notch. “I told you to stay away from Marci. Her parents will kill me if you corrupt her.”
Soren put up his hands. “I didn’t touch her. She volunteered the information.” He elbowed his brother playfully. “Aw, come on, Ry. Relax. You know I love seafood.” He pouted, sticking out his bottom lip.
Ryland resisted the urge to yank on that protruding lip. “You should stick to your cabin and order in. Aren’t you worried about the…” He looked around to make sure no one was listening. “…hit man?”
Soren waved the idea off. “No one knows I’m here. It’s all good. Besides, with my shades, I’m incognito.” He lowered his glasses and eyeballed him suspiciously. “Where’s the lovely Lia?”
Ryland’s already high blood pressure now skyrocketed. “None of your business.”
Once again, right on cue, Lia opened her door. She looked around it, saw them, and breathed in a sigh of relief. “Oh, it’s you two. Thank goodness. I heard raised voices and wondered.”
She stepped around the door and into the hallway and Ryland’s breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a simple cotton shirt and the same tight jeans she’d arrived in, but the repetition of the outfit did nothing to diminish its charms. She’d clearly just showered and her light brown hair glistened under the corridor lights. Her skin glowed, even without a stitch of makeup, and he could catch a faint smell of sweetness on her. She’d used the resort toiletries, but on her, they smelled like some exotic French perfume. It was nice.
There was another fragrance clinging to her as well. Feminine arousal.
Dammit.
Ryland cleared his throat, and then remembered Soren was also standing there, grinning like an idiot. Where the teasing scent of Lia’s desire had first made him hungry, now it just made him angry.
Clearly she wanted his brother. Perfect.
He was about to stalk away when Soren’s voice cut into the tension. “Lia, Ryland was wondering if you’d like to accompany us to the fish fry down at the lake. Perfect evening to appease our hunger, don’t you think?”
Ryland gawked at him. Was this the sort of garbage talk that made the women quiver over Soren?
Unable to help himself, he looked at Lia. Her tentative gaze flitted from Soren to him, lingering on Ryland, questioning. “I don’t want to get in your way.”
“You’re not,” Ryland barked. And then he frowned at how barbaric he sounded. No wonder Soren was always taunting him. “I mean, we’d be pleased if you joined us.”
She smiled, and every blood vessel in his body seemed to shoot red-hot fire straight into his dick. Cursing his weak, male body, Ryland struggled to smile back. He hoped very much that he didn’t resemble a cranky, constipated old man.
“That depends,” she said, with what sounded like a hint of flirtatiousness in her tone, “what happens at a fish fry, aside from fish being fried?”
He seized on the topic, hoping to distract himself from his hard-on. “Everyone staying at the lodge usually comes. We not only have fish, we roast corn on the cob and sausages. There’s apple cider and pie. And some music. A local band. It’s fun.” He coughed. “You should come.”
Her brow creased with worry. “It does sound fun, but I don’t know if I should go out.”
Against his better judgment, Ryland took a step toward her and a grin forced its way onto his face. “Don’t worry. My security team is aware of your situation. And I’ll keep any marauding chipmunks away from you.”
She began to blush. Right on cue, Soren swooped in and wrapped an arm about Lia’s shoulders. “There you go, Lia. Two big, burly bear men protecting you. What more could you want?”
As Lia shivered at the word “bear.” Soren danced her down the hallway. Ryland stood there, frozen to his spot, quietly lamenting his rotten sense of timing and hesitation.
Shaking his head, he slowly followed. As he made his way down the hallway, another bedroom door
Soren put up his hands. “I didn’t touch her. She volunteered the information.” He elbowed his brother playfully. “Aw, come on, Ry. Relax. You know I love seafood.” He pouted, sticking out his bottom lip.
Ryland resisted the urge to yank on that protruding lip. “You should stick to your cabin and order in. Aren’t you worried about the…” He looked around to make sure no one was listening. “…hit man?”
Soren waved the idea off. “No one knows I’m here. It’s all good. Besides, with my shades, I’m incognito.” He lowered his glasses and eyeballed him suspiciously. “Where’s the lovely Lia?”
Ryland’s already high blood pressure now skyrocketed. “None of your business.”
Once again, right on cue, Lia opened her door. She looked around it, saw them, and breathed in a sigh of relief. “Oh, it’s you two. Thank goodness. I heard raised voices and wondered.”
She stepped around the door and into the hallway and Ryland’s breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a simple cotton shirt and the same tight jeans she’d arrived in, but the repetition of the outfit did nothing to diminish its charms. She’d clearly just showered and her light brown hair glistened under the corridor lights. Her skin glowed, even without a stitch of makeup, and he could catch a faint smell of sweetness on her. She’d used the resort toiletries, but on her, they smelled like some exotic French perfume. It was nice.
There was another fragrance clinging to her as well. Feminine arousal.
Dammit.
Ryland cleared his throat, and then remembered Soren was also standing there, grinning like an idiot. Where the teasing scent of Lia’s desire had first made him hungry, now it just made him angry.
Clearly she wanted his brother. Perfect.
He was about to stalk away when Soren’s voice cut into the tension. “Lia, Ryland was wondering if you’d like to accompany us to the fish fry down at the lake. Perfect evening to appease our hunger, don’t you think?”
Ryland gawked at him. Was this the sort of garbage talk that made the women quiver over Soren?
Unable to help himself, he looked at Lia. Her tentative gaze flitted from Soren to him, lingering on Ryland, questioning. “I don’t want to get in your way.”
“You’re not,” Ryland barked. And then he frowned at how barbaric he sounded. No wonder Soren was always taunting him. “I mean, we’d be pleased if you joined us.”
She smiled, and every blood vessel in his body seemed to shoot red-hot fire straight into his dick. Cursing his weak, male body, Ryland struggled to smile back. He hoped very much that he didn’t resemble a cranky, constipated old man.
“That depends,” she said, with what sounded like a hint of flirtatiousness in her tone, “what happens at a fish fry, aside from fish being fried?”
He seized on the topic, hoping to distract himself from his hard-on. “Everyone staying at the lodge usually comes. We not only have fish, we roast corn on the cob and sausages. There’s apple cider and pie. And some music. A local band. It’s fun.” He coughed. “You should come.”
Her brow creased with worry. “It does sound fun, but I don’t know if I should go out.”
Against his better judgment, Ryland took a step toward her and a grin forced its way onto his face. “Don’t worry. My security team is aware of your situation. And I’ll keep any marauding chipmunks away from you.”
She began to blush. Right on cue, Soren swooped in and wrapped an arm about Lia’s shoulders. “There you go, Lia. Two big, burly bear men protecting you. What more could you want?”
As Lia shivered at the word “bear.” Soren danced her down the hallway. Ryland stood there, frozen to his spot, quietly lamenting his rotten sense of timing and hesitation.
Shaking his head, he slowly followed. As he made his way down the hallway, another bedroom door
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