Page 19 of Stolen Bases

I can still taste the sweet lemony flavor of her drink on my tongue. It’s just my luck that she’s related to the one guy who hates my guts more than he hates buttoning his shirt.

“If it makes you feel any better, I was thinking about you.” I can’t stop the confession from slipping off my tongue. I told her I was honest.

“It does not.”

Don’t I know it.

Her eyes linger on my bear tattoo for a fraction too long before she sighs and drops her head back, along the tub’s edge. I watch her as she stares at the stars above us. The steam lifting off the water’s surface mixed with the pale moonlight makes her already steel-gray eyes glimmer like diamonds in the night. Condensation droplets fall from her neck, beading at the tops of her perky tits.

As I suspected, Talia Romero is thick in all the right places.

I nearly choked on my tongue when she dropped the towel and stepped into the hot tub with me. When she slipped, my heartalmost leaped out of my chest. Instinct had me reaching for her hand to steady her.

The hand I used to help her into the whirlpool of hot bubbling water prickles, itching to push the damp hair on her cheek behind her ear. To graze her silky skin. To see if the electric current that shoots through me when our hands connect is an anomaly, or if the energy doubles when I touch her somewhere else.

Keep your hands to yourself, asshole.

Touching reminds me how I wanted to rip Nico’s fingers off his fucking hand when he grabbed Talia. I scan her arm, looking for telltale signs of bruising. Thankfully, there are none. I don’t think I could let that fucker get away with it. I don’t care that she is his sister; no one touches a woman with anything other than care in my presence.

Fuck.

She’s off limits,I repeat the mantra, forcing it to sink in, but the words are too light and float into the air like helium balloons, disappearing into the atmosphere.

I need to call Mason and have him set me straight.

Damn, he’s on his honeymoon. In Hawaii, no less. I’ll call Eli, or better yet, Jace. I’ll call Jace. Yes. That’s perfect.

My oldest brother will have no problem setting me straight. He’s always been a rule follower. Hell, he’ll probably enjoy telling me to stay the fuck away from Nico’s baby sister.

The hot as fuck sister, who you can’t stop thinking about kissing?

“That can’t happen again, you know?” Talia’s melodic voice breaks me from the dangerous cycle my brain has jumped on.

“What can’t happen?” I ask, feigning ignorance.

She narrows her eyes at me, her pretty pink lips pursing, and fuck if I don’t want to kiss them again.

“Kissing. Me and you. None of it.”

I lick my lips, keeping my gaze on her face as her eyes betray her and bounce to my mouth.

Oh, itty bitty. You naughty little liar.

“Not a problem, babe. Wouldn’t want your brother to get his panties in a twist now, would we?”

“Don’t,” Talia warns. The authority in her voice makes my dick perk up. “Don’t use this against him.”

I scoff. Use this against him? Is she kidding me right now?

What did I expect from her—a woman I barely know? She’s his sister, after all.

“I think you have things mixed up. It’s your brother that has a problem with me. Maybe you need to check your facts. There is no evidence of me ever speaking about your precious brother, Nico, to the press. Or anyone, for that matter. I bet you my entire fucking salary that you can’t say the same for him.”

Talia’s face morphs into shock, and I quickly regret my outburst.

Too late. I’m pissed.

I climb out of the jacuzzi with a grunt, water sloshing over the edge and down my body onto the deck. Grabbing my towel, I turn to leave, not bothering to dry myself off.

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