Cassie tipped her head. “Nice to meet you, Emerson.”

“Likewise.” His attention shifted to Kir, and an ornery smirk crept across his face. “She’s pretty, Uncle Kir. I think you did good.”

The Uncle Kir hit her first.

The next realization was the staggering fact that everyone apparently thought they were a thing.

Well, duh, Cassie. His arm is still around you. What else would they think?

Thankfully, Kir interjected to cover her fluster. “Of course, she’s pretty. And smart and funny, too. After all, I have exceptional taste.” With a knowing wink, he motioned Cassie to her seat. “I think you’d best have a seat, vozlyublennaya. They’ve been building their list of questions for you since Thursday, and the restaurant only stays open so long—even for their boss.”

Cassie took her seat and the familiar comfort that had seemed to grip everyone before their arrival resumed, each person commenting on different options on the menu, or taking up their previous conversation. She leaned closer to Kir as soon as he’d settled and murmured, “What’s vozlyublennaya? You’ve said that a few times tonight.”

Clearly, Evette wasn’t paying any attention to whatever Dorothy was saying to her son, because she chuckled and answered before Kir could. “It’s an endearment. Sweetheart, I think. Right, babe?” she said to Sergei.

Sergei grinned. “Da.”

Sweetheart?

She twisted her head to Kir, a silent question and probably a healthy dose of surprise plastered all over her face.

“All their endearments sound sexy, if you ask me,” Evette added. “Malyshka. Daragaya. Zolatka. Milaya. Russians don’t mess around with their sweet talk.”

“That last one,” Cassie said, taking advantage Evette’s chattiness, “what’s it mean?”

“Milaya?” Evette said.

“Darling or dear,” Roman answered. “A term of affection I’m not certain I’ve ever heard cross my brother’s lips.”

The glare Kir aimed at Roman wasn’t exactly one of irritation, but held a warning all the same. “Perhaps there would be more opportunities for me to share endearments with my woman if my family didn’t give her cause to run after only one dinner with them.”

My woman.

Had he just said that?

In front of everyone?

Part of her wanted to duck under the table and shake herself until she woke up. Another part wanted to punch him in the arm and demand he fess up with whatever the heck was going on.

Lizzy snickered and plucked a slice of sourdough bread from the napkin-covered basket between her and Roman. “And here I thought the Dallas branch of our peculiar family was the only one with meddlesome people in it.”

“Are ye kiddin’ me?” Axel said. “The second my mother and Ninette got their hooks in Sergei, the New Orleans crew was done for.”

Cassie scanned the table, for the first time since the introductions had started fully comprehending no one outside Sergei, Roman, or Kir looked even remotely like what she’d expected, and not a one of them looked like blood kin. “I’m confused. You’re all related? Really?”