Chapter 620

I do as he says, holding the whiskey bottle as he walks away, letting my eyes lightly drift over his rather stunning form as I do. Luca he is...well. When he walks like that, it's very difficult to take your eyes away.

Ben turns towards me and gives Tony a nudge, nodding my way. Tony nods eagerly and gets up with Ben, both grabbing their whiskey cups and coming over to me.

"Are we offering refills, highness?" Ben asks, leaning against the fireplace next to me and holding his cup out.

"Only in exchange for pledges of lifelong loyalty," I say with a haughty sigh. He laughs and offers his cup, accepting my terms, so I fill it. Tony does the same, leaning against the mantle with one hand and looking out towards our friends.

"Good little club you've got going here," he murmurs, looking around at everyone. "Very cozy and high spirited group, isn't it?"noveldrama

"Yeah," I say with a happy sigh, looking around at them all. "Good looking, too."

Tony flashes a grin at me and nods.

"Speaking of which," Ben says, lowering his voice and leaning in conspiratorially, even as he keeps his eyes on Tony. "You're going to want to keep an eye on how much you hit on Daphne around Rafe. I mean, I know it's all in good fun, but..."

"Are they like, together?" Tony asks, peering over at my brother and Daphne who are still chatting idly, if not a little awkwardly.

"She dumped him," I say on a sigh, making Tony snap his head back to me, his eyebrows raised. "And he is...not over it." "Look how hard he's trying," Ben says on a sigh, shaking his head. "It's just...I don't think the chemistry is there between them." "Bummer," Tony murmurs, nodding along.

"So, yeah," Ben continues, looking back at Tony again. “Unless you want to incur some Sinclair wrath..."

"Oh, nah, it's no big deal," Tony says with a grin. "I was just having fun with it - it's been awhile since I was around a pretty girl and -"

I huff in protest, standing up straight, making Tony burst out laughing and give me a friendly little shove.

“I didn't mean it like that, Ari," he

net

says, shaking his head at me, "you're a whole different category of forbidden. Though don't think I'm not enjoying the way Luca Grant reacts every time I do this." He slips an arm around my shoulders and Luca, true to form, does indeed

narrow his eyes

narrow his eyes at Tony, his teeth flashing as he makes his second trip back from the dumbwaiter with a couple of gallons of ice cream on a tray in his hands.

Ben and I laugh along with Tony, who drops his arm from my shoulders and gives me a wink.

“Wait, but,” I say, frowning up at my lanky, dark-haired friend. “You don't think Daphne is cute?"

"I think she's beautiful," Tony says, looking down at me, quite serious. "But, like you, she's way too nice."

I squeak in protest, pressing a hand to my heart before I realize that that...may have been a compliment. "Excuse you, Davis," I growl, giving him a tiny shove. "I am very murderous and cruel."

"Yeah right, Ariel, you're a doll," he says with a smirk. I turn my shocked expression to Ben, who gives a sad little shrug of confirmation. "What's wrong with being nice!?" I protest.

"Nothing," Tony says, beaming at me. "I just like 'em mean. Adds a level of spice to the relationship I'm just not interested if I'm not half worried that she's going to bite my head off."

I laugh, leaning back against the stones of my fireplace and smiling between my two friends. "Well then Daphne's out, lucky for Rafe," I say with a happy sigh, looking back towards the group. "Because she's a doff too."

“Lucky girl,” Tony murmurs, taking a long sip of his whiskey. "Though I'm not sure Rafe is the only Sinclair she needs to worry about."

I whip my head up to Tony, wondering if he can have already intuited in a single evening what I've been suspecting for a long time.

Ben catches my eye and gives me a smirk, letting me know that he thinks that Tony probably has.