Page 17 of Thanking Her Brother's Best Friends

I convinced myself that my feelings resulted from her being this fucking gorgeous and out-of-reach. I was used to having my way with women, but this was a fresh change, a game I could play and enjoy.

"You know," she said, her tone pensive, "Ben was pretty cut up when you left town."

"Oh, I can't tell you how much I missed home. And home meant Ben and the boys."

Suddenly, the car took a sharp turn at a curve. Selene, who wasn't expecting it, slipped, and I raised my left hand to draw her in so she wouldn't fall over.

It wrapped around her waist. The left side of my body touched hers, and the heat I felt was unexpected. If I'd known I'd wanted her before, I knew theextentof it now. I needed this girl.

If it were for a second longer, I'd pull her in closer, turn her to me, and kiss that mouth. But she pushed back immediately, her face red. "I'm sorry," she said. I could see her hands trembling.

I wanted to tell her not to be sorry and to just surrender to what was going on, but there was no chase in that. If this was a long game, I intended to enjoy every second of watching Selene succumb until she'd no longer be the proverbial sour grapes on the high tree.

"Happens," I told her. "And on that note, we're here!"

She'd be mine sooner or later. I wasn't going out of this without a win.

Aiden Brown never lost.

4

SELENE

I'm not looking for a relationship. I'm not looking for a relationship. I'm not looking for a relationship.

You could repeat the same line a hundred times, but you know you want to jump his bones.

My internal monologue was beginning to sound like a normal conversation I'd have with Chloe.

She'd end this by saying it was totally okay just to have sex with Aiden. I didn't need to do anything beyond that. I didn't have to "catch feelings".

It sounded pleasant enough because there were moments when I just wanted to let loose and have fun. I'd been in that dead-ass serious relationship, and honestly, it sucked. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt happy around Dave.

In fact, I couldn't remember feeling happy at all, except for the first few years when he still found me more important than cheap alcohol. I stuck out for the rest of the ride because I'd convinced myself I didn't deserve anyone better.

But what if I did? And what if being single meant that I could, for the first time in my life, have fun and experiment without being obligated to fall in love?

That second of almost falling into Aiden's arms told me a lot about what I wanted to do to him. Orhimto do to me. I could picture it now—him lifting me against a countertop, running those long hands over my thighs... I blushed once again.

"And on that note," Aiden said as I pushed myself off him and tried to regain some of my quickly vanishing frosty nonchalance, "we're here."

Stepping out of the sleek black car, I was immediately thrust into a whirlwind of flashing cameras and invasive reporters. Their cacophonous questions filled the air.

"Selene, who are you dating?"

"Selene, when are you going on your next food tour?"

"Are the rumors about you and your show's producer true, Selene?"

I flashed a practiced smile, gracefully dodging their queries. "Guys, you know I love y'all, but if it were up to you, I'd be dating every single eligible bachelor in town!" I teased and giggled, avoiding any direct answers. "I gotta go, but see you around."

"We love you," they shouted back. Someone hollered something about my getting paid enough to lose weight and take better care of myself.

That never stopped bothering me—how we'd come so far as a society and how we'd still keep stooping to abysmal depths to tear each other apart.

"Only love to y'all," I replied.

With a swift sidestep and a well-timed spin, I made my way to the entrance of Harvest and Hearth. Aiden almost got swallowed by the reporters for a bit, but he came through and led me inside.

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