Marrying My Billionaire Hookup - Nadia Lee Page 0,103

a joke?”

Perhaps I’m becoming better at this. At least she realized I was making an attempt…although she still didn’t laugh. Must come up with a line that’s going to make her at least giggle.

I nod. I don’t like the sensation I’m feeling—as though I’m back in high school and scored a B on a test I needed an A on.

“Wow!” She grins. “Well…it was a designer pizza…”

My emotions shift, an unseen earthquake that only I can sense shaking me up. She joking with me. We’re…bantering. Since I can’t label exactly what I’m experiencing and can’t think of how to respond, I merely smile at her and start toward the dining table.

The intercom rings.

“Did you order something?” Jo asks.

“No. Did you?”

“Nope.” She goes to the intercom and squints at the screen. “I think it’s Ivy and your brother. And a couple of other people…”

“What?” I join her to see, and sure enough, Tony, Ivy, Court and Pascal are all staring into the fish-eye camera. I added them to the approved guest list, along with Jo’s family, but didn’t realize they’d visit so soon.

I hit the speaker button. “What are you doing here?”

“We aren’t lost, in case you’re wondering,” Court says. “Thought you could use some dinner.”

“We brought Thai,” Ivy says.

“From your favorite place in the city,” Tony adds. “It smells really good.” Then he sniffs the air exaggeratedly.

“I already have dinner,” I say dryly.

“Oh, come on. We just want to see Jo!” Court says. “If I wait for you to get around to it, I won’t see her until the wedding.”

Sighing at my family’s caring but slightly embarrassing theatrics, I look at Jo. “Sorry about this.” And she was worried about her family invading our home.

She smiles. “I don’t mind. I want to meet your other brother. And I do love Thai.”

I hit the button and let them in. I knew Court and Pascal would want to meet Jo sooner or later. Today’s just as good a time as any. Hopefully, nobody does or says anything too cringe-worthy. I trust Ivy and Pascal, but Tony and Court?

They’re brothers.

A few moments later, they pile into our home. Tony and Court look particularly proud of themselves, while Ivy and Pascal are studying the penthouse with avid curiosity.

“You should’ve called,” I say.

“You would’ve ignored us.” After placing two huge paper bags on the table, Court goes to Jo and extends his hand. “I’m Court, easily the best looking and the most talented of the Blackwood brothers.”

Jo laughs, taking his hand and pumping it firmly. “Is that the consensus?”

“In his dreams,” Tony says.

“Hi, Anthony,” Jo says.

“Call me Tony,” he says. “We’re family now. Well, almost.” He smiles.

Good. He’s obviously accepted Jo, which makes things easier. Only his closest friends and family can call him Tony.

“I’m Pascal, Court’s fiancée,” Pascal says. “Just so you know, he calls me Skittles.”

“Skittles? Like…the candy?” Jo asks.

“It’s a long story.” Her cheeks flush a bit, and she smiles.

“Are these Chianti?” Ivy says, sitting down at the dining table and looking at a couple of bottles of wine next to two boxes of pizzas. “I thought you were pregnant, Jo.”

“Jo, there wasn’t any reason to get wine,” I say, not wanting Jo and Ivy to feel left out. Jo undoubtedly loves a good vintage. Otherwise her uncle wouldn’t be sending cases from his vineyard.

“Don’t worry,” Jo says. “It’s not a real Chianti, just a virgin version.”

“Virgin wine? Isn’t that just grape juice that’s been corked?” I pick up the bottle. It even has a fancy-looking label. I shake my head inwardly.

“Probably. But again, it looked interesting, so of course I wanted to get it.”

Tony and Court come over to study the label with me.

“Never heard of it,” Tony says with a deep frown of a concerned connoisseur. I can tell he wants to say more, but is restraining himself to avoid upsetting the women.

“We’ll need a corkscrew for this. Way too much work for juice, if you ask me,” Court says.

I agree silently. I don’t even like grape juice that much. Too sweet.

“Don’t judge. I haven’t had wine in forever,” Ivy says with mock sternness, her hand over her large belly.

“And you still won’t have after you drink this bottle,” Tony says.

Jo shrugs and drapes an arm over Ivy’s shoulder. “Hey, more for us if they don’t want any. Right? It’s going to be fun.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jo

I smile with satisfaction when Edgar and his brothers finally give up grumbling about the wine and sit down at the table with us girls. I’m