Page 106 of Hard Rock Deceit
"Sorry?" sheasked.
"You're standing here all byyourself."
Her eyeswidened.
"Oh! You must thinkI'mHope."
Now it was my turn to lookconfused.
"I'm Faith," she explained. "Hope's twinsister."
I looked her up and down. If I'd thought Ian and Damon were identical, they had nothing on these girls. Same long dark hair, same light brown eyes, matching facial structures. The only difference was Hope's hair was usually messy, and this girl's hair was sleek and shiny, falling down her back like awaterfall.
"You're Hope's twin?" I asked, just to clarify. "And Hope is dating Ian. Who is alsoatwin."
"Don't remind me." She looked vaguely disgruntled. "I'd prefer to think of Ian as an only child and forget about that brotherofhis."
I understood why Damon would have a problem with Hope, but why would Hope's sister have a problem with Damon? Maybe she just didn't like the way he treated her sister. At least that problem was solved. Perhaps they'd all learn to getalongnow.
"I was just coming over here to say hi to Hope," I told her. "She was really nice to me when she visited the guysontour."
"Are you Cassie?" she asked. "My sister told me about you. She loves your photos. She has every picture of Ian you've ever taken saved on her phone. It really helped her, I think, getting to see what he was up to every day, when they couldn't be together inperson."
I'd never thought of my photos being used that way. I supposed it would be a good way to keep from missinglovedones.
"I'm glad my photos helped. She and Ian seem veryclose."
"They are." She sounded wistful as she glanced over my shoulder. I turned to see both Ian and Hope with their arms around each other, talking with August. "He's so good to her. I always worried my sister would end up with some…" She shook her head, trailing off. "Anyway. Ian's a great guy. I couldn't ask for a better future brother-in-law."
I thought back to our drinking game, when Ian and Hope had whispered to each other, eyes shining with love. Maybe that future would come sooner than anyonethought.
"Mind if I steal Cassie away for amoment?"
August wrapped his arms around me from behind and squeezed. Faith wavedherhand.
"Steal away,"shesaid.
With an arm around my waist, August led me through the living room, past the dining room, and into thekitchen.
"Are we running out of food and drink?" I asked. "Do we need to put outsomemore?"
He turned me around to face him and pressed me up against the fridge. He lowered his head, lips just barely grazing mymouth.
"I've missed you," hemurmured.
"I visited you every day while you were doingtherapy."
"You know what I mean." He shifted until his hips fit neatly against mine. "It's been a long time since we've beenalone."
"You have a house full of guests out there," I protestedweakly.
"So?" was his onlyresponse.
With his fingertips sneaking under my shirt and one knee parting my thighs, I had to admit it was a compellingargument.
I gave in, tilting my face up to meet him for a kiss. His tongue swiped a line at the seam of my lips. I parted for him easily. He buried his fingers in my hair, tugging me closer. I meltedagainsthim.
I'd missed the taste of him, the smell of him. We'd snuck chaste kisses in the hospital, but that was as far as we'dgotten.
