Ezra looks back to her, brows skyward. “Your new lover is downstairs in our house and you want to talk to me about soon? I can say for sure that you found someone new before I did. You found someone new before you even left, so don’t come in here calling Kimba a bitch and trying to make me feel guilty. You don’t have grounds for that.”

He has to sort this out and my presence isn’t going to help. Besides, I’m tired of being both the center of and the bystander in this drama. And if Aiko calls me a bitch one more time, I can’t be held responsible.

“Ezra,” I say, standing and focusing on him, not Aiko’s malevolent gaze burning through my clothes. “I should go.”

“Yeah, you should,” she snaps. “We have family business to discuss.”

She should be glad I have enough control left to ignore her. Ezra shoots her an exasperated glance and then turns his heated gaze, midnight blue, blazing, to me. “I’ll walk you out.”

We start toward the bedroom door, but Aiko steps in front of me, running her eyes over my sundress and flats, my hair and face. “I know you.”

I’m not famous. My candidates are. The average Joe wouldn’t recognize a political analyst on the street from a few television appearances, so I’m not sure that’s where she thinks she knows me from.

“The funeral,” she whispers, turning an accusing look on Ezra. “We went to her father’s funeral. I remember because it was the day my grandmother had her heart attack.”

I remember, too. Seeing her on the phone, pacing in the grass, distress etched onto her pretty face.

“You said she used to be your best friend.” Aiko sputters, shakes her head. “Did I really find someone else first, Ezra? How long has this been going on? Oh my God.”

“No.” Ezra closes his eyes, and I can see the discipline it takes for him to remain calm in the face of her rising hysteria. “You’re right. We did attend Mr. Allen’s funeral, but Kimba and I hadn’t seen each other since. That award I received, the event Mona and Noah attended with me—Kimba’s family foundation sponsored it and we saw each other there.”

She draws a deep breath and releases it in an indignant puff. “I’d only been gone a few days.”

“And nothing happened right away,” Ezra says, his gaze drifting to me and softening with something so much more than affection. There’s no way Aiko will mistake it for anything other than what it is.

“You care about her,” she whispers, horrified. “Do you think you’re in love with her? Already?”