I need answers, and he’s clammed up. Green eyes find mine as he turns his head, and I don’t look away.
“I want to get to know you, Landry,” he says. There’s something in the way he’s looking at me, almost like he doesn’t believe himself, but at least he’s talking now.
“Why?”
“Why does anyone want to get to know another person?”
“You aren’t anyone. You are Corbin, friends with Brock and Bodhi, and I want to know why you specifically want to get to know me.”
“I guess I fuckin’ like you,” he says, finally not beating around the bush.
My heart stops. I wasn’t expecting that answer. I don’t know what I was expecting but not an admission of like. It would have made more sense if he’d told me he was only trying to get between my legs. And let’s face it; I probably would let him do that pretty quickly.
“You like me?” I ask, dumbfounded.
He worries his bottom lip again—that full fucking bottom lip—as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck.
“Yeah. I mean, I think so. I want to see what we have.”
Ah, there it is. The maybe I was looking for in his answer.
“Why would you want to see with me? You could have anyone you want at Almadale, but you’ve picked the one girl your friends hate?”
Something isn’t adding up.
“I don’t make the rules. Can’t help who you like and who you don’t.”
That’s for damn certain.
“Okay. I’ll buy that,” I say, reaching out to twirl my straw around the cup. “Let’s find out then.”
“Find out what?”
“If you like me.” I grin and watch as one corner of his mouth tilts up into a smirk.
“How do you plan to do that?”
“Secrets,” I say, sitting back. “You wouldn’t tell just anyone a secret, right?”
“I don’t know that telling you a secret would mean that I like you.”
“Would you tell someone you didn’t like a secret?”
He cocks his head to the side, studying me. “No.”
“My point exactly. Now, make it a good one.” I kick one leg back and forth, letting it dangle atop the high chair as I lean forward, propping my elbows on the table.
Corbin’s eyes don’t leave mine as he squints, thinking hard. “I want to get custody of my brother, Abe, when I turn eighteen.”
“You already told me that,” I say, pouting.
“No, I want to get custody and take him away from here.”
I stop, realizing the implications of what he said.
“How old is your brother?”
“Seven.”
“You want to take on the responsibility of caring for your seven-year-old brother when you are only eighteen?” I can’t fathom being the one that a young child would look up to right now. I don’t even have my own life figured out.
“I never had someone looking out for me, but I’ll be damned if I’m not there to look out for him.”
“Can you even do that? Would you be able to get custody?”
“I don’t know.”
My heart hurts for Corbin. His life hasn’t been sunshine and roses. Whose life is? But he wears the scars of someone who has been hurt and beaten down. It’s touching that he wants to take on the care of his young brother. You don’t see love like that much, and it melts my heart.
“Wow,” I murmur as his cheeks heat.
“What?”
“I think it’s incredibly sweet that you feel like that.”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“Afraid your big, bad king persona will get dragged through the mud if people find out you are a softie?”
“I’m not a softie.”
I hum a little and take a drink of my water, smiling up at him through my eyelashes.
“It’s your turn,” he says, leaning forward.
I raise my eyebrows. “My turn for what?”
“To tell me a secret,” he says, pausing as Marni lays our food in front of us.
I inhale, my stomach growling as I realize how hungry I am.
“Thanks, Marni. It looks delicious,” I say, and she grins.
“I’ll be sure to give compliments to the chef,” she says, sauntering back inside.
“I didn’t agree to tell you a secret.” I look back at Corbin.
“That’s not fair. I told you one, so you tell me one.”
“Is that how it works?” I wrinkle my nose, and he chuckles.
“Generally, yes.”
He has a strange look on his face, like he’s warring with himself, but the look passes as quickly as it came. I frown a little at the sudden change in him, popping a chip in my mouth.
“How about this? Next time we go on a date to see if you like me, I’ll tell you a secret.” I wink and take a bite of my grilled cheese. The inside is melty and gooey, warming my mouth.
Corbin has yet to touch the burger he ordered, and I eye it. His phone starts to vibrate on the table, but he doesn’t touch it, only taps his fingers up and down. I can’t figure him out. One second, he’s joking with me, being playful, and the next, he’s back to his broody, closed-off self.
My stomach sinks when I think that this might be a game again. Maybe he’s playing with me, waiting until I let my guard down, and then he and my jackass stepbrothers will go in for the kill. I know I shouldn’t trust him, but my traitorous body hasn’t gotten the damn memo.
“You going to answer that?” I glance at his phone as it starts ringing for the second time.
“Nah, I’ll call them back.”
“Who is it?” I ask.
He raises an eyebrow. “You know what happened to the cat?”
“What cat?” I furrow my brow at the sudden change of conversation.
“The one curiosity killed.”
Point taken.
13
Corbin
Fuck, I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t think it would be this hard.
My phone goes off a third time, Brock’s name flashing on the screen. He and Bodhi don’t know where I am, but I’m doing what they want. Fuck, I’m doing what I want. My head and my dick are at war with each other.
Get in, get the information, and get out, is what I should be doing, but my dick is telling me to seduce, to break down her walls, to do anything I can to sink inside her wet heat.
I stand abruptly, grabbing my phone from the table, and walk to the opposite end of the deck to answer.
“What?” I ask, annoyed but having no reason to be annoyed.
“Where are you?” Brock asks, and I can hear laughing in the background.
“With Landry,” I say, keeping my voice down but I can feel her eyes on me, watching me.
“Ah, look at you, getting an early start.” His voice holds a joking tone, and I frown, not used to hearing this side of Brock.
“Who are you with?” I ask after another bout of laughter.
“Bodhi has some girls back at the room. I’m about to leave.”
“Wait, girls?”
“Yeah, plural. Nothing is safe.”