Page 82 of Pretty Little Scars

Duchess: Nope. All is well. Nothing to see here.

Me: Headed home in five. See you soon. Don’t burn the house down while I’m gone, Duchess.

She replies with a kissy face, and I shove my phone in my pocket.

“I think it’s great,” he says.

“What is?”

“That you have a girlfriend.”

Girlfriend.That sounds way too simple for how I feel about that woman, but I’m not willing to tell him that.

“I have to go home and get dinner going. Come over whenever you want.”

“Can I come hang out now?”

“Of course. Want to ride with me, or are you breaking out the Maserati?”

“Dude, ofcourseI’m taking my car.”

I snort and leave through the front door. “See you there.”

Of course the asshole passes me on the highway and beats me home by like five minutes. Because he drives too fucking fast in that car. When I stride into the kitchen, Xander’s relaxing against my counter, arms crossed, eating something thatmygirl made, and Darby is telling him about the kittens.

“She’s trying to make me a father,” Xander says when he sees me. “Also, you’re slow as fuck.”

“You should have been pulled over at least six times,” I reply and march right over to my girl, frame her face in my hands, and kiss the fuck out of her.

When I come up for air, she grins at me. “Don’t worry, I’m not flirting with your brother the hockey legend.”

Xander busts up laughing, and I narrow my eyes at her before leaning in to whisper in her ear. “That’s one orgasm you don’t get to have tonight, Duchess. I dare you to keep going.”

Her breath catches when I bite her earlobe, and then I step away to get started on making dinner.

“I want him to adopt a kitten,” she says after clearing her throat. “Heneedsone.”

“No,” Xander says. “I have enough responsibility, and I’m never home anyway.”

“But cats areveryself-sufficient. I’m sure you know someone who could feed it while you’re gone.”

“No,” Xander says again. “Absolutely not. You won’t sway me on this, pretty girl.”

“No nicknames,” I say, my voice perfectly calm as I start chopping vegetables.

The room goes quiet.

“Wow.” Xander doesn’t sound like a cocky asshole right now. “This is serious.”

“Already told you that,” I reply and glance over to see Darby bite her lip. “Her name is Darby or D.”

“Understood,” Xander replies. “No, D, I don’t want a kitten.”

“They’re too young to be given away,” I add.

“But they’ll be old enough before we know it, and they need homes. I’ve made it my mission to find them excellent places to live.” She pauses. “Also, don’t look in the trash.”

“What’s in the trash?”