Page 23 of Shades of You

But as I turned the page, my mind wasn’t really on the book in front of me. Instead, all I noticed was the warmth of Brenna’s presence. I enjoyed the comfortable silence we existed in together, and how her brow furrowed in concentration. I wondered what it would feel like to trace those lines with my fingers, my lips. It made me yearn for so much more.

My phone buzzed with a security notification, disrupting the peaceful tableau. A sinking feeling hit the pit of my stomach when I saw who had used her personal code to enter and was on her way up. “Oh, shit. Stella’s here.”

“Your sister’s here?” Brenna looked up with a mix of curiosity and alarm.

“I don’t keep the apartment door alarmed when I’m in here awake, and she loves to waltz in whenever she feels like it.”

The door swung open, and my sister breezed in. “I can’t believe I missed you at the resort today!” Her casual clothing meant it was Stella’s night off from Orchid. Her glossy dark hair swung around her shoulders as her gaze swept the room. And landed on Brenna. She stopped dead in the middle of the living room, her eyes growing huge.

“Hey, Stella,” Brenna greeted, her voice steady, but her stiff body language betrayed herdiscomfort.

“Brenna? What are you doing here?” Stella’s voice was tight as she turned her wide eyes to me.

“Stella, this isn’t—” I started, stumbling over my words, trying to figure out how to explain why Brenna was here.

“Isn’t what?” Stella arched an eyebrow as she took in the cozy scene. Her shock was visible, disbelief written all over her face as her gaze alternated between us.

“Brenna’s staying with me for security reasons,” I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. And while there was nothing to hide, per se, I couldn’t help but feel exposed under my sister’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Riiight.” Stella’s tone was laced with skepticism, and she turned back to Brenna. “And what security concerns would cause you to move in with my brother?”

“Knock it off, Stel,” I warned.

Brenna bolted to her feet. “I’ll just give you two some privacy.” Holding her book in a death grip, she scurried down the hall and shut her bedroom door behind her.

“That was out of line. She’s my guest.” The air was thick with tension as I rose and padded over to the kitchen counter, needing to be in motion.

My sister snorted and crossed the floor to me. “Guest? I remember you two were close in school. And family war or no, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind getting her hooks into you. In case you haven’t looked in a mirror lately, you’re quite a specimen, you know.”

“Stella, seriously. It’s not like that,” I tried again, but even I heard the falter in my voice. I was usually better at this—keeping my cool, deflecting concern. But with Brenna here, everything felt different.

“What am I supposed to think?” Stella demanded, her eyes flashing.

“Look, I’m just keeping an eye on her.” I raked a handthrough my hair. “Her ex has been causing trouble. It’s precautionary.”

“Precautionary,” she repeated flatly. “And that’s the only reason she’s here?”

“Yes. There’s nothing romantic going on,” I lied, the image of Brenna’s soft neck flickering behind my eyes, the curve of her hip.

The doubt in Stella’s expression didn’t waver. She took a step closer, and I braced myself for the onslaught. “Are you sure you can keep things friendly? Because a relationship between a Coleridge and a Markham would set off shockwaves in both families.”

“Nothing’s going on!” I hissed in an attempt to keep my voice down. “And if it were, it would be none of your goddamn business. Besides, you’re not exactly the best judge of Coleridge character, are you? You zeroed in on Ben as the thief from day one. And guess what, Stella? It. Wasn’t. Him. So back off.”

She held my gaze a moment longer, then held a palm out toward me. “You’re right. I was wrong about Ben, but there’s a lot more history here than just him. There are a lot of Coleridges, you know.” Stella was almost a foot shorter than me but had never had any trouble asserting herself. Finally, she took a step back and nodded. “Fine. I made a mistake accusing Ben—I admit that. But you and Brenna together is a very different situation, okay? If you want to play knight in shining armor, I can’t stop you. But I won’t stop worrying about you, either. I can’t help it, Hunter. I just hope this doesn’t blow up in your face.”

Then she turned and left, leaving me in my living room with my head spinning.

I stood motionless. With each thumping heartbeat, I became acutely aware of Brenna’s presence down the hall.The last thing I wanted was to talk about this right now. I got flustered and tongue-tied around her at the best of times. I stomped to my room and shut the door loudly enough to ensure she’d hear it. Pedro sat up in his bed and eyed me curiously.

Ignoring him, I started pacing. How could I deny what was happening inside me—the visceral, magnetic pull toward her? I’d thought about her for years, and now only the walls of my apartment separated us. Every moment in Brenna’s company was becoming a test of self-control. How perfect her bookshop was, the warmth of her smile, the way her collarbone arched delicately—it was all etched into my heart with precision.

As I flopped onto my bed, I rubbed my temples and tried to soothe the brewing confusion. This was all supposed to be about protection, keeping her safe. That was the job, and I’d never had trouble keeping business and pleasure separate before. But those situations had never involved Brenna. She had slipped past my defenses and denying it felt like trying to hold back the tide with my bare hands.

Chapter Eleven

Brenna

Tense,muffled voices seeped through the walls of my temporary bedroom, a low rumble followed by a sharp retort. Stella’s tone was unmistakable even though her words were lost to me, laced with that commanding tone she wielded as easily as a kitchen knife. I lay on my bed, a squall of guilt churning in my stomach. I wasn’t completely sure if my presence was causing their conflict or if it was just another storm in the Markham family saga. Oh, who was I kidding? They were fighting about me.

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