Page 26 of Feels Like Love
“I’m just going to help River, and then I’ll change.”
“Dinner’s almost ready.” His voice was tight. “I’ll help River.”
“That’s not—”
“Wren.” He growled at me. “Go. Change.”
My skin was itchy and hot, and I didn’t know what to make of it. His reaction or mine. Why was he so upset with me?
I darted down the hall to my bedroom, embarrassment tingeing my cheeks. I stripped out of my wet clothes and changing into a pair of joggers and a graphic tee. When I returned to the kitchen, River was standing on a step stool by the counter and Bennett next to him. I softened, the knot in my stomach loosening as I leaned against the wall and watched the two of them. Bennett patiently demonstrated how to roll the dough and then sprinkle it with sugar. And then River did it too.
Ragamuffins.Bennett was teaching my son how to make his grandma’s ragamuffins while answering every single question River asked about dogs. And he had a lot of them. I sighed. Was it any wonder I didn’t want to go on a date with Bob from LoveBirds when the perfect man was already living with me?
Chapter Seven
“Ugh. Why do I have to be so awkward?” Wren tugged at her hair and let out an adorable little grunt of annoyance.
I furrowed my brow, watching her pace across the living room. Her floral skirt fluttered, tantalizing me with a peek at her thighs. Her tank top dipped low on her chest. But it was her makeup that was the biggest departure from normal—kohl-rimmed eyes and bright-pink lips.That shade!It was like a siren call, luring me in.
Danger! Danger!It warned.Disaster ahead.
Time to get back on track.
“Wren, what are you talking about?”
I’d just returned from another Friday with the guys, and I’d been surprised to find the house empty. But then a few minutes later, Wren had stormed in, looking like a beautiful hurricane out to destroy anything in its path.
“My date. It was a disaster.”
“You had another one?” I wanted to ask who it was with because Liam had certainly been in the dark. So had I, for that matter. I didn’t know which I was more upset about—the fact that she hadn’t told me or that she’d gone on another date. Nope. Definitely that she’d gone out with another guy.
You have no claim to her, dumbass.
“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “Is that really so difficult to believe?”
“No. I—” I stopped myself before I could say anything about Liam the cockblocker. I might not be smart enough to avoid falling for his sister, but I wasn’t going to get between the two of them. No fucking way.
“Whatever,” she huffed. “It doesn’t matter because it was such a mess.Iwas a mess.”
“I sincerely doubt that,” I said, honestly trying to picture it. Wren was always calm and cool, collected. Some of that came from becoming a mom at such a young age. But most of it just came down to her. “You weren’t a mess at Larkspur the other night.”
“Yeah.” She plopped down on the couch, her skirt fanning out around her. I wanted to touch her skin to see if it was as soft as it looked. “Because it wasn’t a date.”
“It could’ve been.” I’d wanted it to be.
She scoffed but kept her eyes focused ahead. “Right.”
“No.” I gripped her shoulders. “Seriously. Tell me the difference between the other night and a date? Because it was just the two of us. Having dinner. Making conversation.”
“Yeah, but that’s just it. We’re friends, so I knew it wasn’t a date. And you make me feel comfortable.”
I wanted to think of it as a compliment. But comfortable gave me images of flannel pajamas. Fuzzy blankets. Things that were anything but sexy.
Though, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe I needed to imagine that blanket stamping out the fire of feelings and desire and lust I felt for this woman. Because she was my best friend’s sister, and we could only ever be friends.
“Okay, then,” I said, turning to her. “Pretend we’re on a date.”
She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “What? No.”
