Page 32 of The Au Pair Affair

“The third member of the cheap room rental dark triad?”

“Yes.” Chloe sighed.

“SigGauthier?” shouted one of the guys offering them a napkin.

“Yes,” Chloe said, louder, finally taking one of the napkins and stooping down to quickly mop the spilled drink off Tallulah’s feet, before Tallulah could tell her not to worry about it. By the time Chloe stood up again, Sig had reached the bar—and he didn’t look happy. At all. His icy glare traveled over the bevy of men surrounding Tallulah and Chloe, growing colder by the second. At least until Chloe said, “Sig!” and threw her arms around his neck.

The hockey player blinked a few times, the ice thawing slightly, before he drew her in with one thick arm. “Time to go, Chloe.”

“I was going to call an Uber.”

“I’m your Uber. Where’s your purse?”

“Ummm. I think I only brought my phone and my debit card.”

“Youthink?” He started to brush a hand down the back of Chloe’s head, but stopped before he could complete the action, curling his hand into a fist and stepping away. “This is why I can’t relax when you go out.”

“Youcanrelax, actually. I’m a fully functional adult.”

“I told your mother I would keep an eye on you.” He returned to frowning at the men in the vicinity, clearly not moved by the hero worship they were projecting in his direction. “Obviously she asked for a good reason.”

Chloe’s expression grew shuttered.

Very pointedly, she turned her back on Sig.

He threw up his hands and rolled his eyes.

“Can I get you to autograph this napkin, man?” asked the frat guy behind Tallulah.

“No,” Sig replied, without missing a beat.

Chloe’s lips pressed into a line for a tense second, but she brightened almost just as quickly. “It’s okay.” She smiled sweetly at the frat guy. “I’ll write my number on it, instead.”

Sig snorted and crossed his arms.

Until the guy happily produced a pen, extending it toward Chloe.

The hockey player intercepted it. “Fine, an autograph. You want it personalized?”

While the autograph transaction took place, Chloe gave Tallulah a look of clear exasperation and pointed at Sig. “Huge problem,” she mouthed.

Tallulah was starting to worry the relationship between these future stepsiblings might be an even bigger problem than Chloe seemed to realize, but she was distracted by that thought when Sig finished his autograph and hit her with a scrutinizing glance. “You’re Tallulah?”

“You’re the guy who tried to trick me into renting a room for next to nothing with Chloe?”

He reared back slightly. “Hold up. I’m not the only one.”

“You’re the only one who hasn’t apologized.”

He looked kind of impressed, not that she was trying to impress this man who thought he could barge into the club and order his adult future stepsister around. “Consider this my formal apology, then.”

Tallulah inclined her head. “I’ll let you know when I formally accept.”

Sig’s lips twisted in something that came close to a smile. “You need a ride, too?”

This was fine. Chloe would be there. “Are you going in the direction of Beacon Hill?”

“Not really, but it’s not a problem.” Sig tipped his head toward the exit. “There’s no traffic this time of night.”

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