Page 66 of Secret Crush

"She's been like that all our lives. Don't let her get to you."

"Easier said than done."

Alice tucked her hair behind her ear. "I was supposed to move into my condo."

Colt crossed his arms. "Why didn't you discuss it with your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

That just blurted out as a defense. Alice wished she could take the words back. Her feelings for John were too complicated.

"He's not? So I should go in there and beat him?"

She grabbed her brother's arm with both hands. "No."

Colt called out over the music. "John, would you date my sister?"

John walked inside with three glasses of iced tea and placed them on the table next to him. "Yes. I already said I'd marry her."

"The last time you said that it didn't end well." Again, he told the same lie to her family. Everyone was liable to believe it. She shook her head. This was ridiculous. "Colt, stay out of my life. Wait. Don't you have to get back to Clara?"

"You want me to leave so you can talk to your guy?"

"Stop it, Colt."

"Sorry I can't stay for dinner, John," Colt said.

Her entire body heated. She pushed her brother to the door. He stalled and dug his heels in. "If you want this guy then go for it, Sis. Don't let what Mom says get in your head."

No answers on what charged up her mother against John in the first place. She'd ask later. It was more important to get Colt out the door before he had it in his head to speak to Mom about wedding planning. "Thank you."

He stalled again. Perhaps talking to Colt was a bad idea. He placed his hands in his pockets. "For what?"

The Marines had transformed her brother into someone nicer, but he was still her family. She nodded. "For support no matter what I choose."

Colt glared at John who stayed quiet throughout all this. "You're my sister. I'll kill him for you if I have to." Colt then kissed her forehead.

Too much discussion about death. Everyone's heads stayed attached to their bodies in her mind, and no bullet would graze any of them. "Personally, I like John's head on his body. We do have to talk about something else."

John ducked out of the room, scratching the back of his head. "What?"

She lowered her voice. "Peter Morgan wants to end our contract."

Colt's gaze turned to ice. He reminded her of their mother as he said, "Then let's find new buyers."

"It's one of the things I wanted to work on at my condo, away from distractions."

"Close your bedroom door and use the computer." Colt crossed his arms. "You think John will stop you from working?"

John''s footsteps echoed behind her. Her body tensed. "No."

"I had already prepared this. Wish you could stay." John came in with a cheese tray. As neither of them were speaking, he asked, "What's going on?"

Her brother shrugged. "We're talking business. Alice just told me that your brother canceled the contract."

She took the tray from John and set it next to the iced teas as he said, "I'll buy all your products and get them into stores."

Alice waved her arms in front of the men. No one would shake on that offer. "You don't have the business to do that. You're not Peter."

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