AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“She’s not as offended as she is frightened,” Shane informed him. “She might be right, though, she’s far too innocent for us, Sebastian.”
Rising from his chair, he finished his tea, tipping the empty glass in her direction before setting it on the table and heading for the door.
Sebastian grinned and winked at her. “Bye, Cousin. I’ll tell you all about candy kisses when I get back tonight. Or in the morning.”
Alyssa had to roll her eyes to keep from laughing at both of them. Again. Damn them. They were completely impossible.
Shane paused at the door, a thoughtful look on his face as she watched him in anticipation, wondering what these two would use to poke at each other with next time. They seemed to enjoy goading each other as much as they enjoyed goading her.
“We could spank him,” Alyssa suggested to Shane with an arch of her brow willing to forgive as long as he didn’t forget. “I don’t think he’d protest nearly as strenuously as I would.”
“The hell I wouldn’t.” Sebastian’s black eyes sparkled with a hint of blue as he leaned back in his chair, watching her with heated anticipation. “Protesting won’t help you, sweets. You’re determined to get that spanking sooner rather than later.”
She proba
bly should be real scared, but she wasn’t. There was something about them that assured a woman that they’d never hurt her in any way but the emotional. The broken heart heading her way would suck, though.
“Your partner’s leaving, though,” she pointed out, unable to keep from teasing back. “You’ll have a hard time doing it alone.”
His crack of laughter had her sliding a look at Shane’s back.
“Wonderful view,” he complimented her with all apparent innocence. “Were you expecting me to leave, sweets? Shame on you.”
“Shame on the two of you,” she accused them lightly before steeling herself to assert her own control. “So tell me, do you actually intend to leave so I can shower and maybe take a nap? There’s a party on the beach tonight I really wanted to attend.”
Parties of the beach variety were strictly forbidden. Here Alyssa intended to experience all she could before returning to the states and the battle to separate herself from her parents’ political lives.
“What sort of party?” The question was asked quite casually, but there was nothing casual in Sebastian’s suddenly flat gaze.
“A beach party,” she said softly. “You know, music, bonfire, laughing, dancing? Fun?”
“Come, Sebastian, we’ll collect the tamales Aunt Tabby made her and bring them to her, then see what we can find to entertain ourselves tonight.” Shane gave all appearances of being jovial and easygoing, but it was his eyes that gave him away. Alyssa had learned at Margot’s knee to always pay attention to the eyes.
Lifting her chin, she stared back at both of the men. “I’m no toy the two of you can decide should be placed on a shelf until you want to play, either. If that was what you had in mind when you followed me here, then it’s best you don’t come back.”
Oh, but she was a fiery little thing.
Shane had to hide the grin and look away from her for a moment. She was a slick one, this little siren they had become far too fascinated with. She didn’t just hear the tone of voice and take in the expression. She was very careful to pay attention to their eyes as well. Not that he didn’t know how to lie with his eyes, but he and Sebastian both knew that for whatever reason, Alyssa was different. For that reason alone they’d made the decision not to lie to her.
“Playing with you wasn’t our intent.” Sebastian rose slowly to his feet; the casual move didn’t have her backing down, but Shane saw the flicker of wariness in her gaze. “At least, not tonight. We thought we’d at least ease you into the debauchery first.”
“Ha-ha.” The mock laugh was indication that his humor in this case was most likely not appreciated.
“No worries, love,” Shane assured her. “Perhaps your memories of us weren’t as fond as ours of you. A winter siren is a rare and wonderful sight. Rather like unicorns.” He winked teasingly. “We looked forward to seeing you again. Nothing more, I promise.”
It was normally Sebastian soothing a female’s anger at them, not Shane. Hell, he was usually the one causing the anger.
“I didn’t say that.” She shifted a bit nervously, the hem of the shirt riding a bit to reveal the extremely low band of the bikini and a flash of creamy, barely sun-kissed flesh.
Hell, the beachwear they’d chosen before leaving the De Loren hacienda wasn’t nearly enough to hide the full erection he was going to be sporting if he kept sneaking peeks.
Lifting his gaze to her face again, he had to grin at the little glare she directed his way.
“I won’t apologize for looking,” he teased her. “You’re far too pretty a sight to pretend otherwise.”
The little roll of her eyes assured him the compliment wasn’t taken seriously.
“We’ll find other amusements tonight,” Sebastian spoke up then, the tone of his voice causing Shane to glance at him warningly.
