Page 49 of Smith

“You’ll learn to ignore them,” Ivy told her. “Good news is they burn themselves out fast. That is unless Kira here gets a wild hair, then her and my husband can do this for hours.”

That was the goddamn truth. Normally it was amusing. Not so much when they were working themselves up to dig into me and Aria.

The good news was, Aria grinned. The bad news was I knew what that grin said.

“Well in that case, I’ll help a sister out,” Aria began with her eyes on Kira. “No need to worry about prophylactic distribution. I have an IUD.” She paused long enough to transfer her stare to Jonas. “And you’re a traitor. I thought we connected after our rocky musical start. Just because you sold me out, today’s a Backstreet Boy day. All day.” Aria stopped again to look at Zane but before she could say anything more Jonas cut in.

“That is cruel and unusual punishment,” he griped.

“I don’t do anything half measure and I hold a mean grudge. I’ll also torture myself if it means torturing you.”

Fuck, she was cute.

I knew Jonas thought so too when he smirked.

“A woman after my own heart.”

I clenched my jaw in an effort to ignore Jonas’s taunt.

“And you,” Aria continued. “Mr. Cock Blocker. I get you and my dad are friends but I’m an adult and can handle myself and my?—”

“Aria,” I growled my warning to stop her from inflaming the situation that had nowhere to turn but down if she finished her sentence.

“Don’t growl at me, Sailor.”

“Baby, if you engage we’ll be sitting here for the next hour exchanging barbs. We got shit to do today, not to mention I’m already fed up. Help us out and don’t feed the bear.”

“Fine,” she snapped. “But only because you’re right and I want to get to work.”

Christ I wished we weren’t in a room full of people so I could kiss that haughty look off her face. I should’ve known she’d willfully and happily jump headfirst into the shit talk and she’d enjoy every minute of it.

“Just so we’re clear I’m the bear in this scenario?” Zane asked.

“In this scenario, correct.” Aria continued to entertain Zane. “Though normally, Smith’s the bear and he eats?—”

“I have an office here,” I warned.

Instead of my warning doing what I’d hoped, it spurred the woman on.

Aria turned to Ivy and Kira and educated them. “He likes to make threats, crazy threats I’ve informed him aren’t really threats but he’s yet to learn.”

“In seconds you’re gonna learn what my palm on your ass feels like.”

“See!” she exclaimed. “Like, who doesn’t like a good?—”

“Fucking shit,” Zane thankfully interrupted Aria. “If my wife didn’t already cut them off your father would.”

“For the last time,” Ivy sighed. “It’s called a vasectomy and your balls are still there. Though if you don’t stop your bellyaching I can see about removing them completely. And if that doesn’t stop your complaining I can always give you something to complain about and get a dog. A small, littleyappy dog I can dress up and carry around in a purse like a Kardashian.”

Zane visibly shuddered before he pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat while keeping a hand on a sleeping Rose’s head.

How that child slept through Zane’s booming voice was a miracle. Either that, or the child was simply conditioned to sleep through her father’s obnoxiousness.

“No letter yesterday.” Zane finally shifted the conversation to work.

“None the day before either,” I reminded him.

“No need to stop by planning and zoning,” Kira told us. “I already pulled the address. No permits were issued. I’m going to call Brittney today and ask her when the work was done and who did it. Unless Aria wants to do it, which might be better than a cold call from me.”

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