How the hell does she know that?
I scan the room, searching for the culprit who must have said something to her.
Everyone at the table seems to be enjoying our embarrassment immensely.
Savage barely fights a grin and exchanges a look with Danika that she passes on to Cass and Kennedy, who can’t contain her cackle. Gabe and Skye both smirk, as do Atlas and Wren, who already suspected something was going on and may be the guilty parties.
Though, so did Astrid, but she might be the only one who looks even a little bit sorry for us.
Stone slides his arm across the back of Nora’s chair, squeezing her shoulder while they both chuckle. Isaac, Jack, Coen, and Allegra all grin and shake their heads as if they expected this and were just waiting for it to hit.
Landon does his best to hide his laugh by snagging his wine glass and taking a long sip, but Storm doesn’t do as well concealing hers.
Neither do Pope, Allie, or Angie.
The only people not laughing are the kids who are completely oblivious and focused on their pasta…
And Mom and Dad.
I steal a glance their way and find them glaring at Nana, but they quickly shift their attention to Gage, awaiting his response.
So am I.
As much as I’ve fought Gage trying to get past my well-established defenses, the last couple days since we sparred at the gym, since I finally broke and conceded defeat, have been …good.
Really good.
The best I’ve had in a very, very long time.
Maybe ever.
Being in his arms, in his bed, somehow, I’ve managed to sleep more than I have in the previous three months combined. And it isn’t just because the man exhausts me with his almost obsessive attention to getting me off.
He seems to intuitively know when there’s something weighing on me, when something frustrating happened or when I’m about to spiral. He understands how to distract me from that and give me other things to concentrate on. And he only pushes me to talk about it after, when I’ve released the tension. When I’ve let a little bit of that stuff that seems to want to drown me go.
Somehow, Gage just gets it.
The thought of him leaving, of him suddenly not being here, makes me lose my appetite.
He finally manages to swallow and stop coughing, his nervous gaze darting from Nana to Mom and Dad, then falling on me. “Umm, I do like New Orleans a lot. Especially the people. And I hope to stay.”
There’s something there in his answer. In the way he keeps his eyes on me rather than her that makes heat flare in my cheeks.
I have to look away from the intensity of it.
Nana gives him a tight smile and dips her head. “A very diplomatic answer.”
He tears his gaze from me and returns the smile, then shoves a piece of garlic bread in his mouth before anything else can be said.
Smart man.
Over the years, the family has been brutal to some of the people sitting around this table for the first time, and I have a feeling it isn’t over just because Nana gave him a reprieve.
Savage and Gabe lean closer together, exchanging hushed whispers, and the lack of amusement that was on their faces only a moment ago suggests the topic of conversation is no longer Gage’s embarrassment.
Everyone around the table exchanges glances.
Nana doesn’t like to discuss any sort of business at the table and prefers to find one person to pick on about their social life instead. Which appears to be me tonight. Something I would much rather avoid, but it may be better than the alternative, given the look Savage and Gabe give Stone and Dad.
