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Charlotte just laughs.
“What’s so funny?”
“Give me your mobile.”
“Why?”
“Just trust me.”
I shrug and place my unlocked phone in her outstretched hand.
“Time for you to get with the times,” she says as her fingers swipe and tap at the screen. A few moments later, she passes the mobile back to me.
I look at the new app icon on my screen and quirk an eyebrow. “Fetwrk?”
“Low-risk, no strings attached, spur-of-the-moment kinky hookups at your fingertips. My one big piece of advice is to be brutally honest when setting up your profile for the best user experience.”
“Thank you. I think.”
“Trust in the tech and get back in the game.” She looks up at the clock, downs the last of her tea, and grabs another biscuit. “Time for me to be on my way. Give Pippa a big hug from me.”
As soon as Charlotte leaves, I move the app she’s installed to the back page to languish with all the other apps I don’t use but can’t be arsed to delete.
1
Alex
Twenty minutes in,and my brother’s engagement party is exactly the snore-fest I expected it to be.
Instead of a pleasant gathering of close friends and relatives, it’s a veritable who’s who of those with valuable and far-reaching connections.
Our parents are going all out to ensure Duncan’s reputation-rehab is complete. And in exchange for having control over his own wedding, Duncan agreed to this social disaster.
I agreed to come only as a favour to my twin. But I’d also made it clear that I would be making a hasty retreat at my earliest convenience.
Through the crowd, I catch sight of a gorgeous man I don’t recognise but would very much like to drag behind the nearest lockable door, whether he’s kinky or not. I work my way across the room to introduce myself when my gaze happens upon the little girl holding his hand.
Damn.
Vanilla sex, I can do. Dads?
Not so much.
I mean, I love kids, but they add a layer of complication that doesn’t fit with my needs. And I add a layer of complication that doesn’t fit with keeping them out of the tabloids.
And what parent wants to get physically or romantically involved with someone who is always just one unfortunate photo away from social destruction?
It’s too late to alter my course, now. As I approach, I stoop a low enough to bring myself eye to eye with the wee girl and offer my hand. “Hello, I’m Alexandra, Duncan’s sister.”
Her sweet, gap-toothed grin is almost too much for my ovaries. “I’m Pippa and Charlotte is my dad’s cousin. That makes her my cousin, too, but I can’t remember what kind of cousin.”
“First cousin once removed, Poppet. Your Highness, I’m Alfred.”
Ah. Charlotte’s widower cousin, the Earl of Grynlough. My heart squeezes for Pippa. I can’t imagine what it must be like to not have your mum growing up. Even with mine being a queen with all the associated duties, she was always there for me.
Oh well, even if I were to toss aside my rule about not fucking dads, this one being related to my soon-to-be sister-in-law renders his social connection too close to risk.
“Please, don’t worry about all that silly protocol nonsense,” I tell them. “We’re going to be family.”
