Maybe.
Unless I’d misread it?
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
I blinked and turned to stare at the road, my mind scrambling to come up with something—anything—other than truth. I’m thinking about kissing you.
“This is your car?” I asked.
Dumb thing to say but it was better than the alternative.
“What?” he said as he glanced over.
I cleared my throat and shifted in the dark. “You said ‘my car’,” I reminded him. “I thought this was Alex’s car.”
He let out a little huff of air and I couldn’t tell if it was a sound of amusement or exasperation. “Technically, it belongs to both of us.”
I nodded and looked out the window, thinking he was done with that particular conversation. After a long pause, he continued. “My dad is big on buying our affection.”
I looked over at him, trying to make out his profile in the shadows as we drove. “I’m sorry,” I murmured.
He shot me a grin and it blinded me in the darkness. Like a flash of lightning in the night sky, it was brilliant and...beautiful. It was also there and gone so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it.
“Not your fault,” he said.
I huffed in exasperation. “I hate when people say that,” I said, my voice uncharacteristically peevish. “Of course it’s not my fault. It’s just something people say to sympathise.”
He laughed, a low chuckle that made the air seem thicker and the shadows darker. “You’re right.” He glanced over at me, the hint of a smile on his lips. “I’m sorry.”
I grinned. I couldn’t help it. This guy just didn’t seem like the type to tease, and it was surprisingly adorable.
Adorable not being a word anyone would ever attach to this guy beside me.
“Anyway, I’ve never liked taking things from my dad, especially not flashy obnoxious gifts that were barely concealed bribes to take his side.”
“His side?” I asked. I was almost afraid to talk or ask questions, afraid to ruin whatever magic had this quiet, gruff guy opening up to me.
“In the divorce,” he said, his tone abrupt.
I swallowed. Ah.
“The divorce stuff seemed to last forever and it was…” He shifted. “Nasty.”
I grimaced. “I’m sorry.”
I waited for him to tease me again for apologizing, and when he didn’t, I reached out and touched his arm. “I’m really sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s old news.”
But it still hurt, that much was obvious.
“So, Alex took the car,” I said.
He nodded. “And the expensive trip abroad and the basketball camp…” He cast me another sidelong look, his voice dry. “Alex doesn’t share my aversion to bribery.”
I shifted, literally biting my lip to keep from leaping to Alex’s defense. Any other day and with any other person I would have. If it was Max picking on my crush, I would have railed against whatever flaw she’d pointed out and accused her of being judgmental just because Alex was gorgeous and popular.
Max had always had a thing about popular guys. She thought their egos had to be as big as their reputations.
In the silence that followed I was torn between guilt for not standing up for Alex, and a surge of affection for this tough guy who could be so sweet.
“So,” he said, his voice a little louder. “I want to hear more about this plan of yours.”
I blinked in surprise and confusion until… Oh no.
Memories from a little earlier in the night came back to me. That weird half-awake state I’d been in as the movie and Buttercup’s blissful silence had lulled me into a comfy state of near-sleep.
“Oh, it’s...nothing,” I said, shifting to look back out the window. “It was stupid.”
If he’d have pressed, I would have clammed up. But he didn’t. He just stayed quiet and I found myself remembering how his big hands had held Buttercup so gently and the way he’d patted her like a real baby, and…
“It was because of these magazines,” I blurted out.
He glanced over but said nothing so I found myself recapping how Rose had given us these girlie magazines filled with tips and tricks. Most of which were admittedly ridiculous, but some seemed...sound.
“I see,” he said when I was done, his voice more serious than mine would have been in similar circumstances. Because right now, even to my own ears it sounded like total idiocy. “So you thought perhaps you and Alex would bond over…” He cleared his throat. “Babysitting duties.”
Oh yeah, he was trying not to laugh. He hid it well, and there was something else there too that made him seem almost angry, but...he was definitely trying not to laugh. I saw it in the clench of his jaw, the twitch of his lips. Even his eyes seemed to be squinting in the dark with the effort to control his amusement.
Something about watching him struggle so he wouldn’t hurt my feelings…
I burst out laughing for both of us. When he glanced over he grinned, a slow smile that took my breath away and made me laugh even harder.
“It was so stupid,” I said through tears of laughter. “I can’t believe I actually thought that would work.”
He was outright laughing now too as he turned back to the road.
I swiped at my eyes. It was official. I was so tired I’d lost my mind. “In my defense, I had no idea how hard it would be. How…” I shook my head.
“How unromantic?” he guessed, glancing over with a hint of a smile still quirking up his lips and softening his features.
“Yeah, something like that.” It came out too quiet because my mind was replaying our night together. Minus the fact that I looked like garbage and I’d spent the first part of our night crying all over him, the rest of it had been...nice.
Sweet.
My breath hitched in my throat at a visceral memory of waking up in his arms, of the tension between us that had been intoxicating and weird and…
Maybe just a little romantic.
