Page 85 of Lush

I nodded, and Laurene’s eyes flickered to me.

“How do you know this? Did you speak to him?”

Now it was my turn to look away. “We need to keep a closer eye on him. I saw that seal on that car, now he’s asking about you…” I shook my head. No coincidence.

“You’re right. We should be careful.”

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” I muttered in frustration. “Every time I think I’ve got you figured out, there’s more. There’s always more.”

Recoiling slightly, she met my gaze, eyes wide.

I stepped back, and ran a hand through my hair, clearing my head. “Did you kiss my brother before we got on that yacht?”

Silence.

Laurene’s eyes flashed; I couldn’t decipher the emotion. “And why would you ask that, Reese?”

“Did you kiss him?”

The quiet got heavier. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Is it true?” I moved closer, invading her space, and she backed up, but I kept going.

Her lips parted, but she said nothing. “What does that change?”

“It changes how I see you. How I seeus.” I crowded her, forcing her to look at me until there was barely any space between us. “Kissing him wasn’t the plan.”

Fear.It was clear in her eyes.

“Did you?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

I released her instantly, my head shaking, a whirlwind of emotions and questions flooding my mind.

“Wait! It’s not what you think?—”

I spun around. “You kissed my brother!”

Her eyes darted, guilty, but she didn’t speak.

“Why?” I growled. “Why the hell did you do it? Still keeping secrets after everything. And you expect me to trust you?”

“I was protecting us,” she said quickly, eyes wide, but I wasn’t buying it. “Protecting you, protecting what we have. That’s why I did it.”

My head shook in anger.

“He dared me to do it.”

I froze. “Hedaredyou?”

Laurene nodded, and this time she pushed past me, heading toward my kitchen.

“He was…testingme, Reese. I was about to leave to get on the yacht, and Mrs. Fontaine caught us. She started talking, and then she wanted to get a picture of the new couple kissing for theLush Chronicle.”

I watched, frowning, as she searched my cabinets.

“I thought he was just going to kiss me on the cheek, but he pulled me in too fast, and I couldn’t turn my head in time. He kissed me on the lips.”

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