While I was drowning in my mortification, one of the guys in the group—someone I didn’t know—grinned and said,
“Luca, who’s that? Your latest conquest?”
Luca’s face shifted. Still calm, but suddenly serious.
“No, man. Have some respect,” he said coolly. “That’s my sister-in-law.”
“Sister-in-law?” the guy echoed, eyebrows raised as the others burst out laughing.
Another voice chimed in, “Hey, Ash, did you know Luca had a sister-in-law?”
Asher laughed—just a dry, careless sound—and looked up.
And that’s when he saw me.
That was the first time he really saw me. I realized then—he hadn’t even looked at who was with Luca before. But now his eyes were locked on mine.
In that second, everything about him changed. His easy posture stiffened. His shoulders squared.
His expression turned s
