Page 41 of Sweet Wicked Vows
“Although Flynn is still a child in many ways, you hoped that with your father’s condition, it may have been enough to wise him up,” Jaxon continued. “That nearing the inevitable end andhurtling you both toward bigger responsibilities that neither of you anticipated, young Flynn would finally grow up. And you wouldn’t have to do this all on your own. Am I right?”
I exhaled. “Yes.”
Police officers walked through the door escorting a man in handcuffs. Neither of us spoke until they left, the hum of the coffee machine filling the void of silence.
“Families are never easy. It’s difficult to be so devoted to them, blinded by our bounds to them, to try and see through their flaws and know that they will never change.” He leaned back in his chair, the plastic groaning, and pressed his shoulder against mine. “It can’t be easy to do it alone.”
I didn’t think I’d end up in this situation. Only a couple months ago, I had a fiancé there to hold my hand and be the steady constant in my life.
He walked away and left me completely alone.
“I get this is strictly business,” I said. “Neither of us truly wanted this, and if things were different, maybe we would have ended up with someone we actually cared about. But maybe we could try and make the best of our bad situation? We’re stuck with each other for a year, and I believe in order to survive our time together, we should at least attempt a friendship.”
His nostrils flared. “Is there someone else you care about? Another person who you’d have rather married?”
Was that a hint of jealousy I detected?
No, surely my ears were deceiving me.
I blinked. “It was hypothetical.”
“Bon. Having another person, someone trying to interfere inourmarriage, wouldn’t look good, now would it?” Dark eyes dipped to my mouth. “Because I want to make something quite clear, Evelyn.I don’t share. And while you have that ring on your finger… let’s just say it would be wise to remember my lack of appetite for sharing.”
A flutter of a thousand butterflies burst into life. His face inched closer, the warmth of his breath coating my cheeks. I tried to hold his gaze, but my eyes found his lips. They were like the rest of him, so damn perfect.
“Noted. No sharing.”
“Is this what you want? For us to be friends,douceur?”
Was that my own heartbeat echoing in my ears? Why was it so loud? Oh god, could he hear it, too?
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Before Jaxon got the chance to reply, the whisper of a smirk tugging the corner of his mouth, someone called my name. Neither of us moved, frozen in place mere inches apart, until the same voice called out again.
Whatever spell the two of us were under snapped with a blink.
I stood up abruptly, spilling the remains of my coffee down my trousers.
Fucking hell.
“Evelyn Reynolds?” An officer walked toward us. “Are you Evelyn Reynolds?”
“Um… yes,” I tried to dry some of the spill with paper-thin napkins. “I’m here for my brother, Flynn Reynolds.”
The officer motioned for me to follow her. “Come with me. You can see him now.”
“Okay, yes. Amazing... umm…” I looked to Jaxon. He nodded toward the officer while pulling out his mobile phone. He was going to wait for me. My stomach swooped and I didn’t bother hiding my smile for him. “All I’m asking is for you to consider it, Jaxon. It would make our lives so much easier doing this as allies, not adversaries.”
I left him in the waiting room to handle my next problem with a flicker of hope, making the walk to my brother’s cell feel a little less heavy.
Chapter Thirteen
“This is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever put in my mouth, and that means a lot coming from me.” Lola rinsed the taste away with another glass of champagne. “Someone tell me who the hell thought lavender was a good cake flavor?”
“It’s on trend, apparently.” I sipped the free champagne. “Yvonne Kennedy had it at her daughter’s christening. Since then, it’s all the rage.”
“Just because some big social media star wants to poison her tastebuds doesn’t mean everyone else has to.”