My breath caught.
This wasn't fear. This was a delicious certainty that whatever storm was coming, he wanted me weathering it in his arms, against his heart, where I belonged.
“Sounds good.” I slid off my stool and turned to Hiro.
He stood too with a knowing smile on his face. "Go. Our job is done here. The cocktail party is going to be a success."
"Thank you." I stepped toward him. "For everything today. The lesson. The honesty. The—"
"The laughing at you?"
"Especially that."
He laughed some more, and I pulled him into a hug.
Not a quick one.
A real one.
The kind that saidI see youandthank youandyou're my family nowall at once.
Hiro's arms tightened around me briefly, and then he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Remember. Knight in shining armor. Anything you need."
"I remember."
“And don’t give my brother shit about Reo.”
“I won’t.”
He released me and stepped back.
I turned toward Kenji and saw that his expression had turned hard. "Hiro."
Hiro raised an eyebrow. "Yes, brother?"
"Next time you're around my Tiger. . ." Kenji's eyes dropped pointedly to Hiro's bare chest. "Wear a shirt."
Hiro looked down at himself. Then back up at Kenji. A grin spread across his face.
"Why?" He flexed his arms deliberately. "Afraid she'll realize she picked the wrong brother?"
Reo choked on his fifth croquette.
One of the Fangs snorted.
Thankfully, Kenji’s face turned to reluctant amusement. It was the look of a man who wanted to kill his brother but also loved him too much to actually do it.
When I got to Kenji, he placed his hand on the small of my back.
Hiro remained where he was and gave him a respectful bow. “However, I will wear a shirt from now on.”
That amusement remained on Kenji’s face. “Thank you.”
“It’s just that I happened to bump into her.”
Kenji steered me toward the door. “I doubt that. I’m sure you tracked my Tiger down to aggravate her about this party.”
I laughed as he guided me out of the kitchen. Hiro's triumphant cackle followed us into the hallway.
