I smile at his attempt to cheer me up. It’s sweet that he would care about my feelings enough to do so. But then again, he’s probably just doing it so I’m not in a weird mood when I meet his brothers for the first time. He’s also getting something out of this deal after all.
A moment of silence spreads between us. Looking at Theo, another wave of envy washes over me as I wish I could be as relaxed as he is right now. His elbow rests on the window, and his hand keeps the steering wheel in place. His other hand reaches for his sports drink in the cup holder, and I watch as he brings it to his lips and takes a swig.
His throat bobs as he swallows, and the veins running down his hands and up his forearms flex under his skin as he lifts the bottle. Setting the drink back in the cupholder, the sun reflects off his lips as his tongue darts out to catch the remaining liquid lingering there.
My body heats as I watch the display, and I adjust the air vent so it’s pointed directly at me.
Trying to regain focus on the task at hand, I say, “So tell me about your brothers.”
“Let’s see. Alex is only a few years older than me. He owns a boxing gym downtown and is by far the most competitive. We all think it has something to do with the fact that he’s only around six foot, and the rest of us tend to tower over him.” He smirks as though he’s reminiscingabout the many times he’s teased his brother about his height.
Unable to stop myself, I ask, “And how tall are you exactly?”
He straightens in his seat a little as though he is trying to rise to his full height. “I’m six foot five. Why? Does height matter to you, Angel?”
“What’s with the nickname all of a sudden?”
“I have to call you something, don’t I? What would you prefer, sweetheart? Baby? Lovebug?” Another flash of that perfect smile, and I swear I melt a little in my seat. With summer now in full swing, I blame it on the heat and move on.
Visibly making a show of gagging at the last nickname he throws out, I respond, “God, no. I’m not sure I need a nickname. Just call me Sienna.” I punctuate my sentence with a slight nod.
“Whatever you want, Angel.” Theo winks, and I roll my eyes at his blatant disregard of my request. Although I can’t say I’m too mad about his choice of nickname for me.
“You were telling me about your brothers,” I say, motioning for him to continue what he was previously saying before the conversation got sidetracked.
“Right. The next oldest is Leo. He’s a chef at some fancy restaurant that I can’t pronounce the name of. But he’s damn good at what he does, and he always cooks for us on these trips. That is, when he’s not too busy antagonizing Alex.”
“Do you take these trips often?”
He nods. “We took our first trip when I was eightyears old. It has become an annual summer tradition since then.”
I suppress my giggle at the concept of four grown men having a summer vacation tradition. But I lean toward Theo as he continues, finding his words more interesting than I had expected.
“A few years back, Leo brought his boyfriend with him. He ended up saying some stupid shit about his cooking, and we immediately kicked the fucker out of the house. Leo hated us at the moment, but thanked us a few weeks later. We had to do the same with one of his girlfriends once, when he showed us a snippet of a song he composed on the piano, and she was looking at her phone the entire time. He hasn’t brought anyone with him since.”
“Sounds like you’re a hard group to please,” I say, my heart rate picking up at the thought of his brothers not accepting me.
“Not really. I just think we’re all a little protective of Leo. Not sure any of us think there’s a person out there good enough for him.”
Theo lets out a laugh, and I join in, as I watch him watch the road in front of him. My smile doesn’t fade as he continues.
“Then you know Roman. Or at least, you know of him. He can be a stubborn asshole sometimes. He’s thirteen years older than me and basically raised my brothers and me when our parents died. We usually get along, but sometimes, we have our differences.” He shrugs.
I must have the one question I’ve been waiting to askwritten all over my face because he looks at me and says softly, “You can ask. It’s okay.”
His small, reassuring smile is all I need to ask, “And your parents? Anything I should know about them?”
Theo shrugs. “I don’t remember them too much, but I’ve seen photos. High school sweethearts, had Roman the year following graduation, then had the rest of us in later years. My dad started Kane Construction. One of the many things Roman and I disagree on. He likes to call it ‘his’ company, but it’s the family company, even if Roman is the CEO. He’s done great, but I still think there’s room for growth. That’s why I’m trying to convince him to take me on as a business partner. To help the business grow to its full potential, you know?” His slight change of subject from dead parents to work tells me that I shouldn’t ask how his parents died. That’s not a sore spot I want to poke, and not one I need to. If this drive is solely to learn more about each other, then all we need to learn is the basics.
Nodding, I respond, “I have a strict ten-year plan that relies on me getting a job by the end of this summer. Not exactly the same as your situation, but I get the feeling of wanting more than what’s already in front of you.”
“Exactly. Sometimes I feel like I’m falling behind my brothers and I’ll never catch up.”
“I understand the feeling. My parents married and had me young too. I’m not sure they realize how much they’ve settled on due to a lack of planning. I refuse to settle for anything less than my dream life, which is why I’m so strict about my plan.”
“And what is your dream life, Sienna Parker?” Heglances my way, prompting me to look at the road ahead of us.
“Travel, seasonal clothing, not something off the sales rack, a new car, that sort of thing. I just want a life that doesn’t require me to check my bank account every time I make a purchase, no matter how small. It gets exhausting after a while.”
