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“The fact is I’m here. I didn’t murder anyone, abandon the wedding, or commandeer Cade’s plane for Milwaukee. Everyone can stop monitoring me.”

“Charm didn’t come down with you?” Easton asked.

“No.”

The glass stopped near my mouth before I took another drink.

Charm had returned to her room because we both had to shower, change, and pretend this afternoon hadn’t turned the cooking challenge into something Bliss absolutely did not include on the itinerary. Walking into the ballroom together would have invited questions we didn’t need.

That was the practical answer anyway.

Briggs watched me for another second. “You wanted her to.”

“I want people to stop asking questions.”

“That wasn’t an answer.”

I looked toward Easton. “See how irritating that shit is?”

“He learned it from you.”

“Then I regret my influence.”

Briggs clinked his glass against mine. “For what it’s worth, the two of you looked disgustingly domestic while cooking.”

“We made tacos.”

“You fed her with your fingers.”

“She needed to taste the meat.”

“You licked salsa off her mouth.”

“I respect quality control.”

Rider took a drink. “Against the counter?”

“I’ve done many things against a counter.”

Easton’s mouth curved. “You enjoying your closure?”

I looked at him but he kept his eyes on me. He didn’t back down.

“I’m enjoying the weekend.”

“Surface level,” Briggs added.

“There was nothing surface level about what he did to her in that kitchen,” Rider said.

“I thought we established, I’m good with kitchen counters.”

“I would say so.”

I pointed at him. “You were the good one five minutes ago.”

“Temple says I need to communicate more.”

“Temple’s been here twenty minutes.”