Page 48 of Milo

Milo grimaces. "Do not say a word, Kiara."

I press my lips into a thin line, suppressing a stream of chuckles. "It's a good look on you. Very...colorful."

"My niece," he sighs. "She is very convincing."

"Kiki!" Natalia coos, jumping out of her seat. She runs toward me and grabs hold of my hand. "Come bounce with me." She latches onto Milo's hand as well. "Let's go now, okay?"

I blink, my gaze darting to the inflatable castle in the distance and then down to my chest.

"Bounce?"

Milo stands up, a smug smirk on his face. I would think that a man with a pink insect painted on his cheek would lose some of his sex appeal but he's just as attractive, perhaps slightly less scary, but attractive.

"Kiara would love to bounce with you, Talia," Milo says as his niece drags us to the castle. He lowers his voice so only I can hear him, "Perhaps it is my birthday today as well."

I roll my eyes as the attendant tells us to take off our shoes.

"I would think this would be more of a punishment than a gift.”

We climb into the wobbly purple interior, the trapped heat instantly boiling my skin as Natalia and two of her friends begin prancing around us. Our bodies teeter up and down from the motion.

Milo frowns, realization dawning on him as I bend my knees and start jumping. I keep my gaze locked on his darkening eyes as gravity becomes my best fucking friend.

Oh. Yes. Definitely a punishment.

"You not bouncing!" Natalia shouts at her uncle. "Zio! Bounce."

Milo shoots his niece a warm smile laced with undertones of annoyance as he matches my rhythm.

"You are an evil woman," he says, my heart rate climbing from the repetitive jumps. "This is worse than torture."

I smirk, pleased that he's suffering. "Maybe you should close your eyes. Ease the pain."

Milo's expression hardens. "I never believed in nominative determinism until I met you, Kiara. But it seems as though your only job is to cause me great pain."

His breadth of knowledge impresses me. “Funny. Maybe you're right."

"I am seldom wrong," he says as Natalia grabs his hand and pulls him away from me, forcing him to jump around in a circle with her and her friends.

I'm sure Milo's niece would've stayed in the bouncy castle all night long if she could, so when Julia hollers into the tent, saying it's time for cake, I'm relieved to finally get out of this sweat infused sauna.

All the guests crowd around the head table, smiling and clapping as Natalia blows out her candles, the smoke floating up into the star-infested sky. The night wraps up shortly after Natalia opens all her lavish gifts: luxury electric toy cars, jewelry, life-sized stuffed animals.

"Natalia," Julia begins, looking down at her sleepy daughter as the guests trickle out of the gardens. "It is time for bed now. Do you want to walk to your room, or do you want me to carry you?"

"Carry," Talia yawns, holding up her arms.

I blink, surprised that she didn't protest. "You're good.”

"Psychology, cara," she whispers, lifting her child into her arms. "Useful in many respects."

"Milo told me you're a psychologist.” I follow Julia up the stairs to Natalia's bedroom. "What made you choose that field?"

Julia pushes the hair out of her daughter's face, Natalia's eyes closing. She's a trooper for staying up this late.

"I wanted to help people. When you're raised in a family like mine, it is hard to see the good sometimes. I just wanted to do something that might balance all the evil."

"Do you practice?" I ask in a quiet tone as we enter Talia's room. She wasn't lying. Everything is pink. Julia lays her daughter on the bed, draping the princess comforter on top of her tiny snoozing body.

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