Page 194

Alex lifted a brow, and his sunny demeanor dimmed. For a moment. “He won’t be busy because I’m going to tell him that he’s not. Don’t worry about it.”

And not long after that she was being carted off to her first appointment.

Alex went down to the town car with her, but when the door opened, and it was revealed that Adonis was in the back seat, Alex took a step back. “I’m not going. Enjoy the afternoon.”

“Are you serious?” she asked, feeling completely betrayed by her idiot brother.

“Very serious. I have a venue to secure.”

Which was how she found herself shut into the back seat with Adonis. The space suddenly felt too small. And she felt…warm. She would’ve thought that being round with pregnancy might make it difficult for her to feel desire.

But no. If anything, it was worse than it had ever been before. Probably because she knew how good it could be between the two of them.

Well, she knew everything.

Before him, sex had been mainly theoretical.

Now it was very, glaringly real.

“We are going to taste cake first,” he said.

“Are we?”

“So I’ve been informed. I have an itinerary.”

“Well, that’s more than I have,” she said, well aware she was starting to sound petulant. But she hadn’t been ready for Adonis.

“He did not think that you should have to do the work.”

“I’m all for not having to do the work. I just would like to be sort of informed.”

The truth was, she only felt annoyed because she felt vulnerable. Fragile. Because being around Adonis made her skin feel too sensitive. Made her feel breathless and needy, and a whole lot of things she would rather not be.

It would be nice if she could just be logical. If all of the things they talked about could change the way that she felt.

Because it was all right. But it was so hard to actually feel that way when it came right down to it. Everything with him was so tangled up.

When she’d been young it had been hero worship. Like an older brother but different. He’d been a god to her, honestly. Immortal and wise and perfect. All-seeing, all-knowing. He’d seemed to be able to accomplish whatever she needed him to.

Then she’d become a teenage girl and it had all turned hot and strange. She’d felt self-conscious around him and like her heart was going to burst out of her chest when he looked at her. That had calmed down when they’d started the company and become adults, but he’d been the best part of her day, even when he was taciturn and short. She’d known him forever. His mood had never fazed her. That attraction had been there, always, but there had been something deeper too. Security that had gone with the longing. Until he’d left.

Then there had been that glimmering moment in his apartment above the club when she’d thought…

And that had hurt so bad she never wanted to get sucked into that again.

Thankfully, traffic wasn’t too terrible, so she wasn’t trapped in the car with Adonis for a full eternity. Just half of one. When they arrived at the venue, they were greeted by a smiling woman who had an array of cakes. “Your brother arranged a blind taste test,” the woman said. “I didn’t bake any of these, so your reaction won’t hurt my feelings. I’m just here to log your favorites.”

Of course he had done that. Because Esme knew everybody in the industry, as part of arranging events and such, so it made it impossible for her to be neutral, and he wanted her to have what she wanted, not feel obligated to her favorite people. Very Alex.

Every cake was delicious, and it was hard to choose. In the end, she decided not to.

“I’ll take these three. In these flavors.”

“Any design considerations?”

“Yes,” she said.

She described the venue, and said that each artist could be left to their own interpretation. She was always happiest with those sorts of results. When you gave the creatives room to be creative.