As I walked past him out the door, he leaned into me, allowing his breath to wash over my neck. This time when I shivered it was for a completely different reason than disgust. “Relax. I promise to make it fun for you.”
Then he winked.
And I twisted my ankle, dropping to the ground in an ungraceful heap.
At his amused look, I groaned and covered my face, not wanting to see the people who stopped and stared. Could this day get any worse?
The bags landed on the sidewalk around me as he crouched before me. His voice held his restrained laughter. “Are you okay?” He lifted my ankle, running his fingers over it as if he was checking for injuries. But from the lightness of his touch, all it was doing was sending tendrils of heat to fan those flames of lust and desire that I’d effectively banked earlier. “Anything sore? Or in need of a rubbing?”
I yanked my foot from his hand and scrambled to my feet. While I ignored his outstretched hand, he did reach out and grab my arm, steadying me. The act of kindness didn’t go unnoticed, even as I pretended it didn’t happen. “I’m fine. Thanks.” I dropped my gaze to the sidewalk. “Must have stepped wrong or on a small stone or something.”
I grabbed a couple of the bags and began to walk away. This time it was his turn to scramble to catch up. But when he reached me, he had the last word. “I vote for ‘or something’ since it wasn’t your step that caused you to fall.”
And with that, he opened the trunk to the dark-tinted-windowed SUV—even for a simple shopping trip Bae had us acting like I was already a well known burlesque star—and put his bags in before adding the few I carried. “Hop into the car and get warm. The store I found isn’t far from here.”
I did as he asked without question. There wasn’t a point in arguing since, no matter how much I hated the idea of purchasing makeup for the next hour or two, I needed it to perform. Besides, it might even help with my stage fright if I could change my appearance enough so that no one knew it was me.
I slammed the heel of my hand into my forehead. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? I could treat the whole thing as if I were a different person. Pretend it wasn’t me dancing but someone else.
The moment he closed his door, I turned to him with a wide smile.
“What?” His gaze darted around, checking for whatever made me so happy.
“Nothing.” I shrugged. “I’ve just decided that I can’t wait to go makeup shopping.”
“Ooo-kay then.” He turned on the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. It appeared like he’d accepted my change of heart without issue, but throughout the drive, I caught him hard at thought, trying to figure it all out.
I giggled to myself. Let him try all he wanted. Every girl needed a little mystery to her life. Something to keep the men around her guessing.
11
Bae
Sweat dripped down my heaving chest as I paused in my workout to grab my water bottle. Using the corner of the towel, I wiped my brow to keep the sweat from my eyes. When that didn’t stop the trickle, I threw the towel over my head, drying it. Keeping it there, I tipped my head back, lifted the bottle to my mouth, and guzzled.
“That was quite the workout.” Kasim’s booming voice startled me, making me splutter, sending a spray of water to mix in with my sweat.
I ripped the towel off my head to dry my chest. “No more than usual,” I lied, but from the rise of Kasim’s single eyebrow to the flaring of his nostril, I knew he didn’t believe me.
He pushed off the wall on the far side of the small hand-to-hand combat training room and stalked across the floor with a grace that didn’t hide his panther. The back of my neck prickled, and if I’d been in my bear form, the fur there would have bristled.
“Don’t do it,” I pleaded. My control balanced on a knife’s edge, and the last thing I wanted was to lose it on my brother.
But he didn’t stop.
He continued his prowl, weaving as he came closer. I backed up and tried again. “You don’t want to do this, Kas.” My voice wavered as I snatched for that last shred of control.
“Why not?” he growled.
“Don’t.” I dropped my water bottle with a clunk as the steel bottle caught a little of the wood floor that wasn’t covered by the thick mat.
“Why?”
My heart raced. Fur sprouted along my arms. My nails transformed into claws. I clamped my jaw shut to keep my large teeth and snout from erupting.
“Tell me, Bae.” He crouched a little. “Why can’t we fight? Work off some steam like we used to?” He lowered himself farther until he was in a position to pounce. The fur on my arms rippled.
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because I’m barely hanging on. And if you attack, I’ll shift.” My legs gave way and my ass landed on the mat, sending a bolt of pain up my spine.
He sat down beside me. The skin on his crossed knee pressed into mine with the lightest of touches. Just enough to let me know he was there and offering support but not enough to crowd me. I hung my head, ashamed at my lack of leadership, my lack of control.
The silence lengthened between us. And as it continued to stretch on, the corners of my mouth began to lift and curl as his comfort seeped in. It reminded me of times when we were children and I’d suffer a panic attack. Kasim would
