Page 76 of Book Boyfriends
He reaches over and squeezes my forearm. “I did. I do, in my own way. It’s not the HEA that’s promised on the front of your books. And at least I know that at the point I left the story, Ivy was doing what she truly loves.”
With each man snatched away from their story right after the third act breakup, the ladies are living out that portion of the story. At least, that’s what I believe. Selena is back in the big city at her corporate job. Lady Cecily prepares to marry the marquis, who is a kind—if not a little boring—man. Ivy is working with the human/supernatural alliance.
“What is he doing?” Lars mutters, his stare focused across the room.
I follow his gaze. A laughing Jackson wiggles his hips and does jazz fingers with one hand while holding up the axe for a video one of the men in their group is taking.
“He needs to be careful, or he could hurt himself,” he almost growls.
My right eyebrow ticks up. “What about Victor?” I ask, thinking of Kerry’s belief about the sexual undercurrent between Lars and Victor as they wrestled in the pond.
“What about Victor?” he asks, but doesn’t look away from my brother.
“Did you look at him with pining intentions?”
“No,” he says quickly. “But I did look at him.”
“How did you look at him?”
“If you’re asking if I looked at him the same way I looked at Ivy, the answer is yes. I like both.”
“But you didn’tpinefor either?”
“No.” His mouth pursed, he motions frantically toward Jackson. “He is going to hurt himself if he tosses like that. Not to mention he’ll completely miss.”
“So, you didn’t look at them like you look at Jackson.”
“Yes… Wait. What?” Wide-eyed and jaw slack, his focus snaps back to me.
I smile. “You like Jackson.”
“I do not. He’s a pain in the ass.”
“I can smell it on you.” With a cheeky expression, I sniff the air.
“You really are his sister,” he grumbles.
“If it makes you feel better, I think he’stotallyinto you, too.”
Scoffing, he waves his hands in the air as if this is the silliest thing in the world. Even if Lars isn’t owning up to it, it’s clear they both like each other. Hell, the sparks kindled awake at their first meeting, and those embers have strengthened over the last few days.
A furrow forms at the center of his forehead. “Not that you’re right, but I’ll indulge you. What makes you say that he’s into me?”
I lean on the table and meet his skeptical gaze. “He didn’t lecture you before our date. He’s also been radio-silent most of the day, which is classic sulking younger brother behavior. He justhappensto show up at the same place where we’re having our date. Plus, no matter how he may be pretending, his gaze drifts over here every few minutes, and he isn’t looking at me, wolfy.”
Lars turns his head. Jackson faces us, an axe in one hand, a big smile on his face as someone takes a picture with their phone. As if on cue, his vision moves to Lars. In that moment, it’s like everything dissolves. The loud voices, the slam of axes, and the hard rock music that booms throughout the bar all quiet as Lars and my brother’s gazes link. Each man’s face is a little serene, a little scared, and a lot pining.
“You should go over there.” I nudge his knee with mine. “Show him the correct stance. You know… so he doesn’t hurt himself.”
“I should?” His tone is unsure.
I don’t know if Lars and Jackson are each other’s happy endings. What I do know is the way they look at each other deserves a chance to see what may happen.
“Yeah. You should.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
HOSPITAL
