“Well, prepare yourself. My family is no walk at the park, but Jeremy’s family can also be a handful. I love them because I’ve known them most of my life—but his mother, Sabine, is not pleased with me for ending our relationship. You’ll like his father, Gerard. He’s my favorite. But, I’ve never been on the wrong side of the Toussaints.”
“Well, too bad that they don’t get to decide who you date, or who you marry.” I shake my head because I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that they’re trying to arrange a marriage in this day and age. “So let’s turn things up a bit tonight. Really send the message home.”
She chuckles. “Okay. We should probably know more about one another if we’re madly in love, right?”
“Good idea. What do you want to know?”
“Favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite season?” she asks as I pull into the parking lot at the restaurant.
“Blue. Tacos. Fall because of football. How about you?” I put the car in park and turn to face her. Her cheek is resting against the seat, and she looks like she could fall asleep if we stopped talking.
“Periwinkle. Pizza. Summer because I love the beach.”
“Nice. What’s your favorite holiday?” I ask.
“Christmas. You?”
“Same. The presents, the food, the snow. I fucking love it,” I say. “Favorite movie?”
“Little Women. I’ve watched the old version and the new version more times than I can count. You?”
“Rocky. The Godfather. Jaws.”
Her eyes double in size and she laughs. “Jaws traumatized me. I refused to swim in an ocean for years after watching it.”
I unbuckle my seat belt because we’re going to be late.
“Oh yeah? Well, Little Women traumatized me.” I jump out of the car and come around to open her door.
“How does Little Women traumatize anyone?”
“Because Pen made me watch it when we were young and then she insisted all of us act it out. I was cast as Jo.” I shiver at the memory as I reach for her hand. “I still break out in a sweat every time I remember her trying to force us all into her dresses that were far too small anyway.”
Her head falls back in laughter. “I think if you saw the new version, and no one forced you to act it out, you’d really like it.”
I guide her in the door, my hand resting on the small of her back. She smells fucking good.
She looks fucking gorgeous, even hungover and with a severe flower allergy.
My fake girlfriend is fucking perfect.
“Why’s that?” I ask as we make our way inside.
“Because it’s all about family—and so are you.” She winks, and it takes all I have not to dip my head down and taste that sweet mouth of hers.
Get it together, asshole.
This girl is not looking for a hookup or a boyfriend. She’s looking for an exit strategy for her current situation. She wants to be free. Single.
“Your party is already here. Follow me,” the hostess says, and she stares at me a little too long.
“I think she likes you,” Cosette whispers close to my ear so only I can hear. Her lips graze against my ear and my dick springs to action.
Shit.
I mentally curse him. I have a feeling I’m about to walk into the lion’s den, and I certainly don’t want to do so with an award-winning erection. The thought makes the big guy calm down and I chuckle.
“Too bad for her, I’m crazy about my girlfriend,” I whisper close to her ear this time, and I don’t miss the way she shivers just a little at the contact.
She looks over her shoulder and smiles. Lavender eyes so trusting and sweet. “You ready for this, lover?”
“I was born ready, baby.”
The restaurant is a lot stuffier than where I normally dine, but it smells damn good. The tables are covered in white cloths with candles and flowers sitting atop, and the dim lighting sets the mood. The hostess stops at a large round table and Cosette squeezes my hand.
I take in the group. The dicklicker, Jeremy, moves to his feet and I don’t miss the way his icy gaze moves past me.
“Cosi,” he says, moving toward her and kissing each side of her face. “Did you receive my flowers?”
He speaks loud enough for everyone at the table to hear him and he reeks of booze.
“I did.” Cosette’s posture is stiff and her hand does not leave mine.
“You don’t look pleased? In fact you look a little off, are you feeling all right?”
“I actually had a horrible allergic reaction to the lilies,” she says, and I fight the urge to laugh at the douche kabob’s reaction. He looks like he’s been slapped.
“What? Since when are you allergic to lilies?” He’s aggravated and he doesn’t hide it.
“Since birth.” She delivers it so perfectly that I try to cover my laughter with a cough.
“Oh, nonsense. You’ll be fine, Cosi. The point is that he sent you the gorgeous arrangement,” her mother says and I’m startled that there is no concern whatsoever for her daughter having a severe reaction.
“Hello, Maman.” Cosette displays little emotion in her tone. “You remember my boyfriend, Caden.” She turns and looks at each person at the table and they all move to their feet at once.
“Yes. Nice to see you, Calden,” Vivenne says, and I bark out a laugh as Cosette corrects her.
Again.
“You as well.” I make my way around the table shaking hands. I get a chilly greeting from Sabine Toussaint, but I’d prepared for that. Alban Dubois isn’t chilly nor warm, he appears completely distracted and disengaged. Perhaps put out that he’s even here. I don’t get the feeling it’s my presence that annoys him, but that everyone seems to be bothering him.
The surprise of the evening is Gerard Toussaint who appears to be clueless that I’m stepping on his son’s turf. Or he just doesn’t care. Either way, he claps me on the shoulder and pulls me in for a hug.
“Nice to meet you, young man. Any friend of our Cosi’s is a friend of mine.”
When I step aside, he pulls Cosette in for a long hug. I can see that he adores her. More so than his son who just appears to want to lock her down.
Cosette takes in the table, and there is one vacant seat next to Jeremy and one empty seat beside Gerard on the other side of the table. She comes to a stop and stares at her mother. “You’re kidding, right? I’m not sitting away from Caden.”
“Come on over here, I don’t mind moving,” Gerard says, shooting his wife and Vivienne a look of disapproval.
“Thank you,” Cosette leads me to the two seats.
“You look tired, darling,” Vivienne says, studying her daughter.
“I have a mean hangover and I’ve taken Benadryl to stop my throat from closing due to my twenty-four-year allergy to lilies.” She places her napkin in her lap and I laugh. The girl is witty as shit, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m charmed by Cosette more and more each day. She is full of surprises. I’ve always appreciated her strength on the job, her no-nonsense attitude, but she’s even stronger than I’d originally thought. Maybe she’s just finding that side of herself, and I’ll do whatever I can to help support her.