“Rune, never. I want …” Before he could finish, Verity flew into the room with a tray of tea and cookies. “Is anyone else starving?” Alex’s hands dropped and he turned sharply away from Rune. As she watched him slide off the bench and stand before the fireplace, quietly stoking the flames, she remembered Gideon’s words from the garden. When I saw Alex at your side, I knew exactly who you were … a girl who was entirely off-limits, because my little brother found her first. Rune had thought he was talking about ruining her and Alex’s friendship. Now she wondered if he’d meant something else.
