"Go get some breakfast and we'll practice some more tomorrow morning."
He stood and yanked me to my feet. When I stumbled, his arm caught me around the waist. The difference in our size made me feel petite, which I most definitely wasn't. It still sent a shiver of delight humming through my veins, though.
I raised a hand in a mock salute and hustled out of the gym before he changed his mind. If I didn't eat something soon, there was a danger my stomach might cannibalize itself.
9
Ronan
It wasn't often that I envied my brother. Yes, he was five minutes older than me, but in my opinion, the five-minute delay in exiting our mother's womb had made me a few millimeters taller, and definitely better looking.
Women liked Conal's calm demeanor, but they preferred my swagger.
Watching my twin coach Verity through some basic self-defense moves made me realize I'd fucked up. When our big bro asked us to give her some self-defense lessons, it hadn't occurred to me it would be a great opportunity to get up-close-and-personal. But now I saw the error of my ways.
The last time I'd seen Pixie, she'd been an awkward teen. Too young to be a blip on my radar. But now? Yeah. Definitely not a kid. Anddefinitelynot too young for me anymore. And even if Conal liked to delude himself that he wasn't into 20-year-olds, not too young for him either, judging by the way he kept checking out her tits.
Conal spotted me watching him and frowned. Our twin channel hummed with disapproval from his end. I didn't needhim bitching in my ear to know he wasn't happy about my interest in our Pixie.
He thought I needed a lesson in boundaries.
I thought he needed to get laid more.
Yes, he had Maeve on call, but…ugh. That ho was nasty in the worst way. Not even I had gone there. How the stupid fuck ended up shackled to the grasping bitch remained a mystery. Maeve had the looks, to be sure, but the moment she opened her vile mouth, I craved a bleach bath.
Still, it wasn't my place to comment on my brother's sex life. Or lack thereof. Not unless we shared. Which we sometimes did.
I finished my set and racked the weights. A light sheen of sweat coated my chest as my gaze flicked over the gym and lingered on my little pixie. Damn, she looked good this morning, with her tight pink yoga pants and tee that hugged her tits so delightfully.Sweet like candy.
Her bright eyes caught mine as she hit the mat with a painedoomph, and a fiery blush heated her cheeks. I fought not to grin. Her inability to look at me without blushing was so damn cute. Unlike the women I usually gravitated towards, Verity wouldn't say boo to a goose.
She and her sister were like night and day. Whereas I had no qualms admitting that Thea terrified me, Verity reminded me of a cute little kitten left out in a storm, all bedraggled and shit.
Did I want to rescue her, tuck her up in my bed, and make her feel safe?
Yes.
Was this at all concerning?
Yes.
Did I give a flying fuck?
No.
Conal frowned when he saw me sitting on the weights bench staring into space with a sappy grin on my face. Not gonna lie.Grinning wasn't my default expression. I only ever grinned like a psychopathic loon when I had someone locked in my kill room awaiting an interrogation.
Not that I was a miserable bastard. Far from it. I smiled. Flirted. And charmed the panties off women.So many women.
Or I had until recently.
It had been a while.
Too long.
OK, so it had only been a few days since the American chick, but in my life, a few days without getting my dick wet was pretty much unheard of. Sadly, ever since our little sojourn to Italy, Pixie had stolen all my attention. Seeing her on the floor, scared and beaten, had unlocked something deep inside.
A crumb of empathy?
