Page 115 of Knot What She Seems
“I can put it on the table,” Ridge exclaims.
Kylian reaches for it again, and Ridge instinctively releases the potatoes to grab at the bowl with two hands.
Mashed potatoes fall in all directions, though both Ridge and Kylian seem oblivious to the mess at their feet. They continue to fight over the damn noodles like it’s the holy grail.
Luka pinches the bridge of his nose.
And Brylee? She begins to laugh. The noise starts quiet at first—tentative and unsure—before growing in volume and echoing throughout the cottage.
All three men freeze. Turn toward her.
In his shock, Kylian releases his side of the bowl, causing it to fling backward, gooey yellow cheese and noodles raining down over Ridge. Our fearless commander stands there in stunned silence, yellow sauce dripping down his face and a few noodles stuck to his blond hair.
Brylee begins to laugh harder.
Soon, we’re all laughing, even Ridge—who’s the ass of the joke.
I want Brylee to laugh more often.
I’ll spend the rest of my life getting her to.
I vow it.
41
BRYLEE
Starlight twinkles merrilyabove us as we sprawl on Kylian’s comforter atop the highest hill at Eros Academy, a picnic dinner of Chinese takeout spread before us and a few practice tanks dotting the valley beneath our feet.
Abandoning the disaster that was the cottage—Alpha Team X as a whole is clearly not the most coordinated in the category of domestic chores—the guys quickly devised a plan B. And so, while Ridge and Luka cleaned up, Kylian escorted me up here and Colter disappeared to procure food.
Now, we’ve all reassembled, and the four of them keep lavishing attention on me. I’m wearing Ridge’s jacket, Luka’s coat is across my lap like a throw blanket, Colter has pulled me onto his lap, and the scents of all four of them are so intense that I’m nearly delirious as they sneak soft glances in my direction.
How can they be so brutal and ruthless but also so utterly sweet and devoted? It’s a dichotomy that doesn’t make sense, that I shouldn’t be able to wrap my head around, but somehow, the two contradictions don’t seem to matter much right now.
“Noodles?” Luka tilts a box in my direction, and I nod, watching as he uses some chopsticks to load up one section of my plate.
“Bet you like orange chicken better, don’t you?” Kylian pipes up, showing me the box he just opened.
“I like both, but neither are my favorite,” I state as Kylian pulls the plate Luka started for me and adds to it.
“Hmm.” Ridge’s eyes scan down my frame speculatively as if he can discern my favorite dish just by looking at me. Those blue eyes of his could strip away just about any secret if he truly wanted, and I blush as I glance away in order to avoid giving into the temptation to tell him. I’m interested in his guess.
“Beef and broccoli,” Kylian spouts off competitively. At the first shake of my head, he rattles off three more options. “Kung Pao, sweet and sour pork, fried rice?”
From behind me, Colter launches a chopstick at Kylian and nails him right in the forehead. “Let someone else guess.”
Luka stifles a chuckle as he opens another container but doesn’t offer a guess. I sneak a glance over at Ridge to see his reaction, since he was the one who originally brought up the topic, only to find that gaze still burning through me.
Trying to hide how much he affects me, I raise my brows.
But it’s Colter who surprises me by leaning down and whispering in my ear, “Egg rolls.”
I nod just as Kylian’s brow furrows.
“Wait. What was his guess?”
Shrugging just to bug him, I tease, “You’ll never know.”
