SEALed With Love (DiCarlo Brides book 2) (The DiCarlo Brides) Read Online Free Page B

bubbling over with happiness.” Rosemary interrupted Sage’s move across the room. “What’s not to be happy about? Unless you wish Harrison had been invited.”
    Rosemary and Harrison had an adversarial relationship Sage didn’t really understand—she’d felt the attraction between them the moment they met—eleven years earlier—but they’d been at each other’s throats in the next moment and meeting again as adults hadn’t been better. Sage wasn’t about to ask questions, though; she already had enough problems on her plate. “I hadn’t thought about Harrison. And if Vince didn’t invite his family or friends, I don’t know why we would have called my brother.” He would blow a gasket when he found out about the stalker. She could already hear the irate big-brother attitude.  And she wouldn’t be able to hide it now. Joel wouldn’t let her.
    Rosemary started talking about the cake she was going to make for Cami’s wedding and Sage tuned her out, becoming very aware of Joel, who closed the distance between them, coming to a stop on her left. Disapproval rolled off him, or maybe that was her imagination.  She glanced at him again and saw the deep line between his brows, the way his arms crossed over his wide chest, muscles bunching. Even his shaved head and goatee seemed to disapprove of her decision to wait until tomorrow morning to tell the others.
    “You don’t have to hover, you know,” she hissed at him.
    “It’s my job,” he said, his expression not changing.
    And didn’t that describe exactly what was wrong with their relationship in the first place? He got paid to be there—he wasn’t spending time with her because he wanted to, but because he wanted the paycheck. That had been fine at first, but since her feelings for him had grown over the summer it was not nearly enough anymore.
    Joel hung around until the other guys left and many of the sisters wandered off to their rooms. “Let me see you out,” Sage said when she’d had enough of Joel’s silent presence. Any other time she would have enjoyed having him around. She ought to have been glad he was staying close—the stalker was back and Joel made her feel safe, usually. However, tonight his hovering and disapproval tired her, and made her even more jumpy than before.
    He glared, but with a glance at Delphi and Jonquil, who were still nearby, he rose and followed Sage to the door. He turned before opening it and she reached around him, opened the door and pushed him onto the porch, following him out—the open floor plan of the great room, dining and kitchen areas didn’t lend itself to privacy. Before she shut the door behind her, Sage heard Delphi whisper something low. She was well aware her sisters thought there was something romantic between herself and Joel. That illusion would be stripped away in the morning. In some ways, that would be a relief, as hearing the little teases only made her feel worse about his indifference to her on a romantic level.
    “You shouldn’t come out here.” His SEAL-trained eyes darted around the yard, looking for signs of an intruder in the darkness. He looked to the side and tensed for a moment, then relaxed a little when Sage’s orange tabby cat, Mr. Sunshine, sashayed out of the woods, headed for the house.
    “There’s nothing to suggest he’s turned violent. And you’re here, so my danger is minimal.” She didn’t fully believe her words. Though she tried to tell herself she was safe, there was no question that she had nightmares about being attacked.
    “Don’t be stupid.”
    “Because any decision you don’t agree with is automatically stupid. Is that it?”
    “I never said that.”
    She sighed, pushing her dark curls away from her face. “No, of course not. But you imply it with every look and action.”
    His jaw clenched and his brown eyes darkened. “I’m not letting you take unnecessary risks. I made a promise to your father.”
    “Right. And even from his grave, he