There Goes My Heart (The Sullivans #20) - Bella Andre Page 0,13

proud of you, baby.”

She nearly laughed. Baby was a little overkill, but since they had agreed to have fun with this tonight, she gave him her own over-the-top admiring look. “Not nearly as proud as I always am of you.”

From the corner of her eye, Zara could see both Brittany and Cameron gaping at them.

+1 for Team Zara and Rory.

Sensing that Rory was working just as hard to keep his laughter in, and that any further antics were likely to send both of them over the edge, she turned back to her stepsister and ex. “Congratulations on your engagement.”

Brittany slid her arm through Cameron’s and rested her head on his shoulder. “We knew from the start that it was true love.” She batted her eyelids at her fiancé. “Didn’t we, darling?”

He kissed her forehead. “From the first moment I set eyes on you, I knew we belonged together, my angel.”

Darling? Angel? Bile rose in Zara’s throat.

She felt Rory’s arm tighten around her as he said to Cameron, “The first time you set eyes on Brittany, weren’t you dating Zara?”

It belatedly occurred to Zara that she should have set the ground rules with Rory more carefully. No going for the jugular. No shooting poison arrows. Though she had been hurt like hell to find Brittany and Cameron cheating on her, when their parents and friends—and pretty much everyone else she knew—were immediately supportive of Brittany and Cameron’s new relationship, Zara had decided it wasn’t worth fighting a losing battle to remind everyone that she had, in fact, been there first.

Brittany was the first to recover from Rory’s question. “Don’t be silly. None of us would call a couple of dinners together and maybe a movie dating.” She pinned her bright gaze on Zara, imploring her to agree. “Right, Z?”

For a moment, Zara was tempted to point out that she and Cameron had had a good two dozen dinners, movies, and nights during the two months they’d been seeing each other—which met even the most stringent definition of dating.

But she couldn’t bring herself to ruin her stepsister’s celebration. Though Brittany didn’t always look at things from all angles before she spoke and acted, at her core she was a good person. The big difference between the two of them was that Brittany’s misdeeds were on the surface, whereas Zara kept hers buried as deep as they could go.

In any case, as she worked to shake the painful thought away, she didn’t need to make a scene. Not when she had Rory at her side acting the part of the sentry, rather than simply the charmer she had assumed he would play tonight.

She couldn’t stand to lie, though. So instead of nodding, she went with, “I’m really glad things have worked out so well for both of you. You make a perfect pair.”

Brittany’s face lit with another smile. The same smile that had lured all of Zara’s previous crushes her way. “We do, don’t we?”

“Zara, honey!” Her father’s booming greeting was accompanied by a hug. “You look great. So healthy and happy. Doesn’t she, Margie?”

Zara stepped forward for her stepmother’s air kisses on each cheek. “You certainly do, darling.” Margie turned her gaze to Rory and gave him a thorough once-over. “Very well, indeed.”

“Dad, Margie, this is Rory Sullivan.”

“Very nice to meet you.” Her father robustly pumped Rory’s hand, clearly pleased by this proof that his daughter wasn’t moping over losing her boyfriend to her stepsister. “How long have you two been an item?”

Rory spoke before Zara could reply. “The first time I met Zara, she caught my eye.”

Zara almost laughed out loud, remembering the argument they’d had on her first day at the warehouse. Yup, she’d definitely caught his eye.

Rory continued, “I consider myself a very lucky guy that she finally agreed to go out with me.”

“Where did you meet?” Margie asked, looking as surprised as the rest of them at the idea of magnificent Rory Sullivan chasing Zara.

Thankful that they’d gotten their story straight beforehand, Zara said, “We work in the same building. Rory designs and builds furniture. His pieces are exceptional.” At the last second, she realized she should add in some lovey-dovey stuff. Turning to him with a heated look, she said, “Everything about you is exceptional.”

To his credit, instead of looking horrified by her terrible excuse for flirting, he rolled with it by pulling her closer.

Only, somewhere in there, he decided to roll with it too far.

Way too far.

Because the next thing she knew, he was leaning toward