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statement,” Dane replied easily. “You aren’t dear to me.”
    Thomas pursed his lips when Dane sat on the couch rather than closing the distance and extending a hand to shake. “You’re still blaming me for your unhappiness, I see.”
    “If only that were all I blamed you for.” Dane used to idolize his father. Thomas had been the one to comfort him after Daniel’s death. But since the revelation of The Affair, Dane could barely stand the sight of him.
    Blustering, his father snapped, “One day you’ll fall in love. You won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll sell your soul to be with her.”
    Dane glanced at Roanne. She stared down at her feet. “You speak as if I actually have a soul. As if mine wasn’t ripped from me by lies and betrayal.”
    They lapsed into silence, minute after minute ticking by, no one daring to speak. Roanne puttered around the sitting room, fiddling with the trays of hors d’oeuvres, smoothing the fabric of her form-fitting white dress. Dane’s date, Courtney, sat beside him on the couch, sipping wine. Thomas finally claimed the chair in front of the hearth and glared at everyone.
    Then the doorbell rang.
    Dane stood, every muscle in his body suddenly tense.
    The housekeeper answered the door and a few seconds later, Kenna was stepping into the sitting room. Breathing became a thing of the past. Her hair hung over her shoulders like streams of fire. Her cheeks were pale, her freckles stark. She wore a comfortable top and jeans—and he responded as if she were naked, desperate to get to her. To have her. Why? It made no sense. He wasn’t some virginal kid with a fistful of twenties standing inside a whorehouse.
    But...damn. She was natural and beautiful and real.
    And she was a mother. He avoided mothers, he reminded himself. Always. He wanted nothing to do with children. Not raising them, nurturing them or possibly ruining their lives.
    “This isn’t awkward at all,” West said with a grin. “Not a bit of tension in this room.”
    Surprise and irritation filled Dane. Kenna had chosen to come with West. And West had agreed—after being warned away.
    Dane gave his friend a stiff nod of greeting. The fact that the guy was dressed as casually as Kenna suggested they were comfortable enough with each other to converse about their clothes and actually coordinate.
    They better not be comfortable enough.
    While Kenna had stopped in the doorway, West kept coming forward, extending his hand to Dane. They shook, each squeezing hard enough to crack bone.
    West never lost his grin as he leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry. I know she’s your sister. I’ll treat her right. In bed and out. I’m willing to listen to any objections you may have, though. No? Nothing? Okay, then.” He patted Dane on the shoulder and maneuvered around him to say hello to the others.
    A curse rose from deep in his chest and exploded before he could stop it. West laughed without turning around.
    “One day,” Dane snarled, “I’m going to put your nuts in a grinder and make a testicle salad sandwich.”
    West just laughed harder.
    “Dane.” His father stared at him as if an alien baby had just clawed its way out of his stomach. “That’s no way to speak to a guest.”
    “I’ve been known to say worse,” Kenna said.
    Sticking up for him?
    She approached him before he could respond, her fake smile in place. “It’s nice to see you again, Dane.”
    He hated that smile, wanted the real one. He also hated how formal and distant she was with him.
No one to blame but myself.
“Nice isn’t the adjective I expected you to use.” He smoothed his expression, took her hand—warm, soft, delicate—and kissed her knuckles...he wanted to lick them when he caught the scent of strawberries. Not an odd thing in this town, and not something that would normally arouse him, but it was stronger on her, sweeter, and his mouth watered for a taste.
    Control.
He forced himself to release her.
    She took two steps