Page 305 of Tempted By her Daddies

Please don’t ask too many questions.

It was growing increasingly harder and harder to lie to these people. And she didn’t want to do it anymore.

But if they knew the truth about you, then none of them would even want to be near you, let alone speak to you.

“My mum died when I was around ten and I was raised by my grandpa.”

Sympathy filled everyone’s faces and she hated it.

“I hear that your daughter is engaged. Congratulations,” she said, wanting to change the subject.

She really didn’t want their sympathy for a false story.

Jad gave a slight nod. “Yes. It is very good.”

Salem sighed as she glanced up at him. He shook his head with a wink.

Drat.

She’d messed up again.

“Dinner! Come sit at the table,” his mum called out.

Everyone got up and left, but she stayed sitting, her men with her.

“I keep messing up and saying the wrong thing,” she muttered.

Alexei walked in front of her and held out his hand. She slid her hand into his, letting him pull her up. To her surprise, he drew her close to him.

“No, you’re not messing up anything. You’re just being your beautiful, crazy self and they already like you. But every family has . . . quirks.”

“My mum doesn’t want my sister to get married in Escana,” Salem explained.

“Oh, why not? It’s beautiful.” Shoot. “From what I’ve heard, I mean.”

Because you haven’t been there, you idiot.

“It is, but my mum hasn’t left the UK since she immigrated here as a baby,” Salem replied. “Anyway, I’ll work on convincing her. Come on, let’s go eat before Con gets to it all.”

46

Alexei stared at his girl from across the table. He’d deliberately sat across from her rather than next to her like Salem and Roman.

Because this way he could study her more closely.

There was something going on with her.

Sure, maybe she’d been joking when she told Erica she would fight her to the death.

But there was the way she’d knocked away Salem’s hand.

She had some sort of training; he was certain of it.

He was also pretty sure that she was hiding things from them. It was in the way she sometimes spoke, she’d hesitate or backtrack. And he was certain that he’d caught a glimpse of guilt on her face sometimes.

He could be wrong.

But he didn’t think he was.

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