Saved by the Crush's Brother - Maggie Dallen Page 0,17

obvious.

“So, Alex took the car,” I said.

He nodded. “And the expensive trip abroad and the basketball camp…” He cast me another sidelong look, his voice dry. “Alex doesn’t share my aversion to bribery.”

I shifted, literally biting my lip to keep from leaping to Alex’s defense. Any other day and with any other person I would have. If it was Max picking on my crush, I would have railed against whatever flaw she’d pointed out and accused her of being judgmental just because Alex was gorgeous and popular.

Max had always had a thing about popular guys. She thought their egos had to be as big as their reputations.

In the silence that followed I was torn between guilt for not standing up for Alex, and a surge of affection for this tough guy who could be so sweet.

“So,” he said, his voice a little louder. “I want to hear more about this plan of yours.”

I blinked in surprise and confusion until… Oh no.

Memories from a little earlier in the night came back to me. That weird half-awake state I’d been in as the movie and Buttercup’s blissful silence had lulled me into a comfy state of near-sleep.

“Oh, it’s...nothing,” I said, shifting to look back out the window. “It was stupid.”

If he’d have pressed, I would have clammed up. But he didn’t. He just stayed quiet and I found myself remembering how his big hands had held Buttercup so gently and the way he’d patted her like a real baby, and…

“It was because of these magazines,” I blurted out.

He glanced over but said nothing so I found myself recapping how Rose had given us these girlie magazines filled with tips and tricks. Most of which were admittedly ridiculous, but some seemed...sound.

“I see,” he said when I was done, his voice more serious than mine would have been in similar circumstances. Because right now, even to my own ears it sounded like total idiocy. “So you thought perhaps you and Alex would bond over…” He cleared his throat. “Babysitting duties.”

Oh yeah, he was trying not to laugh. He hid it well, and there was something else there too that made him seem almost angry, but...he was definitely trying not to laugh. I saw it in the clench of his jaw, the twitch of his lips. Even his eyes seemed to be squinting in the dark with the effort to control his amusement.

Something about watching him struggle so he wouldn’t hurt my feelings…

I burst out laughing for both of us. When he glanced over he grinned, a slow smile that took my breath away and made me laugh even harder.

“It was so stupid,” I said through tears of laughter. “I can’t believe I actually thought that would work.”

He was outright laughing now too as he turned back to the road.

I swiped at my eyes. It was official. I was so tired I’d lost my mind. “In my defense, I had no idea how hard it would be. How…” I shook my head.

“How unromantic?” he guessed, glancing over with a hint of a smile still quirking up his lips and softening his features.

“Yeah, something like that.” It came out too quiet because my mind was replaying our night together. Minus the fact that I looked like garbage and I’d spent the first part of our night crying all over him, the rest of it had been...nice.

Sweet.

My breath hitched in my throat at a visceral memory of waking up in his arms, of the tension between us that had been intoxicating and weird and…

Maybe just a little romantic.

I licked my lips and turned to face the road, realizing with a jolt that we were already here. We were pulling onto my street and our time was coming to an end.

I should’ve been happy about that. I should’ve been grateful to be home and alone and…

Oh crap. Why did I have this antsy feeling like I wanted him to drive right past my house and keep going?

I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t want this night to end.

He pulled into the driveway and turned to me with a small smile. “I guess this is goodnight.”

Was it my imagination or did he look disappointed too?

Despite the fact that Buttercup was off my hands, and Alex was now a partner, and I could finally get some rest, this night didn’t feel complete.

It felt...unresolved.

I couldn’t sit still as a desperate clawing sensation climbed up my throat like I was going to say something or do something or—

Cristian opened his door and