Page 96 of Flame
This situation isn’t real; it’s a marriage of convenience. I went into this to protect the woman who I couldn’t stop thinking about—not to fall in love with her.
My blood turns to ice.
Is that what this is? Is that what I’ve done?
Oh dear God …
“Can I ask you a question, Foxx? If I do, I need you to be real with me.”
I still.
I know what’s coming because I can hear it in his voice. He’s going to ask me if there’s more between his sister and me.
Panic rises in my chest as I consider what his response might be.Will he deem me unqualified to protect her? Will he try to assign someone else to watch over her?
What if it’s worse than that? What if he feels like I’ve lied to him? What if he feels betrayed?
Did he mean those words at the wedding?
“You are the only person in the world I’d trust with my sister.”
He’s right to trust me. I would never hurt her. And I will protect her with my life.
My stomach knots.He knows, doesn’t he?
“Foxx?”
Whatever he asks, I won’t lie to him.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, of course. What’s your question?”
“Are there real feelings between you and my sister?”
Boom. There it is.
I shuffle across the floor, nervous energy propelling me to the window. “That’s a loaded question, considering I married her yesterday.”
He chuckles. “Can I be honest with you? Maybe that will help this conversation go smoother.”
I don’t answer because if he’s honest with me and says he knows how I feel about Bianca, then proceeds to tell me to fuck off—we’re better off not going there.
“Foxx, unless I’m way off, and I don’t think I am …”
Sweat dots my forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“For what? For being in love with Bianca?”
I sigh, closing my eyes and waiting for the other shoe to drop. For him to tell me that he’s sending a plane for her. For Jason to tell me how disappointed he is and to never talk to him or her again.
“I’ve known for a long time,” he says. “Hell, anyone who’s ever seen the two of you together knows that. That’s why when this started to boil over … I don’t know who I can trust right now, Foxx. I especially don’t know who I can trust with my sister.”
My chest squeezes hard.
“But I know I trust you—with my life. So when Landry asked what I thought we should do with Bianca to keep her out of harm’s way, there was only one answer. I had to send her to the man who loved her because he would protect her as fiercely as I would.”
A ghost of a smile touches my lips.
“And that man is you,” he says. “So what do you say?”
