AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh my God.” Donovan rubbed his temples, closing his eyes. Like he could block out what he’d just seen and heard. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“There a problem?” I moved to the spot Daire had been, grabbing one of the empty plates he’d set out and piling on the food.
Donovan stared as I took at least one of everything, like he couldn’t imagine why I wasn’t drinking a green juice, but weekends were for splurging, especially after the amount of calories I’d burned.
I smiled sweetly at my brother before taking a bite of the drenched-in-syrup waffle. Heaven. Pure heaven.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Daire open the fridge and pour a little milk into the mug, and I frowned. That wasn’t how he took his coffee. I’d watched him enough to know.
As he stirred, Daire moved in beside me and then slid the perfectly-made-just-the-way-I-like-it coffee my way.
I almost choked on my food at the unexpected gesture that touched me in a way I couldn’t explain. It was so simple, but it said so much. He’d watched me the way I’d watched him. Knew my likes, my habits…how I took my coffee.
Daire didn’t go out of his way for anyone, hadn’t in all the years I’d known him. This was different. This was him making an effort.
My heart squeezed as I smiled up at him, and then I lifted up onto my toes to press a kiss to his lips. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He kissed me back, curling an arm around my waist. It felt so good, so natural, that I sank into him, and it wasn’t until Donovan cleared his throat to remind us he was there that I pulled away.
“Thank you,” I said against Daire’s lips, and then I picked up the mug and took a long, appreciative swallow.
Perfect.
“Okay, one of you needs to start talking,” Donovan said, staring between the two of us. “Are you actually dating? Is that what’s happening here?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer that, because hell if I knew—though if it were up to me, I knew what my response would be.
So when Daire shrugged and said, “Yep,” I stopped breathing.
From the looks of it, so had Donovan.
Daire’s hand brushed against my lower back. “Aren’t you going to be late?” he said, looking pointedly at my brother.
“What?” Donovan shook his head and checked his watch. “Oh. Right. Yeah, I need to get going soon.”
“Working today?” I finished off my waffle and moved on to the fluffy scrambled eggs.
“Yeah, I’ve got a shoot in Williamsburg, and I thought you might wanna come.” He glanced between us. “I mean, if you’re not busy. I just figured it’d be good to catch up, and there’s a flea market nearby you’d like.”
My brows shot up at the invitation. I couldn’t remember the last time we’d hung out, just the two of us, and I had to admit, it wasn’t a bad idea after several awkward, kinda tense months. It was thoughtful of him to ask, especially with the market incentive for when he was shooting.
“That would be great, actually,” I said, and glanced at Daire. “Is that cool with you?”
He nodded, and the hand he had on my back dipped down into the waist of my pants. “Long as I get you later.”
Butterflies burst in my stomach, and not even Donovan’s “ew” could tame them.
I grabbed a scone and threw it at Donovan’s head, but he ducked just in time, or there would’ve been blueberries and crumbs all over that model face.
He stood up and checked his watch again. “You’ve got ten minutes, so scarf it and get dressed.”
“Want me to meet you downstairs?” I said.
“No.” Donovan’s eyes narrowed slightly on Daire. “I wanna talk to this one. Alone.”
THE DRIVE TO Brooklyn was surprisingly quick, and I barely got a chance to grill Donovan about what he said to Daire before we arrived. I followed him into the hair and makeup trailer, swiping us a couple of drinks at the craft services table on the way. Several stations were already set up in front of blindingly bright mirrors and what seemed like every hair tool and makeup palette known to man. Donovan, of course, justhadto be the first one there, and he chose the seat in the far back that had a bench for me so we could talk and I’d be out of the stylist’s way.
“So you didn’t threaten Daire’s life, is that what you’re telling me?” I handed Donovan a water and then popped the top of my ice-cold soda.
“Couldanybodydo that? I don’t have a death wish.” Donovan took a long swallow of his drink and then capped the top. “Now, that’s not to say I wouldn’t do some serious damage in other ways if he’s fucking around with you.”
