Picking up the white fabric that I realized was a tank-top undershirt, he trudged closer.“You’re sexy as hell, but you’re also trouble.And I’m not in a place in my life where I can afford more trouble.”
My eyes widened, but with that parting note, he went into the en-suite bathroom and closed the door before I could retort.
Little did he know, I wasn’t trouble.Not even a little bit.Hell, if he had let me talk to Lark months ago, we wouldn’t even be in this darn mess.
I heard the shower start, and I struggled against my vivid imagination thinking about him being naked… and wet.A remote control sat on the nightstand next to the lamp.I snatched it up, aimed it at the flat screen on the wall, and the announcer commentary fromMonday Night Footballfilled the room.
I didn’t follow football much until the playoffs, but I needed a distraction from Ryan.
Desperately.
No sooner had I perched a hip on Ryan’s made bed than someone pounded on his door.
“What the hell, Nickel?You’re late for the pool tourney!”a male voice yelled.
The man pounded again, and I hurried to the door, opening it a smidge and felt confused for a second.Ryan and his brother looked so much alike, it took me a beat to realize Killian was standing in the hall glowering at me.
“Hi, um, he’s taking a shower.I’m not sure if he’s going to be—” I cut myself short when I felt the heat of someone who could only be Ryan standing behind me.
“What the fuck, Kill?You’ve never pounded on my door.”
Killian’s eyes darted from me to Ryan.“You’ve never been three hours late before either.I’d ask why she’s here, but I’d rather know why the fuck she’s got a shiner.”
My hand darted up to my face.I didn’t have a black eye…but then I recalled how red and puffy the area around my face was when I used the bathroom before leaving my townhouse.
“We got ambushed outside the bar.Thought Lark or Volt would have shared that shit.We both got walloped in the head, and I’m thinking she might have a slight concussion.”
“No such thing as a ‘slight concussion’, and you know it.The two of you should go to the emergency room.”
“Which would force someone at the hospital to call in the cops and shit.No.That isn’t happening.I’m keeping an eye on her, and we’ll get up every forty-five minutes or whatever the fuck we’re supposed to do.”
Killian scoffed.“You cannot rely on WebMD or some shit—”
“Called Abby, and you know she’s not gonna steer us wrong.”
Even though I didn’t know Killian very well, I swore a devious expression filled his eyes.“Well, unless you’re going to sleep soon, you should come downstairs…and bring her with you.”
“Whatever,” Ryan muttered from behind me and slammed the door shut in Killian’s face.
I turned around.“I’d say that was rude, but I’m guessing you’ve done that to him plenty of times before, being siblings and all.”
“Yeah,” Ryan clipped out.
My eyes watched a droplet of water slide down his neck, to his bare chest, and further down, which was the moment I saw he was only wearing a towel wrapped around his trim waist.My mouth went dry at the sight.
Oh my God.
The things I wanted to do to him…no.
No, that wasn’t a good idea.
He huffed out a breath through his nose.“Fuck.Don’t look at me like that, Ivy.”
I tilted my head.“How about not standing so close to me like that, hmm?”
“Don’t get cute,” he ordered.
“I’m not being cute.”
