Page 21 of Darn Knit All

Ren shifted, the muscles in his arms flexing. “Don’t give me shit, Theo. I wanna know.”

I leaned back, enjoying torturing him far more than I should. “Why do you ask?”

He dropped his fork to list the reasons on his fingers. “You’re always at her house. You’re regularly seen together eating out.You’re happier than you have been in five years. You text her religiously. She constantly talks about you when we hang out. You?—”

“Wait. Dial back. She talks about me? What does she say?”

Ren flapped a hand dismissively. “Stop grinning like the cat who ate the cream and answer the question.”

I knew Mai wasn’t interested in me, but knowing I was on her mind pleased the fuck out of me.

“Have you asked Mai?”

He frowned, glancing away. “She said you’re just friends.”

I couldn’t stop my pleased chuckle. There was something rather satisfying about riling him up.

“There you have it. We’re just friends.”

“Just friends my ass,” Ren muttered darkly, picking up his fork. “You’re both too happy to be just friends.”

“Ah, and now we get to the real issue.” I pretended to hold a notepad and pen, giving Ren my best upper-crust British accent. “And when did your sexual dysfunction start? Was it before or after you met Flo?—”

A slice of cucumber hit me square in the forehead.

“You fucker.” I caught the piece as it fell, tossing it in my mouth. “Ooh, pickled. Yum.”

He shot me the bird. “This isn’t about me.”

“It absolutely is.” I leaned in. “You could just tell her, you know.”

For a second, naked longing flashed across Ren’s face before he shuttered his emotions.

“We’re talking about you and Mai.”

I guess we’re ignoring his obsession with Flo.

“There’s nothing here beyond friendship,” I answered easily.

And the occasional wet dream.

I brushed off the errant thought. “Your sister and I have built a friendship based on a mutual love of cake, reality TV,and obscure pop references. And she’s trying to teach me how to sew. It’s going well.”

If we didn’t count the trip to the hospital last month. It was fine; the stitches had only left a tiny scar.

Ren did not seem reassured. “Look, I’m not going to warn you off—God knows you’d treat her like a queen.”

“Thank you,” I drawled dryly. “That means a lot.”

“And having you for a brother-in-law would be great.”

“Hanging with my buddy every major holiday?” I nodded solemnly. “We’d be living the dream.”

“But, and this is a big but.”

“You cannot lie?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Ren ignored my joke. “Mai is….”

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