Page 19 of The Acquisition

One of her sculpted blonde brows raised, and she examined the state of my bed. "Did you even sleep last night?"

I sat up and shoved the nest of hair out of my face. "I don't think so."

She bit her lip. "You can't be seen like this. Go shower, and I'll make some excuses to my stupid brother."

"I don't think he'll care," I mumbled.

"Sure he won't. He's downstairs banging pots and pans in the kitchen because he's in a great mood."

"Maybe he just wants breakfast."

Sabrina leveled me with a look. "He can't cook. At all. Even if he could, there's a full spread downstairs. I was really drunk last night, but I know I saw you dancing with him before you two decided to make me go to bed. He has no patience, so I know he'll stop stomping around when you finally emerge."

Confusion and embarrassment had me flopping back and trying to pull the covers over my head. It was a fruitless endeavor, because my exhaustion made me no match for Sabrina's overly cheerful mood.

"Go shower."

"Too tired," I said, my voice muffled by the pillow I'd buried my face into.

"I'll be back to help you get ready," she promised.

This time when she tugged on the blanket I didn't fight back. "Fine."

I managed to get out of bed and shuffled my way to the connected bathroom. The shower was wonderful. Multiple heads pulsed hot water against my tired body. This and a strong cup of coffee would go a long way to waking me up.

There was a thick terry cloth robe waiting for me when I emerged from the shower. The material hung around me and made me feel like I was sinking into a cloud. Sabrina was setting out some of her makeup while I sat down at the built in vanity. It reminded me besides the clothes Colt got me, I had nothing.

She noticed me frowning at her makeup and put her hands on my shoulders. "I know this is a tough time for you, but I don't mind if you use my makeup for a while. You are going to come out on top."

I offered her a weak smile and let my eyes drift shut. Over the last few days I'd been stripped of my defenses and laid bare. It made me feel vulnerable in ways I wasn't fond of, and the constant strain was wearing me down.

"I'm done," she said after a small handful of minutes.

My eyes opened easier than they had when I first woke up. She gave me a fresh and classic look I'd never managed before. I usually wore a nude-toned lipstick paired with slightly smoky eyeshadow. My face was always "on" as my mom would say. Natural beauty was for children and hippies, according to Marjorie Easton.

My natural lip color was amplified, like they probably looked last night after being thoroughly kissed. My skin glowed without being hidden by meticulously applied base. The light freckles I usually covered shone through the thin layer over my skin.

"Tinted moisturizer," she said. "You seem to be studying your face. I know you usually wear full makeup, and don't get me wrong, it's always flawless, but your skin is just too pretty to hide."

I nodded and continued to study myself. It was another layer peeled away. I felt a bit off center, a little naked, but this time in a way I liked. The person staring back at me was the same I'd been seeing my entire life, but different at the same time. It felt right to have the way I was feeling inside reflected in the mirror.

Sabrina tipped her head toward the door. "Let's grab some breakfast. Beckett wants to talk to all of us, and I heard them making arrangements to have the plane ready."

We rushed down the hallway toward the large kitchen. There were covered plates set out for us on the breakfast bar. Colter did seem to be tense when I observed him as we entered the room. He took a step toward me then stopped himself and gripped the back of his neck.

He pulled his lip in between his teeth, and instantly I could feel his lips pressed against mine again. We were idiots if we thought we were going to be able to hide what was happening between us. Hell, without my normal makeup I was sure my face was closer to the color of a tomato than a peach.

Evie looked up from her breakfast and smiled at me. Her eyes, the same color as her father's, scanned my face. "Wow. I love your makeup."

I shrugged. Insincere compliments I was comfortable with. It was common at my mother's events to hear and deliver superficial platitudes as a means to make polite conversation with her guests. She called it networking, but it was just fancy ass kissing.

Real compliments were something else. They made me feel noticed when I was used to blending in. "Sabrina did it," I dismissed.

"But it's you. How did I not even know you had freckles?" she continued.

Colter slipped next to me. "They're adorable," he whispered. Louder he teased, because we weren't supposed to be conspicuous, "Makes me wonder what you'd look like with piggy tails. I bet you'd be more of a little princess than an ice queen."

Evie's face scrunched up. "Gross. I'm having a hard enough time keeping my food down without," she waved her hand emphatically in our direction, "whatever is going on with the two of you."

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