"You look like you've had a bad night," Aidan comments.
"You look great, too, thanks," I say sarcastically.
"Did thoughts of me keep you from sleeping?"
I sputter in shock, and his dark gaze gleams. "Happy to have kept you company."
Oh, for heaven's sake.
Since I'm totally unwilling to touch that even with a ten-foot pole, it's my turn to change the subject, and I ask Aidan about my car.
"It's already at the repair shop. You should have it back in a day or two."
I'm a little stunned. "That long?" I seem to recall him saying that snow tires were my only problem, but maybe something else was wrong with my rental. "Do I need to contact its owner?"
"The shop will handle it," Aidan assures me. "There's nothing for you to worry about."
"But—-"
"But if you need a ride in the meantime..."
I manage to pretend I'm irritated, but inside I'm just flailing like a headless chicken at the all-too-sexy sight of his smirk. "Thanks, but no—-"
Aidan gestures to the cafe, asking, "Would you like to join me and my brothers?"
I can't help glancing back at the cafe, and I'm startled to find said brothers watching us with interest. "Um—-"
"Come on."
Aidan reaches for my hand as he speaks, and my heart skips a beat as he twines his fingers with mine.
I know, God. I know.
What I'm doing isn't right, and the day will come when I'll pay for it. But when Aidan starts leading me inside the cafe, I still find myself walking meekly by his side.
The interior of Redwood Cafe is a picturesque mix of cozy and industrial, with its rustic brick walls and polished concrete flooring. There are also wreaths on every table in honor of the holidays as well as glittery gold and red snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.
Aidan's brothers swiftly come to their feet as we approach their table, and I'm struck once again by how closely they resemble each other.
"It's Serafina, isn't it?" The guy who spotted me earlier flashes a lazy grin. He's boyishly good-looking and just so irrepressibly charming I can't help grinning back. "I'm Ethan, the youngest Blackwood brother."
"And the most troublesome," the other Aidan drawls. His hair is slightly longish, and he's also sporting a five o'clock shadow that makes him look like he's primed to beat up punks at a moment's notice. Definitely a far cry from Aidan's air of chivalry, but the difference is immaterial. It's still quite obvious that—-
"Thornton's my twin," Aidan slots in, and I just can't help it.
I let out a stunned gasp as I exclaim rather dramatically, "For real?"
I only meant it as a private joke between us, but when the entire cafe actually falls silent, I immediately freeze up.
Uh oh.
But then another second passes, and everyone actually starts snickering, his brothers outright laugh, and surprisingly enough, even Aidan is grinning, and that is so...not...good!
A guy with a terrific sense of humor is one of my major weaknesses, and oh dear God, a little help here, please? The more time I spend with Aidan, the more closely he resembles the type of guy I used to dream of marrying, and that was so not a good thing. At all!
"Serafina's joining us for brunch." Aidan's words draw me out of my thoughts, and the next thing I know I'm already being seated between the twins while Ethan hands me a menu.
"Thank you," I say uncertainly. "But are you guys sure I'm not interrupting anything—-"
"Nothing as important as you," the youngest Blackwood says solemnly. "We've never had our big brother introduce a girl to us—-"
"Not true," Thornton surprises me by interrupting in a soft, gruff voice. "Remember Darcy from high school?"
"She doesn't count," Ethan dismisses. "We already knew her even before Aidan brought her home."
Brought who home?
I turn to Aidan, and he says right away, "Ignore them. You're the only girl for me from now on."
His brothers choke...and so do I...along with everyone else in the cafe.
Oh my God.
A helpless laugh escapes me when I realize practically the entire town's been eavesdropping on our conversation. "This is so crazy."
"That's why I told you to ignore them," Aidan says sensibly.
"Am I really the first girl you've introduced to your brothers?"
"You can also be the last if you like," Aidan offers.
I glare at him. "Will you please stop—-"
Hearing this, Ethan looks at me in feigned shock. "Don't say you don't like our big brother?"
"It's not that—-"
"How can you not like Aidan?" Thornton questions. "That would mean not liking me as well, and my wife tells me every day I'm perfect."
Thornton's grave tone has me torn between laughing and crying. I might be wrong about this, but I've a feeling it's uncommon for Aidan's twin to even notice a near-stranger like me. He's just so self-contained that I actually feel honored he's even making a decided effort to back Ethan up in teasing me.