Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family 6)

“Absolutely. It’s even more fun than being a mom. I do all the spoiling while their parents worry about pesky things such as educating them.”

With that, she leaves me to get on with the food.

***

It’s a good thing they have three enormous grills; otherwise, the process would take hours. I’ve barely poured the coals onto the first one when Sebastian and Logan join me.

“We’re on grilling duty too,” Sebastian announces.

Logan nods, extending a hand. “Pass the coal.”

Two minutes later, I realize they plan to grill more than veggies and meat. They’re also here to grill me, which I expected.

“So, what exactly is going on with you and Alice?” Sebastian asks, cutting right to the chase, looking straight at me while prodding with the coal fork around the coal.

“I was wondering when you’d start with this.”

“You still haven’t answered,” Logan supplies, looking far less laid-back than Sebastian. Then again, I’ve known these guys for almost twenty years. Sebastian is the cool-headed and analytical one, while Logan is more impulsive.

“Alice and I are dating, and it’s going great. I respect her, and I’m going to take care of her.”

“We’ve known you for a long time,” Sebastian says, and I hold my hand up.

“I know my track record. But what Alice and I have is the real deal.”

Sebastian relaxes visibly at this, but Logan holds up a finger. “If you hurt her—”

“Let me guess, you’ll kill me?”

Logan lifts a brow. “We’re watching you. Closely.”

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”

The sound of a car approaching makes the three of us turn around. Alice’s battered old Ford comes into view.

“Sorry for being late, everyone,” Blake explains once he, Alice, and Daniel are out of the car. “Alice here wanted to win the trophy for slowest driver of the year.”

Alice elbows him but doesn’t lecture him for making fun of her. Interesting. I get another treatment altogether when I tease her about her old car. Double standard if I’ve ever seen one.

“Uh-oh,” Alice exclaims, heading toward me and pointing to her brothers at my side. Blake tails behind her while Daniel joins the rest of the group on the other side of the yard.

“Did you give Nate a hard time?” she inquires once she’s in front of us.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Sebastian says.

“So it’s a coincidence that you and Logan are flanking him?”

I just smile, watching their interaction.

“There are three grills. Three guys are needed,” Logan explains, knowing as well as I do that’s shit. One person is more than enough to man the grills. Blake is snickering from behind his sister.

“Everything’s fine,” I say.

Alice folds her arms, surveying the three of us. “So they haven’t flexed their big brother muscles on my behalf? I feel discriminated against.”

That actually catches me off guard. She wanted them to corner me? This calls for a thorough revenge plan on my part.

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