Page 59 of Rules in Love
“He emails me a few times a week, you know. Texts me sometimes too. He always says it’s to check in on Iris, his number-one girl. Do you think he…? No, no, that’s silly.”
“Evie, I’ve told you before. I don’t know what you are talking about when you start mid-sentence. Who emails you?”
After a long pause, she replied, “Nate.”
“What? Nate? Nate emails you a few times a week? I’m lucky to get a message once a month, and you’ve been getting weekly emails and texts? For how long?”
“Since we left Byron. And he has messaged you. You just bloody ghost everyone all the time.”
I ignored her factual ghosting remarks and focused on gross Nate stuff.
“Jesus, Evie. He’s still into you. Fuck. That’s rich. That bastard gave me so much shit for chasing Shelby, and he’s been doing the same thing behind my back this whole time.”
“Daddy, you said sweaws!”
“Shit, sorry, bubs.”
Iris was in hysterics. Evie and I were not. “You said anothew, Daddy!”
After flashing Iris an apologetic grin in the mirror, I focused on my sister. “Evie. I am putting my foot down on this. I insist you end this…this…online relationship with my childhood friend. A friend who happens to be your niece’s uncle. It’s fu—freaking weird.” Catching my swear earned me a clap of approval from the swear police in the back, but my words did not sit well with the other passenger.
“My God, Finn. You’re such a hypocrite. Number one, Nate is not chasing me. He is checking on his niece, which he wouldn’t have to do so often if you pulled your head out of your own ass and called him. Number two, even if he was, I am not related to him, and neither are you. Iris is the only one who is, and there is no difference between Nate and me being together and Shelby and you. And on that subject, I’m pretty sure Nate got over that years ago. It’s ancient history, and you bloody well know it.”
“Now that Aunty Evie is sweawing, can I sweaw too?”
“No!” Evie and I chorused in agreement.
The heated discussion continued until I pulled up at Rubirosa. Before Evie jumped out, she leaned into my shoulder, pinched my neck, and whispered through gritted teeth,“I’m not talking about this with you anymore, Finnley. Who I choose to talk to is none of your damn business. You need to focus on controlling your boner around Scarlett and not my life.” In a chilling change of tone, she then turned and flashed a smile to Iris. “Back in a second, bubs.”
Evie was right. I did have a boner issue.
Sitting across the table from a woman as beautiful as Scarlett, feeling the way I did but holding myself back, was exhausting, oddly exhilarating, and not enough to stop the party in my pants. I hadn’t had this many spontaneous hard-ons since I was fourteen. I was starting to feel like Nate.
The lousy mood I carried with me into the restaurant dissolved when my lips caressed her cheek, and she removed her black trench coat. Hidden beneath it was a pale-pink dress that could be best described as a slip, black pantyhose, the ones with the line up the back that led all the way to trouble, and stilettos that could be classed as a weapon. I was tempted to drop to the ground and ask her to stand on my neck, but I resisted. Her trademark red-stained lips finished off the killer look that had me discreetly adjusting myself within seconds.
To make matters worse…
“Teddy isn’t with you?” I asked, pretending to look behind her but really looking at her round ass.
“Nope. He ditched us for Asher. He’s going to meet us there once they’ve finished dinner.”
“Oh. So, we’re alone?”
“Yup. Just you, me, and the other people eating—which there are very few of.” We looked around the near-empty restaurant. “God, I know this place is new, but there are three other people here.” As she spoke, a couple at one table paid their bill and left. “Make that one other people…person.”
“At least we won’t have to wait long for the food.” Nudging her in the elbow, I smiled and tried to ignore how it shook her boobs. “I could eat a horse.” I couldn’t. Again, as Evie Nostradamus Austen predicted, I felt like I was gonna chuck. But I didn’t want Scarlett to feel bad about the forthcoming food poisoning.
“You might be in luck.” She smiled, scanning the room again. “Maybe they serve horse meat, and that’s why there’s no one here.”
Twenty-five minutes later, we’d ordered our mains, were enjoying our appetizers, and I had decided there was no way I could keep this up. I wanted her and was falling for her. I knew it. She knew it. And so did almost everyone around us.
Which was no one. We were the only customers.
“I’m so relieved the food has been good…so far. What’s in these crumbed egg-looking things again?”
“Rice, tomato, some egg to bind the breadcrumbs, and the most important ingredient of all…fresh mozzarella,” explained Spiro, our waiter and part owner. Spiro was Greek. His wife, Natalie, the chef, was Italian, and as their only customers, they brought us a selection of entrees and their family history.
“So, there’s a lot of cheese?” Scarlett asked, her face full of concern as she sucked a long string between her lips.
