Page 42 of Finding Forever

Solely because hewasn’tCade.

“I don’t… I doubt…” Her helpless gaze fluttered to Cade and she was startled to find him staring at his brother with something close to animosity roiling behind that placid gaze. Nobody else seemed to notice it. They were all laughing at Nox’s off-color comment.

When he realized that she was watching him, Cade slammed the brakes on his emotions…hard. His face and eyes went blank in an instant and he stepped forward, to close his hand around Fern’s bicep and gently tugged her toward him.

“You’re making mywifeuncomfortable, Nox.” His voice was mild, but there was an undertone of frost lurking just beneath it.

Nox immediately dropped his arm, and put some space between him and Fern.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, little mouse,” he sounded sincerely contrite. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Uh… you didn’t,” the people-pleaser in Fern immediately appeased, even though she hadn’t liked his assertion that the brothers were interchangeable in this marriage deal. She wouldn’t have wanted Nox, not even if she’d met him first that night at the gala.

Cade was the one who made her feel safe and protected. She wasn’t sure how she felt about his brother, who was a little too loud, too brash, toomuch.

Cade’s hand was still loosely wrapped around her upper arm, so big his fingers could encircle her bicep and meet with room to spare. She inched her way closer to her husband, liking the shelter he provided, but he noticed the movement and dropped his hand, leaving her feeling a little woebegone at the loss of his impersonal touch.

The interaction between Nox and Fern had been left behind in the wake of the excited chatter among the other three siblings as they raced to catch up on so many months apart. Only Fern and Cade still stood at that waypoint, staring at it each other wordlessly.

“I wouldn’t have,” she told him beneath her breath, and his brows lowered as he bent his head toward her in an attempt tohear what she’d said. She stood on her toes and she repeated her words.

He didn’t lift his head, merely tilted his jaw toward, bringing his mouth perilously close to touching the sensitive skin below her ear as he asked, “Wouldn’t have what?”

“Married Nox.”

He put some distance between them as he sought her eyes, his gaze narrowed on hers and his lips curled a little cynically at whatever he saw there before he leaned toward her again.

“Why not? One brother is pretty much the same as the other. Nox or me, it wouldn’t have mattered. We’d still have Lambecrete and you’d still have our protection for the next few years.”

Fern hated that his words wounded her, hated that she flinched in response to them… hated that it probably reflected in her face and sounded in the soft, startled inhalation of breath.

This time she was the one who drew back to look at him, but once again his face was schooled into that hateful, unreadable mask.

“Would you have preferred if it was him?” she asked, knowing she shouldn’t. Not when she wasn’t emotionally prepared to hear his reply.

He shrugged, the unconcern in the gesture staggering in its utter dismissal of Fern as anybody of significance in his life.

“You and I don’t suit, Nox would likely have made you a better husband. It would’ve been easier.”

“Easier for you?”

“Yes.”

This was a purely transactional, business relationship. Feelings had no place here. And yet, Fern’s eyes stung, her throat felt swollen, and her nose burned as she fought back the incipient tears. She ducked her head, refusing to let him see the humiliating truth in her eyes. Not wanting to make things awkward for any of the rest of them either. She felt like anunwanted obligation, easily and eagerly foisted off onto the next person. And the fact that he would’ve been happy to simply see her parceled off to his brother instead, hurt more than it should’ve.

His hand came up to her chin and he tilted her head upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Why does that upset you?” he asked, voice gruff, eyes confused and concerned. “This is just business, Fern.”

Which was exactly what she’d just been thinking. Fern jerked her head back, forcing him to release her.

“It doesn’t hurt me. Not at all. Just pregnancy hormones and all that. I got caught up in the intense emotion of your family reunion and all that.” She strove for carelessness and failed miserably. He looked unconvinced. Of course, he did, she hadn’t even been the slightest bit convincing.

“Anyway, let me uh— get to know your brother then… my almost-husband. Maybe we can organize a straight swap if you guys are so interchangeable. Would that suit you better?”

His gaze transformed into a glare and his jaw tightened.

“I’m afraid we’re stuck with each other for the duration,” he said between gritted teeth and she gave him a tight smile.

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