Page 20 of The Risk

His mini-Gene was around somewhere. And Chantal needed that buffer. She wasn’t ready to face whatever change had happened out there between them just yet.

Just not yet.

“With your mother. There is a giant fish tank in the private family sitting room that takes up an entire wall. Calvin’s fascinated. She’s googling the different types of fish now. I told your parents I needed to talk to you. Alone.”

She was trembling. Why was she trembling? This was Gene. She’d known him her entire life.

So why was her stomach tight, and her palms slick? Her heart was fluttering. Her cheeks were flushed. This was Gene. “What about?”

“I think you know.” Then his hands were on her waist, just below where the waist belt for her new pump rested. And he was pulling her closer. “I just need to do this, Chan. I just need to.”

Her fingers spread across his rock-hard chest. And she just looked up at him.

And waited.

His head lowered. Chantal just knew.

Gene Hiller was about to kiss her.

She pulled back. “What? What exactly are you trying to do?”

“I think you’ll be able to figure it out.”

The door pushed open after a quick knock.

Chantal jumped back.

Before she pressed against him and did something completely insane.

17

Gene’s sisterstood right there in the door, a bag in her hand and a determined look on her adorable little face. Genesis was the heart of them all, even if she didn’t realize it. Gene just looked at her and waited. “Genny, what in the hell are you doing here?”

It was going to take him a while to remember what Chantal had said. Genesis wasGennynow. Gene was going to do his best to respect that.

“I’m here to keep you company in this seriously awesome place,” his sister announced, giving Chantal a significant look.

“Her parents are right next door. And I’m on the other side,” Gene said. He knew better than to even attempt to budge his sister when she had that stubborn look. “I don’t think she needs a babysitter.”

“Well, here I am. You aren’t getting rid of me. I had Aubrey drop me off here instead of driving me all the way home. So... you’re stuck with my wonderful presence. Let’s poke around. I have never even known there was a family wing up here in this place. No one really talks about the penthouse level. I wonder ifall the Barratt Hotels have family suites on the top floor? That would be seriously awesome.”

“This suite is owned by the sheriff of Value—Clay Addy,” Chantal said. “Charlotte is friends with Bailey. Gene and Calvin are in the mayor of Finley Creek’s suite.”

“Sweet. I’ll be there in a bit to kiss Calvin before bed. But for now, Gene, go away. Chantal and I want to talk girl stuff and explore this suite.”

“Just don’t leave the floor without me.” He wasn’t too thrilled with the idea of his baby sister being here tonight. Not that he’d intended to sneak in and seduce Chantal or anything—not with his son in a strange place. But he didn’t want Genesis near anything that might happen if Charlie was wrong. It was as simple as that. “At all. I’m not going to risk anything happening to either of you. Not on my watch.”

“You’re so cute when you go caveman overprotective, big brother. Now... get out, please. Chantal and I are going to party Barratt style. Who knows, maybe there are some hot Barratt gazillionaires up here somewhere we can seduce... There is this one who is an archaeologist. I saw him at FCU once when I was picking up Greer. Talk about hot tamales. His name is Trevor. I think he’s the mayor of Finley Creek’s brother or something. I could really enjoy meeting a Trevor, I think. The other brother is the movie producer that’s always in theGarlic, Chan. We can marry rich brothers, then we can be sisters forever! Wouldn’t that be awesome?”

Genesis always had been trouble.

He was going to get a padlock. Lock her in her room until she was fifty or something. It was the only sane thing a man could do with a baby sister like Genesis Isabella Hiller.

Chantal turnedtoward Genny the instant Gene was gone. “Okay, spill. What’s really going on? I know something most definitely is.”

“Your horrible, arrogant, pain-in-the-rear-end brother Chad-wicked Fields is threatening to seduce me, actually. He says he’s going to get me, Chan. I’m hiding before I do something stupid, like jump his bones. Or let him jump mine. Both of which would have seriously bad repercussions I’m not ready to even think about right now.”

Chantal just gawked. “You aren’t Chad’s type.”