The Secret (The Evolution of Sin 2)

“No,” Sinclair barked, at the same time that Cage grinned at me and winked.

“Would it be the end of the world if they were, Daniel?” Elena looked at him with disapproving concern and I was surprised that we were getting away with the barely concealed deception. It was so obvious to me that a secret was being – poorly – hidden right before her eyes, but for all her natural curiosity and brainpower, Elena was oblivious.

“Yes.” Dev nodded solemnly. “You see, there is already a line.”

“A line?”

He nodded again. “A waiting list for the honor of taking this lovely woman out to dinner.”

I laughed at the flirtatious Frenchman; grateful to him for reasons he couldn’t possibly understand. Playing along, I placed my hand on his arm and leaned in intimately. “Technically, you beat everyone to the punch. You’ve already fed me dinner.”

We both looked at the empty plates littering the white clothed dinner table and everyone, except for Sinclair, laughed.

“Cheater,” Cage accused with playfully narrowed eyes but I noticed them flick over to Sinclair and held my breath when he stirred restlessly next to me. “Although, if any woman is worth it, it’s Giselle. Don’t you agree, Elena?”

I kicked him hard under the table. That was taking his twisted game way too far and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Sinclair glared at his best friend with such concentrated hatred that I thought his blood vessels might pop.

“Daniel.” Elena tried to soothe him with a soft stroke down the arm.

If I had been in a position to offer comfort, I would have slid my hand into the back pocket of his slim fitting trousers and squeezed his pert ass. It would have both turned him on and forced him to recognize my presence. My fingers twitched on the table to do just that, and I wasn’t surprised when his eyes snapped to them. I extended my pinkie finger towards him, furious and ashamed that I could offer no more. A muscle in his jaw ticked once before his mask slid back into place.

“You are here for dinner, yes?” Dev asked, standing up to flee back to the kitchen and away from the awkwardness. “Let me show you to your table, oui?”

Elena’s eyes flicked across our faces, her pink lips pursed. She was clever enough to sense the undercurrents swirling beneath the murky waters and I wondered if her curiosity would get the better of her instinct to back away from the mess.

“Giselle, I have a favor to ask of you. Do you have a free moment tomorrow morning for coffee?”

I held my breath as my mind raced across excuses, leaping from one to another as if they were hot coals. Nothing seemed suitable and besides, I had the stupid, crazy desire to see the apartment that my ex-lover and older sister shared.

“Sure.”

I risked a glance at Sinclair and found him looking at me with guarded eyes. His lips moved slightly as if he wanted to say something but Elena’s tugged him forward and broke our connection.

“Tomorrow then.” She smiled slightly at me, the same tiny slice that Sinclair was prone to give out, but she ignored Cage, a snub that was notable if only because Elena prided herself on decorum.

As soon as they were out of hearing distance, my mouth fell open like a puncture mark on a heavy sigh. “That was horrible.”

“Hell,” Cage agreed. “But interesting.”

I frowned at him from behind my wine glass as I downed the rest of the crimson liquid.

“Sinclair couldn’t take his eyes off you and Elena couldn’t stand to look at you.”

“She doesn’t know if that’s what you are trying to say. Elena hasn’t been able to look me in the eye for years.”

He nodded but his dark eyes remained focused on the dregs at the bottom

of his wine glass. “I thought it was just me she hated the sight of.”

His melancholy surprised me. “Are Mr. Rock Star’s feelings hurt?”

My teasing tone had the effect I desired, he gulped back the rest of his wine and grinned at me. “Never. Now, I could use something a hell of a lot stronger than wine after that little situation.” He wiggled his fingers over his shoulder at the departed couple. “I could also use a woman. And you could use a man, no?”

My heart clenched painfully and for a second, I actually thought I was having a heart attack.

“Maybe.”

He laughed beautifully. “Good enough. Let’s go.”