Page 36 of Falling For The Enemy (The Gilbert Curse)

After that night at the speakeasy, Rory stopped worrying about being strong enough or perfect enough and just started to find her footing. They were seeing more of each other—Kit was working from home in Gilbert Corners, and spending most nights at her house in her bed, making love to her all night long.

Kit was awakening dreams in her that she hadn’t given a chance to bloom. A part of her was afraid to accept them but that part got quieter and quieter the more time the two of them spent together.

They were having lunch at Lulu’s and sitting at one of the outside tables on Wednesday. It was the kind of crisp autumn day that wasn’t too chilly in the sun. They’d ordered the special, which was vegetarian chili and jalapeno corn bread. Kit was at the counter waiting for their order and Rory couldn’t help staring at him, feeling warm inside.

He was her man.

“Hey, cuz. Mind if we join you?”

She glanced up to see Conrad and Indy standing near the table. She stood up to hug them both. “Not at all. Kit’s grabbing our lunch and should be back in a moment. Do you want to drag that table over?”

Con complied and then gave Indy a squeeze before he went into the shop.

“It’s odd that you two are free at lunchtime,” Rory said, knowing that the two of them had been working on the studio they were building near the old Gilbert International Factory.

“Yeah, well, your cousin saw the two of you together and wants to ‘get to know’ Kit better,” Indy said.

Uh-oh.

“Like how?”

“Like the third degree. He used his Beast’s Lair glare on me when I said we should let you two alone.” Indy huffed out a breath. “You know how he can be.”

Actually she did. Both Conrad and her brother were so overprotective of her that at times it was downright smothering.

“I think he’ll find that Kit is a great guy,” Rory said.

“I have no doubt that he is, but Con isn’t going to see it that easily,” Indy predicted. “If he gets out of hand, I’ll kick him under the table.”

Rory laughed at that. Her cousin’s fiancée was about a foot shorter than Conrad, who was six-foot-five-inches tall. He looked fierce, with the scars on his face and the tattoos that covered his body. But Rory knew that underneath all that he was a softy. “I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Whatever happens, happens,” Indy said.

“You guys okay?”

“Yeah, I just... I’m used to always being in charge and Con is, too. Working together is both the best and the worst,” she said. “Also Halloween is coming up, and that’s when I was attacked, so I’m edgy, which is making Con edgy, too.”

Rory knew that, like herself, Indy had been forcibly attacked by her date, and though it had happened years before, the scars remained for Indy. In a way Rory thought it felt like a blessing that she’d been in a coma. The incident with Declan was still so hazy. The night of the gala felt like a scary dream instead of a real memory.

“I’m thinking of having a Halloween party. Maybe having a new good memory will help,” Rory said.

“That might work,” Indy replied. “Also, I relish the idea of seeing Con in a costume.”

That could be fun. And it would give her brother and cousin a chance to get to know Kit on a deeper level. “I’m going to as well.”

She pulled out her phone and set up a new group text chat with Dash, Elle, Conrad, Indy, Kit and herself. She titled it Halloween Party.

This Saturday. Costume party at my place. 8 p.m. No excuses. Be there.

Indy’s phone pinged and she smiled at Rory. “I’ll be there.”

She glanced up inside Lulu’s and saw Kit pull his phone out and turn away from Conrad, who was standing next to him. Kit was tall next to Rory but not compared to Conrad and she noticed her cousin wasn’t slouching, as he sometimes did, but stood at his full height.

Kit came back to the table with their tray and smiled tightly as he sat down next to her.

“Hi, Kit. I’m Indy. It’s nice to meet you,” Indy said.

“Nice to meet you, too,” he replied as he placed a chili bowl in front of Rory and then one in front of himself.

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