I licked my lips and turned to face the road, realizing with a jolt that we were already here. We were pulling onto my street and our time was coming to an end.
I should’ve been happy about that. I should’ve been grateful to be home and alone and…
Oh crap. Why did I have this antsy feeling like I wanted him to drive right past my house and keep going?
I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t want this night to end.
He pulled into the driveway and turned to me with a small smile. “I guess this is goodnight.”
Was it my imagination or did he look disappointed too?
Despite the fact that Buttercup was off my hands, and Alex was now a partner, and I could finally get some rest, this night didn’t feel complete.
It felt...unresolved.
I couldn’t sit still as a desperate clawing sensation climbed up my throat like I was going to say something or do something or—
Cristian opened his door and got out, giving me a moment to take a deep breath.
The night’s over. Deal with it.
And then he was there, next to my door, opening it for me like he was some kind of old-fashioned gentleman.
I eyed him all the way from his combat boots to the tribal symbol tattoos sticking out from under his T-shirt, and then all the way up to his dark eyes that were fixed on me with a look I could only think of as...predatory.
He gave me his hand and helped me out, which I appreciated since it was so low to the ground. I tried to ignore the fact that I was an ugly mess but I still ducked my head as he shut the door and—wait for it—walked me to my door.
I didn’t even know guys did that anymore.
Did all guys do that?
Would Alex have done that?
I forced myself to shove thoughts of Alex to the side because it wasn’t Alex who’d given me a ride, and it wasn’t Alex who’d been by my side all night. It wasn’t Alex who’d cheered me up and offered me tea and voluntarily g
iven me a hand with the baby assignment.
We both stopped at my front door and I fished for keys. I’d just stuck them in the keyhole when Cristian’s hand covered mine.
I blinked down at the sight of our hands entwined like that, fascinated by the sight. When I looked up he was close. So close. My heart was hammering away in my chest, my lungs oddly constricted like I couldn’t get enough air.
Probably because he was close.
So close.
And then he was even closer as he ducked his head so we were right in each other’s faces. “You must really like my brother to have gone to so much trouble to be near him.”
The words felt like a splash of cold water in this hot, heady fog. “Um…”
“Do you still have a thing for him?”
I blinked once. Twice. I registered the words but my brain couldn’t begin to think of an answer. Did I still like Alex after the way he’d been treating me?
My rose-colored glasses were definitely losing their lustre, but I hadn’t given it much thought. I’d been angry, and hurt, and… “I hope not.”
That was the best answer I could give and it was the wrong one, judging by the way Cristian flinched.
He started to pull back and I acted without thinking, gripping his T-shirt with my free hand and making him freeze. He looked down at my hand on his abs the same way I’d been staring at our hands.
“Why?” I asked, my voice little more than a breath. But I needed to know his answer. I had to know why he cared…
I needed him to say it.
His head never moved but his gaze flicked up to meet mine, almost like he could hear my thoughts. He shifted closer, his free hand coming to the door on the other side of me so I was between his arms, his hand still on mine as he leaned in close.
“I hope you’re not still hung up on him because all I can think about is this…”
He kissed me.
The first touch of his lips against mine was soft and sweet, so shockingly gentle….and electric. I felt the jolt of heat throughout my entire body as he moved his lips slowly over mine. He was close and he surrounded me, but I didn’t feel trapped. I felt…
Cherished.
He kissed me so tenderly, I felt like a breakable, fragile treasure. When he nudged my lips apart, I gasped and the sound had him pulling back, even though my grip on his shirt tightened.
“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he said. But his tone didn’t sound apologetic and his gaze was roving over my face, taking everything in...for better or for worse.
He moved his hand so mine was free and dipped down to kiss my forehead. “Get some sleep,” he said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
And then he was walking away and I was left to figure out what on earth had just happened.
6
Cristian
Our father was the last one down the next morning and even after his coffee and breakfast he still seemed perplexed by what was happening here.
He eyed the doll suspiciously as he addressed Alex, who looked worse for the wear as he scooped cereal into his mouth.
“Tell me again why you have a baby doll at the table?”
Alex lifted his head with a frown. “It’s for health class.”
My father just shook his head and I could practically see him debating whether he wanted to ask more questions or not.
The answer was not. He shifted his focus to me. “What did you do last night, Cris?”
I tensed. My dad was the only one who ever called me Cris and I suspected it was because he knew my mom couldn’t stand it. If I wanted him to be called Cris I would have named him Christopher.
I was pretty sure all three of us were thinking of that oft-quoted line right now but no one but me looked uncomfortable, so then again...maybe not.
Alex loved our mom, that much I knew, but he didn’t seem to give her a second thought when he wasn’t staying at her place during one of the scheduled holidays or weekends when we were in her custody.
