Page 35 of The Wife Deception
Levi chuckled. "Thalia has competition. You might be my favorite sister-in-law."
Aelin flipped her hair and reached for a coffee pot and poured some in a mug. I watched her as her lips pursed and she slowly sipped the hot beverage, my mind going back to last night when those lips were kissing mine instead of that mug. My defenses were slowly crumbling. Too bad I would never be with here again. One time, right?I felt Levi's gaze on me and ignored him. The little fucker was enjoying my hypocrisy.
Breakfast was silent for the rest of the meal and when he was done, Levi announced he had a meeting with his literary agent and was leaving.
"I might go to Yale, since you hate my being here so much," he added. "You lovers can have the rest of this place to yourselves."
"You don't have to leave." Aelin sounded genuinely sad. "I was enjoying your company."
"Me too, sis. But alas, I have to leave you before my brother challenges me to a duel."
I scoffed. "Carey wants you to come to his sailing debut, by the way. I’ve already sent you the details."
Levi's shoulders slumped. "Do I have to?"
"You haven't seen the family in a while. We miss you."
Levi looked slightly offended. "I talk to you guys all the time!"
"On the phone. From across the pond. It's not the same seeing you in the flesh."
"Well, if you put it like that. I guess I have to come. But I am only doing it because you let me stay here." Levi downed the rest of his coffee, got up, and went to kiss Aelin on the cheek. I gripped my mug tightly, fighting the urge to hurl him up and out of this building. He was my brother, and I knew this kiss was platonic, but the irrational part of my brain was hard to rein in. Then she smiled. Fucking smiled at him as she said something that was inaudible under the sound of blood rushing to my head.
"Aren't you going to be late?"
They both whipped their heads at me. Levi raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay. okay." He blew a kiss at her for good measure and left.
"You could try to hold your drool in as you ogle at my brother's ass," I said, once Aelin and I were alone again.
She looked at me in disbelief. "I was not!"
"He may be younger than me and closer to your age, but trust me he's not available. Emotionally at least."
She shrugged. "I don't care. I'm only after a good fuck. And it's not like you will be available in that department. Last night was a one time thing, remember?"
Rage bubbled inside me. "You're going after my brother because I denied you sex?"
"Why not?" She thrust her nose in the air. "A woman has needs."
"If you're so sex starved. All you need is to come to me. Just stay away from my family."
"What?" she cooed. "Afraid I will suck them all inside my pussy like a succubus?"
"Ay… Stay away from my family."
She paused. And the silence in the room was so tense, you could cut through it with a knife. Her eyes narrowed. She stared at me with a gaze that was so scrutinizing it left me feeling naked. Then her shoulders slumped."Okay, okay, big bear. It was only a joke. I do not want to fuck your brother."
Feeling too open for overreacting, I tried to get back to my cooling breakfast. The bacon had hardened, making it difficult to cut through, so when I said, "Maybe one night wasn't enough for you." I only appeared like I was angry and not nonchalant like I was attempting to.
"It wasn't enough foryou,you mean?"
"Maybe we should continue with our arrangement until one of us gets bored," I said.
20
Aire
Iwatched inastonishment as he, using his fork and knife, cut a rash of bacon into three, piled all pieces on top of a small square piece of toast, dunked into an open boiled egg and ate. How can he be so casual when last night literally changed my life? How can he talk about last night being something that would never happen, implying he regretted it, only to turn around a few moments later and suggest we 'continue' our 'relationship?'
