Page 59 of Winning Brynn

No, wait. I didn’t mean that.

Harley snatches a stool from the island and drops himself onto it. “He didn’t do it, obviously.”

“No.” Leo shakes his head with a wry smile. “Theo did, though.”

All eyes fly to Theo, who scratches the back of his head, his cheeks flushed pink from embarrassment. Arun, having finally completed the last round of “Wheels on the Bus,” extends his hand toward Theo for a fist bump.

Shaking my head at all the boyish buffoonery, I take the plate of cookies off the counter behind me and present them on the island with little ceremony.

"Cookies!" Theo rubs his hands together, elbowing Harley in the ribs. He has the excitement level of a child—the maturity of one too. Bless his gentle heart, but he doesn't strike me as the most intelligent player on the team. "Look, Brynn made cookies."

"Holy shit, Brynn," Harley says, his dirty-blond hair falling shaggy over his forehead. He looks to me with a wide smile, his teeth sparkling white and perfectly straight.

I'd probably find him a suitable prospect for my next sexual engagement if my mind wasn't already hung up on someone else. The sad truth is, I haven't even glanced in the direction of another man since the night I moved into Leo's apartment.

He's hijacked my thoughts completely and has my pussy locked inside a chastity belt that only he holds the key to. My lips still haven't stopped tingling from our almost kiss a few nights ago, and my dreams ever since have been more occupied by the imaginary feeling of his body on mine than my usual nightmares.

Which is bittersweet, really.

Sure, it's good that I'm no longer crying over Indiana Jones losing his lasso, but on the other hand, it's pretty damn jarring to wake up midway through an orgasm.

"Jesus, Leo, you're so fucking lucky." Theo sighs wistfully, taking a bite of his cookie and moaning like it's the best thing he's ever had in his mouth.

"Hmm?" Leo arches a brow. "How so?"

"Your nanny is hot as fuck, and she bakes!"

Alex's face turns scarlet. Everyone in the room sucks in a collective breath at whatever overprotective chaos my brother is about to rain down, but Theo, bless his adorable, underdeveloped brain, keeps going.

"Fuck me, Brynn, you're my perfect woman."

Sweet Jesus.

I tilt my head to one side and assess him with narrowed eyes. "You base your ideal woman on her appearance and ability to bake?"

"Real big into feminism, this guy." Harley slaps his buddy on the shoulder and smiles tentatively in Alex's direction in a bid to diffuse the tension. Then he bends his head to whisper sharply in Theo's ear, "Shut the fuck up and read the room, man."

Theo's face falls in realization. His eyes flick nervously to my brother, who's glaring at him with storms in his eyes, then back to me.

"No, no, no," he backtracks. "I didn't...um, I mean...baking is cool, and hotness is obviously great because you've got to wanna fuck your wife, right?" He grimaces. "Shit, I just did it again, didn't I? I'm not sexist, I swear."

"Bloody hell, dude, just stop talking." Leo pinches his nose in exasperation, but I can see him fighting not to laugh.

"No, wait," Theo pleads with me, his eyes wide and round like a puppy's. "I'm a dumbass, and I say stupid shit, but I swear I don't think that a woman's appearance is the most important thing. And I like a girl who bakes but not because I think women belong in the kitchen or anything. I just like cookies. But really, my perfect woman would just be someone who is kind, you know? And, like, knows her own power and can tell me when to shut up. And also, I'd like her to be smarter than me so that she can teach me shit but also doesn't make fun of me every time I get something wrong, which is obviously a lot. Basically, I just want someone who is nice to me." He takes a breath, shoulders deflated. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I offended you, Brynn. And thank you for the cookies. They're delicious."

Taking pity on him, I walk around the kitchen island to where he's standing with his head bowed. The rest of the boys look on with mixed expressions. Harley is bracing himself in anticipation of me chewing out his best friend, Alex has notably calmed down but still appears to be balancing on a hairpin trigger, Arun is still dancing to nursery rhymes with Salem, and Leo... I can't see him, but I feel his gaze searing into the back of my head.

Rising up on my tiptoes, I press a short kiss to Theo's cheek. His face flames red immediately, his lips stretching into a relieved smile.

"I hope you find her, Theo," I whisper so only he can hear. "No one deserves to be made fun of."

He nods silently, which is a first for him. But when I look into his sweet blue eyes, I can see gratitude swimming within them.

He's a good guy, even if he does say stupid shit sometimes. His soul is pure, and his heart is full of kindness. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know how to articulate his thoughts sometimes. His intentions are always in the right place.

And I truly hope he does find a woman who can show him all the compassion, patience, and understanding he deserves.

"Alright, boys, I'm going to get changed. There's only enough for one cookie each, but I'll let Salem explain why." Spinning on my heel, my gaze snags on Leo once more. His expression is one I haven't seen him wear before: heated in a possessive sort of way, flaming with something not dissimilar to jealousy. It sends a sharp thrill running through me, and I add just the slightest extra sway to my hips as I leave the kitchen and head down the hallway to my bedroom.

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