Laughing with excitement, I move past Cora into Pippa’s room, heading immediately for the new mom. Cora follows behind me, heading to the corner to pack up her doctor’s bag. “Pips!” I say, grinning and reaching for her hand, sitting down on the stool next to her and beaming at her. “How are you? A
But my grin falls when I turn my head to look up at Mark, because that devastation…it persists. “Mark,” I say quietly, leaning towards him, wanting very much to play the big sister right now. “Still not yet, Ari,” Mark says on a sigh, glancing down at me. He gives his best attempt at a smile, bu
“I’ve been really busy,” I say, wrinkling my nose at him, unable to help my wide smile. God, he’s just…so precisely the same, isn’t he? All tall and sexy and confident. “You know, since you left me naked and crying on the floor of your bedroom.” “Aw, come on, Ari,” Luca says with a sigh, the smile
“No, they didn’t,” I say quietly, shaking my head. “I’m good.” “And the pictures of you in a crown…” I shrug, giving Luca a quick summary of my time, holding out my wrist so he can see Gabriel’s mark there too. His eyes widen at first when he sees it and I note, with a bit of a smile, that his f
“Oh, come on, Luc,” I say, laughing a little, delighted at the shock on his face. “Of my three mates, you were never the one who I thought needed the ‘where do babies come from’ chat –“ “Who the hell was he sleeping with!?” Luca whispers, shocked, still staring up at Jackson and his little girl in
He has much less, doesn’t he? “It leaves us as friends, Luca,” I say quietly, meaning it very much. He lifts his eyes to me with a sigh. “We…start over from there. See where it goes.” I smirk a bit. “I still own half your gym, after all.” He huffs a laugh, looking to the side. “I know. My uncle
“You’re going to love it –“ I say, grinning at Marigold, who sits up, as intrigued as her dad. “It’s called Mystery Hunk saves –“ “Give me that –“ Jackson snarls, snatching for it. But I burst out laughing, pressing it closer to Marigold instead. “It’s her present, Jacks, you can’t take away her
“If he could,” I sigh, pulling a grape off a stem and popping it into my mouth. “His uncle probably would have already done it.” I pause a moment, looking my mate up and down. “So, you’re okay with all of that? The whole conversation?” Jackson shrugs. “Rafe said Luca came around and was all contri