“I wasn’t good?” His eyes widened and he smiled. “You call every guy you meet Mr. Tongue?”

“You’re good to go down on me.” My face reddened. “But that’s about it. I wouldn’t sleep with you again.”

“So the only good part of me is my tongue?”

“Yup.” I nodded. “And every man has one, so it’s not even that special.”

“So I’m an average man with average tongue skills and bad fucking skills?” He cocked his head to the side and studied my face.

“Yes, average tongue skills and F grade skills in bed.” I lied, unable to say fucking to him out loud. I wondered if my face was giving me away. Xander had A plus tongue skills and A plus fucking skills. My body was burning up as we spoke, reminding me that I was lying out of my ass.

“Average and an F now?” His lips thinned. “Hmm, I’m going down on the scale.”

“Sorry, I didn’t want to be rude before, but you know how it is.”

“I do.” He nodded and grabbed my hand and then opened Henry’s bedroom door and pulled me into the room with him.

“What are you doing?” I gasped as he pushed me back against the door and positioned himself in front of me. He didn’t answer me, but instead his eyes mocked me as his face moved closer to mine.

“What are you doing?” I gasped again as he lowered his mouth to mine. His lips were firm as they crushed into mine and his tongue slid into my mouth easily. I moaned as his hardness pressed into my belly and I kissed him back for a couple of seconds before I remembered where we were. Oh shit, what must Henry be thinking?

“What do you think you’re doing?” I pushed him off of me and looked around the room wildly, my face a deep red.

“Henry’s not here.” He raised an eyebrow at me and laughed. “You can stop pretending to be affronted now.”

“I’m not pretending anything.” I frowned. “Where is he? And if you knew he wasn’t here why would you say he blew me off?”

“Don’t play games with me, Liv. I’m not the sort of guy that takes kindly to games.”

“What games?” I said in a heat. Did he know that I had no interest in Henry? How embarrassing.

“Look, I know this is an uncomfortable situation and I know that your feelings are likely hurt, but I made a promise and a commitment to your sister. Even if I wanted to back out, it wouldn’t be the gentlemanly thing to do.”

“But you’re not a gentleman.”

“I wasn’t one, no.” He sighed. “I’m used to getting what I want when I want it and if it doesn’t come easily I just take it, but life is about more than my ego.”

“Okay.” I took a step away from him as he looked as if he were going to kiss me again. “Good for you and your perfect life.”

“Liv, I’m just saying there’s no need to pretend you’re into Henry.”

“I’m not pretending.” I shook my head at him, annoyed by his arrogance. “He’s handsome, single, by all accounts a lovely man. I’m interested in getting to know him. What’s so hard to believe about that?”

“He’s my brother.” He frowned, the smug smile completely gone from his face.

“So? Gabby’s my sister.” I looked him in the eyes. “You didn’t seem to have a problem with that. I find it hypocritical that you would have a problem with me dating your brother.”

“Why date my brother when it’s me you want?”

“I don’t want you. You seem to be the one that wants me. What do you think Gabby would say if she knew you had just kissed me?”

“I do not care.” He growled. “What Gabby and I have is a business relationship.”

“Well good for you.”

“You don’t understand.” He shook his head and grabbed me around the waist and pulled me to him. “What happened to the carefree fun-loving girl I met last weekend?”

“She left the building when you were introduced as my sister’s fiancé.”

“What can I do to change this?” His fingers brushed the loose hairs away from my face. “I don’t want us to argue about this anymore.”

“I’m not arguing, I’m just stating facts.” I shrugged and tried to push him away from me, but this time I couldn’t move his body. My hands were flat against his naked chest and I swallowed hard. Why was he making this so difficult? Why wouldn’t he just leave me alone?

“We still need to be friends, Liv.” His fingers traced my lips. “We’re going to be family.”

I nearly vomited at that point. I mean, was this guy for real?

“Xander,” I looked up into his eyes. “I don’t intend on ever seeing you again after this weekend, asides from at your wedding. We do not need to be anything.”

Our eyes met and we looked at each other for a few seconds and I could see that he was thinking hard. I waited for him to tell me that I was being stupid. That of course we’d see each other at other times. I waited for him to scold me and tell me I was being immature. I waited for him to tell me that I was acting like a silly schoolgirl. I knew that there was obviously no way I’d only be able to see him at the wedding. For all of our squabbling and quarrels, my family was close-knit and my parents would not allow me to blow off every dinner and get-together, even if I wanted to. I stood there with my shoulders squared and waited for him to tell me off for being immature, but instead he started laughing. I stared at him in amazement and shock as I watched the laughter fill his face: his eyes were bright, his mouth was wide and his head fell back as he laughed his head off.