Body and Soul (Vanguard Towers #3) - Aiden Bates Page 0,32

awful.” Derek motioned for me to put my feet up on his legs.

“The one before Ian was worse, though.” Matt scratched the stubble on his jaw. “But you got rid of him faster.”

I closed my eyes as Derek rubbed my feet through my socks, melting the day’s tension away. “Oh, yeah, Reece. He was so controlling.”

“Uh, I’m new here but is there a theme? You go for controlling men?” Wyatt set mugs down on the coffee table and took a seat on the floor.

“Yes,” Richie said immediately.

The rest of them laughed but I just groaned.

“I like men I can rely on! Men who make me feel grounded.” I didn’t think it was an unreasonable desire.

Richie hummed in understanding. “Strength can bleed into controlling behavior, though. Jealousy. Possessiveness.”

“Only sometimes.” Seb smiled at Derek with so much love in his eyes, it made my heart melt.

“Ugh, you two! Get a room!” Richie swatted Seb’s leg from where he sat on the floor beside him, and the rest of us laughed.

“This is our room!” Seb kicked his side gently.

The group laughed more, but I chewed my lip nervously as I stared up at the ceiling. “How do you tell the difference?”

Derek squeezed my foot. “What difference?”

“Between controlling and…just strong.” I rolled my head to look at Seb and Richie. “How do you know a strong guy isn’t going to get possessive and jealous?”

“You get us to meet him, and we’ll tell you.” Matt grinned and took a sip of tea.

Seb rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to get these goofs’ approval. You just try it out, pick out red flags early on. You get lucky.”

“What kind of guy are you looking for, though?” Wyatt scooted a mug toward me. “Because ‘strong’ can mean a lot of different things.”

“Ugh, good question.” I sighed and leaned my head back again, feeling like I was on my therapist’s couch. Safe to open up. Safe to dive deep. “I like guys who have a solid presence. Someone who can help me decide what to do when I get too caught up in my head. And someone who gets along with my family, of course.”

“Sounds like Ryland.” Wyatt sipped his tea loudly.

My brothers laughed.

Domino’s purring stopped.

I squeezed my eyes shut until I saw stars. My heart pounded at just the sound of Ry’s name, let alone the mention we might be good together.

“Uh, why are you all laughing?” Seb asked. “It’s Ryland in a nutshell.”

“Ryland?” Richie kept cackling. “He’s like…a family friend. An uncle.”

My eyes shot open, and I almost fell off the couch in horror.

Richie met my gaze and suddenly stopped laughing. “Brax, why are you blushing?”

It sounded more like a statement. I covered my mouth with my hands and groaned in embarrassment, and my brothers gave a collective gasp.

“Ryland?” Richie hooted again.

“Brax, you have feelings for Ryland?” Derek squeezed my ankle gently.

“Duh, of course he does. We told you, Ryland fits the profile.” Seb motioned between himself and Wyatt, who was grinning proudly.

“Squirt?” Matt raised his thick, shapely eyebrows at me—a move that had always meant I better dish the truth or he’d know I was lying.

I slid my hands over my cheeks as a flock of frightened birds took flight in my chest and made my insides quiver. “I…have liked him a really long time, but—”

“Oh!” Derek looked at me with wide, surprised eyes.

Matt crossed his arms and leaned back, sizing up the situation.

“Ryland…” Richie pursed his lips and squeezed his chin between forefinger and thumb, as though considering the man for the first time.

“Having a crush is exciting.” Wyatt beamed at me.

Seb drummed on his knees. “What was the ‘but’?”

“What about his butt?” Richie frowned.

“The ‘but’.” Seb rolled his hand. “Brax said he likes Ryland, but…”

All eyes were on me.

I slid my foot off Derek’s thigh, sat upright, confused as to why they needed me to say it out loud. To me, it was obvious. “But… Hunter.”

Seb grimaced and shook his head, Wyatt blew out air between pursed lips, and Derek grunted in understanding. Richie scoffed. But Matt stayed silent.

“There’s more though.” Matt was staring right at me, eyebrow still raised.

Damn it, I couldn’t escape. He was the one who’ d rescued me off the streets, brought me to the Tower, and he’d never stopped looking out for me. He was the closest to a ‘dad’ I had in the family, and he knew me better than anyone.

I sighed in defeat.

“Yeah. And I don’t know why he’d be into me.” A bubble of hope