Page 10 of Infinite Love Novella

“With their genes?” Evelyn pointed out, and the girls giggled with her. “It’s inevitable.”

“So this is what we’ve become.” Magnus looked around the table and tried to seem disappointed, fighting back a grin. “A few years ago, we were running Manhattan, keeping entire bars and clubs in business thanks to all the money we spent there and the business we brought in just for being who we were. Now look at us. We’re sitting around on a yacht, talking about our kids.”

“And those of us who don’t have kids have nothing to add to the conversation,” Pepper pointed out with a wry smirk. There were no feelings behind it. She wasn’t hurt. She made a good point, though. So did Magnus.

“That’s how it goes,” I summed up before lifting my glass. “To new beginnings. For the happy couple and all of us.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Evelyn agreed with a sunny smile, kissing her husband on the cheek before raising her mimosa.

Once we had finished our toast, Barrett’s gaze weighed on me again. “New beginnings? What’s new with you guys?” he asked, but an undercurrent of bitterness ran through the question, though I didn’t have the first clue where it came from.

“Yes.” Lourde practically pounced on us, leaning in. All it took was Barrett easing the door open a crack for her to barrel through. “When is it going to be your turn? I mean, no offense or anything, but you’ve been together forever. I’m looking forward to watching my brother tie the knot.”

Of all times for Pepper to sit back mutely and let me stumble my way through an answer, the fact that all eyes were now on us was no help. “Oh, you know,” I replied, deliberately vague. “When the time is right. It’s not like we never talk about it.”

“That’s reassuring.” Lourde rolled her eyes at me, scoffing. “And romantic too.”

“I thought we were supposed to be talking about them?” I waved an arm toward Ari and Olivia, though they seemed amused at where the conversation had gone.

“It’s okay,” Ari offered, chuckling. “We don’t mind having to share the spotlight for a minute, and it’s a good question.”

Of course, they would decide to bust my balls about this.

It was a good thing the steward announced that the chef was ready to begin preparing our meals, distracting the group from their interrogation. Lourde murmured something to Barrett, who shook his head with a scowl before exchanging a look with Magnus I couldn’t make sense of. What the hell was going on?

I’d had enough by the time Barrett joined me in front of the omelet station, where I looked over the filling options. “Hey, can I ask you something?” I ventured, hoping I wouldn’t regret it. I’d known him long enough to know this wasn’t something that would go away on its own. When he started brooding, he could make it an Olympic sport. Normally, though, he didn’t conceal his thoughts for long.

“Sure. What’s up?” There was tension in his voice and his stony expression. He wouldn’t look me in the eye. Like I was talking to a stranger rather than my lifelong friend and brother-in-law.

“Well, that’s what I want to ask you.” With one eye on the rest of the group, I muttered, “Are you pissed at me?”

He scoffed, still avoiding eye contact. “Why would I be pissed at you?”

“That’s what I would like to know. Why would you be?” I insisted. Nothing was more frustrating than talking to a brick wall, which was what this felt like. “It seems we need to clear the air since we’ll be hanging around here for a few days. I don’t want this weird vibe between us.”

He was fighting with himself. That much was obvious, his jaw ticking, nostrils flaring before he released a sigh. “There’s something we should talk about when we get back to the house,” he settled for grunting, keeping his voice low. “I’m going out of my way to keep things quiet for Pepper’s sake, and I would suggest you do the same.”

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked, stunned. We may as well have been engaged in two different conversations for all the sense he was making.

Before he could reply, Pepper joined us. “Do you have a second?” she murmured, looking pained. I noticed her phone clutched in her hand. “I think we have a little problem.”

I had to pretend I didn’t hear how Barrett snorted behind me.

What did he think he knew?

And why did he seem so pissed at me about it?

6

CONNOR

“They’re going live with the photos tomorrow.” Pepper paced the study below deck, occasionally running her fingers over the spines of leather-bound books lined up in neat rows along mahogany bookshelves. “So there goes our secret. I think it would be better if we came out and told everybody.” I couldn’t tell whether she was more disappointed or angry at having our hand forced by the paparazzi. Knowing her the way I did, the latter was more likely.

It went to show that no matter how well a person tried to prepare, there was no covering every base. My head fell back before I let out a groan. “We were so fucking careful. How did somebody get our pictures?”

“I don’t know, but they did,” she muttered darkly. As I watched, she pulled a book from a shelf and looked for a second like she wanted to throw it before changing her mind and sliding it into place again. “So much for not wanting to steal their thunder.”

“It’ll be much worse if we wait for the pictures to go public and everybody finds out that way,” I pointed out. “Nobody has to kiss our asses. We’ll announce our wedding, and that will be it.”

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