Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 613(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 409(@300wpm)
He had this sexy, bad boy rock star look about him. Glancing over at her, he winked. She felt herself blush.
Yikes.
The full effect of Nico hadn’t hit her like this last time.
“Lottie! What do you think you’re doing, running off like that?” Liam snapped.
Immediately, Regent put his sister behind him and stepped forward. “Do not talk to my sister like that!”
“Your sister has trouble listening,” Liam said back with a scowl. “She’s been burning the candle at both ends lately and she needs to rest. Which includes not running around, eating properly, and going to bed at a reasonable hour.”
“A reasonable hour!” Lottie complained. “You tried to put me to bed at five last night!”
Liam crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve got bags under your eyes, and you’ve been so tired you’ve been falling asleep over your dinner.”
“Is that true?” Regent demanded, turning to his sister.
“Pfft, he’s exaggerating.” Lottie waved a hand through the air.
“No, he’s not,” Nico said.
“Nico!” Lottie said, looking betrayed. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“I am. You need to rest.”
“You’re both ganging up on me. Make them stop, Reggie.” Lottie gave her brother a pleading look.
But he simply grasped hold of her chin, tilting her face back. “You need a nap.”
“Urgh!”
Jilly attempted to step away, figuring she wasn’t needed for this. Nico sent her a curious look as she headed toward the stairs. To her surprise, he shook his head at her.
“I don’t need a nap. I came to spend time with you and the rest of the family. Are they here yet?” Lottie asked.
“If they were here, it would be a lot noisier,” Regent said.
As if on cue, the front door opened and Ace and Keir barreled inside.
“Lottie!” they cried.
Ace threw himself at her. Regent had to grab her to stop her from falling. Everyone surrounded Lottie and her men. Thea, Jardin, and Carrick soon arrived. Carrick was striking, with his muscular frame and piercing blue eyes. They were followed by Maxim and Aston, a gorgeous woman with blonde hair and a friendly smile.
Then Gracen and Victor were last. Gracen was curvy but petite. Her white-blonde hair was pulled back from her face in a ponytail.
Jilly kept walking back. She wasn’t really needed here. She wouldn’t fit in.
Reaching the stairs, she started up them.
“Lottie, why do you look so tired?” Victor demanded, scowling at Liam. “Why aren’t you taking care of my sister?”
“Oh my God!” Lottie cried. “You’re all making it seem like I’m about to collapse and I haven’t even spoken to Jilly yet. Wait, where is Jilly?”
She froze, turning to find them all staring up at her.
Uh-oh.
That wasn’t intimidating at all.
Regent moved toward her, looking concerned. Great. She was making a complete mess of this.
“Um, I was just . . . I thought I would get . . . well, um, hi.” She waved lamely at them all.
Nico gave her a sympathetic look. Gracen and Thea smiled. While Aston waved back at her.
Regent held out his hand. “Jilly, come here.”
“Still don’t know how to say please, huh?” Liam said.
“Like you do.” Regent raised an eyebrow at the blond-haired man.
Liam simply grinned.
“Hello, Jilly,” Nico said, stepping forward and holding out his hand.
Regent brushed it aside before she could reach for it. “No touching.”
Nico sighed, shaking his head. “I’m engaged to your sister. And I can’t shake your girl’s hand?”
“No.”
“Jealous, isn’t he?” Liam murmured, stepping closer to her. “Good to see you, Jilly. Lottie has been nervous to meet you again. Put her at ease, yes?”
It was phrased as a question but sounded more like a command.
And Lottie was nervous? What did she have to be anxious about? But she nodded and managed to smile at Lottie. The other woman gave her a small smile back. However, there was something slightly reserved in her expression that made Jilly uneasy.
“Um, hi, Lottie. It’s nice to see you again,” she said.
“You too, Jilly.”
“Come on, darling. You need to sit down,” Regent told Lottie. “Let’s all go to the dining room.”
He reached for Jilly’s hand, tugging her along. She tried to hold herself back as they all sat at the table, but he shot her a firm look.
“Jilly, everything will be all right.”
Yeah, she wasn’t so sure.
Jilly followed the cry of pain, racing to see that Ace was lying on the floor, wearing a helmet, knee pads, and wrist guards. A fancy looking hoverboard lay off to the side of him, its lights flashing.
Oh no.
She could guess what happened. They’d finished Sunday lunch and moved to the garden to enjoy a drink in the sunshine. But she’d needed a moment away from everyone. From Lottie’s curious looks and Regent’s concern. That’s when she noticed Ace was missing.
Which is why she was inside, checking on him.
Not because she was having trouble keeping up this pretense of being sophisticated and elegant.