Chapter 18

DOM

Her laughter danced along a current of a soft breeze, tracing idle patterns of mischief across the skin of my arms, leaving goosebumps in its wake. It was a lighthearted sound, imbued with a huskiness that was signature Braylee Mitchells.

For the hundredth time that afternoon, my attention drifted to her, hooked first by the sound of her laughter, and then just by her.

The property had a sectional area dedicated to outside entertainment. A wooden table and bench were situated close to a half-circle of wall made of natural stone, a part of it embedded with a small, raised section that served as a barbecue and grill area. A large tree grew over the area, leafy branches draped across and above the table to provide dappled relief from the blazing African sun.

It was at the table, under the shade, where Bray sat with my mum, sipping massive glasses of wine and sharing secrets that caused both of them to laugh shamelessly. She wore her hair up in a high ponytail, a pair of dark sunglasses covering her eyes. The dress she had slipped into was dark, short and flowy, leaving most of her legs and arms bare.

She looked like someone I could get lost in for hours.

And, not for the first time since I'd seen her, I savoured a little fantasy of her not wearing anything under that dress... how easy it would be to run fingers along the inside of her thigh and find her wet and needy for-

"Window's fixed," Bryce drawled, throwing down the tool he had been using and wiping his hands on his jeans. "That'll be a thousand bucks. Need an invoice?"

For once, I was actually grateful for the interruption as it snapped me away from ogling Braylee. I was losing my mind over the woman and it wasn't good. I levelled a frown at my brother, remnants of desire still making my skin tingle and heat unprovoked. "Really? You know, I didn't ask you to fix the window. I asked if you knew of someone who did."

He jabbed a thumb at himself. "I do. Me. What? You'd think I'd miss out on the opportunity to make a quick buck?"

I snorted. Probably should have known better, to be honest. Bryce had recently started his own construction company and business, he had said numerous times, was slow. I had no doubt though that he'd more than likely succeed, especially if he continued to wrangle money out of unsuspecting family members the way that he was.

"A thousand seems steep for a tiny pane of glass."

"I beg your pardon?" Feigning indignation, Bryce splayed his hand flat against his chest. "You take me for a crook? I'll have you know I'm giving you a special family discount."

I waved him off, unbothered by the price really, but eager to have the issue dropped. "I'll settle it on Monday. Wanna beer?"

"Won't say no."

Bryce followed me inside where I pulled two beers for us from the fridge. I popped them open and set them on the island, taking a hard pull of my own.

From here, at least I didn't have a view of Bray in that dress and covered in dappled sunlight. Though that didn't mean I stopped myself from trying to peer through one of the windows to catch a glimpse of her.

Christ, I had it bad.

It had to be sheer horniness, though. I'd always found her attractive, and now living with her, having her in close proximity all the time, was tricking my fickle body into thinking forbidden things were now available to it.

Yup, that's all it was.

Undiluted proximity and hormones.

"So," Bryce drawled, leaning against the island and tipping his beer in the general direction of the others outside, "Braylee's single, right?"

I narrowed my eyes, a hot stab of unpleasant lead sinking into my stomach. "Why?"

I didn't mean for my voice to sound like that. It definitely wasn't my intention to make the question sound like a demand as it eked out between teeth that were currently being ground together.

Bryce shrugged, an annoying smirk curling his lips. I gripped my bottle of beer tighter, resisting the sudden itch to slap that look right off my brother's face. "She's fucking hot. Thinking about asking her out."

"Absolutely fucking not."

Bryce should have been concerned that my knuckles were cracking. Surely he felt the pure, furious rage seething from my skin that was directed at him, at his sheer fucking audacity? But, no. The dumbass continued to smirk and sip his beer, gaze straying to the windows. "What, are you like her protector now? Gotta ask your permission to take her on a date?" Bryce snorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Grow up, Dom. She's a grown woman-"

His next words were muffled as I got his head in a vice, pushing his face into my ribs. He resisted, swinging his fist into my thigh, my stomach, our feet scrambling against the tile for purchase. "She's too good for you," I spat out, flinching when his fist connected with my hip.

"Fuck you!"

"You're dog shit!" I locked his head firmer, and lurched backwards until we thumped against the counter behind us. Something fell over with a clatter. "She wouldn't go out with you anyway!"

"Then I'll ask and find out for myself!" Another punch.

"Over my dead, rotting body!"

"Dominick Mulder!" Elaine reprimanded shrilly from the patio door, making both of us freeze. There was a four second pause of silence, the air simmering with thick tension, and Bray studied us from behind my mother, eyes wide, shocked - amused? "You let your brother go this instant!"

Bryce got in one last punch, his knuckles digging into my lower back. "Tell him, mum!"

"Don't get me started on you, Bryce!" Elaine snapped. I released my brother, who pushed away from me vehemently, and went to pick up the bottle of beer that had dropped to the floor in our foray and left a mess. How had I not heard that? Perhaps the rage had made me temporarily deaf. "No doubt you said something to start all this!"

Bryce said nothing to that, yet his agitated glare was enough to tell me that this wasn't over.

