Alecia hurries past with Meredith, talking fast and completely ignoring me.

That’s the last damn time she’ll pretend that I’m not here.

“She went to San Francisco, you know,” Jules says quietly. My gaze jerks down to her.

“When?”

“A few weeks ago.” She shrugs and takes a sip of her drink. “She won’t say why. Just that she had some things to deal with.”

Her family.

She went alone.

What the fuck is going on?

Jules watches me for a long minute, her usual smile gone, replaced with serious eyes.

“I need to go talk to Natalie,” she says finally, and walks away.

“So the event will be in the spring,” Meg says excitedly, and for the next thirty minutes, she and I bounce ideas off of each other to make the event fresh and new.

“Dom, can you help me with something?” Natalie asks as she approaches me. “I’m sorry to interrupt. This won’t take long.”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“There’s a book on the top shelf of Steven’s study that I want to show Luke, and I can’t reach it. Can you get it for me? I’ll show you where it is.”

I frown down at her. “What about Luke?”

“He’s busy with the babies,” she says and grabs my arm, not giving me time to look around, and practically drags me into the house, through the kitchen and down the hall to my father’s study. “It’s right in here—”

She looks like she’s staring at the bookcase, then turns when she hears voices.

“Oh, hold on. Stay right here.”

“Nat, what’s going on?”

Suddenly, Jules and Alecia appear in the doorway.

“What is going on?” Alecia asks as Jules pushes her in the room, then Nat and Jules each grab a doorknob on the French doors and pull them shut.

“There!” Jules yells through the door. “Now you have to talk! So talk!”

Chapter Twenty Two

~Alecia~

“Alecia!” Jules calls out and hurries over to where I’m talking with Jax and Logan in Steven’s garden.

“Hey, Jules.”

“You guys are so damn hot,” Jules says as she approaches us, then hugs each of them. “Like, super hot. I love your suits.”

Jax and Logan opted for grey suits, minus the jackets, with a three button vest and white button up shirts rolled on the forearms. Jax is wearing a green tie and Logan is wearing a soft pink one, in honor of his mother, who is currently battling breast cancer. They look hip and fresh and completely handsome.

“Thanks, gorgeous,” Jax replies and kisses her cheek.

“Are you happy?” Jules asks them.

“Couldn’t be happier,” Logan says with a grin, then kisses his groom on the cheek. “This was perfect, and your family is awesome for hosting.”

“Well, we were happy to do it.” She sighs happily. “It’s so romantic. Alecia,” she turns to me. “Can I steal you for a minute? I’d like to discuss something with you.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks again, Alecia,” Logan says and hugs me tight. “You did an awesome job.”

“My pleasure.” I collect my hug from the incredibly sexy Jax, then follow Jules toward the house. “What’s up?”

“Oh, let’s go inside and get out of the sun,” she says and takes my hand in hers. “It’s so hot today.”

I frown over at her. “It’s not that hot.”

“You’re not hot? Oh, I’m roasting.” She fans her face and rolls her eyes. “Maybe my hormones are still out of whack from having Stella.”

“She’s five months old,” I remind her.

“Well, either way, I’d like to go inside. Too much sun causes wrinkles.” She winks at me and leads me through the kitchen. “Let’s go to my dad’s study. It’s quiet in there.”

She’s up to something. One thing Jules is not is a good liar. Before I know it, she’s planted her hand in my back and shoved me not so gently into the study, and she and Natalie pull the doors closed behind me, leaving me with an equally surprised Dominic.

“There!” Jules yells. “Now you have to talk! So talk!”

I close my eyes and sigh in defeat. Damn them.

“We love you!” Natalie calls in a sing song voice.

Dominic leans his hips back on Steven’s desk and crosses his arms, watching me quietly. Resigned, I cross to the couch, it’s back facing the desk, and lean my hips against it, facing him, mirroring his stance.

“Why aren’t they talking?” Jules mutters.

Dom’s lips twitch with humor.

“So, how was Italy?” I ask, breaking the silence.

He frowns and blinks. “It was fine.”

I nod thoughtfully. “Good.”

“How’s Blake?” he asks out of the blue.

I scowl. “Fine, I guess. Why wouldn’t he be?”

“Are you fucking him?” he asks quietly, and I’m struck dumb.

Am I fucking Blake?

“What did he ask?” Natalie whispers loudly.

“I don’t know, they’re not talking loud enough,” Jules replies.

“Am I fucking Blake?” I repeat.

He just raises a brow and waits, but his eyes have softened as he watches me.

“You think I’m fucking Blake?” I hate the quiver in my voice. Hate it. How could he possibly think that?