Page 124 of Emergence and Ascendance

"She doesn't bite."

I frowned. "Even if she doesn't bite, she talks, which means she's going to ask questions. What am I supposed to tell her?"

"Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Christian, that's not helping."

"I don't know what you want me to say. I'm okay with whatever you're comfortable telling her."

"So you're comfortable with me telling her Miles was instructed to move my things into your bedroom."

"I made the decision, so yes."

I opened my mouth, prepared to argue again, but slammed it shut because that wasn't the response I expected.

"Scot, this isn't a discussion I want to have over the phone while you're hiding from my sister in the bathroom."

"I'm not hiding."

I'm definitely hiding…

He chuckled. "Just tell her you're my guest."

"Your guest? Do you have the type of guests who stay in your room enough that she would find that answer normal?"

"No, I don't. So if that's what you tell her, she will completely understand who you are to me. Problem solved."

"I'll just tell her to call you."

"Scotlyn, I'm five minutes away from the meeting I need to get to. Tell my sister whatever you want. I trust you enough to navigate this in a way that works for both of us, but if you need confirmation about what we're doing, then I'll give you that. I asked Miles to put your things in my room because that's where I want you. In my room, in my bed, while we figure this shit out. The lines no longer exist. They dissolved when I put my dick in you while you were in my bed. I am trying to be very intentional about what I want because I know you need clarity. I was adamant about wanting more. This is more. We can discuss what that means when I get there later. I have to go."

Christian ended the call and I glanced at the door then my image in the mirror before I rolled my shoulders back and left the bathroom. When I made it to the foyer, it was empty, but when I reached Christian's bedroom, it was not.

Jona was sitting on the foot of her brother's bed, fingers moving fast over the screen of her phone. As soon as she felt my presence, she lifted her eyes and let them drag across me from head to toe. I had been under scrutiny from numerous people in the past who could severely impact my world and I barely even flinched or broke a sweat. However, standing here with Christian's sister silently assessing me was nerve racking. I mentally cataloged my appearance. I was in travel clothes: leggings, sports bra, track jacket, running shoes with a baseball hat covering my unruly hair. I looked a hot ass mess, which made me feel as if I was facing a firing squad. After a minute she dropped her eyes back to her phone and pointed to my luggage stacked neatly in the corner courtesy of Miles.

"I'm assuming that since those are your things in my brother's room he now has a girlfriend."

She tapped her phone one last time and locked it, giving me her full attention again.

"Yes. Jona, right?"

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Yep."

"I'm Scotlyn."

"You're also nervous and you don't have to be. I don't give a damn what Christian has going on in his life. If I stay out of his, he'll stay out of mine, so you can relax."

It took a minute for my brain to fully process what she was saying, and when it did, I laughed, hard.

She grinned, dropped her phone into her lap, and leaned back on her elbows. "I'm assuming because of the way you just laughed my answer is not what you expected."

When she delivered a full smile, I noticed traces of Christian. She looked more like Cress but the three of them had similarities. Mostly with their smiles. "No, not exactly."

"That would explain why you were hiding in the bathroom when you first got here."

"I wasn't hiding."

"You were and it's fine. I love my brother. I want him to be happy because his ex-wife was a horrible person. So horrible in fact that anybody has to be better for him than her. That pretty much gives you the advantage and the bar is not set very high because of her."

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