Page 40 of Colton's Last Resort

As he walked away, Laura sipped her champagne. She lowered the flute, tapping her finger to the side. “I like your arms,” she noted.

He glanced down at his forearms. The spider went up one wrist. Webbing chased it up his forearm. The primary feathers of the falcon on his upper arm peered out from underneath his sleeve. On the other arm, more bones. “Sure you do.”

“I mean it,” she said. “You’re practically a work of art.”

“Well, that was the idea,” he drawled.

“You have to get better at this.”

“At what?” he asked. Eating the croissant with his hands didn’t seem right. Not with a grand piano snoozing nearby and crystal dripping from the ceiling. He picked up his knife and fork and sawed off a corner.

“Letting me be nice to you,” she added.

“Hmm.” The croissant practically melted on his tongue.

Carefully, Laura set the champagne flute down. “We’ve got Adam incoming.”

Noah set his fork down. He lifted the napkin from his lap and wiped his mouth. “How did he take the news?”

“Not well,” she warned. “Please, be good.”

“Really? ‘Be good’?”

She gave him a squelching look before greeting her brother. “Adam. Will you be joining Noah and me for breakfast?”

When Adam only turned a discerning eye on Noah, Noah lifted his hand. “Howdy.”

Adam didn’t respond. Noah noticed that both his hands were balled at his sides. Amused, he asked Laura, “Is he going to call a duel or what?”

She frowned at him. “Noah.”

“Will he accept pistols, or should I borrow someone’s small sword?” Noah continued, undeterred.

“You’re both being stupid. And everyone’s watching.”

Adam glanced around at the interested parties. His fists relaxed. But the sternness refused to leave his face. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Of course we do,” she said.

“I’m not asking you,” Adam said.

Laura looked at Noah, pleading.

He stood up from the table and stepped into the aisle to face Adam squarely. “I’m here to see that Laura’s okay,” he told Adam, planting a hand on the man’s shoulder. He had the satisfaction of seeing a nerve in Adam’s temple vibrate. “She’s lost a good friend, and she needs someone to lean on.”

“And you’re that person?” Adam asked skeptically.

“You’re damn right I’m that person,” Noah snapped. “The real question is whether her big brother is going to stand in the way of that.”

Adam looked as if he’d rather swallow a handful of broken glass than allow Laura to continue this charade. He measured the hand on his shoulder with its skeletal ink. “All right,” he said, his hard jaw thrown into sharp relief when the words came out through clenched teeth.

Laura stood, too. “I think Noah should stay in a bungalow.”

Adam’s eyes shuttered. “I think that’s asking a bit much.”

“There are a couple of empty ones,” she stated. When he remained unmoved, she tilted her head. “I’ll pay for it, if you’re worried about that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Lou. This has nothing to do with money.”

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