Page 22 of In a Perfect World

His brows furrowed over those bright eyes of his.“What do you mean?”

“Okay, so...say you’re married-”

“I’m not,” he clarified quickly.

“Okay...but let’s just say that you were,” I went on.“So, let’s say that you’re married, and all is well, but then, one day, your wife and mother get into a disagreement.And let’s say that it’s a disagreement so huge that they can no longer be cordial with each other.Who would you spend Christmas with?”

“There’s nothing big enough to cause that kind of rift in my family,” he stated confidently.“If my wife and mother had a falling out, we’d work it out together as a family.”

“You’re being purposely obtuse,” I chided.“You know what I’m trying to get at.”

He grinned, and my heart leapt into my throat.“It depends on what they argued over, but I’d ultimately stand with my wife.While I love my mother and have the utmost respect for her, she’s not the one that I’ll be pledging to spend the rest of my life with.”

Changing the subject, I asked, “How old are you, Kairo?”

“Twenty-five,” he answered.“And you?”

“Twenty-four.”

“Why?”

“In all your twenty-five years, have you ever traveled outside the RNA?”I asked as I wrapped my arms around my knees.

“A few times,” he answered.“My father travels a lot, and there’ve been a few times when we’d gone with him.”

“Where?”

“We’ve been to Japan, Africa, Spain, and Ireland.”He shrugged again like it was no big deal, but it was.

“One of the many perks of being an Administrator’s son,” I remarked absently.“I’ve never been outside Rancher Hills because the paperwork feels too daunting.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, we weren’t very welcomed in any of those places,” he grimaced.“Though we’d been treated respectfully, it was no secret that we hadn’t been welcomed.”

I let out a hollow laugh.“It’s crazy how most of the rest of the world wants nothing to do with us.”

“That’s the thing about burning bridges,” he replied.“But it’s not all bad.There are still a few countries that don’t mind us visiting, though residency is still a bit tricky.”

“So, Kairo Booker,” I said.“Tell me all about fishing with your brothers and best friend.”

He smiled, and his teeth were a brilliant white against his dark skin.“It was a drunken mess, to be honest.Because my brother, Leyden, is in medical school to become a surgeon, we don’t get the chance to get together like that a lot, so when we do, well...it can get pretty ridiculous.”

“But it’s still a good time, right?”

He nodded.“It’s a great time.”

“Is it weird being a twin?”I asked, not caring if I was sounding intrusive.I needed a distraction, and Kairo Booker was a gorgeous one.

“Well, since I’ve never known anything else, no,” he answered honestly.“I don’t know hownotto be a twin.”

That made me smile.“Who’s older?”

“I am,” he grinned.“But not by much.”

“Do you have a girlfriend, Kairo Booker?”I asked, needing to know, regardless of how nothing more could come of knowing him.

“No,” he answered.“Do you have a boyfriend, Triana Medina?”

I shook my head.“No.”