First

‘You dress down nice, brown eyes.’

‘So do you. I appreciate the partial nudity. I still want to see you full frontal though.’

‘Not tonight.’

She nods once, slowly, as her eyes drift over me. ‘No. Not tonight.’

We’re settled in on the couch, watching the movie when she looks over at me. ‘Dally?’

‘Hmm?’

‘I’m sorry I freaked out back there. I just didn’t—’

I look away from the movie. Dammit, if she says she didn’t want it to be me after all, I’m moving to Arizona tonight. ‘Didn’t what?’

She pushes her hair behind her ear. ‘I didn’t expect it to feel that way.’

So many ways to take that. She knows because she adds, ‘Good, I mean. Really good.’

Something in my gut eases. ‘Oh.’

She gives me a funny look. ‘What did you think I was going to say? That I don’t want it to be you?’

I look back toward the TV.

‘You don’t really believe that, do you—?’

The sound of a key in the door ends the moment. We look over the back of the couch to see Jake come in, dropping his bag by the door. He waves and walks toward us, popping his head in to see what we’re watching.

‘Hey,’ Cat says to her brother, smile perfectly in place. ‘You’re home early.’

‘I caught an earlier flight.’

‘You look like shit, man,’ I say. He really does. Exhausted and resigned.

‘Screw you,’ he throws at me, but his grin proves his good humour.

‘Do you still have tomorrow off?’ Cat asks.

‘No. Back on schedule. At least I’m just on call. Hopefully nothing comes up.’ He yawns deeply, but points at me. ‘Thanks for taking care of her. I’m beat. See you guys in the morning.’

We listen to him go up the stairs to his rooms in the master suite. Once his door closes, I’m up off the couch and heading for my room, hoping to escape Cat before she remembers where our conversation was going. Hoping to crush the guilt that rose from Jake’s easy trust.

‘Dally!’ Cat’s padding down the hall after me, whispering my name.

I ignore her. My door is so damn close—

‘Dallas Miller! Stop running away from me, you coward!’

I turn on that insult and she runs into me with a little oomph. I steady her out of instinct. She glares up at me. ‘What is wrong with you?’

I keep my voice as quiet as I can. ‘My best friend got home early. Have you stopped to think yet that if we’d gone through with this dumb ass plan of yours that he would have walked in on us? On me screwing his little sister?’

‘Screwing? How romantic.’ Her sarcasm could eviscerate. ‘I’m pretty sure it would have been more than that.’

I point at her. ‘You said you didn’t want any of that. No Prince Charming, no happily ever after required. Just a cock and someone who would be long gone before your brother found out.’

‘You are being such an ass,’ she hisses.