Edward leveled his gaze at me. “You’re infatuated with her.”
“I uh—” I ran a hand through my hair. “I care about her. She’s going to be my wife after all.”
“Your fake wife,” Edward growled.
I was a little taller that he was, but I knew from experience with my brother Remy, who was also an ex-Marine, that Edward could go from fifteen to ninety in three seconds flat.
“Don’t you dare hurt Avery,” Edward warned. “Don’t make her fall in love with you. Don’t try and steal her from her friends. Don’t fuck this up and ruin her life. I swear, if you hurt her, I’m going to kill you and feed your body to my friend’s coyote.”
“I will never hurt her,” I spat to him. “I care about her very much.” But Edward stomped off, grabbing Shirley, and left before I could say another word. How could he think I would ever hurt Avery? I didn’t want to say love, but I really liked her, and I would never bring her to any harm. I wanted to keep her safe with me forever.
“I hope Edward wasn’t hitting on you,” she said, wrapping her arms around me. She had half a glass of wine in one hand.
“You’re wearing that sexy dress. Sounds like you’re the one doing the flirting,” I growled playfully.
“This?” She laughed. “This is just something I found at a thrift shop for a costume ball. I was going as Lucile Ball.” Avery ran her hands down the front of the fifties-style dress. It was narrow at the waist then flared right below her knees. The dress was off the shoulders, showing the barest suggestion of cleavage.
I kissed her shoulder. She didn’t melt in my arms but instead fussed with her updo and chewed on her lip.
“I hope we have enough alcohol,” Avery said, refilling her glass. “My grandmother drinks like a fish. Maybe we should order more wine?”
“We can if you want,” I said, picking up the tablet in the kitchen. “But I should have some in the bar.”
“There’s hardly anything on the cart,” she said, pointing.
I smirked and pressed the button on the tablet. Cesario made the rabbit version of a bark, and Avery clasped a hand to her chest as the back wall of the living roomwhooshedinto a hidden pocket to reveal a fully stocked wet bar.
“I dabble in home automation,” I said as Avery looked in shock between me and the bar. “It also interfaces with the balcony,” I said, pressing another button. Half of the wall melted away, revealing a view of the lush plants on the large balcony and of the skyline.
“This is so very extra,” Avery said.
“If for some reason I lose my mind and host a Super Bowl party here, I have a giant TV for that too,” I said, pressing another button. A flat screen the size of a twin bed folded down from the ceiling.
Avery stared at it. “We are so having parties here!”
The caterers had finished laying out the platters of food on warmers. Avery showed them out while I checked the status of the bar and cut up fruit for drinks.
“I should have had a cleaner come,” I said to Avery as we tidied up the house.
“It doesn’t matter,” Avery said with a sigh as she carefully set the table, rearranging the breakfast bouquet into several vases. “Even if this house was fit for the Queen of England, my family would still find something to complain about.”
I took her in my arms. “Don’t worry about them. Like your father said, soon you’re going to be my problem.” I kissed her, and she leaned into me.
“Besides,” I whispered in her ear, “I’ll help you destress later.” She shivered, and I wanted to cancel the dinner and take her back to the bedroom, push her down on the bed, and—
Ding!
“Crap, they’re here,” Avery said, draining her wine glass and pouring another.
I put on my game face as I opened the front door.
“My darling granddaughter!” Dottie exclaimed, handing me a bottle of wine and hugging Avery.
Avery’s stepmother looked down her nose when she saw the catered food arranged in the kitchen. “You didn’t cook yourself?” she said. “Why am I not surprised? But then you always did try to find a shortcut.”
“We could have brought food, Avery,” Cassie said, extending her hand to me for a limp handshake.
“Cassie’s an excellent cook,” Trevor said, slapping me on the back. I resisted the urge to snarl at him.
