Page 12 of Sinful Desires

“Maybe if you did hang out with him a little bit, you would get to know him, and it wouldn’t seem like such a big deal to have him around.” Sienna shrugged when I shot her a look. “What? He seemed okay when I met him.”

It took everything I had to sound neutral. “We just didn’t get off on the right foot, that’s all.” The longer this conversation dragged on, the more uncomfortable it made me. I needed to end it before Miles showed up at Colton’s invitation.

Valentina must have noticed my discomfort because she jumped in before anybody could answer. “So, let’s talk Vermont. Who’s bringing what? How is everybody getting up there?”

My relief was short-lived. It was my cousin, Lucian, who noticed him first, lifting his head and nudging Colton. “This him?” he asked, jerking his chin toward something over my shoulder. Yes, it was Miles. How did I know without looking?

I felt the prick.

Noah stood, extending a hand. “Noah Goldsmith,” he announced, wearing a warm smile. “So you’re the guy behind Young Industries.”

Miles’s empty laughter made my skin crawl. “That would be me. And you’re the guy behind Goldsmith Real Estate.”

“Don’t hog him.” Sienna nudged her boyfriend aside to offer Miles a brief side hug.

A fucking hug.

I was hallucinating, right? He was still standing close to my chair, meaning I had a front-row seat to what sounded so obviously fake to my ears.

Was I the one with the problem?

Glancing around, I saw nothing but general friendliness from everybody. They introduced themselves, explained who they were, and asked him questions about himself. Was this his first trip to New York? Where was he looking for apartments?

“I can hook you up,” Noah promised. “Just let me know, and we’ll get you set up.”

“I will have to keep that in mind.” To my horror, Miles dropped into the chair next to mine. I looked to Valentina for help since that had been her chair before he showed up, but she didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she sat across from me, smiling almost fondly as everybody satisfied their curiosity about our stepbrother.

I could have told them if only they would listen. This wasn’t the real Miles. Only I had ever met the smirking, foul prick beneath the affable façade.

“We meet again.” Miles settled back in his chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him.

“Where have you been tonight?” I asked, noting how different he looked from the rest of us. I had never seen any of our crew dressed like he was, similar to how I saw him at the penthouse. The curious glances and flat-out lusty gazes of passing girls made me nauseous.

“Around.” Flashing a devilish grin, he added, “If you’re so curious, I could take you along with me next time.”

“You ride a motorcycle?” Lucian asked, leaning forward like his interest had been piqued. “What brand?”

“Harley-Davidson,” Miles replied. “One of their new CVO Road Glide Limited models.” I didn’t know the first thing, but the odd reaction from Lucian and the other guys told me this was impressive for some reason.

“The one with the touchscreen and Bluetooth and everything? Shit, I would love to get a look at that.” Noah almost sighed when he said it. Boys and their toys.

Sienna’s head tipped to the side while her expression turned to one of disbelief. “I’ve never seen you look at me that way,” she told him with a laugh, nudging him. “Little did I know you were cyclesexual.”

“That’s a new one,” Noah said with a laugh, pulling her into his lap. It was good to see them this way. They had gotten close when she worked to revamp his image and saved his real estate empire. Their relationship was pretty young, only a handful of weeks, but they already teased each other like an old married couple. It made sense. We had all known each other all of our lives.

The outsider to the group didn’t seem as though he was having any trouble fitting in. After a few minutes of pointless small talk, which I pointedly avoided getting pulled into, Miles stood. “Let me take the next round. What will everyone have?”

“More of the same,” Valentina announced, holding up her wine glass. “They should have our orders in the system. And thank you,” she called out as he backed away.

She then turned to me, and I really wished she didn’t have to look so superior. The girl was two minutes older, but she had a way of making it seem much longer when she put her mind to it. “See?” she asked. “It’s not that hard to be friendly.”

“He seems cool to me,” Noah declared.

“He could read the back of a shampoo bottle, and I’d be riveted,” Rose admitted, giving Colton a guilty little grin. “I’ve always been a sucker for British guys.”

“Now she tells me,” Colton groaned, also grinning.

Sienna draped an arm around his neck before rolling her eyes at me. “He’s got a man crush, that’s all.”

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