“I knew it!” Luna slaps the table hard enough to make the silverware rattle and a couple at the next table shoots us dirty looks. She ignores them completely, practically bouncing out of her chair. “Finally. I've been waiting for this since the wedding. The tension between you two was so thick I could have sliced it with a freaking butter knife.”
“You’re being dramatic. It wasn't that obvious.”
“It was painfully obvious. Mom even noticed, and she's been so distracted with Dad that she barely notices anything these days.” Luna leans back in her chair, a smug smile on her face. “So? How was it? Give me something to work with here.”
I take a sip of my water, trying to process my thoughts. How do I even begin to describe what's happening between Lochlan and me? It's not just sex; although, that part has been incredible. It's the way he looks at me like I'm the only person in the room. The way he stands behind me instead of trying to stand in front. The way he makes me feel like I can actually do this impossible job I've been thrust into.
My chest tightens at the thought of him. At the memory of waking up in his strong arms this morning.
“It was good,” I finally say.
Luna's face falls like an overdone cake. “Good? That's all I get after waiting weeks for this moment? Good?”
“Okay.” I smirk. “It was really good.”
“Adriana, I swear to God, I will reach across this table and throttle you if you don’t tell me. I’m going out of my mind here.”
“Fine.” I glance around to make sure no one is eavesdropping, then lean closer. “It was incredible. He's incredible. And I don't know what to do with any of it because this whole marriage was supposed to be a business arrangement. Now I'm feeling things I didn't plan on feeling, and it's terrifying me.”
Luna's jaw drops. “Oh my God,” she murmurs, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand, her fingers warm against mine. “That's not terrifying, Adri. That's falling in love.”
“What? No.” My stomach drops like I've just stepped off a cliff. “I didn't say anything about love.”
“You didn't have to. I can see it written all over your face.” She tilts her head, studying me with knowing eyes that have always seen right through me. “You've spent your whole life keeping people at arm's length. Building barricades topped with barbed wire so nobody could scale them. Making sure no one gets close enough to hurt you. And now someone's actually breaking through, and you have no idea how to handle it.”
I grit my teeth, hating that she knows me so well. I also love it. Sister relationships are complicated that way.
“But what if it's just the situation?” I ask in a small voice. My throat tightens around the words because I don’t want to say them, but I can’t deny that they’ve been dancing on the top of my mind. “The forced proximity. The danger. The adrenaline of everything we've been through together. What if none of this is real?”
Luna takes a sip of her water. “What if it is?”
The question hangs between us. But I don't have an answer for her.
Luna squeezes my hand again. “You deserve to be happy, Adri. Even in the middle of all this chaos. Especially in themiddle of all this chaos.” She pauses, her eyes searching mine for details I still haven’t given her. “Does he make you happy?”
There’s the million-dollar question.
My mind trips back to waking up in his arms this morning with Reaper cuddled at the foot of the bed. It was comfortable, relaxed, and yet, my stomach did little backflips the whole time I was wrapped in his arms. My lips lift at our breakfast banter and how he teased me about his culinary skills. And my God, I’ll never forget how he looked at me after the capo meeting… like I'd just conquered the entire world. It’s branded into my memory forever.
My heart swells against my ribs.
“Yeah,” I admit. “He really does.”
“Oh, sweetie. I’m so thrilled for you.” Luna's smile could light up the entire restaurant, it’s so wide and bright. “Now stop overthinking everything for once in your life. Just let yourself feel something without analyzing it to death.”
“That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who?—”
My phone buzzes where it sits on the table. I glance at the screen and my stomach clenches when I see Jayne's name appear.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” I swipe to answer before Luna can respond. “What's going on?”
“The Henderson Group pulled out of the merger.” Jayne's voice sounds strained, like she's bracing for my reaction. “They're going with Blackwell Consulting instead. And Adriana, there's also someone here waiting to see you. He says it's urgent and he's not leaving until you get here.”
My blood ices at the tension in her tone. “Who is it?”
She pauses and my pulse pounds against my throat. “Eamon Molloy.”
I ball the fingers of my free hand into tight fists. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. The smile fades from Luna’s face and it’s replaced by a look of concern.
