Lib Novel Page 9
It was my woman in red.
“Oh.” Her blue eyes went wide, her full lips parted.
“Francesca?” I said slowly.
“I go by Frankie.” She bit her lip. “And you’re Reath.”
My mystery woman was Jack’s little sister.
Fuck.
I scowled at her. “You knew who I was last night?”
She put her hands on her hips. “No. Not when—” she cleared her throat “—not until the fight, and…” She waved a hand, as if that explained everything.
“Hell.” I dragged a hand over my hair.
“It’s fine,” she said. “We’ll pretend last night didn’t happen.” She said it in a breezy tone.
I narrowed my gaze. “It’s that easy?”
She lifted her chin. “It was a mistake, right?” She watched me expectantly.
“It was,” I agreed, voice tight.
She glanced away. “Right. We won’t mention it to Jack.”
Jack. Hell, my best friend. The man I trusted to my marrow, who I’d do anything for. If he knew I’d kissed his sister, he’d punch me in the face.
“You haven’t answered any of my calls or messages.”
She cleared her throat. “I’ve been busy setting up my lab.”
I glanced around.
“My project is important,” she continued. “And I’m a workaholic, remember?” She turned and started stacking gear on one of the benches. “It’s fine, Reath. You’ve done your duty. You can tell Jack that you checked in on me, and that I’m all good.”
She was dismissing me. I didn’t like it.
“You should come for a family lunch,” I said. “Meet my brothers.”
Shit. Why the hell had I suggested that? That was the last thing I needed.
“Oh, um, thanks. I really don’t have the time.”
I hadn’t gotten a good look at her eyes last night in the dim light of Wildfire. They were the purest blue I’d ever seen. “Francesca—”
“Frankie.”
Frankie suited her sassiness better. “Frankie. I told Jack I’d keep an eye on you.”
“I’m a grown woman, Reath. I don’t need any help. And I don’t need a man getting in my way who’s just doing his duty.” She used her fingers to make air quotes. “I’ve been an adult for a long time. Now, I have experiments to start.”
She looked at me with raised brows.
Apparently, I’d been given my marching orders.
I held her gaze for a beat.