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“Uh, hey.” She caught her balance and nervously brushed at her clothes as if she was trying to wipe off crumbs or smooth out any wrinkles. Because following Kaden were some of the guys from the team. Sam Morris, Dom Zanetti… and Luc. Crap.
If she’d known her brother was bringing them back here, she would’ve made herself look more presentable, and maybe not have been lounging on the couch, shoving chips into her face. She more than likely wouldn’t have snorted by accident, either. Shit. And maybe she wouldn’t have cared about any of it, if Luc wasn’t one of them.
“He wasn’t that much trouble, was he, Kass?” Kaden asked, not realizing anything was wrong.
“No, nope. I mean, well, he took a while to put down. I don’t know if he was just missing you guys or what. But eventually he fell asleep. Oh, and tell Ali that he isn’t a fan of lima beans, apparently.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think he would be, because who really is?” Kaden said with a chuckle. Nodding at her t-shirt, he asked, “Is that why the wardrobe change?”
Her cheeks filled with heat. She looked down at her shirt. “Yeah. I figured you wouldn’t mind. Mine is in the laundry room, soaking.”
“No problem. I’ll toss it in with the next load of laundry for you. I’m now a master at getting baby food out of clothes.”
Kassie still stood, frozen in place, as the guys filed into the loft.
“Hey, Kass,” Dom said with a wave. He made himself at home, like he always did, flopping down on the couch. He and Kaden had been close for a long time. Nodding at the spilled chips, he chuckled. “Neat-freak Kaden is going to have a conniption fit when he sees those crumbs on the floor.”
“Shut up, Z,” Kaden countered. “Get up and grab the hand vacuum, lazy ass. This isn’t the Holiday Inn. You can help out too; you’re here enough.”
Without another word or even a question, Dom got up and grabbed the hand vacuum, and cleaned up her mess. It should’ve surprised her, but it didn’t. Dom was treated just like one of their siblings. The downfall to that was he also regarded her as the little sister. So she didn’t have just one older brother, she had two. Which was both a blessing and a curse.
Kassie took the bowl, with any chips she could scoop up off the floor, to the kitchen. “Hey, bro,” she greeted Kaden while trying extra hard to keep her eyes off Luc. “How was the charity event?”
“It was nice. The kids love those things. And we raised a decent amount for Children’s Hospital, which is always good.”
“The kids love Kaden. He’s always a big hit with them,” Sam said.
“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver? The kids love me, too!” Dom responded.
“Yeah, they do seem to like you too, Z. I think they like your tattoos. They think you’re a grown man with drawings all over his arms.”
Dom shrugged, obviously not letting the comment bother him. “So?”
Turning her back to her brother and Sam, Kassie washed the bowl and then scrubbed her greasy hands. She knew someone was behind her and assumed it was her brother.
Spinning around to grab a towel, she was face-to-face with Luc. Dammit. Butterflies danced in her stomach, and her breath caught in surprise.
Luc handed her a towel. “Nice shirt,” he commented with a sexy-as-hell smirk on his face.
Words spun frantically round in her head, none stopping long enough for her to string an articulate response together. She stood there just staring at him, her mouth hanging open. Until finally she spoke one single word. “Thanks.”
Thanks? She was dressed like she was ready to go for a run or hit the gym. If she’d known she’d be around Kaden’s teammates, she probably would’ve just let the t-shirt hang down. Not that her bare midriff was that taboo; she just felt a little more on display than necessary. And it was all because of Luc. The way his eyes floated over her. And his simple comment was flirty and hot. Or maybe she just took it that way because she was overheating. But all she could come up with to say was thanks.
“You going to use that towel, or shall I put it back?” Luc didn’t seem fazed by her nervousness.
“Um?” Kassie looked down at the towel. Wipe your hands, she told herself, and did as instructed.
She was trapped under his stare. Unable to move, to talk, or to think. What was this power he had over her?
“Kass,” Kaden said, entering the kitchen. He tugged at the knotted waist of her shirt before he grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. “What is this? Nineteen eighty-five? You could’ve grabbed a shirt of Ali’s.”
Welcoming a break in the unspoken tension between her and Luc, she directed her focus to her brother. “I just figured you wouldn’t care if I raided your closet. Girls are a little more picky about their stuff. I would’ve wanted to ask her first.”
“And Luc, are you in here annoying Kass?” Kaden jokingly accused his friend.
She didn’t wait to hear his response. Instead she used the opportunity to slip out of the kitchen and catch her breath. “I’m going to go check on the little guy,” she mumbled before hurrying down the hall.
Her heart beat so hard it felt like it was in her throat. Why is he affecting me like this? And was he that arrogant to flirt with her right under Kaden’s nose?
