Page 203 of The Villain We Tempt

“You need anything from town? I’m going to grab a few things at the grocery store later.”

She hums thoughtfully. “Yeah, a rosé from Provence, if you could? Maybe a nicely chilled Château d'Esclans Garruss?”

Laz’s handsome face stays utterly impassive. Wren grins impishly.

“That was ajoke, roomie!”

Laz sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I thought we decided thatroomieis weird?”

“Did we?” Wren shrugs with a grin.

Laz shoots her an “over it” look before he pulls his gaze to me and smiles. “How’s things, kid?”

“She has a boyfriend, which is why she came over forgirl talk,” Wren says pointedly. “So…off you go.”

My jaw drops as I whirl on her.

“Come on,” Laz growls, scowling. “First Yelena and that Drakos motherfucker, now you? Who is the little shit?”

Laz might be like a fun uncle, but I remember "fun uncle" always switching to “lethally overprotective uncle” in ananosecondif he ever got a whiff of some boy talking to one of us or anyone having a crush or anything.

So I just roll my eyes. “I donothave a boyfriend.”

“She does,” Wren insists. “I mean, it might just be a standing dick appointment, but either way, I’m here to listen and not judge,” she says primly, a wide grin on her face.

Laz makes a face. “Do me a favor. Never say those two words together again.”

“What?” She winks at him. “Dick appointment?”

Laz scowls as he exhales heavily. “Annnd that’s my cue to leave.”

“Idon’thave a?—”

“Save the Oscar-winning performance for your Papa, yeah?” He smirks. “Out of curiosity, though, who is this walking corpse?”

“Yeah,Galina,” Wren grins as she swivels to look at me. “Whoisthis?—”

“You want me to leave?”

Wren ends up jumping up out of her chair and convincing me to stay as Laz chuckles and tells her he’ll be home later.

When we’re finally alone, I glare daggers at her.

“Ido not?—”

“Galina,” she giggles. “He’s gone. You can just tell me.”

My lips twist.

“Look,” she sighs. “Iknowyou’ve been hooking up with someone. I can tell.”

“You can’ttell,” I mumble.

“Can so,” she grins.

“It’s just…” My face heats as I bite my lip and look up at her. “Fine. I’ve been hanging out with someone.”

Understatement of the freaking century.