Page 91 of Seduction in Spades

I snap my head up. Not the question I was expecting. “She doesn’t want that kind of relationship.”

“Not what I asked.”

I toss my empty bottle in the recycle bin next to the couch and rest my elbows on my thighs. “I’m pretty sure I’m getting there. If I’m not already there. It’s complicated.”

“What the fuck is complicated about it. You either love my sister or you’re using her.”

I rub my temples, willing the right words to come out. “Have you ever been in love, Trey?”

“Fuck no.” He says it like it’s a bad thing.

“Me either.”

He grunts as if understanding my conundrum. “How the hell do I know it’s love if I’ve never experienced it before? Do I like your sister? Yeah, a lot. Do I enjoy her company? Every second I’m with her. She lights up a room and makes me feel... alive. She’s incredibly open about some things” —like sex— “and closed up about others. Her heart is so fucking big, Trey. You should have seen her with my nephew. But even before I brought her to Ohio...” I look up at him and nod. How have I been so blind? “Yeah, I’m in love with her.”

“She didn’t look too in love with you when I stormed in and broke up your conversation tonight.”

“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t feel the same.”

“Why? How did you fuck up?”

I’m tempted to go Ryder style and make a joke about our touchy-feeling conversation, but I can see Trey is in no mood for jokes. Ryder rattles his cage, which is not something I want to replicate right now.

“I asked for too much.”

“She’s not a woman who wants to be ordered around. She likes her independence.”

“It’s one of the many things I love about her. I’ve never tried to take away her independence.” Unless I was keeping her safe from my enemies.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“You sure you want to hear this?”

“It’s my fucking sister. Yeah, I want to hear it.”

I rub the back of my neck and stare at the space on the wall behind him, not able to make eye contact. “From the beginning, she wanted to keep this thing between us purely sexual. I wanted to date her and have a relationship. She’s all for the sex—”

“Fucking Christ.” He stands abruptly, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. “I don’t want to hear this.”

In any other situation, I’d laugh.

“I don’t want her fucking other men.”

“You and me both,” I mutter under my breath.

“So go take care of Donahue and make an honest woman out of my sister.”

I look at him, stunned. I’m afraid to ask him to clarify. Afraid I didn’t hear what he said.

“Do I forgive you for sleeping with my sister behind my back? Fuck no. Do I want to accept that Avery is a grown woman and is... not a sweet little virgin? Double fuck no. But if she has to be with someone, at least I know she’ll be protected and cared for with you.”

If I were the crying type, I’d shed a tear. Not only did Trey approve of me, but he also trusts me to keep Avery safe.

Guilt twists my gut. If it weren’t for Donahue’s vendetta to get to me, Avery wouldn’t be a target.

“If I’d known I was on Donahue’s watch list, I never would have put her in this situation. I would have been more careful.”

“Yeah. You two did a pretty fucking good job keeping your relationship from me.”

---