Page 46 of Pin-up Girl

As much as I appreciated him stepping in, “Aubrey can speak for herself,” I said. “I’m not driving to Salt Lake every day for wedding plans. That’s more than an hour each way.”

Peter nuzzled Sylvie’s neck. “I thought you said your sister was sweet.” His voice was a stage whisper.

“She is. We’ll figure it out. Buy me breakfast?” Sylvie tugged Peter toward the door.

“Do you have today off, Sylvie?” I didn’t know why I asked. It might be the part of me that needed any subtle way I could find to remind this irritating man that my sister was her own woman.

Peter gave me a withering look. “From wedding planning? She just told you we’d figure it out.”

Sylvie paled, though.

“From her job. Senior Vice President. That prestigious thing that she dedicated a portion of her adult life to?”

“She quit her job.” Peter’s words landed hard.

She what? I stared at Sylvie, who tugged Peter toward the doorway with more insistence.

“My wife doesn’t need to work.” Peter didn’t budge.

I stared harder at Sylvie, who was doing an incredible job of avoiding my gaze.

“I’m starved, Lover.” Her tone was sweet. Submissive.

What. The. Fuck?

“Breakfast it is.” Peter finally let Sylvie pull him from my apartment.

I continued to stare in disbelief at the open door, even after they were out of sight. I had too many thoughts to focus on any single one.

“Umm…” Brodie’s voice rammed its way into my thoughts and splintered the clusterfuck growing in my mind.

Easy questions first. “Why were you and Sebastian here?”

“I ran into him on my way over. Mentioned Sylvie wasn’t here right now, and he said he had a delivery to drop off. He’s trying to avoid her.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” It was the only thing about this morning that did. My sister was marrying a possessive douche and had quit her job? The lucrative career that she’d discarded so much else to have?

I shouldn’t be ignoring Brodie, but there were other mental priorities. I grabbed my phone from the kitchen and sent my sister a text.

Me: You’re not getting out of this so easily. We’re going to talk the instant you’re free.

Sylvie: Okay.

Not the answer I wanted, but it would do for now.

“A lesser person would be figuring out how to work this into a conversation with Grandma.” Brodie’s voice was kind.

I couldn’t do that, as much as the idea had a certain appeal. “This isn’t a competition with my sister.”

“Isn’t it?”

“No. Grandma dislikes me regardless of what Sylvie does.” I sighed, and tried to sort my thoughts into something functional. I wasn’t going to get answers from Sylvie yet, as much as I wanted them. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see you, and awesome timing by the way, but you still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

Brodie held up a paper bag from Kingu Kafe. “I brought you breakfast, and wanted to ask you at the same time if you were free for dinner tonight.”

Was I? I frowned.

“Not the reaction I expected,” Brodie said.

---