Page 101 of Beautiful Exile

I moved into Arden’s space and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her against my side. Dropping a kiss to her head, I whispered, “He’s just worried about you.”

“Well, his caveman is showing,” Arden whisper-hissed. “And the caveman is an asshole.”

My lips twitched. “Fucking cute.”

“I’m mad, not cute.”

“You can be both.” I gave her a quick kiss. “But maybe you can do that after you spend some time with your brother since he came all this way.”

Arden sighed and looked back at Cope. “Are you okay? Your shoulder all right with the trip?”

Cope’s gaze ping-ponged between the two of us before landingback on Arden. “Okay, who are you, and what did you do with my sister?”

“She’s gotten agreeable,” I said, humor lacing my tone.

Arden glared up at me. “I have not.”

“Okay, agreeable when she doesn’t get woken up before noon,” I said, kissing her once more.

“Why are you kissing Auntie Arden?” Luca called from the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Cope said, a mock glare on his face. “Whyareyou kissing her?”

I didn’t think Cope or Luca would appreciate me saying, “Because she tastes good,” so I went with another truth. “Because she’s my favorite.”

Arden’s gray-violet eyes softened as she looked up at me. “You’re my favorite, too, Cowboy.”

It might not be anI love you,but it was her version of it. And I’d take that and run.

Luca’s face screwed up. “But not more favorite than me, right?”

Arden laughed, and it was the light and husky one. “No one could be more favorite than you. But you haven’t even hugged me yet.”

“I forgot,” Luca yelled, running from the kitchen into the living room.

Arden caught him on the fly, hoisting him into the air, even though he was almost too big. She tickled his side, making him squeal and her laugh harder as she carried him toward the kitchen.

“Hell,” Cope whispered, closer to me now. “You’re gone for her, aren’t you?”

I didn’t look at my friend; I couldn’t tear my gaze from Arden. Only it wasn’t Luca she held in my mind; it was our little one. A girl with her eyes and smile. I saw a whole future in that moment, a life playing out in that hazy mist between reality and imagination.

“I’ve been gone for her from the moment she held that knife to my neck.”

Cope cursed.

I forced my gaze from her and looked at my friend. Because hedeserved my honesty. “I wouldn’t have gone there if she didn’t mean something to me. And now? Now, she means everything.”

Cope stared at me for a long moment, likely taking stock of every micro-expression on my face. “You’ll keep an eye on her?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.” There was no doubt in those words, only complete certainty. Because if anyone tried to hurt a hair on Arden’s head, I’d end them.

36

ARDEN

“Where doyou think you’re going?” Linc asked as I stepped into the living room, finally dressed after a morning of my brother giving me the third degree. Thankfully, Luca and Sutton had managed to rein him in.

Linc sat in one of my overstuffed chairs, a tablet in his hands and looking too hot for his own good. He’d changed earlier, after one too many of Cope’sshirtlessbarbs. Linc wore dark jeans, boots, and a worn Seattle Sparks T-shirt. No one would’ve pegged him as a tycoon now, and I loved the juxtaposition.

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