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“Yes, my love. But I never claimed the competition was stiff.” While Max searched for a decent comeback, Éti added, “I expect you’d like to get dressed, wouldn’t you, Caspian? I’ll make you a coffee.”

CHAPTER 21

MAX

“He’s pretty,” observed Éti as she finished drying my dishes. She stacked them on top of one another. I liked them to air dry for a few minutes before I did that.

“He will be sad if you saw his?—"

“I did see his arms,” she interrupted calmly. “And I won’t tell Nico about them. Not if you prefer I didn’t.”

Already rocking on the balls of my feet, I counted my fingers. “You can tell him. Honesty is important in relationships.”

“It is.” She glanced up at me. “And, on that subject, has your friend Caspian told you everything now?”

“Yes! Stop trying to protect me!”

“Only if you stop shouting.” Éti spread the tea towel out to dry almost exactly how I liked it. “I understand he’s having a very tough time, Max, I really do. When it blows over, what then? He’s leaning on you now, but once this filming comes to an end, he’ll be back in London, won’t he?”

“No. There’s nothing for him there. He’ll want to stay here with me looking after him.”

She sighed. “You don’t know that, Max.”

“Yes I do!”

“People don’t fall in love with you just because you want them to, my love.”

My annoyance rocketed. “He already has done. He just doesn’t realise it yet. He will want to stay. Why wouldn’t he? I have a house and a stable income and very good teeth. And I’m excellent at penetrative sex!”

The last part came out rather more loudly than I’d intended. In retrospect, I preferred it hadn’t come out at all. Voice modulation and thought filtering were perennial challenges. Behind me, someone cleared their throat.

Éti gave one of the bright smiles she used with interviewers. “Ah, Caspian. Good. The coffee has just brewed. Do you take sugar?”

Merde.

“Er… no, thank you.”

I spun around as she handed my lover a mug. This morning, Caspian looked very small and pale. Éti, in contrast, wearing the yellow dress she’d pinned on me, zinged like the sun.

“I tell Éti most things,” I explained. “She’s very good at secrets.”

He dropped his head, cradling his mug. I wanted to hug him, but from the stiff way he held himself, I wasn’t sure he’d welcome it. “I’m not used to having my private life aired in public. I’m going to have to get used to it.”

“Éti isn’t public!”

He gave me a lopsided half smile. “I know.” His eyes flicked up to Éti. “It’s okay. And it’s true, anyway.”

Éti laughed. “The La Forges have big enough egos already without bolstering them even more.”

“Says the woman with the biggest ego this side of Jupiter,” chimed an annoying voice. Nico shambled in, with Noir sniffing at his heels. At least he hadn’t heard me boasting.

“This is my brother,” I said to Caspian with a jerk of my head. “Nico.”

As they shook hands, Nico grinned with his good teeth. “Try to sound a little more enthusiastic, Max.”

I’d never introduced a sexual partner to my brother before, though I’d met plenty of his. I was proud to introduce Caspian, even though he looked like shit. One day, he’d be proud of himself too.

“Let’s adjourn to the sofa, shall we?” suggested Éti.

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