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Christian made an effort to smile as four Coopers started looking at him with great interest. “You can all call me Chris—-”
The four shook their heads simultaneously.
“Christian,” Hetty said firmly, and her husband nodded in agreement.
Emma was grinning. “Imagine that. I have a Christian for a future brother-in-law.”
Christian winced at the emphasis.
Jane patted his arm, saying laughingly, “Just give it up.”
The whole family moved into the dining room, where it appeared the Coopers were still in the middle of dinner preparation. Christian was amused as everyone automatically moved into what seemed like their respective stations: Mike by the oven, Hetty bending over the stove to check on her stew, and Emma reaching for the knife as she resumed chopping onions.
“I’ll set the table up,” Jane volunteered at the same time and led Christian out of the kitchen.
As soon as the door swung shut behind them, Christian hauled her close and pressed a soft kiss on her lips.
She looked up at him, startled. “What was that for?”
“I like your family,” Christian said. “And I’m glad I do.”
She grinned. “So you were worried, too.”
Christian grunted.
Jane surprised him with a sudden hug, her arms going around his waist. It was rare for her to initiate contact, and he looked down at her, startled and slightly concerned. “What is it, pet?”
Her voice muffled against his chest, she whispered feelingly, “I’m really glad you like them, too.” And it was true. They had been together for a month now, and she had seen for herself that Christian hadn’t lied to her about the way he treated most people with either indifference or contempt.
When dealing with the former, he was rather brusque, almost cruelly so, and when dealing with the latter, he could be downright scathing.
And yet he liked her, Jane thought, and her family. It was a fact that she was still struggling to accept.
Christian’s phone started to ring, and Jane readily disengaged herself from him. “Go ahead,” she said with a smile. “I can set up on my own.”
“I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard that before.” And usually, ‘as soon as you can’ meant Christian leaving the bed in the middle of the night and coming back to her side in the morning.
Jane started with the place mats first, and to her surprise, she had just started distributing dinner plates when Christian emerged from the outside. Fifteen minutes for a call? That was definitely a record maker.
But then she caught the look on his face, and his next words, spoken rather stiffly, confirmed what she already knew.
“I have to go.”
“Awkward,” Emma said.
Christian grimaced, and Jane tried to swallow back a laugh. She took hold of his hand, saying, “Excuse us, please.”
“But we want to eavesdrop,” Hetty protested.
“Ignore them,” Jane advised Christian, who by now had become stiff as a board. When they reached the front door and she was about to reach for the knob, Christian’s hand suddenly covered hers, halting its movement.
“Are you angry?” he asked tautly.
She slowly turned to look at him. “What do you think?”
Christian jerked. “I think…” His breathing came out in a painful sigh. “I think I have the better end of the bargain, but I’m too selfish to let you go.”
Jane bit her lip. “I hate it when you suddenly act sweet.” And then she couldn’t help it. Throwing herself at him, her arms going around his neck, she whispered, “I’m going to miss you.”
She felt another powerful sigh rack his chest.
“Same here, pet.” His lips pressed to the top of her head, and he muttered against her hair, “I hate it when you suddenly act sweet, and I don’t deserve it.”
She laughed against his chest.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m leaving?”
“Well…” She lifted her head. “It’s just occurred to me that there was a scene just like this in Bridget Jones’ Diary.”
“I know what you’re talking about, pet.” Christian smirked. “And you really have a good imagination. I should hire you as my writer for my adult game.”
Jane’s eyes shone. “Because I’m letting you off so nicely, will you finally tell me what game that is?”
He chuckled. “Deal.” He cupped her face, kissing her hard. “And thank you.”
Twenty minutes later, she returned to the dining room, hair a little mussed, lips a little swollen, and the rest of her suffering from a little sexual tingle, thanks to Christian Ravenhearst’s rather excellent quickie skills.
“Let me guess,” Emma said dryly, taking one look at her older sister. “There was an earthquake again.”
“Shut up.” But the words were spoken without heat. As Jane started placing forks and knives on the table, she could feel everyone’s gazes still on her. Without looking up, she asked, “What?”
“Does he have a red room?”
And since the question came from Mike—-
The three women of the Cooper family burst into laughter.
