Page 125 of Stolen Vows

The muscles in my jaw tick as she sits up, tossing the blanket off with unnecessary theatrics. Her movements are slow, deliberate, meant to provoke. She stretches her arms overhead like some bored debutante in a romance novel, sighing dramatically.

I don’t move. Just stare down at her with flat, unimpressed silence.

She smirks. And then, she starts making noise. Loud, deliberate noises. Nothing too obvious or explicit, but enough that someone listening might hear and assume the worst.

Florence’s eyes flick toward the wall Francesca’s room shares with mine. Smug. Calculated.

I don’t know what this is, but the last thing I want is for my wife to wander in here and get the wrong idea. Which seems to be Florence’s goal. My narrow to dangerous slits, body coiled tight with barely adrenaline.

“You gonna make me tell you again, Florence?”

Her smirk widens. She leans back on her elbows, cocking her head at him. “I knew she mentioned me. But let’s be real, temporary brother-in-law, you’re not gonna do shit.” She laughs, the sound grating.

Romeo starts whining. He’s right on the other side of the wall, woken up by delusional laughter.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, biting back a groan. My options are limited, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

The whining turns into barking.

Florence throws me a mocking smile, her voice pitched just loud enough. “Oops.”

Romeo barks again, louder this time. And a few seconds later, he’s running into my bedroom.

And there, running in behind him, wearing my henley and sleep-tousled frustration, is my wife.

There’s a collective beat between us. It’s not quiet, since Romeo’s doing his best impression of a protective dog right now. After a quick sniff inspection, he stands in front of Florence and barks the house down. His hair stands on end and his lips peel back from his teeth a little.

Francesca freezes in the doorway, eyes locked on Florence. For a second, she doesn’t move, doesn’t breathe. Just stares. Her knuckles go white around the hem of my henley, her expression flickering so fast I can’t track it—confusion, irritation, something sharper.

“It’s not what it looks like,” I assure her quickly.

Then, like a switch flips, she snaps out of it. Her posture straightens, her shoulders set, and her expression goes flat.

“So that isn’t my sister in your bed?” she drawls, head tilting. The casual delivery is a lie, a well-practiced performance. But I see the tension in her jaw.

I don’t buy it for a fucking second.

“I’m pretty sure it is. But I honestly don’t know how she got in here. I thought it was you.” I cross the room and stand in front of her. Bending down, I hold her gaze and murmur, “I swear nothing happened. I knew it wasn’t you right away.”

“He’s lying,” Florence purrs. “It took him at least thirty seconds. Maybe even sixty. You know how much can happen in sixty seconds.”

Francesca reaches out, resting her hand on my arm. “I believe you.”

“Oh thank fuck.” I exhale deeply.

“Like the digs, Frankie. It’s smaller than you would have if you came home, but I can see the appeal,” Florence says from behind me.

Francesca’s gaze narrows over my shoulder as she walks around me. “Are you kidding me right now?”

Florence, who’s still reclining on her elbows on my bed, just shrugs. “It’s the truth.”

Francesca balls her hands into fists, stopping in front of her sister. “Tell mom she’s going to have to try harder than this. First Giovanni and now you. Maybe you should think for yourself for a change and stop taking orders from our mother.”

Florence’s smirk falters for the briefest moment before she slips her mask back into place. She sits up slowly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. “Oh, Frankie. Always so dramatic. Can’t a sister just drop by to visit her twin sister?” Her voice drips with false sweetness.

Francesca scoffs, folding her arms across her chest. “At one a.m.? In my husband’s bed? Try again.”

Florence rolls her eyes and stands, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in her clothes. “Congratulations, temporary brother-in-law. You passed the test.”

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