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“Nothing,” I said with a warning glance at Kate. “Absolutely nothing. Just, you know, overcome by all the wedding joy.”
“Well, nothing is about to become something,” Joni said eagerly. “We came to find you, Frankie, because there is a super hot-as-frick man asking for you outside. One Sofia just called Dad. Yes,please, by the way. I remember him being yummy, but dayum, Daddy!”
“Ew, Joni, that’s Sofia’s father,” Marie said, elbowing her in the ribs.
“Doesn’t mean he can’t be Frankie’s daddy too,” Joni said with a wink.
I reared. “Xavier’shere?”
Marie nodded but elbowed Joni again. “Yes. And don’t be gross.”
“Don’t be celibate,” Joni retorted, then hobbled forward with a conspiratorial grin. “Seriously, though, sis. Do we need to go out there and kick his ass for you? I might have a bum knee right now, but I still got thighs of steel. I could squeeze the life out of him, then kick him across the square if you want. Or we could just sic Mattie on him. He’s so wound up with sexual tension, he’d probably tear Xavier a new one for cheating on you the way he did.”
Kate just gave me another look, this one of the distinctI told you sovariety.
I stood up, checked myself in the mirror, then turned toward the door.
“Thanks, but I don’t think that’s necessary,” I told my sisters. “When it comes to Xavier, I can take care of myself.”
Maybe if I said it enough, I’d really learn to believe it.
TWO
Ifound Xavier pacing impatiently at the periphery of the party, rendering a tall and admittedly intimidating shadow by the lights hanging above. Kate left to distract Lea and Nonna, but I’d been unable to shake my two younger sisters, who insisted on escorting me to the “sexy gargoyle,” as Joni called him.
He wasn’t dressed for a wedding, but more for travel, in jeans, an Arsenal T-shirt, and a black jacket that hugged his broad shoulders and trim waist, plus a pair of colorful sneakers from the collection I happened to know took up a full wall in his London closet.
Chef.
Duke.
Sneaker addict.
I loved every iteration of this man.
But right now, I was furious no matter what form he took.
And terrified of what he must be thinking of me.
“Holy smokes, I forgot how hot he is.” I heard Joni’s heated whisper to Marie as we all approached.
“You’ve already said that like ten times. And he’s not hot,” Marie replied, though she didn’t sound very convinced. “And don’t be gross. That’s Frankie’s man, not yours.”
I whirled around. “He is not my man.”
Both my sisters gave me the same expressions they wore whenever they said “Okay, boomer” to Nonna.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” Marie countered.
Joni was back to eyeballing Xavier over my shoulder. “Didn’t you say he has a brother?”
“Stepbrother,” I hissed, horrified that this conversation might be overheard. “They’re only very distantly related, and they look nothing alike.”
“Still.” Joni licked her lips as if Frederick was the equivalent of a slice of Nonna’s cheesecake. “If he’s got half your man’s attitude, I’d climb that baby duke like a damn tree.”
“He isnotmy man!”
“Francesca?” Xavier called. He was waving a big hand, trying to get my attention.
