Page 44 of Poison Vows

“Uh, I don’t know what to say to that,” I mumble.

“Maybe start with who you are to my cold, emotionless cousin? I practically had to escape his shadows down there to come up here again.”

“You got past Kai and Ty?” Those two don’t look like anyone can get past them.

“Girl, I’m an Easton. I can get past anything and anyone, apart from my cousin, but that’s beside the point.”

Looking at her now, she has a remarkable resemblance to a woman who I only met once in my life… a long time ago.

“You’re beautiful,” she suddenly says. “Are you really not sleeping with him?”

The girl taps her chin in an adorable way as she studies me.

“You’re inhismaster bedroom, just came out ofhisbathroom, wearinghisbathrobe, and even though the bed was being made when I was allowed to come up, I did notice the sheets were rumpled with evidence of some heated baby-making festivities but most evident of all, my cousin called me.”

Feeling my skin heat up. Hearing the words ‘baby making’ hits different now.

“Regardless of the suggestive optics, I can assure you, he and I have never.”

“Well of course, you’re not married yet.”

“Huh?”

The girl waves her hand dismissively. “My cousin’s nothing if not extremely respectful and honorable, even when he’s ruthless.”

Wait, what? Is she trying to say that Emmett is honorable when it comes to extramarital relations? No way!

“What are you trying to say?” I ask, my heart thundering in my chest.

But my mind is already buzzing.

Emmett hardly touches me, let alone outrightly flirt.

The last time something extreme happened between us was when I was on his lap when we were on the plane on our way to New York. Even then, it felt like we would’ve both combusted just from the raw intensity alone.

We hardly hug.

We never hold hands.

Yes, we’ve danced.

He’s even tugged me along by my wrist like the sexy Neanderthal he tends to be, but he always seems to go out of his way to keep his distance from me.

Is that an honorable respect or it’s just more proof of how undesirable I am to him?

The small, but scarce, moments we’ve been in close proximity have all ended with him disappearing on me for long periods of time.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” she says with a sly smirk as she slowly struts into the room. “You know, my cousin is known as the sexiest beast with a sniper-sharp mind.”

“Is it? Good for him,” I say dismissively, wanting to change the topic, due to the sudden surge of something ugly in my chest, but the girl doesn’t stop.

“He makes girls go crazy for him. For a drop of his attention, they would do anything, and I do mean anything! Even dignified women from all over the world, all willing and eager!”

Another sharp pang blasts in through my chest.

Of course there are girls out there that lust after him. A whole world of them, apparently.

And if even his cousin knows this, God only knows how he responds to those girls.

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