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‘What on earth are you smiling about? It’s not funny.’
‘Oh, yeah, it is.’ He held onto her hand as she reeled away. ‘I didn’t tell you so I could see you kick my brother’s butt.’ He paused a moment, humour sparking in his eyes. ‘Though that would be kinda fun.’
‘Why did you tell me, then?’
He pulled her close, held her still when she struggled.
‘Linc doesn’t want me to touch you and I don’t want him to know that I have.’ He loosened his grip so she could see his face.
‘But that’s so Neanderthal of you both.’
His lips tilted. He didn’t look remotely offended at the suggestion. ‘I guess it’s a guy thing. It’s just…Linc and me are on shaky ground. I screwed up pretty bad with the birthday present.’
She sobered, remembering the painful incident at Emmy’s party. ‘Don’t feel bad about that, Monroe. Linc understood. I’m sure he did.’
His hands stroked up her arms. ‘He feels protective of you. I don?
?t want to hit him with this…situation yet. Could we let it ride for now?’
She didn’t want to let it ride. She wanted everyone to know how she felt about Monroe. That she was head over heels in love with him. But if she couldn’t even bring herself to tell Monroe yet, how could she tell anyone else?
But still Jessie hesitated.
It was worse than sneaky not to tell everyone about their relationship. It was dishonest. But what could she do, seeing the insecurity in his eyes? He was worried about his relationship with his brother and, however misguided his suggestion might be, she couldn’t stand in the way of him building a better bond with Linc. The two of them had been robbed of that in their childhood. She would not be the one to put a spanner in the works now.
‘Okay, Monroe, I won’t say anything, but just for a little while.’
Monroe pulled her into his arms, so she couldn’t see the sadness in his eyes. ‘Thanks, Red,’ he said, knowing a little while was all they had.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘SO, WHAT have you and Monroe been getting up to while we’ve been away?’
Jessie’s fingers stopped dead on the garment she was busy folding into Ali’s dresser drawer. ‘Sorry, what did you say?’ She could feel the heat creeping up her neck as she stared down at the newly washed T-shirt.
‘Hmm,’ Ali murmured from the soft leather armchair by the master bedroom’s French doors. ‘From the fantastic shade of red you’re going, I’d say it’s quite a lot.’
Jessie turned slowly to face her sister. She was trapped. That was the problem with having red hair and fair skin. She couldn’t keep a secret from Ali if her life depended on it.
‘Don’t look so mortified, Jess. You’ve been here two weeks alone together and it was obvious the night of the barbecue there was an attraction there. I’m not all that shocked you guys went for it.’
Jessie stared at her sister, keeping her feelings a secret now seemed pointless. ‘Actually, it’s a little more than just sex.’
Ali studied her sister for a moment, then her eyes widened. ‘My goodness.’ She hauled herself out of the chair, waddled over to Jessie. ‘You’re in love with him.’
The depth of emotion in Ali’s eyes made Jessie’s own begin to water. ‘Yes, I think I am.’
‘How does Monroe feel?’
Jessie looked down as she closed the dresser drawer. ‘We haven’t talked about it.’
‘Why not?’
‘I don’t want to pressure him.’
‘But, Jess, you have a right to know how he feels, don’t you?’
‘He cares about me. I know he does.’ He had made love to her so carefully, so tenderly the night before, it had to be true.
