Page 160 of Story of My Life
“No shit,” I echoed.
35
NONCONSENSUAL DAZZLING
HAZEL
Annoyance and revengeplots had me getting out of bed early the next morning. By the time the Bishops rolled into my driveway at 7:30, I was up, dressed, and ready for battle. I’d deployed every weapon in my feminine arsenal: wardrobe, hair, makeup, and disdain. Cam had embarrassed me and pissed me off. And I wanted him to stew about it.
I cracked open my breakfast Pepsi, planted myself behind my desk, and opened my email. The unbothered portrait of a woman he shouldn’t have offended.
The front door opened, followed by the manly clomp of work boots on hardwood.
I fixed my gaze on my laptop screen and skimmed an email from Darius.
“…excited to hear your funding solutions at tomorrow night’s council meeting…”
The footsteps were getting closer. Deciding it would look better if I were actively working rather than just staring at my screen, I typed a line of straight-up gibberish.
“You’re up.”
I refused to look up at Cam’s gruff greeting.
“Yep,” I said, continuing to busily type absolute nonsense.
“Brought you something.” Levi’s sheepish tone had me abandoning my charade and looking up.
Both brothers stood in the doorway holding massive bouquets of wildflowers.
The romance novelist in me wanted to swoon. Two huge flower arrangements from two gorgeous men? Yes, please. The scorned woman in me, however, wasn’t ready for swooning yet.
I raised an eyebrow. “What are those for?”
“For being dicks,” Cam said succinctly.
“He was a dick,” Levi corrected. “I just put you in a shitty position and asked you to lie for me.”
They tentatively entered the room, approaching cautiously like I was a jungle cat who might decide they were breakfast.
Cam set his bouquet down on the corner of the table that served as my desk. The flowers were arranged in a chipped ceramic pitcher. Levi followed suit, placing his glass vase on the opposite corner.
Romance novelist curiosity won out. “Where did you get flowers so early in the morning?” I asked.
Both brothers cracked wicked smiles. “Stole ’em from Mom,” Levi admitted.
“Vases too,” Cam cut in. “Might want to hide those if she pays you a visit.”
It was right about then that I noticed they were sporting bruises on their faces. “Did the flowers fight back?” I asked.
Cam ran a hand over the bruise under the stubble on his jaw. Levi touched the butterfly bandage on his eyebrow.
“Woke up like this,” Cam lied with a hitch of his shoulders.
Levi winked at me.
Two gorgeous grown men had thrown punches over me and then brought me flowers. I didn’t hate it.
“Goddamn Dominion.”
