“I’ll be with you twenty-four-seven,” Antoine tells Dominic. “I’m sure you’re on Andy’s radar, too, as a guy who interrupted him when he was about to take Elizabeth from St. Cecilia.”
I sober at the reminder of the danger Dominic’s in because of me.
“He’s a coward. I doubt he’ll come after someone who can fight back,” Dominic says. “I’m bigger than he is, too.”
“Better safe than sorry,” Tolyan says.
“What about me?” Kristen says, turning to Antoine.
“What about you?” he replies.
“If you’re guarding my brother, who’s guarding me?”
“I have a team in place for you.”
“Oh my God! You gotta be kidding!”
He looks slightly confused. “I’m completely serious.”
“We should swap. Dominic needs more people guarding him. He’s the big, important guy.”
I choke on my curry, the spices exploding in my throat.
“Kristen, that’s ridiculous,” Dominic says. “You’re every bit as important as I am.”
Tolyan sighs and stuffs his mouth with more food, and I eye Kristen and Antoine. She’s flushed and annoyed, while Antoine is smug. There’s definitely something going on there, even though Dominic seems totally oblivious.
When dinner is over and the men are strategizing in the living room, I help Kristen load the dishwasher.
“So. You and Antoine, huh?” I say, sotto voce.
Her face falls. “Was I that obvious?”
“Dominic didn’t catch anything. Tolyan might’ve, but he’s not the type to gossip.”
Kristen scrunches her nose. “That’s good.”
“He’s not a bad choice.” My gaze finds Antoine. Intense green eyes. Thick black hair. A big, strong body. And the authentic British accent. I can see the charm. “Actually, he’s a great choice if you’re going to fall for someone.”
“Exactly!” She snaps her fingers. “But he’s saying I’m Dominic’s baby sister, blah blah blah…so he can’t.”
“He can’t what?”
“You know. Date me. He’d rather date a basset hound with a bad Botox job.”
“Really?”
She nods. “He told me so himself.”
“Wow.”
“I know.” She heaves a long sigh. “But the more he resists, the more I want to get under his skin. That makes me a brat, doesn’t it?”
I shake my head. “Nope. It makes you a woman who knows what she wants.”
She grins, even though annoyance still lurks in her eyes. “You’re so damn awesome. I’m glad you’re back.”
“So am I.” And I’m going to make sure Andy’s evil never touches her the way it touched me.