Page 14 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

Abi raises an eyebrow.“Whatever.Methinks you have a new boy toy.”

I stick my tongue out at her and take off across the lawn.I’ll tell her eventually, but for now, I need to figure out exactly what this all means.I’ve always admired Seth but mostly for who he is.A good listener and an adventurous soul with a decent sense of humor.But this flirtatious side of him is one I’ve never seen before, and it’s only making me fall harder.My little crush is turning into a full-blown infatuation.

We get to work, and Abi gets some great photos of the pole barn and the woods in the morning light.The grass under our feet is slightly damp with dew, tickling our bare toes as we walk, and I love the feel of the sun on my skin.It’s early enough that there are no guests are around except the few who can’t stand to be off their phones and are sitting on the office porch already.

We walk toward the barn, intending to head down a trail that overlooks the river, when I spot Levi.He’s wearing suspenders over a white t-shirt with a couple of tattoos peeking out on his biceps, and he’s carrying an axe.

I grab her arm to stop her and lower my voice.“How close can we get to him without him seeing us?”

“He’s oblivious most of the time, so probably pretty close.Why?”

Levi is one of the quietest people I know.On our date, he barely said two words to me though he was probably the one I was most attracted to other than Seth.He’s got muscles that go on for days, and he’s always doing some kind of physical work.Women usually stop what they’re doing and watch him, but he never notices.

“Let’s take pictures of him and see what we get.”

Only a few trees stand between us and Levi, so we manage to get close and hide behind one.He looks damn good as he splits the wood, and after a few minutes, we sneak away and play back the videos.Abi slaps a hand over her gaping mouth.

“What?”I ask.

“My brother is a thirst trap.”

“Yes, he is.”I agree with a grin.“I bet we can make him famous.”All of Abi’s brothers are good-looking, and they’ll be a big draw to these celebrities Seth wants to reel in.

“He will kill me.”Her eyes have that glint she gets when she’s paying her brothers back for all the torment they gave her over the years.

“He doesn’t have to know.And it’s all in the name of saving the farm.”

Abi giggles.“Okay, this is way more fun than I thought it would be.”

* * *

I don’t put on a bikini and cut-offs.Mostly because it’s always freezing in the conference room but also because even though Seth and I have started flirting through texts, I’m self-conscious and don’t want him to make fun of me for taking his words seriously.Maybe he’s just playing with me.

Instead, I change into a Green Bank sweatshirt that says, “We are not alone” and leggings and head to the office with both my phone and Abi’s.Seth isn’t back yet, although there’s a laptop waiting for me, so I scroll through all the pictures and videos.Abi got the aesthetic perfectly.The laptop has Photoshop, so I can take Abi’s amazing pictures and make them even better.It won’t take long for me to get the socials up and running.I start with Instagram because that one will take the most time.

The door opens, and even though I want to, I don’t look back.Instead, I focus on the task at hand, which becomes infinitely harder because Deka sits next to me and rests her long snout on my lap.I scratch her ears, trying to ignore the butterflies flitting in my stomach because he’s right behind me.

“Can I help?”

I know the sound of his voice.I’ve heard it for years, but now it stirs something inside of me that feels like both fire and ice.I take a deep breath and try to still my shaky hands.

“No, I think I’ve got it.”

I can’t have him sitting that close to me.

He does it anyway.He pulls his chair so close to mine that our legs are touching.I swoon at his smell.It’s that expensive cologne again, but also, he smells like the woods.

“I’m sure you do, but I need to be involved with the social media aspect so that everything is cohesive when I start reaching out to potential clients.Quite frankly, what you’re doing right now will set the tone for the whole endeavor.So I’d like to be involved.”

I bristle.“You don’t trust me to do it right?”I turn to look at him.The same fire that burns in my veins reflects in his eyes.

He leans away, and I immediately miss him in my personal space.

“It’s not that at all.It’s just...I like working with you, and I want to make sure we’re on the same page.Besides, I need to know how all this works once you leave in the fall.”

I fiddle with the mouse and stare at the screen so I don’t have to look at him.My cheeks are hot, and I hope my face isn’t too red.I have a sudden desire to run my fingers through his hair.

I’ve never, ever felt urges this strong before.

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