Page 52 of Beautiful Thing

My siblings are so damn lucky that I love them. I’m always running around, helping them with their building and repair projects.

Meanwhile, I’ve got a long to-do list of things I need to take care of at my own house. Reupholstering my favorite armchair in the library. Replacing the ceiling fan in the kitchen. Fixing the bathroom door that keeps opening on its own. Yet, I prioritize everyone’s projects over my own.

Felix turns to me with a chuckle. “In all seriousness, thank you, man. You helped me put this gorgeous smile on my lady’s face.” He kisses the tip of her nose.

“Yeah, whatever,” I grumble. “I ended up having to do all the work myself because you don’t know how to get your pretty doctor hands dirty.”

Felix’s phone rings and he glances at the screen. “These are healing hands, my brother. These hands make the world a better place.” He wiggles his fingers in the air as he starts backing toward the door. “Gotta go. My last patients of the day just showed up at the clinic downstairs.” He shoots his girl a wink and he’s jogging down the stairs. “See you in an hour, babe.”

With a snort, I crouch down and start disassembling my drill. While I pack up my tool box, Daphne gets to work sweeping up the mess that I made.

The whole time, I’m thinking about Layla and how I can’t wait to get home to her and Sky. Meanwhile, Daphne chats away about the wedding plans and I half-listen, throwing in the periodicuh-huhandyeah, just to be polite.

I guess there’s some drama with Daphne’s parents, so she wants to keep the whole wedding thing small and simple. The opposite of what her parents want. Apparently, that’s onlycausing more tension with her family, but she’s trying to stand her ground. Good for her.

She used to be really shy, the kind of girl who’d blush at the drop of a hat. But being with Felix has really brought out something in her. She’s still quiet and sweet, but she seems to feel more comfortable in her own skin. I like that for her. She’s a great girl and my brother is lucky to have her.

But more and more, I’ve been wantingmy owngreat girl.

I want to be able to do for Layla what Felix has done for Daphne. I want to be able to take all her insecurities away and make her feel safe, let her know there’s a place for her in this world. But Layla’s not my girl and this desire of mine is out of place.

This fake-relationship isn’t helping matters at all.

I think back to the way I had her pressed up against the filing cabinet earlier. How far would I have taken things if my parents hadn’t shown up when they did? Would I have touched her? Would I have kissed her? Would I have locked my office door, dropped to my knees and satisfied my aching curiosity to discover what she tastes like?

This is so not like me. I’ve wanted Layla for a long time. Still, I’ve always managed to hold these feelings under control. But these days, more and more, that control is slipping away from me.

As I close up my toolkit, my eyes drift over the racks of colorful dresses displayed here at the shop. I’m immediately brought back to how gorgeous Layla looked in her dress at dinner the other night. I absently reach out to touch the pretty fabric. Thankfully, I stop myself when I notice the grime and dust on my hands.

“Archer—are you even listening to me?” Daphne asks, strolling up beside me, laughter in her voice.

“Sorry, what was that?” I ask, shaking my head and returning my attention to my future sister-in-law.

She follows the direction of my attention and her face lights up when she notices that I’ve been staring at the clothing on the rack.

“Ooh! Let me show you the dress Layla was checking out when she was in here earlier today.” Daphne rifles through the clothes a bit, then she sweeps a hanger off the rack. She holds it up to admire the dress draped from it.

It’s short and pretty and covered in vibrant flowers. It’s so Layla.

My lips move before I can stop them. “She must have looked gorgeous in it.”

It’s not hard to imagine the colorful fabric clinging to Layla’s curves and showing off her legs and highlighting her smooth skin.

Daphne wags her head ruefully. “We couldn’t even get her to try it on. She thought it was ‘too much’.”

“Too much?” I question abruptly. “What the hell do you mean, she thought it was too much?”

“Too much of a splurge. Too much of an extravagance.” Daphne shrugs.

Indignation. That’s what I feel at the moment. Because as far as I’m concerned, nothing is too ‘extravagant’ for Layla. “Where the hell would she get that idea?” I mutter.

Daphne shrinks back slightly. “It’s a girl thing, I think. You wouldn’t understand.”

I lift an eyebrow. “Explain it to me.”

She gives her head a faint wag, cringing a little. “I don’t want to betray Layla’s trust by babbling away. I’ve already said more than I should have.”

I sigh. Then I nod in acceptance, appreciating the fact that Layla has good friends who wouldn’t betray her privacy.