”
Calanthe’s dimples make an appearance, like she’s happy I’m making plans to see Cillian again.
“Callie is obviously Team Cillian. What do you think of him, Diego?” I ask my brother-in-law.
“I think he’s a hard worker and likes making people happy. To me, those are incredible qualities.” Diego slides into the right lane. “Not to mention, I hear he’s skilled in the kitchen—like yours truly right here—and we great cooks make awesome partners.”
“But is he skilled beneath the sheets?” Calanthe asks.
“And they call this a job?” Diego gushes while I blush so hard I expect my cheeks to be rippling like the sidewalk. “I should really be paying Tarian to hang out with the two of you.”
“Aww.” Calanthe reaches over and gives Diego’s forearm a squeeze. “We love you too, Dieguito.”
“I’m not disclosing anything of that nature in the presence of my brother’s husband.”
Diego draws the car to a stop and looks over his shoulder. “First off, I would never share anything said here with Dorian. Secondly, he needs to cut you some slack. If he says anything to you, you come straight to me.”
“I’m not so much worried about what he would say as what he would do,” I confess.
Diego’s cheeks hollow. “As protective as he is of you, he’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“I second that,” Calanthe says.
“It’s not me I’m afraid he’ll hurt.”
Calanthe’s long brown curls swing as she whirls her head toward me. “Same difference, Elle. If the person you love hurts, then you hurt.”
“Whoa. Love? Geez, Callie…I’m still on the fence about liking the guy.”
“If you didn’t like him, you wouldn’t have slept with him,” she says. “And you wouldn’t be bringing him to Atlantis.”
“I never said we slept together.”
“Well, you didn’t deny it.” Her mouth kicks into a smug smirk. “Andyou nearly combusted when I brought up his bedroom skills.Which—by the way—we’re on pins and needles to hear about. Right, Diego?”
