Juniper shot up from the sofa. The fruit was forgotten. The game was abandoned. Her clear, bright eyes were fixed on Shanley, an icy mask quickly settling over her delicate features as she waited for an explanation. If he didn’t provide a good one…
She glanced at the fruit knife on the table. It was gleaming, and undoubtedly sharp. Perfect for putting a couple of holes in someone.
“Jealous?” Shanley set down the fruit platter and reached for her hand, a grin spreading across his face. He was always the one getting jealous of her. He never thought he’d see the day she was jealous over him. He had to admit, the feeling was rather satisfying.
“Smack!”
Juniper dodged his hand and slapped it away, her anger genuine.
“I. Am. Not!” she retorted, her defiance not quite masking her insecurity. They had an understanding. There were no other messy entanglements. And now? He invested in a team because of some woman? She felt like a complete joke!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Fearing she might actually grab the knife, Juniper stood up, ready to storm out.
But Shanley caught her wrist before she could take a step. “It’s not who you think,” he said with a helpless smile, his expression softening as he explained, “The woman was my mother.”
“Your mom?”
“Yes.”
Shanley pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her slender waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.
“My mother is a huge fan of Demon,” he explained with a soft chuckle. “When Demon announced his hiatus from the Neverfall Navigators, she was heartbroken for days. Her eyes were swollen from crying. To cheer her up, I signed the team. I figured she’d be even happier when Demon eventually returned.”
Juniper’s feelings were a whirlwind of confusion. His mother? She’d never even seen Shanley’s parents. If he hadn’t just mentioned them, she might have assumed he was an orphan.


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