Now that I was over eighteen I could—and did—stay with her whenever I wanted. I’d planned on going to her place this week during my school’s break but it was my mom who convinced me to come here to stay. Much as she openly despised my dad, I knew it was killing her that he and I were always at odds.
And besides, the decision that lay in front of me had everything to do with him, as she liked to point out.
My college tuition came from Dad and he was the one who pulled all the strings.
Like always.
“I stayed in,” I said to my dad now, ignoring Alex’s stare.
“Yeah?” Alex said, his tone taunting. “You just...stayed in, huh?”
My father frowned as he looked between us, probably just waiting to see if he’d need to play referee between the two of us.
“Yup, just stayed in.” I met Alex’s stare evenly. “And helped Alex’s health class partner with the assignment that Alex slacked off on.”
Alex’s smirk turned to fury in the blink of an eye as he shoved his chair back. “I didn’t slack on anything, that girl said she’d handle it.” His face was screwed up in confusion and anger, like he honestly still didn’t get it. “She said she’s used to babysitting and that it would be easy.”
I crossed my arms. “And when she called and texted asking for help...that still didn’t clue you in, huh?”
Some of his anger faded and I caught a flicker of guilt. Or, more likely, the unpleasant knowledge that I was right and he’d been called out. “Whatever, she’s not gonna be angry.”
He sounded so sure of himself it made me want to shove his face into his cereal bowl.
But was I pissed because he was so freakin’ smug or because...he might be right?
I had a flash of big blue eyes filled with complete and total uncertainty when I’d asked her if she still had a thing for Alex.
I hope not.
I ran a hand through my hair. Not exactly words to rejoice over, but not a total hopeless cause either.
And then there was that kiss.
I felt like the wind got knocked out of me at the mere thought of that kiss.
That moment had been perfect. The most perfect moment of my life, that I could recall. Like, for the first time in my life, all the pieces of the puzzle had clicked together for a moment that was just...right.
I’d kissed plenty of girls, but nothing had prepared me for that. Her kiss was soft and genuine and pure sweetness, just like the girl herself.
Alex was glaring at me now.
Alex, who Avery might very well still like, even after he’d treated her like dirt these last few days.
That was an unpleasant thought I didn’t have time for. I was supposed to go back to school on Wednesday and I still hadn’t had the conversation I’d come here to have.
“When do you head back?” my dad asked.
“What he means is, how long do we have to put up with you moping around this house like you’re stuck in a prison?” Alex added.
I narrowed my eyes at my brother. In my eyes, this place was exactly that. A prison. A gilded prison, perhaps, with the jacuzzi and the pool and the nice car...but still a prison because I had no freedom. My dad controlled everything as long as you were under his roof—or going to school on his dime—but apparently I was the only son who minded.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” I started.
Alex’s sharp laugh cut me off. “You flunked out,” he said. “I knew it.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” I muttered as my dad said Alex’s name with a warning tone.
“Sure, we can talk,” my dad said slowly, warily. “Just let me push back my lunch with Shelley.”
Shelley, huh? That was a new one. Probably younger and prettier than the last.
She’d probably last even less time.
Alex took after my dad—they both loved themselves more than anything else. No one would ever be as important in their lives.
“Forget it,” I muttered.
“We’ll talk later.”
It would be a pointless conversation anyway. I already knew the end result. My dad had made it clear my senior year. He’d pay for school but only if I majored in business.
Much as I hated living under my dad’s thumb, I’d hated the thought of graduating neck deep in debt even more. So I’d gone along with it for my first year, but now…?
I couldn’t do it anymore. What was the point of going to school for a degree I never planned to use. Add to that the fact that it was my father’s plan and all because he couldn’t stand not having power over me…
I’d been this close to just saying screw it, ditching him and his money and going to a cheaper school where I could pursue a degree in anything I wanted.
It was my mom who’d begged me to talk to him first. Try to explain and reason with him.
He and I have our issues, but I know we both only want what’s best for you, she’d said.
I held back a sigh as I thought of her words now. I owed it to my mom to talk to him, I supposed. She’d only worry if I was in debt and struggling financially. Worse, she might even feel the need to contribute somehow, which she couldn’t afford to do.
So fine. I’d talk to him.
Just not today.
“Gonna tell him that you need a fifth year because you can’t keep up with your classes?” Alex asked when my dad left. His voice was mocking, his expression practically a sneer.
“Shut up.” My own voice was nicely mild. I’d grown so used to Alex’s taunting that it didn’t even faze me anymore. Well, not unless he was talking about Avery.
“Or maybe you want to explain to Dad why you were getting hot and heavy with some girl when everyone else was out last night.”
I stopped in the middle of clearing my plate and slammed it back down on the table, making him jump. “Some girl?” I repeated with a sneer of my own. “Is that what you think of her?”
His brows arched. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I stared at him, waiting to see something. Anything.
I got nothing.
Saved by the Crush's Brother (How to Catch a Crush Book 2) Page 5