Elaine huffed a sigh. "I thought they'd grow out of their roughhousing when they turned into adults," she said to Bray, ushering her further inside. "How wrong I was."

Her sunglasses pushed up, Braylee looked at me and smiled, amusement making her eyes glow. "I get it," she told my mother. "My brother and I still try to kill each other from time to time."

"Well, I wish they wouldn't. Just last month they rolled into one of my chrysanthemum plants in the garden and crushed the poor things! Thank God, they are sturdy plants and didn't quite die, but they are still looking a bit shocked from the ordeal. Anyway." Elaine brushed a hand through the air as if swiping the topic of her wayward sons away. "I came in to check on the roast."

"You mean the roast that I am cooking?" I said dryly, fidgeting with my t-shirt that Bryce had been clinging to not moments before. "It's fine. You can take your pretending back outside and enjoy your wine. I got this." In fact, the sooner both of them were out of my sight, the better. I was unnerved at how quickly I had responded to Bryce's jibes about Braylee. Normally I didn't lose my temper, and especially not over a girl. I needed to process, and I was feeling damn uncomfortable by it all.

Elaine smiled and turned back to Bray. "Dom is such a good cook. Ever since he moved out from home, he has a hand in the family lunches each week."

"Huh." Bray crossed her arms under her breasts. It had the simultaneous effect of dragging the neckline down and the already short hem further up her thighs. I didn't know where to settle my gaze. "Funny that, I don't think he's cooked since we've moved in."

I pointed a finger at her. "Hush, you. And, besides, you cook better than I. Why would I want to stop that?"

Her mouth crooked to one side. "I must be doing something right since you don't complain about eating so many vegetables."

Elaine fished the bottle of wine from the refrigerator and topped up both her and Bray's glasses. "Oh, yes, I forgot that you're vegetarian, dear. We'll have to fix something else for you today, then. Slipped my mind entirely!"

"You make them taste good," I said to my Bray, then to my mum, "I've already taken care of it." Please, go away.

"You have?" Bray's smile faltered, her brows drawing together. "It's not like that time you tried to convince me that McDonald's burgers aren't actually meat, right?"

"Nah, don't stress. I made you a roasted butternut squash vegetable lasagna."

Bray's mouth dropped open.

My mother patted my cheek affectionately. "Such a darling boy. I'll be outside if you need me." And then she waltzed off, demanding something of Seany from the lawns.

Leaving me and Bray alone in the kitchen.

Her gaping at me was equal parts flattering and offending, making me huff a laugh. "Close your mouth, Brayson. You're attracting flies."

She snapped her jaw shut. "You cooked specially for me?"

"Yeah, of course." I shrugged one shoulder. "You think I'd let you eat roast potatoes and broccoli while the rest of us devoured lamb?"

"I mean, I wouldn't have minded," she told me in a small voice. "But thank you. It's a lot of effort to prepare two meals. It's... really thoughtful of you, Dom."

"It's nothing." I turned away from her, needing a break from how utterly enchanting she looked in that short black dress and her hair in a high ponytail, under the pretence that the food in the oven needed checking on. It was fine- I knew it was. The lamb needed another hour or so at least. About the same amount of time I needed to get my shit under control.

"Do you... do you need any help? I can make a salad or-"

"Already done."

I heard movement behind me as she approached, her footsteps light as she padded across the tiles, and I tried not to think about how close she was as I washed my hands in the sink. Inevitably, I knew I needed to turn around and face her otherwise she'd think something was up if I continued to wash my hands for the next hour. That or she'd figure I was some kind of weirdo.

So I shut off the water, shook off my hands, took a steadying breath, and pasted a careless grin to my face, even if my heart stuttered and rolled about loosely in my chest when my eyes landed on her. About a foot away, Bray stood still as she considered me with a curious slant to her head.

"What's that look for?" I demanded.

"What look?"

"That look," I emphasised, pointing at her face, because she was looking at me as if she had never seen me in her life before. "It's weird. You're being weird. Stop it."

"I'm not being weird and I'm not giving you a look."

"You are. It's there, all over your face."

Her head tipped back and she rolled her eyes, scoffing. "You're so dramatic. I wasn't giving you a look, but..." her voice trailed off, and she took a step forwards. Our bodies were so close I'd only need to lean a centimetre forward and I'd feel all her soft curves up against me. I couldn't help it, I felt every muscle in my body tense and solidify as if I was preparing to jump into a scrum.

Then Bray straightened, balancing on the tips of her toes, reaching a palm flat against my chest so that she was steadied, and she leaned into me, angling her face so that her lips brushed against my cheeks so lightly I hardly felt their caress.

It still had the same effect a volcano would as it erupted hot lava all over my skin.

"Thank you," Bray murmured, her breath skittering along my skin as she pulled back and settled on her heels once more. She blinked once, twice, and then a smile tipped the corners of her lips, her hand dropping from my chest to leave a Bray-sized scalding imprint against my flesh. "You're a good friend, Dom."

And then she left.

I stood in the kitchen staring after her, insides churning with distaste- at myself, at my hard dick, but mostly, mostly, at that awful, unwanted, heinous fucking word.

Friend.