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Everyone stared at him.
“You’ve never met him in person, have you?” Cleo asked.
“No. I’ve talked to him, though. I’m sure he’s a reasonable man.”
The whole table, including her, gaped at him. She lightly patted his cheek. Good thing he was so damn sexy. She moved her fingers to his lips, trying to get them to turn up in a smile.
“Duchess, we need to get you home. You’re sloshed.”
“So, you really are claiming her and risking Reuben’s wrath?” Cleo asked.
“If he’s that upset, I’ll quit.”
No. He couldn’t quit. She didn’t want him to walk away. She sniffled.
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere, Duchess.” He took her hands gently away from his face. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Wow, that’s so romantic,” Isa said on a sigh. She watched them with a dreamy expression on her face, her chin on the palm of her hand, elbow on the table. “Kiesha said you were a dick, but I think it’s just an act. You’re marshmallow on the inside, aren’t you?”
Kiesha snorted. “He’s not marshmallow.”
“I’m not marshmallow,” he stated at the same time. “Jesus.”
She had to giggle at the indignant look on his face. That was cute. Because he totally was marshmallow under the gruff exterior.
Big old marshmallow.
Hm. That made her want s’mores. Yum-yum.
“Juliet, you with me?” He cupped her face between his hands.
Of course, she was, where else would she be?
“You know that it won’t matter to Reuben if you quit or not,” Kiesha told him. “Not with you playing hide the sausage with his little sister.”
“Juliet is an adult. He’ll respect her decision.”
Her friends all just stared at him sadly. Yeah, he was delusional if he thought that. In his defense, he didn’t know Reuben like the rest of them did.
“If I’m not working for him, I don’t see what his objection to me being with Juliet would be.”
Isa sighed. “If only you hadn’t declared it to the whole room. We could have kept this a secret, but someone is going to tell him.”
That was true. Darn it.
“I still think you’re all exaggerating.”
“When we were sophomores, we had this awful calculus teacher,” Cleo told him. “He was really mean. He told Juliet that she was dumb. The next week, these photos of him started to circulate. Pictures of him in compromising positions with the old lady of the president of a biker gang a few towns over. The gang rode into town and he was never seen again.”
“And you’re saying Reuben did that?” Brick asked skeptically.
“I’m saying he’ll do that and worse for his sister.”
Juliet studied him closely. Would that horrify him? Would he run? Most men wouldn’t want to risk being with her. Of course, most men wouldn’t get past the fact that she couldn’t talk to them.
Hm. She wondered if the alcohol would help her talk. Worked for Raj on The Big Bang Theory. She opened her mouth and tried to form words. Nothing happened.
“Duchess? You okay?”
