Page 29 of Lovestrung

Ethan thinks I’m beautiful.

His eyes darkened to that incandescent, deep blue that I’d only seen once before, and I felt a simmering in my body when he kept staring into my eyes.

Kiss me. Please, just this once.

As if he could read the desire in my eyes, his flickered down to my mouth. Instinctively, I wet my lips, but then the moment was gone as quickly as it started. He gritted his teeth and removed his hand so fast, he looked as he’d been zinged by fire.

It could be true. My whole body felt as if it had erupted into flames.

“We should probably head downstairs to the others.”

I nodded.

“You go ahead. I just need to grab some perfume,” I lied, stalling for time.

He stepped backward, his eyes lingering on my legs for a beat before he raised his head.

“See you.”

As soon as he’d left me alone, I gulped and pressed my palms flat on my cheeks.

“Shit,” I whispered.

The fact that I hadn’t seen him since he came for dinner that night hadn’t been able to still the butterflies that flared in my tummy whenever I saw him. I hadn’t given myself permission to think too much about him the last few of weeks, but five minutes alone in his company, and I was back to becoming a lovestrung fool just like always.

It wasn’t fair, but at least it would soon be over.

“Pippa? Are you coming or what?” Max’s voice pulled me away from my melancholic mood, and I quickly left my bedroom.

“Hi!” I hugged him tightly. “Thanks for coming.”

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

I stepped back and took his hand, my smile plastered on my lips. Both my brothers had inherited Dad’s sandy blond hair and tall, bulky figures, but that’s where the similarities stopped, and they took after Mama instead. Whereas Max’s hair was curly underneath the beanie I sometimes suspected him of sleeping with, Parker kept his buzzed short and also grew a beard a few years back. I often wondered if the reason was because they were identical twins and that made both of them try their hardest to not look too similar.

“How are you, big brother?” I asked as we meandered down the hallway.

Max shrugged and pulled at his lip ring. “Same old, same old.” His green eyes twinkled with mirth when he looked down at me. “You’re looking a little flushed, Sis. Are you all right?”

I lay on the thick and heavy southern accent that always made people laugh. “Just fine and dandy, thanks.”

He jerked a thumb back in the direction of my room.

“Was that Ethan I saw leaving your bedroom just a few minutes ago?”

My smile faltered so I averted my eyes.

“Yep.”

“Huh.”

I knew what that huh meant. It meant that one other person knew that my silly crush hadn’t died down despite all my previous efforts to make him forget he’d ever seen me crying after that fateful night five years ago.

“Anything going on that I should know about?”

The serious question caught me off-guard and I squeezed his hand. Max had the biggest heart of the Montgomery family; he just didn’t allow many to see it. The fact that he looked like an extra from Miami Ink – again, the complete opposite of Parker whose wardrobe consisted of designer suits and shoes – and was a horrible womanizer-slash-player could be very deceiving. The truth was that he was the one person who knew the most about our winery, apart from Gramps, and that he had always known where his future would take him. He had always known that the winery would be his, and he had never regretted that his path was set in stone.

Parker once told me in confidence that he was relieved Max felt that way about the vineyard, because that meant he could pursue his own dreams of working as a graphic designer without having to worry.