Page 54 of The Mating Game
“I know you don’t pair cedar floors with this sandstone fireplace,” he chuffs.
She rolls her eyes. “You do when the walls are going to be as dark as they are. You need the contrast.”
Chase gives me a look that seems to say that his sister is off her rocker, and my alpha prickles at his ribbing her, so much so that I have to shove it down.This is her brother, I remind myself. They’re just teasing each other. It’s fine.
“So this is the cedar I was talking about,” she says, pointing at a swatch of stained wood. “And then there’s this one, which leans more cherry. I personally think this one overpowers the space, but Chase likes it, which means we’ve been arguing about it all morning—”
“Because it’s better!” he calls from the other side of the room.
“—whichmeans that you get to be my tiebreaker.”
I look between the two wood samples, honestly not seeing much of a difference other than one being darker. I can tell by the look in Tess’s eyes that she’s dead set on the one she’s holding out just a little closer to me, as if this will influence my decision, her eyes big and hopeful in a way that’s actually…adorable.
Adorable?
I brush the thought away. Truthfully, if it were up tome, I would go with the one Chase seems to be championing. I also can’t see the lighter color working in the space, but then again, there’s still so much to do that it’s hard to visualize. I can tell that Tess is completely sure in her assertion that it will work, and the pleading look on her face calls to the baser part of me.
That means I’m opening my mouth before I’m even fully aware what’s about to come out of it.
“I like this one too,” I tell her, pointing at the cedar swatch. “I think you’re right about the contrast.”
I have no idea if that’s true, but with the way her face lights up, I decide it’s the right answer anyhow.
You know you’re just trying to appease her because of your instincts, my brain whispers, right as I emphatically tell it to shut the hell up.
“Great,” she says cheerily. “I think so too.”
“You’re going to give her a big head,” Chase calls.
She waves him off. “It’s not Hunter’s fault he has better taste than you.”
I notice there’s sweat on her brow, and whether or not that’s due to her work or…something else, I can’t be sure. Again, my mouth opens before I figure out what’s leaving it.
“How are you feeling, by the way?” I ask, lowering my voice.
Her cheeks tinge pink, and her eyes dart over to her brothers, who have begun to talk among themselves while Kyle films some close-ups of Thomas and Chase working on the fireplace.
“Okay,” she admits. “Nothing too pressing since…” Her cheeks darken even further, her eyes averting to the floor. “Since the last time.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” I tell her. “It’s just biology, remember?”
She nods. “I know. Still. I’m not exactly used to people fussing over me.”
“You’re going through an entire life upheaval,” I remind her. “Someoneshould be fussing over you.”
She tucks a stray lock of chestnut hair behind her ear, her neck flushing slightly. “I guess so.”
“You can tell me if you start feeling strange again, okay? There’s no reason for you to hurt needlessly.”
“You mean tell you if I start feeling unbearably horny again,” she scoffs, her voice low.
I can’t help the way my mouth quirks. “Yes. That.”
“Is this not incredibly weird for you? I mean, you didn’t ask to take on my biological nightmare.”
“It’s fine,” I assure her. “I want to help. We’re friends, remember?”
“The weirdest friends,” she snorts.
