“You don’t have abignose, Skye. You have a nose that balances your incredible eyes and that sexy-as-sin mouth.”
Her gaze clashed with his. “My mouth is . . . ?”
“Sexy,” he repeated in that special tone that curled her toes. “So. Damned. Sexy.”
Well, that was a unique compliment, especially growled in his deep voice.
“I see your mouth and think things a wingman shouldn’t think.” He slowly inhaled, all the while staring at her lips, making them tingle. “You have no idea what a struggle it’s been.”
Nice. “So these things you were thinking . . . ?”
He laughed. “Things that lead to a bed and tangled sheets, heat and sweat, and—I promise—satisfaction.”
Okay, yeah, she was convinced. “It . . .” Wow, now her voice was all low and affected. She cleared her throat. “It wasn’t just comments on my features that bothered me.”
“So what else?”
“Laylee is always smiles and sunshine.”
“You’re sincerity and compassion, and that trumps a smile every time. What else?”
Her lips twitched. He was good at this, at lightening her mood and lifting her spirit. “We already covered colors.”
“She’s flashy, you’re low-key. Different, but both good.” His fingers moved down her arm until he could take her hand. “You two are different. Some people will prefer Laylee, some will prefer you. That’s just how it is. Like Marcus and Bray, or Knox and me. We’re all friends, but Marcus and Bray share a background. Knox and I share the same sense of humor.”
“Clyde took one look at Laylee and tried his chances with her.”
Scoffing, he said, “Yeah, well, we’ve already agreed that Clyde is an ape.”
“She rejected him, and then he turned to me. I only accepted him as a friend, but he saw things most don’t.”
“Like the small touches of envy you and Laylee feel for each other?”
Automatic denial rushed to her tongue, but she swallowed it back. So he’d noticed that? No one else ever had, but then again, Ford was different from anyone she’d ever known. “People favor Laylee, they really do. But she thinks people take me more seriously than they do her. She thinks I get more respect.”
“In some things, maybe you do. I noticed how everyone tonight wanted time with you. They’re business-minded people, and they not only like you but also know you’re savvy and smart, assets they appreciate and respect. Every member of the family associated with Helen’s Boutiques sought you out at one point or another. From the top guns down, they wanted your input, or they just wanted to talk with you.”
Realizing that he was right, her heart warmed. He did that, made her feel special in ways no one ever had. “They certainly adored you.”
Discounting any praise for himself, he laughed. “You and your sister should understand that people gravitate to others because they’re like-minded, or they’re a good contrast. They comfort each other, or they offer challenges. People are all different, what they want and enjoy is different.”
“And you? With me, I mean?” Did she still have a chance?
“Everything about you appeals to me. Your angelic face and your smoking-hot body caught me right off, but it’s not just your looks. The second thing I noticed was your motivation. I mean, you’re in your mid-twenties and have your own house.”
“You’re only a few years older than me, and you had your house before I moved in.”
“It’s something I always wanted.”
“Me, too.”
He touched her hair. “Physically, you’re the hottest woman I’ve ever met.”
To other women, that might seem shallow. To her, with the constant comparison to her twin, it was a breathtaking compliment. “You’ve met Laylee.”
He shrugged. “She’s gorgeous, too, but she’s not you.” A lot of meaning infused his words. “You saw Maybelline and let her slobber on you.”
Grinning, she admitted, “That was a little gross, but she’s a sweetheart. I wouldn’t hurt her feelings.”
