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“How do you feel about doing dinner with my brother and his wife?” I ask Cash when I get home from work. “She’s my best friend, and I haven’t seen her since my birthday, and now we’re married and she’s been blowing up my phone…and I just feel like I should at least introduce you to them.”

“Are you serious?” he asks me.

“Yes. Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, I’m guessing you want to introduce me to more of your family since it went over so well with your sister.” He doesn’t hide his sarcasm. “And for another, your brother didn’t seem too fond of me the night you and I met. And to be honest, Ivy, it wasn’t the first time I met your brother.”

I don’t hide my surprise at that. “It wasn’t?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “No, we actually met a few times at your dad’s casinos.”

His words plow into me with a weird force as they feel completely unexpected. “You were at my dad’s casinos?”

He nods. “In fact, I was there the night the SWAT team showed up.”

My jaw drops as my heart starts to pound. “You were there?”

He nods. “I was there, but I happened to be upstairs when the SWAT team raided, and I got word of what was going on and was told to make a quick exit.”

I don’t know why this information feels so shocking to me, but it does. It feels like it’s coming out of left field since he’s sort of had this connection to my family all along and never mentioned it until now.

“Are you upset about that?” he asks.

I shrug. “Not upset, I guess. Just surprised that this is the first I’m learning of this.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he says, averting his eyes to the window. “It could have been a big deal, but I got lucky and I got out, unlike your brother-in-law, who got caught down there.”

“Wait, is this why you hate Dex?” I ask.

“I don’t hate Dex,” he says. “I don’t even know the guy.”

“So if you don’t hate him and you don’t know him, then you’re not opposed to dinner,” I say flatly, feeling some certain way I can’t quite identify yet about all of this.

He sighs, and it gives me the impression that he is opposed to the idea but isn’t going to be the one to decline. He lifts a shoulder, and that’s it, I guess. The green light.

“How does tonight sound?” I ask.

He winces a little before he says, “Sounds as good as any other time.”

I text Ainsley, who invites us over to their place, and she says she’ll order in and promises Dex will be on his best behavior when he gets home from training camp.

I flash my messages to Cash, and he just raises his brows.

“This means you better be on your best behavior too,” I remind him.

He clenches his jaw, and it works back and forth, and I can’t help but think for the tenth time that honestly no one has any right to be as sexy as he is.

A few hours later, we’re being buzzed up by the doorman to Dex and Ainsley’s condo that overlooks the Strip. Ainsley is holding my nephew against her hip when she opens the door to us.

I smile and take him from her arms. “How’s my little Jack-Jack doing?” I ask.

“Happy to see his Auntie Ivy,” she says.

“It’s been too long,” I say.

“Totally agree,” she says. She turns to Cash. “Hi, I’m Ainsley Bradley.” She sticks her hand out, and he grabs it to shake.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he says. “Cash.”