Page 12 of Falling For My Best Friend's Brother

I couldn’t believe I was thirsting over my little sister’s best friend. Over a woman I couldn’t care less about. My dick obviously had a mind of its own because my reservations about Nina might as well never have existed.

When she bent over the counter some distance away to reach for her juice, I gulped a thick ball of shame in the form of saliva. Her outstretched arm caused the skimpy top to ride up a little until I was staring at a rose-colored arc, which I assumed to be her areola. Even her skirt had ridden up to reveal the base of her ass. She was playing dirty. I would have been impressed if I wasn’t so fucking turned on.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath, my chest tight, wondering if I should make a run for it. But wouldn’t that be a telltale sign that she’d won? No. I wasn’t going to run, damn it. I was here first.

“Hmm. Did you say something?” she asked, her voice husky as our eyes locked.

Wicked little minx.

I swallowed, grabbing the knife again and trying to focus on the vegetables in pieces in front of me. Even though I found myself sneaking glances at her creamy flesh, I recognized this for what it was: a blatant attempt to drive me crazy. Because Nina wasn’t even trying to hide it. My comment about her clothes got to her, then. It was ironic to think that this show was because of me.

“Of course not,” I muttered.

She made a sound at the back of her throat, eyelashes fluttering as her mouth opened with only the tip of her tongue showing.

Jesus Christ.Who was this woman? I didn’t recognize her. My mind reeled. Was she a virgin? I doubted it. She seemed to be well-versed in this sort of seduction. Or maybe she was just faking it? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Nina’s shirt was one deep breath away from giving way. Had she ever had her breasts sucked? My dick twitched.

Fuck!

Nina suddenly straightened, rubbing her hands down her arm. “I’m cold.”

I bristled. “Shocking.”

She frowned at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe if you had any brain cells between your ears, you’d have thought…” I made a show of looking disgustedly at her exposed body, though there was absolutely nothing to be disgusted about. The woman was packing in all the right places. “…this ridiculous outfit through.”

Itwaspretty cold in here. Summer was a nightmare, and the apartment had turned into a damn oven. So, before getting started on dinner, I’d headed straight for the thermostat, cranking it down several degrees.

Shaking her head, Nina blew air out of her lips. “Whatever. It’s freezing. I’m turning the air down.”

I stared at her, deadpan. “It’s comfortable.”

She blinked. “Comfortable? Knox, it’s like a meat locker in here. I’m turning it down.”

She made a move toward the thermostat, but I stepped in front of her, blocking her path. I wasn’t about to let her mess with the temperature just because she felt a little chilly. I was sweating bullets because of her little show, and she had the nerve to call it cold.

“No,” I said flatly. “It stays where it is.”

Her eyes narrowed, that calm edge in her voice gone. “This is my house. You don’t get to order me around.”

I crossed my arms, not budging. “If you’re cold, put on a sweater. Or, better still, a straitjacket. The thermostat stays.”

Nina scowled. “You’re such an ass. You’re doing this just to piss me off.”

I shrugged, not bothering to deny it. Maybe I was. She had a way of getting under my skin, and sometimes, it felt good to push back. But I wasn’t letting her win this round. My dick was still semi-hard from just the sight of her curvy body, and now the tables had turned. We would both be uncomfortable, and if she couldn’t take the cold, she should get out of the kitchen.

“Think what you want,” I said, turning away from her. I had a meal to prepare. “But the thermostat stays.”

I heard her mutter something under her breath—probably a string of curses aimed at me. Good. Let her be pissed. It wasn’t like I expected her to take accountability for her actions. This was the consequence of her poor clothing choice, after all.

But, of course, Nina wasn’t done. She marched right over to the thermostat and started fiddling with it again.Fucking girl didn’t know when to quit.

I gritted my teeth, wiping my hands with a rag before approaching her.

Wrapping a hand around her arm, I jerked her toward me and away from the thermostat, growling, “Nina, I said no.”Somehow, this had gone from trying to teach her a lesson to fighting to win.

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