When he glanced at Brooke, she jumped up, smiling from ear to ear. The little hottie had tricked him again and, as before, her wide eyes looked almost as surprised as he felt.
He grinned. “Well, you did it again, didn’t you?” He stretched his arms, linking them together behind his head. “You’ve got me lying flat on my back for the second time tonight. Now my question is – what are you going to do about it?”
The playful grin on her face disappeared as her lips thinned, hardening the contours of her face. She turned and spoke over her shoulder. “Nothing. Unfortunately, I can’t drive a stake through your body and have you turning over a roaring fire.”
He snapped to a sitting position. Had he misunderstood her, or did she just refer to him as a roasting pig? What had suddenly changed her mood? Didn’t she want to play silly games with him?
Justin lifted himself off the floor and moved to his chair, picking up his can of soda on the way. After taking another gulp, he reached over and grabbed a turkey submarine sandwich and bit off a big piece. Silently, she stood by the window. Fluffy snowflakes drifted down from the darkened sky.
He swallowed the mouthful of food. “Brooke? Are you going to have something to eat?”
She looked back at him, before glancing to the coffee table where the chips and sandwiches were spread out. Even from over here, the rumble in her stomach made a loud noise.
“You can have a soda, too,” he added, “or if you rather have a beer, my friend has some in the fridge.”
Her gaze met his and her eyes widened. She paled, and fear sparked in her eyes. She withdrew into the corner of the room.
“No, thank you,” her voice quivered. “Alcohol doesn’t agree with me.”
He arched an eyebrow. What was her real story? “You don’t trust me, do you?”
Her hands clutched into fists then she took a deep breath. She smiled through lips so tight they appeared almost blue.
“I don’t know you well enough to decide whether I trust you or not. I only met you this evening, and although I know you’re a friend of Robin’s, I have no clue about your life.”
He shrugged. “All I know about you is that you’re Robin’s cousin and Tiffany’s sister.”
“True.”
“I also know you like to climb into strange vehicles and fall asleep.” He grinned, hoping to see that pretty smile of hers again.
Her cheeks stained a darker color, and she moved to the twin sofa. She picked up a sandwich. “I told you it was an accident. I thought I was getting into my sister’s car. Your car looks like hers when I’m squinting from blurred vision because of a migraine.”
“The vehicle you climbed in was a Jeep Cherokee, not a car.”
Her lips twisted into a half grin. “True, but they’re both red.” She tore off the corner of the sandwich and placed it in her mouth.
He shifted in his chair. “So, you had a migraine?”
“Yes, and instead of taking one of my prescription pills, I took two. I’d hoped my headache would disappear quicker, but instead, it knocked me right out.”
“Over three hours.”
Brooke’s mouth quirked into a small smile, making her eyes twinkle. She looked lovely that way. Too bad she didn’t smile more often. No. Making her smile and him thinking she was pretty was not a good way to think about her. His hormones kicked into high gear when she smiled, making him want to take her in his arms and kiss her soundly.
Confusion clouded his thoughts. How could he have this kind of feeling for a woman he hardly knew? The reason his mother arranged his marriage with Robin was because of his bad choice in women... that, and he didn’t have time to do it himself.
He focused back on their conversation. “What set off your migraine? I’m assuming because of your prescription, you get them often.”
Sighing heavily, she tore off another part of the sandwich. She leaned back in the sofa. “I’ve been getting them quite a bit this past year, and family get-togethers are the worst.”
“Why?” He took another swallow of his drink. “Don’t you get along with your relatives?”
She laughed. “No. I’m considered an outcast. Although they haven’t physically thrown me out of the family, verbally they have.”
“Why?”
She squirmed. “Because, I have a sordid past and my relatives look down on me. I’m no longer good enough to be considered part of the Pierpont clan.”
