Crossed lines

Chapter three

Bruce’s POV

“Hi, please. I’m here for my massage appointment.”

I heard her before I looked up.

And, f**k.

There she was.

The girl from earlier, standing at the reception desk with that pretty little face and a smile that had no business being so distracting.

I nudged Bryce

“Don’t look now, but our entertainment has arrived.”

“Shut up,” he muttered.

Naturally,he looked anyway.

She was talking to the receptionist, occasionally glancing in our direction like she was trying to be subtle about it.

Bless her heart.

She wasn’t subtle at all.

And neither were we, apparently, because Abel had been staring at her on and off since she’d walked into the studio.

I couldn’t even blame him. She was gorgeous. The sort of gorgeous that made you curious about everything else, too. What she sounded like when she laughed, whether she was always that expressive, whether she knew the effect she had on people.

I was particularly interested in that last one.

“She’s looking over here again,” I murmured.

Bryce didn’t answer.

I turned to him and he was still staring

“Oh, you’re down bad.”

“Bruce .”

“What? I’m only making an observation.”

“Make it quietly.”

I laughed.

Then she turned towards us.

And caught me looking.

Well, hello there.

I held her gaze, giving her a small smile. Instead of looking away, she raised an eyebrow, like she was challenging me to do something about it.

Oh, I liked her.

I liked her a lot more than was sensible for a woman whose name I didn’t even know.

Beside me, Bryce straightened slightly.

I noticed.

Of course I noticed.

“We should stop staring ” I whispered.

“I can’t.”

“Why can’t we just take her home?”

He gave me a look. “You know why .”

“And yet, here you are, staring at her with me.”

I turn so quickly I nearly knock my shoulder against his.

She’s standing right in front of us now, looking between me and my brother with an expression that’s far too innocent to be trusted.

Up close, she’s even prettier.

This is becoming a problem.

“Yes?” my brother answers, I can hear the restraint in his voice

She gestures around the room. “Are you two the owners?”

“One of them,” I say

He raises an eyebrow. “One of them?”

“You know what I mean.”

She giggles.

Oh, she’s got a pretty laugh, too.

Fantastic. Just f*****g fantastic.

“My name is Joan” she says, folding her arms, “can you do me a favour?”

I narrow my eyes. “Depends on the favour.”

She glances at the reception desk before looking back at us.

“I booked a massage, but I was wondering if one of you could do it instead.”

My brother and I exchange a look.

Bryce cleared his throat, and I caught the warning in his eyes.

I knew that look.

It was the same look he’d given me the last time I’d suggested we do something reckless without thinking it through.

Only this time, I suspected he was warning himself as much as he was warning me.

Because we both knew there was a line here.

A line neither of us should even be considering crossing.

Mason’s face flashed through my mind

Then we look at her.

Then at each other again.

She’s enjoying this.

I can tell.

“You’re asking the owners of a massage establishment to give you a massage?” I ask.

“That’s generally what people do when they want a massage.”

My brother snorts.

I fight a smile.

Smart mouth.

“I thought you had actual masseuses for that.”

“I do.”

“Then why us?”

She tilts her head.

“Maybe I prefer the owners.”

Jesus Christ.

My brother coughs into his fist.

“You don’t even know our names and you want to trust us with your body ”

She pauses

“I was going to ask “

“Sure you were” I say grinning

“ I’m Bruce and this is my brother Bryce, can you remember that angel?“

She nods

I stare at her, trying to work out whether she’s always this bold or whether she’s deliberately trying to give me a heart attack.

Probably both.

“You’re trouble,” I tell her.

“And you’re avoiding my question.”

My brother steps forward, wearing the sort of smile that makes me immediately suspicious.

“Fine. We’ll take your appointment ourselves.”

I turn to him.

We’ll?

He looks at me with an expression that says he knows exactly what he’s doing.

I swear he looks like an animal in heat

Which is rich, considering I’m probably giving off the exact same energy.

She smiles.

“Perfect. Let me go get my things”

My brother watches her go.

I watch him watching her.

Then he looks at me.

“I couldn’t refuse her”

I shake my head.

“I know”

He takes a deep breath, futile attempt to calm his raging nerves

I’m beginning to think this girl is going to ruin our life.