Page 11 of Degrading Her

Her husband had a brother?

Maisie squeezed my hand. “I’m sure you’ve run into each other in the past year. Family gatherings. Pickups. Carpools. Whatever.”

I tried to run through the different things I had done since reconnecting with my middle sister, but none of that made sense. I had no idea that she had a brother-in-law.

“I don’t think that’s it,” I said. “Maybe I’m making things up. Who knows? Everything has been weird lately.”

“If I find anything out, I’ll let you know,” she said. “But come on. Guys are always checking you out. I know you’re hot. But when willyoufigure out that you’re hot?”

She hugged me, and I hugged her back. Though she had disappeared for years, I was still closer to her than I was to my parents.

Bambi popped up behind her. “My sisters from another mister!” she said. She kissed our cheeks. The two of them talked for a minute, and I zoned off, staring back at that man. Trying to figure out how I knew him, or how he knew me. It’s not like I was an outgoing person. I stuck to my classes. And after that, I stayed at the library, doing my job.

Either way, my sister’s brother-in-law was interested in me. And it made me nervous.

But…I kind of liked it.

“How are you doing, Fiona?” Bambi asked. There was a note of interest in her voice, like she was trying to gauge if the alcohol had relaxed me yet.

“You know,” I said. “Surviving.”

Bambi and my sister exchanged a look, and I slumped down. This wasn’t my typical scene, like it was for them. I wanted to hide under a rock. Relief swam through me when Bambi left for the dance floor, and Maisie disappeared into the pool area. She wanted me to watch over the ballroom, basically to make sure our parents didn’t go back to the pool. But once she came back in, I’d make up an excuse about work or grad school and leave.

But as I found those blue-gray eyes again, a fire ignited inside of me: a mix of nerves, anxiety, lust, and confusion. Who was he? Why was he watching me? A few women gawked at him, but his eyes were only on me.

He narrowed the space between us, swarming me with the scent of mahogany. His blue-gray eyes took me in.

“Fiona Ross,” he said, his voice calm and controlled. A chill erupted inside of me, contrasting with the heat in my chest.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

Chapter 3

Sawyer

Fiona’s coppereyes swirled with confusion. She swayed back, away from me, but she was in the corner of the room; she had nowhere to go. Dark tendrils of hair rested on her shoulders. The ripe scent of cherries with the sweet aftermath of vanilla hung in the air. But it was the sharp intake of breath that sold me. She was nervous this time; I liked that.

“What do you want?” she whispered.

I smirked, that same practiced smile I had learned from my father. To negotiate, you had to disarm them, make them trust you, then go for the kill. It was easy once you learned what they wanted.

And Fiona? I knew exactly what she wanted.To be valued.

I extended my hand. “I’m the other Feldman son.” Her hand was small in my grip, light and loose, like she was afraid of touching me. “Sawyer Feldman.”

“How do you know my name?”

It wasn’t hard to come up with an explanation. “You’re Maisie’s sister. I’mWilder’s brother.”

She scanned me from head to toe, and I did the same to her. Hunched shoulders. Lint on her black dress. Her bottom lip puffed between her teeth. Anxious tension roaming through her limbs like frantic electricity.

“I like this dress better on you,” I said. “Suits your vixen personality.”

Her eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but grin. Yes, I had seen her ripped pink dress as she scrambled to put on the replacement. Since dropping out of medical school, she had become desperate for a hand to hold, someone to show her the way. It was fascinating to watch her fall.

She blinked her eyes rapidly. “Can I help you with anything, Mr. Feldman?”

Mr. Feldman? It was that false politeness she gave to her patrons at work.

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