"No idea what you're talking about." I rolled my eyes and chugged down some water.
"Go on. Admit it. You want a taste of her, too."
"Don't be disgusting. She's Thea's sister and still a kid."
He scoffed loudly. "Stop clutching your pearls. She's 20! All grown up now. No longer off-limits."
I shoved him backward, annoyed at his attitude.
Ronan and I may have shared a womb, but we were nothing alike. Whereas I treated women with respect, he treated them as disposable. Pretty little toys to use and then discard once he got bored. Which happened with monotonous regularity.
My twin had zero morals in his dealings with women. Since he lost his V-card to one of our older brother's cast-offs, he'd fucked his way through the eligible female population within a 100-mile radius, and many more beyond.
"While she's staying in our house, under our protection, and our sister's best friend to boot, she's off-limits!"
My twin shrugged, not seeming at all bothered by my disgust.
"If you want to act like a saint, fine. Your loss." He picked up his water bottle and sauntered out of the gym. A sense of disquiet cast a cloud over me.
Verity didn't deserve to be fucked and cast aside, which is what my brother would do. Once he'd banged a woman, he moved on to the next without a backward glance.
Verity radiated innocence and vulnerability, which was no doubt why she'd attracted an asshole like the one we'd caught beating on her. Men like that got off on belittling women. Making them feel small and powerless. Our girl did not deserve such treatment.
And she definitely deserved better than my slut of a brother.
I yanked my sweaty tee off and used it to wipe my face. I had a call to make, but the guy would still be asleep, so there was time for a run. Since the rain had held off for a change, I decided to hit the trail around the estate. It seemed an excellent opportunity to make sure our guards weren't slacking off.
The last guy I'd caught sleeping on the job regretted his lapse in judgment.
While I lacked my twin's psychotic tendencies, I took our family's security seriously. We paid our men a good wage, so we expected them to remain alert and ready if trouble came knocking. Any deviation from that was unacceptable.
With my mind firmly back on track, I headed upstairs, keen to clear my mind with some fresh air. Only the minute I entered the hallway that led to the kitchen, I slammed straight into Verity.
She squeaked in surprise and stumbled.
"Fuck!" I grabbed her and pulled her against my chest. This old house had stone floors on the ground floor, so taking a tumble would fucking hurt. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."
Her small hands rested on my abs as she stared up at me like a startled deer. In the brief time since she left the gym, she'd showered and changed. I could smell the sweet strawberry scent of her body wash. My mouth watered.
Would her skin taste sweet like strawberries?
That was all it took for my traitorous cock to wake up. Damn.
I shoved her away. Not that my shorts did a great job of hiding my reaction.
Hurt flashed in her eyes at my abrupt dismissal, but thankfully, her gaze stayed focused on my face.
"I'm fine. It was probably my fault. Saoirse always tells me I don't pay enough attention to my surroundings." She shuffled awkwardly. "Anyway, I'm going to grab some food."
"Ver—" Before I could apologize for my weird reaction, she shot off like the devil himself was on her tail.
I sighed, annoyed and guilty because she probably assumed I hated touching her.
If only that were the case.
Dammit.
I should make an excuse and ask Ash to give her self-defense lessons, since getting physical with Verity was clearly a bad idea. This morning had been alright while we remained mostly at arm's length, but once I had to show her some more holds and other full-contact moves, crossing a line would become inevitable.
