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Beard burn, his ass Yeah, hestubble, but he also remembered the little bite of her he had taken in the saue dear, you need to coue led the"

Wild violet eyes turned on Zeke as Lucinda turned her back on Rogue Zeke wanted to sh She looked horrified at the prospect

"We could gossip," Lucinda stated slanced at Zeke "Girl talk"

"I’ll have to check h Zeke swore she looked a little pale at the invitation "Janey keeps me pretty busy"

"Well, I could have a talk with Janey" Lucinda stared up at her victi her with you I never got a chance to get to know that girl Her brother though, noas a wild one Soent of his"

"Yes, I definitely agree," Rogue agreed hurriedly "I’ll send Janey out to you as soon as possible You can discuss it with her Though Alex does keep her fairly busy"

Hell Wrong stateht as he took his seat and saw the satisfaction on Lucinda’s face

"Yes, a good ue, as the brute that left that charhtfully "I hadn’t heard you were dating, dear"

"I’ue cleared her throat "It was an accident withiron" She twirled a curl nervously as she lied with zero guilt and a char smile "Nature isn’t always perfect If you’ll excuseZeke to stare across the table at his aunt while Shane fought to hold back his laugher

"I’ue," he stated

Lucinda’s eyes widened "I wasn’t torturing Rogue, dear I wasthe child?"

Shane shifted in his seat, glared at his father, and cleared his throat "Maybe some," he finally ad stares "Maybe you should torture the guy that left the hed "If only I could learn for certain who did such a thing," she said cal of it thisDidn’t you hear me on the cell phone, dear?"

"I did" Shane ran his hand over his shortened dark brown hair "Hours’ worth, Aunt Lucinda"

"Exactly" Lucinda sighed "And the only er than a few minutes was your father" She turned innocent eyes on Zeke

"You talked to her last night about her cousins’ deaths, didn’t you?"

"Yes" Zeke answered cautiously Damn Lucinda, she was like a shark on the scent of blood

"Did she ?" Supre

"Nope, and I didn’t ask her"

He’d si anyone He couldn’t conceive the thought of Rogue in another man’s bed In the years she had been in Somerset, there had always been talk, especially after those pictures surfaced, but nothing serious

"Not that I’?" Zeke was nearly pushing the words past his lips now What the hell was Lucinda up to? Hell, she was dangerous He should introduce her to that Hoent, Ti or two about interrogation

"Wrong question," Shane ain That srown hed "Well, a , careful breath as Tabitha moved toward the waiters was bearing ice water

"Aunt Lucinda," he said softly "We don’t want to continue this conversation"

"Oh" Her eyes widened "Of course not, dear Is she a very good friend of yours as well now?"

Friend No, he had never called Rogue a friend A fantasy A te he couldn’t have and wanted more than his next breath They were more than friends

They weren’t lovers He couldn’t allow hih" He stared back at her as Tabithasound again as Zeke sliced his gaze to hiht, but if Zeke wasn’t ht line threatened to turn to a smile When Shane knehat the hell Lucinda was up to, and Zeke didn’t, it was time to worry

But a part of him was fairly certain he knew exactly what Lucinda was up to No one had seen a ht, now, this , it was there, and obviously it had been seen by one of Lucinda’s gossip buddies

He was going to have to be ht It was tender, so damned sweet, and obviously he wasn’t nearly as careful with her as he had been with lovers in the past Because Zeke knew better than to leave a mark He knew better than to leave any proof that he had spent the night with a wo the fact that Lucinda butted her nose into so much as the hint that Zeke could be involved with anyone

She believed the only way he was going to be happy would be if he remarried Despite her own unmarried state, Lucinda wasn’t happy unless everyone around her was enjoying connubial bliss

As his father had once said, after Lucinda’s husband’s death, she had becoe as hell

Silence filled the table as the waiter set water before them and Tabitha handed them their menus with her cheery little spiel on the chef’s specials She took their drink orders, then moved aith a promise to return shortly for their dinner orders