Page 9 of Desiring My Brother's Best Friend

I smile up at him. "Good." I stand on my tiptoes and give him a quick kiss on the lips before stepping away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Owen."

"Yeah," he says softly, watching me head for the door. "See you tomorrow."

I give him a little wave and then slip out of the attic. My heart pounds in my chest, and I feel almost dizzy with excitement. I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know one thing for sure—I'm not giving up on Owen Mitchell without a fight.

* * *

I leaveOwen to pack up his tools while I go downstairs, desperate for a drink after that little confrontation. It didn't go as well as I'd have liked, but at least it's clear he still wants me, and he's willing to think this thing between us over.

I've just opened the fridge when there's a knock at the door, and with Owen occupying every one of my thoughts, I don't even take the time to check who it is before opening the door.

Which quickly proves to have been a mistake.

"Oh, hey," I say, trying to mask my surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I live down the road, remember?" Mr. Grayson replies, and I instantly regret opening the door without checking. He looks as creepy as before, with his graying hair and watery blue eyes that seem to pierce right through me.

"Right." I force a smile. "Well, I'm actually in the middle of something, so?—"

He cuts me off before I can shut the door in his face. "I just wanted to come by and see how you're settling in. You know, in case you need anything."

"I appreciate the offer," I say, trying to keep my tone polite but firm. "But I think I've got it handled."

He doesn't look convinced. "You sure? Because I don't mind lending a hand. I know these old houses can be a bit tricky to navigate."

I nod, growing increasingly impatient. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Mr. Grayson hesitates for a moment, then steps back, holding up his hands in surrender. "Okay. Sorry for bothering you."

I close the door without another word, locking it behind him. I wait until I hear him walk away before letting out a sigh of relief. It's bad enough that Owen's resisting my attempts at seduction; I don't need some weird guy getting in my face.

"Who the hell was that?" Owen asks from behind me, startling me so much I nearly jump out of my skin.

"Jesus Christ," I gasp, pressing a hand against my chest. "You scared the shit out of me."

He frowns, stepping closer. "Sorry. I thought you heard me come downstairs." His eyes narrow. "Are you okay? What did he want?"

I shake my head, trying to shrug it off. "Nothing, really. He said he just wanted to welcome me to the neighborhood."

Owen raises an eyebrow. "Right. And you locked the door because?"

I look away, avoiding his gaze. I know he won't let this go until he gets a straight answer, but I don't want to admit how much Mr. Grayson creeps me out. "Because I wanted some privacy, okay?"

Owen sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Lena, something is off about that guy. You need to be careful."

"I'm a grown woman, Owen. I can take care of myself."

He shakes his head. "I'm serious. If anything happened to you..." His voice trails off, and he looks away, not finishing the sentence.

I feel a twinge in my heart, touched by his concern. But I also can't help but tease him a little bit. "So what would you do? Come rescue me like some kind of knight in shining armor?"

Owen looks back at me, his expression serious. "If I had to."

I step closer to him, my heart fluttering in my chest. "And then what? Take me back to your castle and claim your reward?"

His lips twitch, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe. If you're lucky."

I pause, studying his face, suddenly feeling like we're not talking about the same thing anymore. I'm positive he's going to kiss me, but after a long moment of looking into my eyes, Owen presses his lips chastely to my forehead and steps back to grab his tool bag. "I'm taking off for the night," he explains, "but I'll be back in the morning. Just do me a favor and make sure all of the doors and windows are locked, okay?"

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