How the hell did he know?
“I’m guessing it was the eyeballs,” he says with a grin.
I bob my head up and down. “I’ve just never seen eyeballs in a fridge before … or out of a head …”
He chuckles. “Most people haven’t.”
“So … why do you have a jar full of them in your fridge?”
Wetting his lips with his tongue, he reaches for me—or, at least I think he’s reaching for me—but then he places his hand against the shut door of the fridge so his arm’s resting right beside my head.
“What would you say if I told you they were in there because I like to occasionally eat them?” he asks amusedly.
Wait … Did he somehow see the conversation I was having with Nina and Gage? No, there’s no way.
“Um, I’d say … cool?” It comes out more of a question.
He studies me intently with his head tilted to the side, then a chuckle slips from his lips. “Cool, huh? That’s the only reaction I get?”
“What do you want me to do?” I wonder, my heart thumping in my chest for some crazy-ass reason.
He bites down on his bottom lip hard. “That, honey, is a very dangerous question.” He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, his eyes fixed on my mouth as he …
Wait … Is he purring?
“Porter, what’re you doing?” The sound of Max’s voice makes the haziness that’s clouding my mind dissolve.
I blink, realizing how loudly I’m breathing and how hard my heart is knocking against my chest.
Porter rubs his lips together, his gaze briefly descending to my lips before he pushes away from me. “I was just introducing myself to our new, adorable houseguest.” When he glances at Max, Max quirks an eyebrow. “What?” Porter says innocently, but the grin on his face suggests he’s anything but innocent.
I just wish I knew why.
These guys are odd. For reals, I feel like I’ve just moved in with the Addams Family or something.
“Fine, I’ll back off,” Porter says through a laugh. Then he turns to me and lightly tugs on a strand of my hair. “If you want something to eat besides eyeballs, there’s another fridge in the pantry.”
I’m still not certain if he’s joking about eating the eyeballs, and the confusion on my face only makes his amusement double.
Grinning, he strolls away, lightly nudging his shoulder against Max’s as he passes. Max responds with a shake of his head and a small crack of a smile.
Once Porter has exited the kitchen, Max focuses on me. “The fridge behind you? That’s where we keep Holden and Hunter’s science experiment stuff.”
“They need eyeballs for experiments?”
“They’re … science majors,” he says as if that explains everything.
Maybe it does. I’m not too into science, so I’m not an expert. It seems weird to me, though, to keep eyeballs in the fridge. And what was all that other stuff in there?
“Okay … Sorry I got into it.” I feel the need to apologize.
He relaxes, a smile breaking out across his face. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re welcome to anything in this house. I’d just recommend staying out of that fridge. The stuff Hunter and Holden store in there can be sort of …”
“Vomit-inducing?” I suggest.
He chuckles. “Yeah, probably to most people.” He assesses me briefly before signaling for me to follow him as he enters an alcove. “This is where we keep the more edible stuff.” He points at a fridge tucked into the corner. “You can get whatever you want out of it, but Charlotte will be more than happy to make you something whenever.” He slants against the fridge and crosses his arms. “She’s an excellent cook.?
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