Page 57 of Playing A Risk
“I’m not asking. I just want to see if you’ll be upset if we pass on the Christmas decorating.” Her hand drops to Jonah’s.
“Who am I to stop you? You deserve it after taking care of me.” I shoo them away. “Go. Have some fun. But Jonah, she’s my best friend, so remember that.”
He leads her to the stairs before I finish my sentence. “If you want me to think of you while I’m upstairs with her, you’ll need to join us. Otherwise, I can’t promise you anything.”
“Yeah… Dorothy, I’m going to insert myself right here.” Hunter stares at me seriously. “I apologize if this is taking away your choice, but I cannot get on board with you being with my brother. Sorry. I have to put my foot down on this one.”
“I wasn’t even considering it.” I jump off my stool. “Do you really think I’d do that?”
“It could be fun,” Jonah hollers over the walkway.
“She won’t. It’s not her thing,” Melanie says.
He leans down and cradles her in his arms without missing a beat. “Good, because I’d rather focus on you.”
Jonah carries her off. They disappear past the loft area and down the dark hallway that leads to the other guest bedroom.
I glance back at Hunter. “That was weird.”
“I’d say.”
“Who knew your brother was so…sexual?”
“You don’t know him very well.”
“Is he always like that with women he’s interested in?” I mosey over to where Hunter’s checking out the decorations.
“Most of the time.” Hunter shrugs it off and picks up a box of balls.
“Huh. I expect it from Melanie, but never in a million years would I have pegged your brother to be as aggressive as her.”
“That’s interesting. I never would’ve thought Melanie would be so quick to respond.”
“Then you don’t know her very well.” It takes about five seconds of me thinking about them together before I’m double over in a fit of laughter.
Hunter looks on with his brows raised and a smile.
Once I regain my composure, I pick up more decorations. “Oh, Hunter. We may have just created a monster. After seeing this side of Jonah, those two together are going to be hard to tame.”
“It might be fun trying, though.” Hunter sets up the ladder and climbs it with a string of lights. “Will you hold this steady? I’ve got to go pretty high up.”
“Of course.” I hurry over and keep the ladder from swaying. “If I would’ve known he’d be into Melanie, I would’ve set them up earlier.”
“Technically, it was my idea, but I’ll let you have it.” Heglances down and winks. “Why would you have set them up earlier?”
“It would’ve been nice to have a couple who we could’ve done things with. It might have saved our relationship.”
The room goes silent.
Shit. I did it again.
I keep referring to our relationship in the past tense. It’s got to be hurting him.
I change the subject. “Do you think we’ll see them again tonight?”
“Probably not.” He works the string of lights around the top of the tree. “And on that note. I wouldn’t venture out to the terrace if I were you. Not unless you plan on joining them or taking in a show.”
“How do you know that?”
