Page 38 of Quiet
“Try again. Only this time without the lying,” Briar said with an edge to his voice.
Isa went pale under his makeup. “I-I’m not—”
“Stop.” Briar couldn’t help if Isa kept lying. Couldn’t he see that?
“I don’t want you to help, Briar,” Isa said quietly, once again answering Briar’s unspoken thoughts. Briar really wanted to know how he was doing it but knew now was not the right time to ask. “Why is it your business, anyway?”
Why? If Isa didn’t know why Briar couldn’t keep out of his business, Alex had been completely wrong about Briar coming on too strong. Did he really not know? Earlier this evening, Briar had literally carried Isa away from a group of admirers because he couldn’t stand watching them swarm him.
Until Alex had stopped him, Briar had been so up in Isa’s business he could have counted the bones in his spine. If the boy was asking him why he thought Isa being sad was his business, Briar wasn’t coming on strong enough.
The urge to carry Isa to his room and show him exactly why Briar had followed him out of the studio was overwhelming. But that wouldn’t be conducive to gaining Isa’s trust. Not until they’d worked things out.
Chapter16
Isa
This was what hell felt like, Isa was sure of it. Briar was too close and far too intense for someone who had been ignoring him all night.
Isa was an idiot for stopping on the stairs, but he’d wanted a minute to compose himself before going outside. The last thing he’d expected was for someone to follow him—especially Briar.
Being caught crying was mortifying enough but being grilled about it by the person who’d made him cry made it a thousand times worse. Why had Briar chosen now to switch his attention back to Isa?
This stupid crush was already going to be hard enough for Isa to let go of without Briar randomly fanning the flames.
“Just go back to your other model, okay?” Maybe if he reminded Briar of his latest obsession, it would get him to leave Isa alone to lick his wounds in private.
Briar’s glare was replaced by a look of confusion. “Other model?”
“Don’t make me spell it out,” Isa said darkly. Now he really was tired. Too tired for this conversation, too tired for anything.
“Isa . . . what are you talking about?”
Isa’s face flamed, and he went from exhausted to confused and sexually frustrated in a flash. He should be immune to Briar’s voice, shouldn’t he? But he’d never said Isa’s name before. How terrible must Isa be to have such a strong reaction to Briar saying his name for the first time in the middle of such an awkward moment?
He wanted to cover Briar’s mouth or kick him or cry. Or maybe all three.
Isa had to force himself to continue the conversation, or he would never escape it. “The girl. The one draped all over you. The one you couldn’t stop staring at all night.”
Briar took his hands off the wall and stepped back looking poleaxed. “The . . . you mean Molly?”
Isa tried to take advantage of the space he’d been given to leave, but Briar put a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.
“You aren’t . . .” Briar’s hand moved from Isa’s shoulder to his cheek, and he searched the boy’s face intently. “Isa, are you upset because of me?” Briar didn’t seem irritated or confused anymore. He looked elated.
“Why would I be upset?” Isa said grouchily, trying desperately to ignore the thrills of sensation Briar’s voice and touch were sending through his body. “One minute you’re kissing me and the next you’re ignoring me. Who would get upset by that?”
Briar moved in closer. “I wasn’t ignoring you.”
Isa swallowed hard and tried to move backward, but there was nowhere for him to go. “What were you doing then?”
“I was trying not to scare you away,” Briar said softly. His mouth was only inches from Isa’s, and his voice was like a magic spell. It wound around Isa and held him in place more securely than shackles. “What does unavailable mean?”
“I have no idea.” Isa breathed. He didn’t understand the question. He didn’t understand anything. All he knew was that he wanted Briar to kiss him more than he’d ever wanted anything.
And then he did.
Unlike their first kiss, this one was soft and hesitant, like Briar was afraid Isa might break. It was so sweet that Isa thought he might.
