" He’s starting to get on my nerves when he does that thing about the women,” he said, taking her elbow and steering her toward the bluffs. “We’ve been all over that. He can give it a rest anytime. He had a million women before Mel. Two million.” She laughed at him. “You never mentioned to him that we spent a lot of time together over the summer,” she said. “I told you—it wasn’t because you’re Jack’s sister. I met you because of Jack—I care about you because of you.” “Did you tell him you spent the nights he was away in his bed?” Mike laughed. “Would I be walking around today if I had? You know that would put him in a black mood.” “You could have explained—I asked you to come, to stay.” “This would be Jack Sheridan’s little sister. He would’ve expected me to sit guard out on the porch.” “You didn’t tell him I got scared?” He slipped an arm loosely, cautiously, around her waist. “You would have told him if you had wanted him to know.” “Which one of us are you protecting?” she asked with a laugh. He was conscious that she didn’t pull away from him. “You and me, our privacy. What goes on with us just isn’t his business. If you want to know—he asked. I don’t know how he picked up the scent, since apparently no one clued him in. I must be losing my touch—I’ve become obvious. I used to be slicker than that. But he wanted to know if there was something going on between us.” “And you said…?” “I said that I would never do anything to hurt you and if he wanted to know anything, he should ask you. I suggested he be very careful about that because you consider yourself a grown-up.” That made her laugh rather happily. “Oh, I bet you really pissed him off.” “He’ll get over it. He pissed me off.” They "

― Robyn Carr , Whispering Rock (Virgin River, #3)