Mag-log in~ GAVIN ~ I stared at my phone for a moment after Sienna abruptly ended the call, the disconnect beep echoing rudely in my ears. Why exactly was she mad? I had laid out this boundary clearly. Why would she think I was bluffing? What about me suggested I was a man who talked just to hear his own voice? Something rustled behind me and I turned fast, instincts kicking in before awareness. This was Edward’s house. My father was somewhere on these grounds which meant I had to stay alert. Aunt Roseline stood beside a bush of yellow blooms, looking radiant in the dress she'd chosen for meeting her grand-niece for the first time. A swan brooch caught the moonlight on her chest, glinting every time she moved. “Is that how you youngins do the love thing now?” she asked, descending the few steps into the sunken courtyard. I'd left everyone inside to take Sienna's call — a call I'd been expecting from the moment I gave the order. Nearly the entire family was gathered there; Hannah’s
~ SIENNA ~He laughed, caught completely. “She did say you were smart.”I smiled back. “I might have missed it if you hadn’t looked like you were waiting for a biopsy result while waiting for me to agree to the ride.”To be honest, I didn’t know why I asked that question. Okay, I did. I wanted to feel flattered. To confirm I could still grab a man’s attention without trying. To tell myself I still had it regardless of what anyone thought. “I’ve never been a good actor,” he mumbled with a shrug. “But you must be an excellent negotiator. Margo wouldn’t do you this favour for nothing.”“Oh, you have no idea how many favours she owes me. Some are decades old.”My attention perked up. “Tell me about it.”“Mmm… Margo’s always loved celebrity life, and she used to make us play these dramas where she was a blockbuster actress and the rest of us were… well, whatever she casted us as. From rival actresses — who always lost to her, to valets to her fainting fans. And I was the one holding i
~ SIENNA ~The potluck with Margo’s family was the best table I’d sat at in a long time. We had only just settled in. Margo was still making introductions, but I already knew I was about to have the evening of my life.The space itself was beautiful — long oval tables surrounded by cane chairs, tucked beneath artsy umbrellas and bathed in the golden glow of hanging bulbs.But even more beautiful was the energy radiating from every member of her family.“You’ve already met my mom, the reason for the season,” she said, gesturing towards Brenda. She wore a bright purple crochet poncho that complimented her skin tone in a way that would make anyone start research on colour analysis.We exchanged greetings. “Then there’s Kylie, our Silicon Valley connection.”Kylie blew me a kiss, and I immediately found myself grinning.“You’d think the most remarkable thing about her is that she raised three hundred thousand dollars for her tech startup,” Margo continued. “But it’s actually that she b
~ SIENNA ~“Why do you want this job?” Margo read from the paper in her hands. “Because my savings are depleting fast and restaurants don’t offer free strawberry boba,” I replied.She chuckled lightly. “And why did you choose this company?”“Because you’re the only one of the twenty I applied to that chose me.”She grabbed the armrest to avoid sliding off the couch entirely, her body heaving in laughter. “Don’t you wish we could be this honest?”I sighed. “I know, right?”“Okay okay, let’s get serious.” She sat straighter. “This is a big deal.”It was. I had gotten an offer from one of the companies I applied to. A junior role — the kind of position that would have barely excited me five years ago, but right now, it was the only thing keeping my self-esteem from completely bottoming out. Margo was helping me practice for the physical interview. “I know,” I murmured. “I’m excited, but also terribly anxious.”"You’ll ace it. Don’t worry,” she said, with the easy confidence of someo
~ GAVIN ~Aunt Roseline was farthest from me and in a more disadvantaged position, yet she noticed the interruption first. “Oh my God!” she shrieked, shoving the man away. He stumbled, managing to catch himself on the backrest, before turning to gawk at me like I was a ghost. Unfortunately for us all, looking away was not my first instinct. I’d seen people have sex many times — in prison, on biker campgrounds, in my club. But this was my aunt and— wait a second. Was he a priest?The man was wearing a cassock so unless they were cosplaying, he was definitely one. Wait another damn second. Did this mean Lennon’s accusation at the baby shower was true? I turned to face the wall, hands sliding into my pockets as I waited with the patience of a man who had survived worse things. The sounds of frantic rearrangement filled the room behind me — rustling fabric, a zipper, the loud silence of two people trying to collect their dignity off the floor.A throat clearing signaled to me t
~ GAVIN ~I was torn between dreading seeing my father and being grateful that Hannah’s dad would be here. He was battling an illness and we rarely saw him around. Her mom also happened to be his primary — or at least favourite — caregiver, so they were both almost always absent from family functions. “Your dad’s doing better?”She nodded. “Much better. They’re still mad they had to miss the baby shower. They can’t miss this.”“That’s good to hear. I hope he continues to get better.” I carefully dropped her hand. “How about Aunt Roseline? Does she know?”Hannah winced in discomfort and I immediately knew that would be my last question. “I don’t think so.”“Okay. I’d call her now to share the news.”“You might need to do more than that. If you don’t mind, I need you to go pick her up. We agreed she’d move in with us for a while after the baby arrives.”Aunt Roseline was a retired midwife with years of experience in post partum care. I could see why Hannah wanted her around. “It’s no
~ GAVIN ~Sienna didn’t run, which was an ill-informed decision because she didn’t know how hard my cock was in my pants. And the extent to which I wanted to wreck her body tonight. She just looked up at me, lashes fluttering as if she was wondering whether or not this was really happening.One… T
~ SIENNA ~I winced at the correction. I still sometimes forgot to put the prefix ‘ex’ in front of ‘husband’ when addressing Harry. Margo didn’t have that problem; Harry was ex-husband from the minute I signed the divorce papers. Gavin continued. “You were gorgeous, friendly, and smiled like you h
~ SIENNA ~Minutes later, I walked out of my bedroom into the living room wearing a wide smile and a light-blue halter neck pleated dress. “How do I look?” I asked, giving Margo a twirl. She paused her movie and looked at me all over with an unreadable expression. “You look like Cinderella — befo
~ SIENNA ~He leaned deeper into his chair, not in the least startled by my outburst. “I’ve counted four questions since we made the agreement.”“No, no… that’s not possible. I’ve not officially started asking.”“Officially? I didn’t know we would need to sign another contract before you ask your q







