Page 35 of Heat Transfer

“Aren’t you a chemical engineer?” Rory said, meandering in from the other room. “You’d think you would be interested in how things work.”

“First off, not all engineering is the same. And sure, on a mental level, I am. Actually getting my hands on it? I’d rather listen to you talk about your piercing clients.”

Cor snorted. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, and the thought sent a shiver up my spine. What would he be up for tonight? If he offered a chance at his ass, I was all over that. Bending that big guy over and railing him into oblivion topped the number-one spot in my fantasy charts as of late.

I raised my hand. “I’m also on team white collar. Mostly because I’m hopeless at practical things.”

“That’s why you’ve got Cor.” Aislin plunked into a seat.

Cor pulled a chair out, gesturing for me to sit. As much as he’d always been a sweetheart with me as friends, ever since our fake boyfriend night at the gala, I saw a whole different side of him. Truthfully, I was becoming addicted.

“How did you meet again?” Declan slid into the seat across from me. A rustling sounded from the kitchen, and a moment later, Mrs. Brannon appeared with Mr. Brannon in tow.

“Sword fighting,” I said with a straight face.

“Okay, so when you say sword fighting…” Rory’s eyes twinkled.

Cor scrubbed his palms over his face, letting out a groan. “No, not that kind.”

“Children, could we have one dinner where your sex lives aren’t brought to the table?” Mrs. Brannon said sweetly, a sarcastic edge to her words. I snorted. As much as Marco and I could get like this, Mama and Papa would wring our necks if we delved into some of the topics of conversation the Brannon kids did. To say I was delighted by their antics was an understatement.

“HEMA classes in Philly,” I said, saving Cor from his current state of mortification.

“When did you get into that sort of thing?” Aislin asked. “Have you been holding out on me with cool hobbies?”

Cor clutched the back of his neck, a flush rising to his cheeks. Just like in the hospital, it was clear he wasn’t used to being in the spotlight. “Past year or so.”

“Why haven’t you shared that with us?” Mrs. Brannon said, and I had to agree. If I had to hazard a guess, Cor had grown so used to feeling second tier that he didn’t bother offering the information about himself. Part of me wanted to shake the man, while another part wanted to prove to him how wrong he was.How he didn’t need to hide his hobbies from the people who loved him or settle for less.

Cor shrugged. “It never really came up.”

“Uh, if you can listen to my rants about how declawing cats is a barbaric practice, I think we can handle your secret nerdery.” Rory jabbed a fork at Cor.

My chest warmed at the way his family all cared. I elbowed him in the side. “See? People besides me do want to hear about your hot takes on Viking swordsmanship, babe.” The endearment slipped off my tongue so effortlessly I almost forgot this was all a farce. Guilt trickled in, and I swallowed hard. Especially when Cor met my gaze, his eyes soft and incandescent. My heart zoomed like a car on ice, freewheeling in the most dangerous way possible.

How fake was this though? Because I recognized these feelings for what they were—and they weren’t ones of friendship.

“Aww, you guys are so cute.” Aislin bounced in her seat.

Before I could collect myself, the front door banged open.

“We’re here,” Ollie called, his booming voice echoing to the dining room.

A dog barked, and nails clacked on the hardwood floor.

“With company,” Liam said. “I’m so sorry.”

A second later, Ollie rounded the bend into the kitchen. Behind him, a little fumbly golden retriever pup raced in.

“Oh god, he’s adorable,” Mr. Brannon gushed, dropping out of his seat to grab the little guy.

Mrs. Brannon smacked him on the back of his head. “Mind the arm, jackass.”

I snorted. The way this family talked to each other was ridiculous, but I loved it.

“We just picked him up, but I didn’t want to bail on dinner,” Ollie explained, plunking into a seat. Rory had scrambled fromhis spot too and kneeled next to his dad, cooing over the adorable little fucker who rolled around on the carpet.

“Is anyone planning on eating dinner?” Declan asked as he dove in, not waiting any longer.

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