He lifted his head long enough to sweep his gray gaze over her and then return his attention towhatever.
“How are you feeling, Reb?” she parroted. “I’m so happy that your cast is off. What are you wearing to Harley’s play tonight?”
“I’d say that if I was fucking talking to you, but I’m not, so fuck you.”
All her joy fled and she shifted her weight. “Is it because of the videos?” she asked, heat sweeping over her entire body. “I’m sorry. I don’t care…I mean I do…Kind of…”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Doyouthink I’m gross?” she asked, blushing. “I-I mean, uh,nasty, for, uh, for touching myself?”
Diesel’s breath hitched, but she was too embarrassed to worry about him. His eyes darkened, before he closed them and cursed. “Your body,” he snapped, glaring at her. “Your fuckingbusiness. Did you fucking think about how I’d feel when you let that motherfucker kiss you? You didn’t. So, again,fuck you.”
Oh. He was upset over Kaia. That re-centered her equilibrium and put her on familiar ground. She straightened. “Fuck you right back. I kissed my boyfriend. It isn’t your business.Youhave a fiancée, so what I do with him shouldn’t bother you.”
His nostrils flaring, Diesel shoved his phone in his jacket pocket. His weird smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“You’re right, sweetheart,” he told her, his foul mood evaporating as if she’d imagined it, throwing her off-balance again.
Usually, Diesel didn’t change until she cursed him out.
“I have an idea,” he told her. “To make up for my bad behavior.”
“What?” she asked suspiciously, uneasy at the gleam in his eyes.
“Let’s go to the natatorium to swim.” He licked his lips and smiled at her. “Just you and me.”
Rebel flushed at the huskiness of his voice. As much as she wanted to take him up on his offer, she couldn’t. One, returning to the natatorium any time soon was unimaginable. More importantly, though, she and Kaia had kissed, and the way Diesel sounded made her feel like she’d betray Kaia by accepting.
“I can’t,” she said, wondering about the cameras in the kitchen.
Daddy would pitch ten fucking fits if he saw this exchange.
Diesel sauntered to her, crowding her space, so close she felt the heat of his body and smelled his aftershave.
He raised his right hand. “I swear, sweetheart, as your big brother, I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said as he lowered his hand and deepened his smile. “Your cast is off. Yourphysical scars are healed. Now, it’s time to address the mental ones.”
She nodded. He was right. Especially since she had more mental scars piled on top of that one. And she’d have to go into that stupid natatorium at some point. Why not now? She mimicked his earlier action and licked her own lips. A half smile curved his mouth that she pretended didn’t almost make her swoon.
“Can I invite Kaia?”
He narrowed his eyes, his anger reigniting and blanketing his face. “No.”
“Then we can’t—”
“Go and change into your bathing suit, Rebel. Kaia isn’t your fucking brother. He doesn’t understand what you need, or deserve, like I do.”
That almost sounded like a threat. Panic settled into her. Rule had been a combination of sweet and confrontational before he tried to kill her.
A pained expression crossed his face. “You know I’ll never hurt you, sweetheart. I’m your big brother. I love you and just want the best for you.”
She nodded again. “I might not get in the water,” she croaked, trusting Diesel as much as she could. But right now her trust was shaky at best.
“Why don’t you go upstairs, change into your bathing suit and meet me in the natatorium in thirty minutes? You wanted me to notice that your cast is gone. I want to do one better and celebrate that milestone.”
Still, something made her hesitate.
“Trust me, sweetheart.”
