Pretty in Ink (Voretti Family Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page B

color.”
    “There’s nothing to be nervous about.” She patted his chest with her free hand. “This is just a group of friends having dinner, so if you don’t hit it off, there’s no pressure.”
    “I don’t think—”
    “C’mon, C. Do this one thing for me.” Jen batted her eyelashes at him in a move so exaggerated it would’ve been hilarious, except that he knew he was going to cave. Jen was family, even though she wasn’t blood, and he couldn’t say no to family. Even when saying yes meant disaster.  
    “Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll say hello. But no promises.”
    “Of course.” Jen pulled Caleb into the kitchen. “Joslyn! There you are. Come meet Caleb.”
    The kitchen smelled like lasagna, beer, and family, and Caleb was glad he’d stayed, despite the tiny blonde heading toward him, a sweet, hopeful smile on her face. She was holding his six-month-old goddaughter on her hip, while Becca gummed away at some well-loved rubber toy.  
    “Hi!” Joslyn held out one hand for him to shake, somehow keeping hold of Becca. “It’s nice to meet you.”
    “You too.” He scanned the crowd of Vorettis surrounding the kitchen island as subtly as he could, trying to find Liv. There. Talking to Matt.
    She looked fine. Happy. No hint that she was pining over that waste-of-space CJ.
    “Try the bruschetta.” Jen shoved a tray in his face. “Joslyn made it.”
    “I love to cook.” Joslyn blushed, like she’d revealed a deep, dark secret.
    Caleb’s legs twitched with the urge to move in on his target, but no way was Jen going to let him go before he’d tried one of Joslyn’s culinary masterpieces. He took a bruschetta, shoved it in his mouth, and chewed as quickly as possible. It was down his throat before he’d even registered the taste. “That was, uh, good.”
    Jen gave him an I’m-disappointed-in-you look.  
    “Really good.” He made eye contact with Rafe, but his friend was too busy pouring a glass of scotch for his brother Alex to pay attention to the distress signals Caleb was sending out.
    “Thanks.” Joslyn was still bright red. Did she have some kind of condition? Congenital blushing?
    Liv finally surfaced from her conversation with Matt. She caught sight of Joslyn and him, and her lips turned up into a grin that must’ve been wired straight to his muscles, because before he made a conscious decision, he was heading her direction. “Excuse me.”  
    “Wait!” Jen tried to block him with the tray she was holding, but he was already past her.
    “I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder.
    Liv’s smoky eyes tracked his progress across the room, but as soon as he got to her side her gaze locked back onto her brother. She laughed at something Matt said, ignoring Caleb.
    “Hi,” he said, louder than necessary.
    “Oh,” she said, like he’d startled her. “Hi, Caleb.”
    He fought past his annoyance, trying to remember why he was here. “How are you? It’s been a while.”
    “Yeah. Things have been crazy.”
    “You’ve been avoiding me.”
    Liv laughed like he was a comedian about to get a syndicated sitcom, even as Matt’s nostrils flared. “Why would my sister be avoiding you?”
    “I wouldn’t be.” She rolled her eyes. “You know how sensitive Captain Integrity is. He’s a delicate flower.”
    “Yeah? Well, he better have stayed in his own pot.”
    “Simmer down, Matty. Do I look like the kind of woman who gets taken advantage of?”
    Matt shrugged, but a hint of a smile tugged his lips upward.
    “Caleb’s the one you should be worrying about.” She finally turned toward him. “Does Jen have you and Joslyn engaged yet, or is she going to let you go on a date first?”
    He held up his left hand. “Do you see me wearing a ring?”
    Her gaze found Joslyn, and her brow wrinkled like she was reading through an absurdly long arrest report. “I can’t believe that’s the kind of woman Jen thinks you need. She’s usually better at setting people