Page 9 of Beta's Virgin Bride

She turned to Cyan again and held out her hand. It did something to my heart when he took it and stood beside her. My dainty sister looked like a doll next to him.

“We’re having cocoa. Want some?”

“Do you have marshmallows?” he asked.

“We forgot the marshmallows!” Jasmine shouted then tugged Cyan’s hand and led him into the kitchen, jabbering the whole way.

She’d accepted him so easily I felt a bit jealous. One look and his promise to chase the monsters from her sleep, and Jasmine was ready to share her cocoa with him. That was a huge thing if you knew how much my sister loved her cocoa. How was I supposed to handle this? He’d been hard enough to walk away from earlier. This was all new territory for me, frightening territory if I were honest. I walked over and flipped the lock on the front door before following them into the kitchen. My mind scrambled. How did I deal with him now that he seemed to have an ally in my sister?

Before I even pushed into the kitchen, I heard their voices, laughing with an easy camaraderie. I had to close my eyes and lean my head against the wall for a moment. It was reminiscent of when Rowan was still alive. Did I dare let another man into her life? One who already assumed too much when it came to me? Hell, he’d even told Jasmine he was my mate.

I stepped in, and before I realized Cyan’s intent, I found myself sitting on his lap, which had Jasmine giggling again. I couldn’t hold back my smile. It was good to see her laugh.

“What were you two laughing about before I joined you?” I asked, trying to sit as straight as I could on his lap. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of my sister, but I wasn’t going to lean into him either.

“If you mate my sister, that’ll make you my brother, right?” Jasmine asked.

Cyan nodded, one hand around my waist, the other running up and down my spine.

“I’ve always wanted a brother.”

“Jasmine,” I began, not wanting to dim her smile but unable to let her believe what Cyan said.

“I’m going back to bed.” Jasmine jumped out of her chair, leaned in to give me a quick kiss, paused, then leaned in to give Cyan one, as well. “Night.”

I shook my head as she disappeared, then I tried to push off Cyan’s lap.

“I think I’ll keep you right where you are for now,” Cyan said, tugging on me until I tumbled back against his chest. I landed a sharp jab into his stomach with my elbow, but I think it hurt me more than it did him. “Settle down, Ivy. All I want to do is talk. For now.”

“It’s late, Cyan. I’m ready for bed.”

“And here, I thought you’d want to talk first.”

“What are you doing here, Cyan?” I refused to take that bait.

“I met an interesting person tonight. Had a lot to say.”

I stiffened against him. “Austin Mickel and the Dempsey brothers are far from interesting, and I wouldn’t believe any of the lies they spew.”

“I wasn’t talking about them.”

“Look, Cyan, I—” I broke off as I turned and saw his right arm where the sleeve was darkened with what looked like blood. “They hurt you?”

He looked surprised as I leaned in and eased the material out of the way. I wiggled then elbowed him again when he tried to hold onto me. “Damn it, Cyan. Let me get up, so I can clean this for you. You don’t know where those blades might have been.”

He grunted but released me. I walked over to the cabinet by the stove and knelt to grab the first-aid kit I kept there. I turned back toward him and almost swallowed my tongue as I took in the new view. He’d removed his shirt. Skin glistened. The heavy pelt of chest hair beckoning for me to run my fingers through it.

“Ivy.”

His voice broke the spell, and I hurried over, ripping open an antiseptic wipe and cleaning the cut. It wasn’t much of a wound. More like the blade had scraped then sliced, and it was already healing. Still, I put some ointment on it then moved away, putting up the kit, throwing away the trash then washing my hands.

“Aren’t you going to ask me who I met?”

“No.” I shook my head for emphasis, keeping my back to him, my palms braced on the sink. I expected him to stalk me, to pin me against the counter. He did neither.

“I met Rebbie.”

I closed my eyes as guilt hit me. I hadn’t checked on her in the last few weeks, and I should have. I knew how bad her home life could get. I’d gotten busy with my and Jasmine’s everyday life and lost track of time.

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