Page 36 of Mistletoe Hearts
We both jumped as I glowered at my cousin. How long had he been there? Had he heard anything? "Martin, what do you want?"
"Just came to tell you we're all heading below deck to eat. Wanted to see if your pretty girlfriend wanted to sit next to me and have a decent conversation for once."
Alex glowered at Martin. "Okay, Martin, this has been a lovely Christmas so far. Let's not ruin it by me having to tell you what an asshole you are, okay?"
Martin's face flushed, and I barked out a laugh. "What can I say? My girl has a sharp tongue."
When Martin left, Alex winced. "Sorry about that. He's getting on my nerves. He's such an ass, and I couldn't take it anymore."
"You don't ever have to apologize for sticking up for me." What I kept to myself was that she'd sealed our fate. Because in that moment, I fell in love with her.
Chapter18
ALEX
This was going to hurt.But just like that wiggly tooth I had when I was six, I couldn't help but play with it. Play withhim. That morning, Jensen had been all cuddles and nuzzles and woke me up with the most delicious— Well, never mind. I knew the pain that was coming for me. But I couldn't seem to make myself stop.
When I finally escaped the house, I told myself that I was going to get some fresh air, get in a little bit of work, and give the whole situation some thought. It wasn't like me to get emotional about things. I could find a way to shut off that piece of my heart, couldn't I?
"Hey, you headed to the ferry?"
I groaned. I wanted to get in and out without anyone seeing me. I had to look at a couple of things at the gallery and add a few other last-minute finishing touches. Not that Cassie couldn't do it, but it was always better if I did it myself. I turned with a forced smile. "Hi, Martin. Just catching the ferry to LA for a quick trip."
"Me, too. Can I walk with you?"
It was clearly a self-invitation. "Okay, I guess."
Thankfully, Martin was mostly quiet on the walk down the path that led to the main road to the ferry. He offered to carry my bag, but I declined. Maybe it was petty because of the way he'd been treating Jensen all week, but I didn't care. I didn't want his help.
"You have fun this week?"
"Yeah, it's been great. I can't believe it's taken this long for Jensen to come home, and I'm so glad he brought me with him."
Martin stopped short, his hand on my forearm. "Come on, you can drop the act with me. I know that there's no way in hell you would actually be with my cousin. A girl like you? You have marriage material written all over you."
I wasn't sure what to do. This was why I didn't lie. But I forced another smile that probably looked more like a gritting of teeth and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Jensen and I have been together for a long time."
"Look, I heard you out on the boat. There's no use pretending. You realize Jensen doesn't have access to any of the Morrison funds, right? So if that's your plan, pretend to be his girlfriend and he'll pay you with Morrison funds, that's bullshit. He doesn't have any."
I knew I should stick to the script, but thankfully, I didn't always do what I was supposed to. “Why do you hate him so much? You got what you wanted. You have the Morrison hotels. Have you ever stopped to think maybe that’s not what Jensen wanted? Not what hereallywanted anyway.”
"What do you know about it?"
"I know he doesn't need the Morrison Hotels. J Morrison is doing amazing. It's fully booked through the next six months, and he's considering building another hotel just to cover overflow. He's getting noticed. The hotel was mentioned inBoutique Hotelsmagazine two months ago. He's new and edgy, and if you didn't hate him so much, you'd be able to see that. Being a jerk to him does nothing for you. He's still a success. I know you can't stand it, but that's your problem, not his."
"Oh, kitty's got claws. How do you think Grandma Lucy will take it when I go back and spill the beans? The stress level could really kill the old bird."
"Martin, you are a horrible person. Would you really put your grandmother's health in jeopardy just to prove something to Jensen?”
"I wouldn't want to, but she deserves to know her favorite grandson is lying to her."
I shrugged. “She also deserves to know her other grandson is a total ass. Not kind, not gracious. How do you think that will play out for you?"
He shrugged. “Doesn't matter. All that matters is that Jensen won't have her undying love and faith anymore."
"Swear to God, if you do anything that would hurt that lady—"
He started walking again. I had no choice but to follow, because like it or not, I wasn’t going to miss the ferry. Over his shoulder, he said, "Look, I don't want Grandma back in the hospital any more than Jensen does. You may not think so, but she does have other grandchildren who love her."
