Page 73 of Of Pranks and Passion

“Or you’re too chicken to push. He won’t bite. He’s like a feral dog. He just needs a little extra love,” he cooed. Jayden tried to put his arm around Easton’s shoulders, but Easton snapped his teeth, forcing Jayden to backpedal or find out if Easton would actually bite him. My money was on yes. Yes, he would.

“Children,” Mr. Warner chided. He shook his head and smiled at me. “They never truly grow up. So, Gary. How did you and my son meet?”

“School,” I answered, forcing my voice higher than a whisper. Don’t be awkward, don’t be awkward. “We share a few classes together. Our majors overlap, I guess.”

“Oh? And what’s your major?” Mr. Warner prompted.

“Accounting.”

That caught Sierra’s attention, and she sat forward, looking more interested now. “You’re going to become an accountant?”

I nodded quickly, but kept my reason to myself. I craved financial stability after being raised the way I was. Accounting was boring but stable.

“And how’s that going? Easton hasn’t told us anything about his classes,” Mrs. Warner jumped in. Easton didn’t appreciate the jab, and I felt him stiffen, so out of habit, I put my hand on top of his on his knee. Which was how I accidentally showed the entire room my engagement ring. Mrs. Warner’s jaw dropped.

“Is that… Are you engaged?”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

GARY

I blanchedand jerked my hand back, but it was too late. The massive ring wasn’t exactly easy to hide. All eyes bored into me and Easton, who didn’t look at all bothered. Because of course he didn’t. This was his thing. The tension in the room swelled with potential chaos, and Easton loved every minute.

“Easton?” Mr. Warner demanded.

Easton’s only reply was a shrug. “He’s cute.”

I couldn’t help it. I slapped my palm to my face and whimpered. Note to self: never give Easton the opportunity to explain something you can explain for him. He’ll only look to make trouble.

It almost seemed like his chaos meter was dialed to eleven now that he was home. Because he didn’t like his family? Or because he felt safe to be himself around them without fear of repercussion. What would that be like? To be around your family with absolutely no fear? I’d be jealous if I could feel anything but panic at that moment.

In a move that I only barely caught as I lifted my head, Sierra leaned over and grabbed Easton by the ear, tugging hard enoughto make him growl. “Don’t be an asshole. If you really give a shit about Gary, you’d realize you’re freaking him out.”

Uh oh. Maybe I should have mentioned to Jayden beforehand about how possessive Easton was? Because he didn’t like someone even hinting that he didn’t care about me. I knew Easton cared. Maybe not in a lovey-dovey way, but he cared. He took care of me and did what he could to make me happy, even when it made him uncomfortable.

The dark look that morphed over Easton’s face made them all lean back a little. Before he could open his mouth and make things worse, I quickly covered his mouth with my hands and forced out a smile.

“Can, uh… Can we have a second?”

Mr. Warner was still frowning, but he dipped his chin once just as someone in a server outfit stepped through the door to announce dinner. I hesitated, but Jayden shooed me out.

“Just go. We’ll see you in the dining room. Easton knows the way.”

I wasn’t going to wait around for someone to change their mind. I grabbed Easton’s hand and launched off the couch, physically dragging him out of the room and into the hallway. Since I didn’t get a good look around, I wasn’t sure where to go, but I found an open door along the way that led into a library. An actual freaking library. I came to an abrupt halt, momentarily forgetting my mission as I stared in awe around the room.

“Holy shit.”

My revelry broke Easton’s mood, and he snorted, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. “So to get you to swear, I just had to surprise you?”

I flapped a hand but couldn’t be bothered to look away from the room. “Probably not. Nothing is as stunning as– Do those shelves go all the way up to the ceiling? How do you get up there to read the books?”

Easton rested his chin on my shoulder, turning me just enough to point at the ladder resting on wheels against one shelf.

“Holy shit! You have a Belle ladder!”

“A what?” His voice had a frown, like he didn’t know what I was referring to. I froze and looked over my shoulder incredulously.

“Like from The Beauty and the Beast? The movie?”

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