“Theo.” My name is released from her lips in a soft warning. Despite my best efforts, my body leans closer to her of its own free will. It immediately makes me question how good a man I really am. For a split second, it looks as though she starts to lean in too when I hear a cough come from the doorway.
Sienna reels back. Standing up from the bench seat, she moves toward the bed. The air around me chills as she moves farther away.
Looking toward the door, I lay eyes on the fucker who scared Sienna away. Alex looks amused as he leans against the doorframe. I wasn’t lying when I told Sienna I wasn’t going to murder her. I said nothing about not murdering my brother.
“Theo, come help set the table, would you?” Alex’s smug smile has my blood boiling. When his smile grows wider, I can tell he sees the anger written all over my face.
Sienna has busied herself by going through the items in her bags. Her back is toward me as she stands next to the bed, and I silently wish she would turn even slightly, so I can make out what she’s thinking by the expression on her face.
“Sienna, do you—” I’m cut off when her cell phone rings.
She doesn’t look in my direction when she says, “Sorry, it’s my dad. I’ll be down shortly.”
Understanding she needs space, I head downstairs with Alex.
“So—” he says once we are out of earshot of Sienna.
“Don’t say a fucking word,” I snap. He looks at me with a shit-eating grin on his face that screams guilty as charged.
Joining my other brothers in the kitchen, I stay silent as I wrap my head around what just happened. I was seconds away from kissing Sienna before Alex interrupted us.
The distance from her helps me regain clarity. It doesn’t matter how attractive I might find Sienna, if this plan is going to work, I need to follow her rules and keep my distance. Which means I can’t be slipping up and almost kissing her. Or worse, actually kiss her.
Adding the finishing touches to the table, I make a mental note to build a wall of pillows between us tonight. The thought conjures an image of Sienna lying in my bed, her full lips slightly parted, dark waves spread out on the pillows as her back arches beneath me, causing her hardened nipples to graze my chest, flashes in my mind.
If only it were as simple to build a mental barrier as it is to build a physical one.
13
SIENNA
Sitting at the dining table, I’m surrounded by garlic and herb scents as I run my hand along the oak wood next to my plate. Just at the edge, a few small indents are forming a half circle. I smile at the realization that it’s most likely a small bite mark from when they were kids.
“That’s your boyfriend’s doing,” Leo says from my right at one head of the table. He motions his fork to Theo, who sits to my left. Hearing Theo referred to as my boyfriend kicks up my heart rate in a way that I’m quick to ignore.
My smile growing wider of its own free will, I whip my head to Theo, widening my eyes as a silent plea to hear more.
“You bit the table?” I ask when he doesn’t immediately fess up.
“Hey, I only did it because that fucker told me to.” He points at Alex, who is sitting across from him.
Taking a sip of his water, Alex smiles when he setshis glass down. “I never told you to do it. I simply bet you twenty bucks that you couldn’t bite a chunk out of the table.” Roman chuckles from Theo’s left, and I glance at Beth across from me, who looks as though she’s holding back a smile as she watches Alex. When she catches me watching her, she averts her eyes, suddenly finding her plate more interesting than the conversation.
“Yeah, and I never got my money either,” Theo says.
“To be fair, you didn’t exactly take a bite,” Leo says through a reminiscent laugh.
Theo smiles at his brother. “No, but I left a few marks. That’s worth ten bucks at least.”
“How old were you?” I ask Theo.
“Only nine, but Alex was twelve, so I’m still choosing to blame him.” The laughter dies down a bit as everyone digs into their dinner.
Taking a bite, I resist the urge to moan from the flavors colliding in my mouth.
“This is delicious,” I tell Leo. I’m hoping paying my compliments to the chef can win me some brownie points with Theo’s brothers. He nods at me, giving his silent thanks.
Taking another bite, I attempt to savor every flavor. I never thought that something as simple as roasted chicken, potatoes, and vegetables could be so delicious. I’ve always been thankful I got my mom’s cooking skills, not my dad’s, since his food is barely edible. But I’ve never been able to cook something so simple that’s packed with so much flavor.
