Page 126 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

“FuckingEnglish, Katia! Allison is here too.”

He shot a glance at Allison, who was sitting on the couch, her eyes bouncing back and forth like she was watching a particularly thrilling tennis match. This was as much her home as it was his, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel like an outsider while he and Katerina threw rapid-fire Greek around the room.

Also, he had other reasons. Verypressingreasons.

If Katia stays here, I’ll never get a moment alone with Allison. Never get to kiss her, hold her, or—let’s be real—do anything remotely fun.

I will literally die if I can’t touch her.

And on top of that?Katia cannot stay here or my balls will fall off.

“Fine!” Katerina threw her hands up in frustration, tugging at her copper-brown hair as ifshewas the one dealing with an unreasonable sibling. “I won’t even bother you! I just need a place to stay for a couple of months! Again—until I find a place of my own!”

“A hotel exists for this exact reason!” Angelo fired back, exasperated.

“I don’t want to stay at a hotel,re maláka, I want to stay here!” Katerina’s tone was like nails on a chalkboard.

“But—”

“Okay, shut up!” Allison’s voice sliced through their argument like a blade. Angelo froze mid-rant, turning to face her. Her pancake plate sat empty on the coffee table, but the way she was glaring at him and his sister said, “I’ve had enough of this circus.”

Shit. Her blood pressure.

Angelo’s mind immediately switched to panic mode. Allison didn’t need this stress right now, not with the baby. He was seconds away from physically pulling his sister out of the apartment when Katerina opened her mouth to speak again.

“I’m sorry, Allison, but he—”

“No.” Allison raised her hand, cutting Katerina off like a pro. The younger woman’s mouth snapped shut in surprise.

Angelo’s jaw nearly dropped.So. Fucking. Hot.

Allison turned her attention to Katerina, her expression calm and collected, the way she looked when handling a particularly tricky client at work. “Why do you want to stay here, Katia?”

Katerina hesitated, then let out a breath. “I got into a surgical residency program here in Seattle.” Her words were rushed, but they hit Angelo like a truck.

All the anger drained out of him, replaced with a flood of pride. His baby sister. The girl who used to beg him to play “doctor” when they were kids—though he’d always been the “patient”—had made it. All those late-night study sessions, years of hard work, and here she was, about to start her career as a surgeon.

Angelo beamed inside, his heart swelling.

That’s my little sister.

“And until I start getting paid enough to afford rent, I just need a place to crash. I promise it’s only for a few months.”

Angelo’s protective big-brother instincts battled against his need for privacy. Sure, he could put her up in a nice hotel and avoid the whole situation, but… damn it, this was Katerina. His little sister who used to steal his cereal just to annoy him. How could he say no?

But then there was Allison, sitting there, watching the whole thing unfold. He needed her to be comfortable.

If she’s not okay with this, it’s not happening. No matter how much I love my sister.

Before he could come up with a diplomatic solution, Allison spoke again. “Let us show you to your room, then.”

Angelo turned to stone, his mouth falling open as Katerina squealed like a kid who’d just been told she was getting a pony. She leapt off the couch and threw her arms around Allison, practically bouncing with excitement. “Thank you so much! I swear, I’ll repay you somehow. I promise.”

Allison laughed softly, patting Katerina’s back with the grace of someone who’d spent their whole life in a house full of siblings. Angelo’s heart skipped a beat again. She was a natural—breaking up fights, handling difficult conversations, and being the calm center in the storm.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Allison was already a mother, long before the baby arrived. She had the patience, the compassion, the strength. She was everything he could have hoped for and more.

She’s already part of the family,Angelo realized, watching his sister and Allison hug like they’d known each other for years.She just doesn’t know it yet.

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