“More than a little.” Zach’s words came out on a wheeze. Apparently, Roman was the entertainment for the evening.
“In my defense, I didn’t realize the definition wasn’t…appropriate.” He settled on that last word even though it didn’t really fit.
No words—not a sound—came from his mother’s lips. His father stood completely still.
And then, his mother did what he never would have expected. She started to laugh. Hard. The doubling over was a touch excessive.
“You’ve”—Sadie jabbed him with her fingertip—"been callingmea hooker?”
“I forbid you use Russian ever again.” Babushka slashed through the air with her hand. “Vhere is my purse. You vill swear on your grandfather’s image you vill never utter another Russian vord.”
“I’m not swearing that.” He’d just start practicing again, that’s all.
“Don’t make him do that. I kind of like the butterfly thing. What’s he going to come up with next?” Sadie pulled herself together enough to get through that whole sentence without laughing. “Whew.” She fanned her face with her hands in that way girls did when they were trying not to laugh anymore. “What are you thinking?” She squeezed his arm.
“I’m thinking I’d really like to touch you,” he said, holding his hands near her shoulders but not quite making contact.
She gulped.
He waited.
Finally, she nodded. “You can touch me.”
With permission granted, he ran his index finger along her cheekbone and leaned in to brush his lips against hers.
The kiss wasn’t erotic—they were in his parents’ kitchen and his entire family was present. He kept it simple, chaste, but she tasted like he remembered, and he wanted more.
“Jase, you’re going to let him tie you to the fridge,” Heather mock whispered. “I think it’s your turn.”
Roman broke the kiss. He smiled against Sadie’s lips.
Yeah, Heather was Roman’s favorite sister-in-law, forever and always. She’d just sealed the deal.
“Are you crushing on my brother right in front of me?” Jase asked, feigning disgust.
“Little bit.” Heather crinkled her nose and Jase kissed the tip.
“You want him to call you a hooker, too?” Zach asked.
“I’ll allow it only because you let me knock you up,” Jase continued. “But the fridge thing? That’s never going to happen.”
Oh, it’d happen now that Roman was on his game. He was just going to take his brother by surprise.
Heather’s expression went dreamy. “You should ask if you can touch me.”
Shit, Roman was never going to live that down.
“We got married, isn’t it implied?” Jase continued mock whispering.
Heather glared at him, but the tilt at the edges of her mouth implied that it was all for show.
“Let’s go outside.” Mom already had the French doors pushed open and was doing her best—God bless her—to get the family to start moving toward the table she’d set up by the pool on the back patio. “Everyone.”
No one moved.
“Now,” Mom said with a pointed look toward Roman. “You stay. We’ll give you a minute.”
If Roman had his way, they’d need a lot more than a minute.
