Page 27 of All for Love

“Oh, uh, that’s fine,” she said, her gaze moving to his but not quite so far as to meet mine. “We’ll make it work. New chapter, new traditions, I suppose.”

Margaux grinned and even my father looked pleased at her answer, that easy smile resting on his lips. I couldn’t help but notice no one was grilling her about where she’d gone off to. She’d stayed in the bathroom long enough that at least they didn’t seem to suspect our disappearances were related.

She’d also redone her hairstyle and there wasn’t so much as a strand out of place. Her lipstick was touched up, and the tiny bit of mascara that had been smudged under her eyes when I’d left had been removed.

As she chatted to the parents about what she could expect from the parties, it occurred to me that maybe having her as a stepsister wouldn’t be so bad. She’d be around and we could sneak in more quickies after hanging the stockings on Christmas Eve and before that afternoon walk on Christmas Day.

Her green eyes were alive with excitement as she glanced at her mother. “Just tell me what I can do to help with the parties. I’d love to make myself useful.”

I groaned softly. Of course, you would.

Fucking ass-kisser, but at the same time, not even that bothered me as much as it had before. She was a real teacher’s pet type, but that had just proven to be a giant advantage for me. Just a few words about how the sex hadn’t been that good, and she’d been determined to show me she could do better.

A trick I may just keep up my sleeve for the holidays.

I almost grinned, but then I noticed Kaden watching me staring at Mercedes and I looked away. It was already too late, though. I was almost sure of it.

No one seemed the slightest bit suspicious, but my brother suddenly seemed constipated and there was only one reason for him to look that way. The jig was up.

I was willing to bet everything we had that he’d just figured it out. Maybe he’d been suspicious before, but I saw the way his shoulders tensed and the corners of his eyes tightened.

Kaden now knew that Mercedes and I had hooked up, and I was bound to get chewed out about it someday very soon. Brooke frowned at him, but he gave his head an almost imperceptible shake when he looked at her.

He’d probably tell her later, but for now, at least he wasn’t going to cause a scene right here. I glanced at Margaux and my dad, so happy as they smiled lovingly at each other. I wondered how they would react if they ever found out.

One thing was for sure, and that was that Dad wouldn’t be as quick as Kaden to let it go. Sure, my brother was going to tear me a new one, but my father? He would probably try to tear me apart.