Page 175 of The Bluffing Game

“She’s flirting around, but she’s my sister. She thinks he’s cute. And, yeah, I’ll admit he hasn’t exactly done anything to say he wants her, but let’s make sure he keeps it that way.”

I press my lips together. It’s interesting, seeing protective-big-sister Sage in action. I respect her, and I admire her for being so open and direct about the way she feels.

“I will let him know, just in case he has any other ideas.”

“Good. Thank you. And you’ll also make sure to back off.”

“I don’t really think I’ve done anything to make you think I’m trying to control your life, Sage.”

“You know exactly what you did, whether or not you want to admit it.” She reaches over and squeezes my arm. “Look, it is appreciated. Truly, it is. And I know you’re a dad, so maybe you have that paternal instinct, but I don’t need another dad.”

“You think I am looking out for you like a dad?” My eyes narrow at her. “Really?”

“Isn’t that what you’re doing?” She gives me the most innocent smile and taps my leg. “Are you hoping I’ll call you Papa?”

“Are you trying to piss me off?”

“What? I mean, it’s obvious you’re older than me.”

“I’m not that much older than you.”

“Well, you look like you’re a lot older than me.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m in my mid-twenties. I mean, not quite mid, but about to be.”

“I’m in my early thirties, so I could not be your father.”

“Oh, dang. I thought you were a lot older than that,” she says.

I scowl at her, and she bursts out laughing.

“You’re such a liar.”

“What? You think you look younger than that?”

“I know exactly what I look like. And I also know exactly what a woman who is attracted to me looks like when she stares at me.”

“Oh, don’t get it twisted, honey. Just because your ex thinks I want you, it’s not true. I absolutely don’t. Not even a teeny-weeny bit. Not even if you were the last man on earth.”

“Wow, so I’m that bad?”

“You’re just not my type.”

“Okay.” I want to tell her I am pretty certain I’m her type. I want to tell her that I’ve seen the way her eyes follow me around, the way she trembles when I’m near, the way her skin reacts when I tease her, the way her lips almost pop open in a kiss when I’m close. There’s chemistry between us. And maybe she, like me, doesn’t have the emotional bandwidth to deal with that right now. That doesn’t mean I like that she’s denying it.

“Did I hurt your feelings, Dalton?”

“Huh?” I say gruffly, pulling into the parking lot of the condos where Lucia lives. “You didn’t hurt my feelings.”

“Okay. Just making sure because you seem to think that no woman can resist you, and I hate to be the one woman on earth who does.”

Brett chuckles from the back seat, and I look at him through the rearview mirror. He shrugs nonchalantly. Sage peers over her shoulder and smirks.

“He’s still listening to music, huh?”

“What can I say? He realized we pulled up. This is Lucia’s place. I guess it’s your place now too.”