Page 183 of Damsel in Disguise

She points between all three of us for one last time. “Behave.”

I can’t help but smile at her authority over men like us, all together. She’s impressive.

Satisfied, Ariella vanishes into the bedroom.

Adrian sighs heavily before fixing me with another frown.

For a moment, neither of them speaks.

“You almost lost control in front of her,” he shifts his focus to Asher, his tone flatly.

“I didn’t.”

“You did,” he corrects. “You just didn’t finish it.”

Asher doesn’t respond immediately. His eyes are still fixed on the hallway where she disappeared.

Adrian looks at me again. “If this turns into a pattern, you won’t get the luxury of being warned twice,” he says evenly, echoing his cousin’s earlier words but with less heat and more precision.

“And Keinston blood doesn’t bluff.”

That’s not a threat. It’s a fact.

I simply smile at him, “Pleasure meeting both the CEO and COO of the CynoTech Group in person,” but don’t bother offering my hand.

Neither of us seems to care formalities at the moment.

Asher just stares at the bedroom door.

Then at me.

Then back at the bedroom door.

Then at me again.

His expression worsens each time.

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

Adrian pinches the bridge of his nose. “She’s twenty, not thirteen.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“It’s exactly the point.”

“She brought a man home.”

“A grown woman brought a grown man home.”

“My sister brought a man home.”

“Your adult sister.”

“My sister.”

“You know this was eventually gonna happen, right?” Adrian lets out a long sigh.

“No,” he says almost immediately.