Page 12 of Hard to Take

It doesn’t change the fact that Miles’s loyalty is to my brother, but it’s hard to fault him for loyalty when he’s so devoted, just like with his grandmother. The way he goes to the wall for people he loves.

“How is she?” I ask.

“Improving. Though she’s not the world’s best patient.” His slow smile is wry.

“Does she have scans? I can ask Ruby if she’d take a look for a second opinion.” Working in the ER, she sees broken bones all the time.

His eyes crinkle at the corners. “Thanks.”

Waffles starts to squirm in my arms, possibly responding to the hammering of my heart as I stare at his owner. I set him down.

“Listen,” Miles says after a minute. “In the spirit of friendship, you waking up alone is not what I pictured for the morning after.”

His usually casual voice has an edge, as if he’s still not convinced of his words even after they’re out.

I arch a brow. “We hooked up, Garrett. It was the environment and the hot air balloon thing and the high of pulling one over on Caroline and Kevin. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not,” he echoes, gaze intensifying.

“No,” I say firmly. I’m giving us both an out. “There’s another box.”

He doesn’t complain, just heads for the spare room and returns a moment later.

He drops the box in the middle of my room with a thud and surveys my room: the pale pink walls, my bed with its white Pottery Barn duvet, my desk, my art prints. He crosses to the Kodiaks photo on my dresser. It was taken after finals, with the team and all the friends and family. “You have a picture of me in your room.”

“It’s a picture of my brother,” I correct. “And me.”

He lifts it anyway, his mouth curving. “I like it.”

His thumb moves over the glass. Miles is happy everyone’s together and smiling. It’s painfully obvious how much that means to him.

“I’ll help you interview roommates,” he says. “I have a good sense about people.”

The change of directions sets me back.

He’s actually being sweet. It’s harder to argue with him when he’s sweet.

“You don’t need to do that. I’m not your problem,” I remind him, my voice softer now.

He sets down the photo and faces me. “Maybe I want you to be.”

My feet are stuck to the floor as if I’ve stepped in gum.

Except I’m wearing socks, which means it’s his words, his expression, that make it impossible for my limbs to move.

He doesn’t mean it the way it sounds, but damn, it’s hard to remember that when warmth creeps up my body, starting at my toes. It has my fingers tingling, my lips parting.

Before I can respond, there’s a new knock on the door.

I grab Miles’s arm. “That’s Hunter! Lay low. Hide. Something until he’s gone.”

“Hunter?! You invited a dude to see your place. A stranger.” The sweetness is gone, replaced by incredulity. I’ve never seen his brows so close to his hairline.

I lift my hands. “I’m very inclusive.”

Miles grabs my wrist and jerks me back so that I collide with his chest. It’s so sudden I don’t have time to prepare for the feel of him, the masculine scent, the closeness of his mouth, and the feel of his fingers on my pulse.

“You’re not doing this, Princess.” His voice is firm.

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