The day continued to pass slowly, and my mind was still toying with the idea of the relocation package the company would offer to the winning applicant. More and more people had been gossiping about it in the office, and I contemplated that it could indeed be the answer to all my problems. Yes, I would be letting Monique and Devan down, but I had to look after myself, didn’t I, for a change? And it probably wasn’t the best idea to stick around while I was all confused about Dev and the way he made me feel.
I could go away, forget about the silly arrangement. I would have a bigger paycheck and could pay rent and not worry about every single dollar I spent. Maybe even get a cat.
I groaned. I had made a promise, and I had to go through with it. Heavy with decisions, my mind felt like it was ready to burst open. I needed to lie down.
On the way home I sneaked by the house quickly, hoping Monique and Dev were not in. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with my sister-in-law’s mood swings again. Once in one day was quite enough, and as for Dev – one look at him, and I was a goner. Best to stay away.
I unlocked my apartment and heard noises coming from the inside. Furrowing my brow, I put my keys on the table by the door and followed the sound to its source, praying there wasn’t a burglar in the apartment. That would just put the cherry on my spoiled cake.
“Hello?” I asked hesitantly and tentatively rounded the corner. The noise was coming from the far end of the room, towards the partitioned-off section that normally could be accessed from the garage below and was being used a storage dump.
I stood looking at the chaos. A chunk of the wall was no longer there; a gaping big hole had been cut into the partition, wide enough for a normal-sized door, giving access to the space beyond. Dust coated everything, and I coughed as I walked over the threshold into the small, stale room.
A very sweaty, musky-smelling man with a wrench and no shirt was kneeling, facing away from me and fiddling with something under the floorboards.
Devan.
Christ, did he always have to be topless?
“What are you doing here?” I asked abruptly, feeling angry that he had waltzed into my apartment, had invaded my privacy without even asking. Obviously, I was being irrational - it was his house, after all - but I had been looking forward to catching a break tonight. Seeing my half-naked, sweaty stepbrother, covered in vibrant tattoos, in action was definitely not going to work if I wanted to stick to the plan.
He turned around slowly, dropping the wrench on the particleboard flooring with a thud. I was exposed to the glorious view of his toned torso, the six-pack of his abs glistening with droplets of sweat. He smelled incredible, like a man should, spicy and strong. Enough to make me weak at the knees.
“I’m getting started on the bathroom,” Dev explained with a sigh, running a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. “That way you won’t have to come down to the main house every morning. Great, huh?” he said and smiled.
“Oh,” I replied quietly, my shoulders sagging as disappointment filled my chest. “Yeah, sure. Whatever.”
He frowned and reached for a rag tucked behind the waistband of his jeans, then wiped his face, leaving a smear of dirt on his cheek.
I wanted to wipe it off so badly it hurt, but I made myself stay in place, letting the sadness creep through me. It was silly to feel like that; installing a bathroom up here was purely for my own benefit, but it could also mean that he didn’t want to see me. Didn’t want the temptation, I supposed.
“I thought you’d be pleased?” he said as his face fell.
I shrugged and dropped my head, unable to stare into those gorgeous sad eyes any more. I couldn’t tell him the truth without digging myself in deeper than I already had.
My eyes landed on his abdomen as he tucked the rag back. Before I could stop myself, my gaze shifted downward, following his movements, towards the smattering of hairs that led down from his belly button to the most forbidden spot - definitely not one I should have been looking at.
I bit my bottom lip, and my eyes darted upwards. Dev was looking to the side, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted him to catch me looking, or to pretend that it never happened.
The inner turmoil was becoming too much to handle, and then our eyes met. We were still a few steps away from one another - a safe distance. I swallowed.
My body demanded more, and I made a soft, involuntary sound in my throat, which caused Devan to look at me with surprise. Lust registered in his green, wide eyes, and I looked at him with yearning. I knew I had to stop, knew we were both being foolish.
But my body had plans of its own.
14
Devan
Monique had been giving me the cold shoulder all morning before she went to work, and after a couple of hours, I’d had enough of the silent treatment. It was as if an unwelcoming shadow had been cast throughout the entire house. It was just too much to handle; I had to get out, and I decided to be proactive instead of moping around.