I studied Beau’s flushed face as he stared down at his hands, fingers nervously tugging and twisting around each other.
Shea’s jaw tightened as he sat back down, and he rubbed a hand across his cheek with a sigh. “I know that, I was just?—”
Beau’s eyes cut to Shea’s, and for a moment, there was a fierce determination in them that sent heat sparking through my system. “It’sfine, Shea, Lea can do and say whatever he wants. This is his home and he shouldn’t have to change himself or the way he lives just because I’m here. If that’s the case, then I should leave.”
There was palpable tension in the air, some heavy, unresolved emotions crackling between them. I hadn’t realized things were this bad.
Shea had been acting like a lioness protecting her cub, lashing out at every little thing because he was so afraid that Beau would go running for the hills if he didn’t keep him in a protective bubble.
I understood his motivations, but I was going to have to talk some reason into that man because he was only going to push his brother away acting like that.
Shea seemed surprised by Beau’s defense of me, and after staring at his brother for a few long seconds, he scooted closer to him. “No, that wasn’t what I was—I just meant?—”
Before this could turn into anything more, even though I agreed wholeheartedly with Beau and appreciated him coming to my defense, I cleared my throat.
We needed to lighten the mood in here, I couldn’t havethem fighting on day one. “So, Beau, what do you do for work?” I took a sip of my lemonade and watched him over the rim of the glass.
Mm. Tart and sweet. With a low hum of appreciation, I said, “Shea, you have outdone yourself. This is even better than the last batch.”
Shea waved a dismissive hand—he hated being praised, so I did it as often as I could. Beau glanced up at me, blushed, then looked at something on the coffee table.
“You should try it, Beau,” I suggested.
His eyes found mine again—I hadn’t stopped staring at him—and then he licked his lips, picked up his glass, and took a tiny sip. Glanced back up at me and said softly, “I, um, I do coding. Medical coding for an insurance company based out of Florida. It’s remote work.”
He was back to being nervous now. So damn nervous. Because of me? Or was that a little too self-involved? Whatever the reason, it melted my heart and made me want to do everything I could to put him at ease. To make sure his time here was better than the hell he’d been living in for far too long.
His voice was quiet, but deep. And right now it was frustrating because it went straight to my cock every time he said something. I knew I’d be reminding myself a million times during his stay that he was straight and my best friend’s younger brother.
What a mess.
“He’s a genius when it comes to computers,” Shea said, affection in his voice. He’d relaxed again, one arm slung across the back of the couch. “When the rest of us were learning to type, he was already hacking into the FBI’s restricted database.”
Beau huffed. “No, I wasn’t. I’m not a hacker.”
Shea chuckled. “You could be. Could steal us millions. Or help us get some dirty info and blackmail some evil billionaires.”
“That’s unethical,” Beau said.
Oh my lord, he was a darling.
“Hear, hear! Put him in his place, babe.” The deep blush that crept across his cheeks only made me want to keep calling him every endearment under the sun. “You gonna come out with us tonight, love?”
Was that overkill?
Nah.
I leaned forward and willed him to look at me. When his eyes met mine, I smiled.
He blushed harder and glanced away.
“Um, I think…” He leaned back and tugged the thighs of his jeans down, like they were too tight. “I’m pretty tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Aww,” I pouted. “Please? Just for a little bit? Drinks are on the house. Alcoholic or not, if you don’t drink. But it’s a great bar. I should know, since it’s mine and all. Well, not all mine. Half mine. And tonight’s open mic.”
Beau’s eyes flitted to mine, down my chest, then away. “Open mic?”
“Yeah, we’ve got a stage at the back, and people come and perform. It’s a lot of fun.”