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My body burns from the kiss.
He cups my chin at the same time he pulls back. “Don’t go far.”
“Where are we going to go?” Kennedy answers for me. “All the men in this family are so possessive.” She rolls her eyes. “That’s exactly why I’m not getting married. With my luck, I’d end up with someone like one of them.”
“You don’t need to get married,” Kyle says as he approaches.
His twin sister sucks her teeth. “Don’t start with me. Come on, Monique. You too, Riley.” She loops one arm in mine and the other in her sister-in-law’s, and we start toward the other side of the lounge.
Our group is the only one in this quartered off section. Kennedy grabs two flutes of champagne, handing them to us before taking one for herself.
“Are we celebrating?” I ask.
She nods. “Your art gallery is opening soon.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach. The excitement that’s been mounting for weeks is almost palpable. My dream is coming true.
“Tell us all about it,” Riley insists, taking my hand so we can take a seat on one of the black leather couches.
“I have four confirmed female artists so far,” I tell them of the details of the gallery. “Next weekend, Diego and I are going to an art festival to find this one artist who I think would be perfect for my gallery. Her art just speaks to me. There’s one painting when a girl is hiding behind this wall of hair and—”
“Yeah, we can’t wait to see it,” Kennedy interjects. “Before we get into that, though …” She pauses and glances across the room in the direction of Diego and Kyle.
I’m surprised to see Diego looking my way. I smile and take a sip of my champagne. His expression instantly turns from sexy to a frown. His attention lingers on the glass in my hand.
It’s not hard to decipher what he’s thinking. Without thinking, I reach inside of my clutch and pull out my phone, waving it in his direction.
A silent communication between us that my numbers read perfectly safe. I’m okay with one glass of champagne.
Even as his shoulders relax, though, I can’t help but think about how much extra work he puts into taking care of me. He knows my eating schedule better than I do. I wonder if he ever considers it a burden.
“I need to use the restroom,” Kennedy says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Come with me.”
* * *
“He’s so damn clingy,”Kennedy says in disgust of her brother.
Kyle grabbed Riley by the waist before we could leave the VIP area.
“She can’t even go to the bathroom in peace.”
“Doesn’t look like she minds,” I say as I glance back at Riley laughing at something Kyle says in her ear with his arms wrapped around her body.
“You would agree,” she replies. “I barely got you away from my cousin.”
I smirk because she’s right. I barely made it out of the lounge area without Diego insisting on following along like a puppy. I love how attentive he is, but it also makes me wonder if he pays such close attention out of fear.
“Now spill,” Kennedy says as we exit the elevator on the first floor.
“Spill what?”
“Don’t play,” she shoots back. “There are private restrooms and staff falling all over themselves to serve us drinks upstairs. I didn’t bring you down here for the bathroom or to go to the damn bar.”
She moves in front of me and places her hands on her slim hips. “I brought you down here for some privacy. How long has it been since you and Diego finally got together? Is that why you moved back from New York? Oh my god, are you two engaged yet?”
“Whoa!” I hold my hands up in front of me. “Who said anything about marriage?”
She frowns, and it scarily reminds me of her father, Aaron Townsend. “You two have been joined at the hip since what? Like, third grade or something crazy like that.”
