My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 285

Chapter 285

I felt my cheeks flush, “And what’s the verdict so far?”

Manuel leaned in even closer, his shoulder brushing mine. “Well,” he said, “You have a very good innocent face, Gianna. But I think there is a little bit of trouble hiding behind those eyes. Am I right?”

I let out a real laugh. It felt good to laugh, to feel like a normal girl being flirted with by a handsome man, Maybe…” I teased, tilting my head and catching his gaze, “I guess you’ll just have to keep watching to find out!”

“Oh, I plan on it,” Manuel whispered. He reached over and picked up a small, red strawberry from the fruit plate. He held it up, the fruit bright against his tanned skin, “I’m a very patient man when the prize is worth the wait”

Even though, Manuel was wonderful, I could only focus on hear his voice drifting down the table.

“I went back and rebuilt the whole damn thing after that night at the wedding,” Raphael said. He was leaning toward Vivianne, his usual cold wall completely gone. He looked… alive. He looked like he was a fan of hers, “I stayed up for seventy-two hours straight re-mapping the keystroke rhythm protocols. I couldn’t stop thinking about what you said, about the locksmith handing over the key.”

Vivianne laughed, a beautiful sound that made my stomach turn over, “And? Did you fix the leak, or are you still leaving the door unlocked for me, Raphael?”

“I plugged every hole you pointed out,” he admitted. He shook his head, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, “I thought I was untouchable until you dismantled my entire life’s work over a glass of champagne. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like an amateur.”

I looked down at the table, my eyes blurring.

I looked at the place card in front of me. I knew it said my name, but the letters felt like they were vibrating, twisting into shapes I couldn’t catch.

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