Page 284 of A Vicious Love

“Thank you,” Celeste said carefully.

“Very skilled.”

Another stroke.

Beautiful.

“Your stance is excellent.”

Sienna’s hand paused.

Ah.

Too much praise.

I felt the pause more sharply than I should have. One little break in the movement of her fingers and my entire body adjusted around it. If anyone ever wanted proof I had become trainable, they could look at the way I corrected myself because Sienna Bellemere had stopped petting my wrist.

“Sienna’s was prettier,” I added.

Her fingers resumed at once, smoothing over the bones of my wrist with soft approval.

Excellent. Balance restored.

Celeste’s smile did something small and brittle at the edges. Not enough for the cousins to notice. Enough for me. Her eyes moved from my face to Sienna’s hand on my arm, then to the way Sienna stood in front of me with my body at her back and no gap between us.

“Sienna’s shot was lucky,” Celeste said lightly.

Sienna’s hand stopped again.

I looked at Celeste.

The two cousins with her seemed to sense a shift in weather. One lifted her lemonade. The other suddenly developed deep interest in the shooting line.

“No,” I said.

Celeste’s gaze came back to mine. “No?”

“No.” I leaned a fraction closer, still holding Sienna against me. “Luck implies distance between the person and the result. Sienna made the shot. Everyone here saw it.”

Celeste’s cheeks colored. “I only meant⁠—”

“I know what you meant.”

Sienna twisted slightly in my arms, her shoulder brushing my chest. “Jamison.”

I looked down at her.

Her eyes were warm, startled, and a little embarrassed by being defended so bluntly.

Celeste’s smile returned, tighter now. “Then congratulations again, Sienna. It was a very pretty shot.”

Sienna’s mouth curved. “Thank you.”

Her hand moved back to mine under the shelter of my arm. Thumb over knuckles.

Reward.

Celeste looked briefly as if she might say something regrettable. “Enjoy the break.”