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“So who’s winning?” came a feminine voice, interrupting the tension.
Severin pushed away from Rodrigo, feeling as if he should confess what was going on. But what was going on, really? What could he say? That Rodrigo wanted him and he didn’t want Rodrigo? She had to have caught onto that by now. How could she not have caught on?
“You, preciosa,” Rodrigo said smoothly, rising and kissing her cheek. “As you deserve to.” He accepted the bottle of water Minnow had brought down for him and left for the house.
Brows drawn, she watched him walk away. If she’d noticed his hard-on, she was polite enough not to mention it.
Chapter Two
“Need some help?” Loïc’s smooth, French-accented voice was intimately quiet. He hadn’t done anything inappropriate, but Minnow’s girl senses were always alert for hints of inappropriateness around him.
Severin got uncomfortable when they were talking to each other, but it was hard to avoid someone staying in the house. It was too bad Severin wouldn’t just command her not to speak to Loïc, but as it was, she couldn’t be that rude without a direct order.
Two weeks in, and she found herself i
n a constant state of vigilance. When the hell would he go home? As soon as she’d thought it, she felt guilty. Severin had waited most of his life to have contact with his family, and here she was wishing his brother would take a hike. If it was Church, things would be different. Church didn’t give her the willies.
“No thanks, I don’t need help. I’m just fixing him a tray to bring down to the forge, since I don’t think he’s coming in for lunch.”
She frowned at the four no longer so little puppies. They were all being adorable and watching her with hopeful expressions, as they did whenever she set foot in the kitchen. They didn’t get table scraps, but sometimes things fell off the counter and the little piranhas were faster than she was.
“How do you know he’s not coming in for lunch?”
She shrugged. “I just do.”
“He pays you well to read his moods.”
“He does.”
“And the sex? Do you get hazard pay for that?”
She flicked a malevolent glare at him as he hopped up to sit on the kitchen counter, using his height and his mocking smile to their full effect. The more she didn’t respond to his charm, the more frustrated it seemed to make him.
“If you want to ask questions about our sex life, you’ll need to direct those questions to your brother.”
“I hear your screams.”
Like last night? Her face heated. She hoped Loïc hadn’t gone looking for Rodrigo at that point, because he’d been in the bedroom with them, holding her down while Severin edged her for a couple of hours. She’d been begging, and loudly, by the half hour mark.
“It’s consensual.”
“So I’ve heard.” He quirked a brow and Minnow was so embarrassed she wished she could melt into the floor.
“If you know, then why are you badgering me with personal questions?”
“Because you blush so prettily when I do.” He chuckled.
It wasn’t anything Severin or Rodrigo hadn’t said to her on numerous occasions, but from Loïc it was wrong. No topic seemed to be off limits with him, and he was constantly following her around, trying to get into her head.
So fucking awkward. How was she supposed to deal with this? Telling Severin might ruin the budding relationship between him and his brother, but not telling him might be misconstrued.
“Compliments make me uncomfortable, Loïc.”
He cocked his head. “Forgive me, I don’t know how to act like a normal man any more than my brother does. I was raised to flirt, and with you it comes far too naturally.”
She glared at him again, and he held up his hands.
“I’ll try to be less honest if you’d prefer.” If he hadn’t chuckled just then, she might have thought he was sincere. “So, did he ask you to marry him, or did he simply tell you?”
