Page 281 of A Vicious Love

“I noticed.”

Her blush deepened. “I’m never doing it again.”

I kept my arm around her waist because once Sienna Bellemere ran into my arms after a staged victory, I lost interest in pretending I had hands for anything else.

Her father approached slowly, still studying the field as if the shattered disc might reassemble and confess.

“That was excellent, Sienna.”

She turned in my arm, but I did not release her. Her back stayed against my chest.

“Thank you, Father.”

Her father’s eyes dropped to my hand at her waist, then lifted to my face. He was clever enough to suspect and old enough to survive by keeping his mouth shut.

“She improves under pressure,” I said.

Sienna elbowed me lightly.

Playfully.

The entire field seemed to notice that too. Sienna Bellemere had elbowed Jamison Crow and remained alive, upright, and held closer for it.

Her father gave a cautious smile. “Perhaps so.”

Uncle Theo cleared his throat. “Lucky shot, perhaps.”

I looked at him.

He remembered breakfast and decided the word perhaps had completed his sentence.

Adrian came closer. “You finally got one.”

“I finally got one.” She beamed.

“Suspicious timing.”

“Don’t ruin it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Adrian looked at my arm around her waist, then back at me. His expression said plenty and almost none of it was respectful. “Nice work.”

“To your sister,” I replied.

“To whoever helped her.”

Sienna glanced between us. “What does that mean?”

“Means Adrian has trust issues,” I said.

Adrian looked at her. “I’m proud of you.”

She smiled at him. “Thank you.”

Clay shooting continued around us.

Not for Sienna.

I removed her from participation without asking permission. She stood with me beneath the shade near the pavilion, still flushed with triumph, while the rest of the Bellemere women proceeded to shoot very well and annoy me with their competence.