Doing a pathetic job of looking aghast, he points at his chest mouthing,Me?
“Yes. You. The same person who’s tried setting me up on dates with random women for the last two years. I’m not interested in anything romantic with her or anyone, so if you could quit getting into cahoots with our sister and mother, that’d be much appreciated.”
Ben’s typical argument hangs in the air, ready to make itself known.
It’s been years.
Do you really want to spend your life alone?
What have you got to lose?
Everything.
It’s the same old shit, and I’m bored senseless. Before he can verbalize whatever nonsense he’s concocting behind his skull, the doorhandle to Harriet’s room rattles.
I shove Ben toward the stairs. “If we’re done here, kindly fuck off.”
“Smooth, brother. Very smooth.” His cackle descends with him downstairs.
The door opens, and Harriet creeps into the hallway. My heart fucking stops, reboots, then falters all over again.
She slaps a hand to her chest once she spots me. “Jesus, Warren! I almost peed my pants.”
Only, she isn’t wearing any pants from what I can see. A loose white T-shirt hangs off her shoulder, stopping mid-thigh. Rolled up to her shins are a pair of thick wooly socks. Cozy and sexy.
My gaze darts to her flushed face, and I realize I’ve been staring for way too long.
“I didn’t say good night. Or thank you,” I rush out.
Her eyebrows jump. “Thank you?”
“Yeah, for spending time with my family.” I drag my fingers through my beard. “I think they like you more than me.”
Her eyes go glassy. “They like me?”
I frown. “Isn’t that obvious?”
“No. I was worried about trying too hard or them thinking I’d tricked you into bed with me to steal the family inheritance because I birthed your heir.”
“That’s quite the imagination you’ve got. I’ll reassure everyone the family jewels are safe from your sticky, gold-digging hands.”
She slaps my bicep. “Shut up.” Then, a yawn takes over her face.
“I’ll let you get some sleep. Can I get you anything? Water? Blanket? Combination to the safe?”
My joke falls flat when her expression grows cautious. She fiddles with the hem of her T-shirt, looking up at me with doe eyes. “Can I hug you?”
The air gets sucked from my lungs, seizing my muscles.
Say no.Boundaries. Lines. Big fucking walls.
My vocal chords betray me.
“Yeah, Harriet, you can hug me.”
I’ve barely finished my sentence when her soft body crashes into mine. Instinctively, my arms wrap around her shoulders, tucking her in close, and because I’m glutton for punishment, I lower my nose to the top of her head and inhale.
Roses, definitely roses.
