“Yeah.” I looked up into his blue eyes. “Something likethat.”
“Yeah? You seein’ anyone else likethat?”
Seriously? He was questioning my loyalty? My intentions with hisbrother?
Right here andnow?
And why was it starting to make mesweat?
It definitely wasn’t because I’d had sex withhim. The fact was, I’d had sex with three men at this table. (Him, Jude and Zane.) I’d made out with two others, too. (Dylan and Ash.) I was really no stranger to sex, casual orotherwise.
It wasn’t even the fear that he might say something awful and out-of-line to me, rightnow.
It was the fear that he might say something awfulaboutme—to Jude. That maybe he didn’t approve of me. That he might somehow turn Jude against me or something. That this was why Jude didn’t want to take me to parties at theclubhouse.
Because Piper might be bothered that I’d once screwed him, and was now screwing hisbrother?
When I looked at Jude again, he was watching Piper, who was saying to me, “Heard you been rollin’ with theSinners.”
When I glanced at Piper again, he definitely wasn’t smiling anymore. And I definitely got the feeling he hadn’t learned that information fromJude.
I swallowed the lump of turkey and yams that was in mymouth.
“The turkey’s fantastic,” I told him. “Reallyjuicy.”
“I asked you aquestion.”
“No. You didn’t. It was definitely more of an accusatorystatement.”
“You bangin’ any Sinners? That’s what I’m askin’, case it wasn’tclear.”
“The fuck?” That was Jude, from across the table, and the conversation around us kinda died down. He and Piper locked eyes. “Pipe,lay off.” That was pretty much a growl, so yeah, he’d definitely heard what Piper said tome.
Piper kinda chuckled next to me but he went back to his food, as did I, and gradually everyone else did,too.
I chatted a little with Seth on my other side, asked him how the new album had turned out, that kind of thing. The next time I dared look up, my mom and Ash, who were sitting at basically opposite ends of the table, were somehow doing shotstogether.
They got everyone else raising a toast, and Ash said something boozy about his love for everyone at the table. I really didn’t hear it all. I was looking at Jude, who was looking at his brother like he wanted to throttlehim.
Then Brody took over the toasting and thanked us all for being here and all that good stuff, and we all cheered anddrank.
Piper got talking with Maggie and I ate the rest of my meal in silence, occasionally joining into Jesse and Amber’s conversation across the table fromme.
Everything seemed to be moving along decently well, and for a few short minutes I allowed myself to think we might actually get through this little Orphans’ Potluck without seriousincident.
I made eye contact with Jessa, who was seated at the end of the table opposite from Brody, and smiled as if to say,See? No drama.She raised her cider to me as if to say,Thank Christ, andsipped.
Then things really fellapart.
Piper had turned back to me, and out of nowhere he said, “You lookgood.”
“Thankyou.”
Then his blue eyes trailed right down my face and deep,deepinto my cleavage, and he said, “Rememberyou.”
Oh,fuck.
Were we doingthis?
